3.75✨

Han is diagnosed with Leukemia, and that is a scary concept. He has to be taken out of school for treatment,and starts to lose touch with everyone, and everything that is going on.
I'm Sick, But That's Not What Hurts is an incredible middle grade story of empathy, compassion, and understanding. I really enjoyed some of the conversations that happened between Han and his Mother, and also between the Teacher and the classmates when he was finally able to go back to school. Those discussions were really important to have, and teaches about having empathy, but also reactivity and how that can affect some people.
The one thing that I didn't like was the age of Han vs the age of the writing. The illustrations make Han look like he is nearly a teenager. His age isn't specifically mentioned in the book, but I feel like the writing was quite young compared to how he looked. i would class this as a middle grade/ older children's book because of how confident and independent Han and his friends seemed to be.
Overall, this is a great book to teach kids empathy and compassion for others.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boy Town Press for the ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is poignant, evocative, and honest in many ways. It reflects on topics such as chronic illness and how people around us react to it. That’s exactly what Han experienced when his friend at school learned about his leukemia diagnosis. They didn’t know how to respond to such unprecedented and unfortunate news, and Han felt they were treating him differently. In reality, they were just concerned about saying the wrong thing or asking uncomfortable questions.
I loved Mrs. Torres’ character — a supportive and compassionate teacher who welcomed Han back to class when he was in remission and addressed his classmates’ questions sensitively and thoughtfully.
Han’s mom was his greatest supporter. She recognized that her son was less concerned about his illness and more about how his classmates would treat him after learning about it. Her pep talk encouraged him and helped him focus on living a normal life.
The book also introduces educational terms such as leukemia, remission, and more.
A lovely, educational read with thought-provoking insights.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boys Town Press for this ARC!