Becky the Brave by Laurie Lears

In Sarah's eyes, her older sister is very brave. Becky is not afraid of the new school or of the barking dog that they meet on the way. She's not even afraid of the convulsive epileptic seizures that she sometimes has. But after a seizure at home, she confides to Sarah that, although the teacher and the nurse know about her condition, she has not told her new classmates and she worries that she will have a seizure in school. One day her fears are realized, and her classmates stare and some laugh. The next day, Becky refuses to go back to school and Sarah has to conquer her own trepidation, walking there alone and going into her sister's classroom to explain what happened. The text reads easily with just enough information about epilepsy to help readers understand Becky's feelings. The soft pastel drawings emphasize the loving relationship between the girls. Epilepsy is tough on children and their families, and this story will help to explain the misconceptions.