Brainwalker

For a child struggling with the fear and helplessness that comes with a loved one's serious illness, 'Brainwalker' offers an empowering and fantastical escape. This high-concept science fiction adventure follows 12-year-old Bernard, whose younger sister Cappy falls into a mysterious coma. Using his scientist father's experimental invention, Bernard shrinks down and enters his sister's mind, a universe called the Brainiverse. Inside, he must fight a shadowy force to save her. The book channels complex emotions like fear and grief into a proactive, heroic quest, making it a great choice for middle-grade readers (9-13) who prefer action and metaphor to a more direct, realistic story about sickness.