Come Sit by Me Book

Karen's friend Nicholas has AIDS. When Karen's parents find out that Nicholas is being left out by the other children, they help organize a meeting to address fears of both caregivers and children.

Children's Literature

Karen is in the four-year-old class at preschool. Her new best friend, Nicholas, misses a lot of school because he is ill. One day Karen asks her mother, who is a doctor, what AIDS is because the other children won't play with Nicholas because he has AIDS. Soon, the children won't play with Karen, either. Karen's mother holds an informational meeting for the parents, and soon the children are once again asking Nicholas to "come sit by me!" An afterword contains information for parents and teachers about HIV infection and AIDS. Although the solution to Nicholas being shunned is awfully pat and unrealistic, this book may serve as a good resource for schools to prevent the problem.1998 (orig.