As previously mentioned, Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives (Kathryn Lynard Soper,ed., Woodbine House, 2007), is one of the most borrowed items in our library. We highly recommend this book to new parents as it covers a wide range of feelings that parents can relate to and the stories are positive. A few months ago, Gifts 2: How People with Down Syndrome Enrich the World (Kathryn L. Soper, ed., Woodbine House, 2009) was published. These stories are written not just by mothers but by a variety of people who have a relationship with a person with Down syndrome. Both are great books, but are written by Americans. A Melbourne Age journalist, Angela Blakston, who has a son with Down syndrome together with Carolyn McDiarmid, a midwife and mother, are asking for submissions (presumably from Australians) to compile a new book which has been given the working title "Now I See". Perhaps we will see an Australian version of Gifts later this year or next year. As with Gifts, profits/royalities will go to fund copies for new parents and health-care professionals. 
On a side note, I'd like to mention a series of books that are not in our library but I came across in my summer leisure reading. They are by Colin Cotterill (who has an interesting website) and are about a coroner who solves crimes along with his nurse assistant and spirits (but that's another story). The reason I mention them is that one of the main characters who works in the morgue has Down syndrome. In the book I read, Disco for the Departed, he features prominantly in the book and is very well portrayed. They are available through most bookstores and may be in your local library.
No comments:
Post a Comment