The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over

by Audrey Beth Stein, Ana Solarte (Illustrations)

This colorful story follows two young girls on the occasion of a big sleepover—with roller-skating, glow-in-the-dark stickers, blanket forts, and a special adventure all on the agenda. The narrator is torn between trying to have fun with her friend and conceding to the increasing throbbing in her head. But the eight-year-old has learned to manage. She pays attention to her body, and with a little help from Mom and Dad, the sleepover happens in spite of the migraine, with all the fun and joy you would expect. Along the way, readers learn about the ways a migraine comes on, what it feels like, how to cope, and how it runs its painful course. And that special adventure? Well, let's not give everything away before you read the book! A book for children with insights for adults, The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over illuminates this often invisible—but surprisingly common—condition. (About 10% of kids aged 5 to 15 get migraines, and the numbers are even higher for adults.) Both author and illustrator drew on personal childhood experience to create this fictional story, and the authenticity shows throughout the book. **Shortlisted for The Forevability Book Awards**

Genres: Childrens

35 pages, Paperback

Published October 11, 2022

About the author

Audrey Beth Stein is the author of the memoir MAP, which was a Lambda Literary Award Finalist, as well as the picture books LOOK AT ME, BEAR AND DRAGON CAT, and THE DAY MY BEST FRIEND AND A MIGRAINE SLEPT OVER. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College and is a two-time national prizewinner in the David Dornstein Memorial Short Story Contest. She taught creative writing workshops for a decade at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

Reviews

[Srivalli (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title says it all! As someone with migraines, I knew I had to read this one. The book takes us through the stages of migraine (it’ll be different for everyone) and how the little girl (the narrator) deals with it. Her family steps in whenever she needs their support. It’s so important when kids have migraines.

My first attack was in my teens, and it was a nightmare. I hate to think how much hard it would be for kids much younger. Of course, I took no pills for it.

It makes me happy to see books that talk about migraine headaches and the impact they have on people. Wish it had a few resources for parents to know more. It can hard to identify the signs if the parents don’t have migraine.

The artwork isn’t something that would make me pick the book. I do like the concept of using only the narrator’s hand in most scenes. But it doesn’t look like something kids would enjoy. Grab this if you want a small yet effective intro about migraine headaches. You’ll need a lot more research for extra information.

To summarize, the book is a good attempt to provide insight into the topic. I’d love a much more detailed author letter. After all, she writes about her experiences in this one.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and BooksGoSocial and am voluntarily leaving a review.

#TheDayMyBestFriendandaMigraineSleptOver #NetGalley

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over is a great book to explain to children what migraines are and how they can start and what you can do to help ease them. As a migraine sufferer myself I found this such a great resource to help people understand about migraines. I loved how the illustrator portrayed the aura that comes with most migraines as this is something I get and is so strange to feel for me as an adult never mind how it must make children feel. It can be very worrying for children getting migraines and yhis is such a soothing and reassuring book.

[Trio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audrey Beth Stein blends easy to understand medical information, with one family's coping techniques, to show how living with migraines is a part of life in The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over.

From the very first page Ana Solarte's lovely illustrations make it clear that a migraine is on its way. Spots and a rainbow haze in the bright sunshine is all this eight year old girl needs to know what's ahead of her.

Calm and patient parents, an understanding bestie, and perseverance help this self-confident young person save the weekend!

The combination of Ms. Stein's descriptions and Ms. Solarte's pictures help describe what the little girl is feeling, and as a migraine sufferer myself, I can relate. There's great information here for everyone.

thank you to BooksGoSocial via NetGalley for providing me with an arc of The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this children's book, which is about a little girl who has her friend sleep over with her, but she ends up having a migraine. We are shown the different stages of the migraine, and shown images on what it looks like to have a migraine, then we are shown how her family helped her with medicine and hugs, so that she could feel better.

This is an amazing book, which I really enjoyed, and it was useful to show it to my daughter, as I get migraines too, so she could see how they sometimes affect me. The illustrations in the book are great, and the text is easy to read.

Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Star Gater · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for accepting my request to read The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over.

Author: Audrey Beth Stein
Published: 10/11/22
Genre: Children's Fiction/Health, Mind & Body

Where was this when I was 10? A beautifully outlined description of the beginning warning signals, the coming signs, and finally the painful course. Auras, numbness, vomiting, diarrhea simultaneously with an excruciating headache is hard to describe. Likewise, it's hard to imagine. Stein gently shows the angst of the child seeing the warning signs wanting desperately for them to go away. She goes on to guide the reader and best friend through the course.

As one who suffered for nearly thirty years, I was so afraid to pick this up. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity. The tears I shed today are tears of relief, perhaps doctors now understand. I believe every school nurse should have this.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love books that 1) people can see themselves in and 2) highlight issues which aren't discussed enough. This one was both:

- The title that says so much 💯
- Insight into how migraines are more than just headaches
- True-to-life portrayal of what migraine suffers endure
- Jewish representation
- Lively illustrations

As someone who experiences frequent headaches and nausea (I still don't know whether to call it a migraine), this was a unique, engaging and perceptive read for me.

Thank you BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

[Lacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof. As someone whose migraines have been an issue as a child and an adult, I'm glad there are books like this one to help normalize it more. The book title could maybe be a little shorter, though.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great idea for a book. Myself and many members of my family get migraines and they are awful and they are absolutely 100% different than a headache. I love how this book pointed that out that it’s not just a run-of-the-mill headache but a serious issue that can ruin your day if not taken care of.

I love how it explains how a migraine feels and what it looks like to the person suffering from the migraine.

I do have one small critique, toward the end of the book it says that the “headache” is gone, but for continuity & accuracy I believe it should say the “migraine” is gone because the entire book is about how a migraine is different than a headache and what an impact and migraine can have on your day.

What a great book to inform young children so they can understand migraines.

[Audrey Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author, of course I'm partial. I think the story's great—and it's one I wish I could have read myself as a kid. So instead, let me tell you about the artwork. Ana Solarte did an incredible job bringing this story to life. She had the brilliant idea of using first-person illustrations, which is so rare in picture books, and it really draws you in. She brings the emotion alive, and her use of patterns and textures is something quite special. Her illustration on pages 20-21 was a perfect way to capture a really delicate part of the story. I could go on... but I'd rather you pick up a copy of the book and see it for yourself.

[Doreena Silva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just had to read this even though it's a children's book.
As a migraine sufferer since childhood I felt I could relate, and oh boy this book was spot on, could have definitely described my life with migraines. A great book for any one to read but especially for a child that suffers from migraines and especially their friends and family to gain a small better understanding.
Thank you to Netgalley, Books go social and the Author, Audrey Beth Stein for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Aletha Oglesby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Audrey Beth Stein could have written a cute book about “the day my best friend slept over” that would be a fun read for kids. But by adding “and a MIGRAINE” she took it to the next level, creating a fun teaching book as well. For that reason, I recommend it for kids as well as their parents.
Migraine doesn’t affect everyone but those who suffer with this debilitating condition know that physical pain is just one aspect of it. The other is the way it disrupts life, often unpredictably-like when this 8 year old girl is anticipating a fun adventure with her best friend Allie.
Ms. Stein introduces her book by explaining it is fiction based on personal experience, so when she starts by describing the migraine aura she knows what that means. As she narrates Allie’s “throbbing headache”, we learn how with her parents’ help she copes with the pain and disability, and how working together they manage to save her special day. We see her friend Allie show concern but is a good sport about having her special day affected too. In the end both girls have fun doing the kinds of things all kids should get to enjoy without migraine getting in the way.
The colorful illustrations by Ana Solarte do more than show us what happens. She captures the emotions of migraine with details that reflect Allie’s distress and highlight her parents’ attempts to relieve it.
I was surprised that there is no disclaimer, but the author did not present her ideas as medical advice. One should not use the book to diagnose or treat, and parents of children with headaches should seek medical consultation.
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley and the publishers.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly marked as for the migraine sufferer, the migraine witness and equally the migraine ignorant, this has a young lass determined to have her best friend round for a traditional sleepover, even if she’s got a migraine. It’s the girl’s reportage we’re reading, how she gets an aura blurring her vision on the walk home from school, and how that gets to be quite arduous, and then the headaches and light sensitivity. As a result the panic and worry of the friend kind of get ignored, and we don’t see what it’s like from the outside looking in (I think any book about epileptic fits would have to have some focus on the bystander not know what the heck to do).

Happily, this passes, and it’s a positive ending – of a kind. Other things of note are that the lead’s family is observant Jewish (although they do go to a pick-your-own apple orchard before sundown Saturday). There are notes about the symptoms and effects of the problem in relevant corners of relevant pages, but I think they could have been in a letter from the author at the beginning or end (having the definition of migraine in the middle is bonkers). And the artwork in this picture book is, shall we say, debatable. This would be a three star read, then, if it were not so useful, so clear and so positive. And if I were not in such a generous mood.

[Danyelle La Pookette · Rating 5 out of 5]

More "wow" than "ow"

I love this picture book. I'm way older than 8, but I get a lot of migraines, so I had to read this story. At first I tried reading on my computer with the kindle read website, but the text was way too small. So then I used my Kindle, with the horizontal orientation. Which is for the best, since my tablet has a much better light adjustment. If you can use a dimmer, sleep mode, blue light adjustment, it's recommended for those of us who are light sensitive.

I love the pictures! I love the sweet story of the main character, her best friend, and the amazing parents! I especially like how the aura aspect of some people's migraines is explained. That's the one symptom that I have never experienced. It's not the only focus of the story, though, so there's plenty of fun to be had with these girls. It's also pretty cool that the main character and her parents are Jewish. I have a hard time finding fun stories with this particular religion mentioned.

Also, I read everything in here, including the author's note. It didn't occur to me to request a copy for my public library until I saw that. Best author's note ever! I have submitted the request, so hopefully a hard copy will be arriving soon.

[Ilana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over by Audrey Beth Stein, illustrated by Ana Solarte, is more than just another picture book. Through the story of the girl who is telling the story of her daily experience with migraine, inherited from her mother, we are provided an example of empathy and acceptance facing a chronical illness.

I personally find interesting the acceptance of migraine nowadays, categorized as a chronical health impediment, compared to the previous decades when it was dimissed as just a more serious headache.

The book is using a language and a context appropriate for the readers´ age target, but considerate enough to be taken seriously by the parents as well.

Personally, I just wish there is more openness and discussion about such medical conditions, helping both the patients and their immediate environment to better communicate in such situations.

Recommended for both parents, children and pre-school educators and teachers.

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep in mind that I'm an adult/teen librarian and not an expert on children's lit. But I do suffer from migraines.

Migraine is difficult to explain and that difficulty is part of the pain. This book does a good job of showing what a migraine can feel like while keeping it simple and understandable for kids. It also models what adults can do for a child with migraine (or even other adults). The story shows how migraine can interrupt someone's life and cause them to miss out, but that it doesn't mean one has to miss everything. Listening to your body, knowing your reliefs, having a good support system, and being gentle with yourself are great skills/resources to have and this book shows all of them.

My one gripe is that the narrator doesn't have a name.

[Nikki Deeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over is a children’s picture book which addresses migraines in a child-friendly, informative way.

I was drawn to this book when I spotted it on NetGalley for review as I suffer from chronic migraines myself. I felt the book was informative and easy to understand, I can appreciate how helpful this story and the illustrations would be to child and I’m happy that it raises awareness of chronic pain without it being the whole character’s personality. Very well written and the raising of awareness in an accessible way is fantastic.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Donna Maguire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was a good book and it was one that I enjoyed reading

Being someone that does suffer from migraines I thought that the book was a great one to be released and it really does help explain at a basic level more about them and to normalise them and show that they are quite a common occurrence

The characters in the book were great, they were well developed and likeable.

It is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended and a good read, I would like to see more of the same vein in a series as I do suffer from chronic illnesses myself and this was a great way to talk to my daughter about what happens when I do have a migraine attack

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC.

I rarely request children's books from NetGalley, but as a migraine sufferer this caught my eye.

The title basically describes the plot of the book. There was a lot I liked about this book, it would be a good resource for a kid who doesn't understand their migraines. The author does a great job of describing the triggers and symptoms of a migraine. I knew from the first page that the walk home from school would be a trigger. I also liked that non medical relief methods were included.

I do wish that the author had include resources for parents at the end.

[Labannya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will an eight-year-old girl's much-anticipated plans for a very special day with her best friend be derailed by a stealthy migraine headache?
Along the way, readers learn about the ways a migraine comes on, what it feels like, how to cope, and how it runs its painful course. And that special adventure?
Well, let's not give everything away before you read the book!

It's a children's picture book with the insights for adults. When I saw this book on NetGalley I immediately downloaded it and read it soon after that without wasting a single minute. I suffer from chronic migraine myself. So, I'm glad that there're now books like this one to help normalise it more. I really appreciate both author and illustrator for this book and how helpful it was to showing migraines, treatment and remedies.

Migraine is difficult to explain and that difficulty is part of the pain. This book does a good job of showing what a migraine can feel like while keeping it simple and understandable for kids. And ofcourse to them who never experienced migraine in one's life ever.

The story shows how migraine can interrupt someone's life and cause them to miss out, but that it doesn't mean one has to miss everything you just need to listen to your body.

Only thing I'd have preferred a smaller tittle for the book.

Highly recommended.

Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Thank you @netgalley @booksgosocialgroup for the #arc in exchange for a honest review.

[bookstahere · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who regularly experiences migraine, this was very much relatable. I am pretty sure I felt similar symptoms as a kid and was not sure how to put them in words to explain my family. This book tries to explain them in simple words and as the author calls it "aura", was really on point. Having these kinds of books will really help kids in expressing their symptoms openly , as migraine is really common and people don't actually identify it until much further. The illustrations were really good and added to the content very well.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This picture book tells the story of a young girl who is excited for her sleepover but just then a migraine hits. The story introduces the illness migraines and words that are related to it, such as auras, as well as normalizes the fact that migraines come unexpectedly and can be scary, but they eventually go away. I think this book would be perfect for children who suffer from migraines, and also for other children to understand what a migraine is. I would definitely recommend it! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-paced, beautifully illustrated book that sheds light on what migraines can feel and look like for those that suffer from them. Our main character struggles with a migraine while trying to entertain a friend with her family. Insights into Jewish culture and the sometimes scary symptoms of this illness blend seamlessly in a story that is sure to get kids asking questions and empathizing with those that wrestle with migraines. Great to help young kids gain empathy for those around them that get migraines.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over by Audrey Beth Stein is a much needed book. The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over explains what a migraine is to the best of its ability and how it effects other. I like how the author is real about how migraines effect people differently and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I think this book would be beneficial for anyone that suffers from migraines, especially young ones. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

[Laura ( Latteandbookz ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I discovered this book I thought that I would give it a go because I am someone that suffers from chronic migraines and headaches also. Knowing that there are kids that have it, I wanted to see their perspective seen as this was the first book that I have seen like this have a child with an illness, there are usually teens or adults. while reading I did enjoy the art but I would have rather just words. I get why there was art in the book is a book geared toward kids. I hope that a kid or adult does come across this book and reads it and has a better understanding of what a migraine is.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about a little girl who suffers from migraines. I loved how personalized the book was to the author's childhood and thought the descriptions and explanations of migraine were great for the targeted audience. I have migraines myself and thought this was a great introduction to children to explain migraine symptoms and how they are treated. I do think the title is a little long and should maybe be shortened- The Migraine Sleepover perhaps?

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be very informative and relatable, as I have had migraines since I was a kid. Not only did it tell about how it feels to deal with a migraine, but it often showed it through a first-person perspective with the illustrations. I especially liked how it showed what a migraine aura can look like to the person experiencing a migraine.

I think this is a very good book for kids who experience migraines and to help kids who don't experience them to learn what they are like.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose this book as I suffer from migraines, and I know that children can too.

I think this book does a great job of informing about migraine in a way that is accessible to children, whilst also being a good story.

The title seems a little clumsy, but it accurately conveys what the story is about.

The illustrations are colourful and attractive, and do a good job of showing what experiencing an aura and migraine can be like.

Overall, this book is both a fun story, and informative.

[Lisa Gisèle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where was this book 30 years ago? Had to call my mom and read it to her because it sounded like childhood.

This book is incredibly accurate and very well illustrated. I highly recommend this for classrooms and parents of children with migraines. I think is will help children fell less alone and weird like I did.

[el (celestialbronz) · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting story to give you new perspective about migraine. it shows that not everybody has the luxury of 100% healthy physics, and if you happen to have illness like migraine, that's totally ok and there's no need to panic. supports from friends and family are always helpful when the illness comes so you know what you have to do if one of your friend or family experience it.

[Lit-Up My Mind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stein captures childhood innocence and combines it with the realities of being a child living with migraine disease. This book is essential for any child living with headache illness and is sure to bring comfort to those who read along.

As Always, Happy Reading!

“5/5 Beaming Brains!” – LITUPMYMIND.COM