Information library for age 9 to 12

This book follows four young people dealing with dementia in their grandparents. We follow their diaries as they hear of the diagnosis, all the way through to the end. The book looks at dementia from the perspective of a young person and the Dementia Diaries’ end goal, is to raise awareness of dementia in a way that’s fun, shareable and life-affirming.

Sophie's Nanna bakes sponge cakes as high as my school bag Jonty's Granny catches the train to the footy every week Raffie's Nonna drives a florist van. Each grandmother is different, but all are special. Some love footy, some love cakes, others work all week. But what if your Gran was more different than the others?

Angela wakes up full of hope - she is expecting a visitor. She prepares her hair, puts on perfume and bakes her speciality - shortbread cookies. She waits, impatiently at times, and finally the little girl arrives...

I feel so sad about Grandma. I cry sometimes about it at night, remembering how she used to be. She was always reading to me, or styling my hair, or letting me give her a back rub. But now she seems like a total stranger - I don’t know her anymore. I know that sounds kind of creepy, but that’s just the way I feel.

Pearl likes to write poems, but despite the insistence of her teacher, Ms. Bruff, Pearl's poems don't rhyme, and neither does she. She wishes she could grow gills so she could stay underwater in swim class without drowning. And she hasn't a clue why perfect Prudence bumps her desk and sends her pencils flying. Pearl thinks there is no nicer sound than the bell at the end of the day, even though back at home Granny sometimes doesn't recognise Pearl, and Mum is tired from providing constant care.

How can you love someone and resent him at the same time? Jake Moon used to love the time he spent with his grandfather, Skelly, but that was before Skelly got Alzheimer's disease. All of a sudden, it's as if Skelly is the kid, and Jake has to be the grown-up. Much of Skelly's care becomes Jake's responsibility, and that doesn't leave much time for a life of his own. Then, one day Jake rebels, and the unthinkable happens. Has Jake discovered too late how much his grandfather still means to him?

When Mum and Dad start talking about finding a home for Granny, Ivan and his brothers and sisters cook up a cunning plan: to blackmail Dad into letting Granny stay by threatening to hand in a project for school about how one poor confused old lady (Granny) is despised and neglected by her heartless carers (his parents). But there's more than one way of doing a Granny project - and blackmail can work both ways...