True Diary (Robyn's Book)

The author, suffering from cystic fibrosis, reminisces about her childhood and the advances in medicine for CF.

Grade 5 Up Robyn Miller, afflicted with cystic fibrosis (CF), reminisces about her childhood and the advances in medicine for CF. At the opening of the diary she is a talented 21-year-old writer. After an article about Robyn appeared in Scholastic's Voice, many readers wrote to her to encourage her to keep writing and fighting for her life. Several of these letters are included in this diary. In other books about CF, such as I'll Get to Heaven Before You! (Abingdon Pr, 1985) by Meg Woodson, the mother expresses her view of her children with CF. Although Toothpick (Holiday, 1985) by Kenneth E. Ethridge gives readers a clear account of Janice's struggles with CF, readers are slightly removed from the young adult's experience. In contrast, Robyn's Book reveals intimate details of her life and the implications of this debilitating disease. Thus, readers identify with the author and her fight for survival. Robyn's sudden death, described in an afterword, intensifies the call to young people to do something about CF, i.e., become aware of people with this disease, donate money, volunteer in hospitals. This is a book worth reading. Ruth Amernick, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.