Genetics for Children:
Resources for the
whole family

Books are an important part of a child’s earliest experience, their content mingling with the pleasures of being held close and hearing a parent’s voice. Later, books become an important way for children to explore the world and understand how people think and act. For older children books serve as sources of information or even as friends. Books, then, can be one of the best ways for children and parents to learn more about genetic conditions.

The Genetics for Children Web site is a book list for children and adults. It can be searched by type of genetic problem as well as by age group. Most listings include abstracts* describing the books. As you search for books, think about what you or your child hope to gain from the readings. The books on this list address disability in a variety of ways. Some focus on providing information about a genetic condition, while others describe real-life experiences. Books for younger children may draw on metaphor, using animals or analogous situations to explain genetic conditions. The books listed speak to a range of audiences, from children and parents to siblings and friends. Each book should be reviewed to insure that the information is accurate and appropriate. Inclusion on this Web site does not constitute an endorsement. This is a broad list, complied from many sources. If you would like to share your reaction to a book, please let us know. We hope to keep updating the site.

— Judith Feigon Schiffman

*The abstracts on this site are being used with permission from the Library of Congress, OCLC, and various publishers. They cannot be used without permission of the primary source.

Judith Feigon Schiffman is Assistant Director of the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling. She is a clinical social worker with a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a graduate of the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Program at the Institute for Psychoanalysis.

Jenny Iger graduated from the Northwestern University Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in 2001. Jenny helped with compiling the resources for the book project.

Heather Hall graduated from the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in 2006. As a work study student she helped compile and organize resources for the site.

Jennifer Kushman graduated from the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in 2004. As a work study student she spent time helping compile resources

Steve Bialer of Pathmedia in Evanston, Illinois is a graphic designer who has worked in many medias. He designed the web page for this site and is project manager for the Children’s genetic game.

Gershon Bialer has worked for several companies developing computer programs. He designed the program for the book search specifically for this web site.

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