Dancing with Katya

Reach for this book when a family member is facing a life-altering medical diagnosis or physical limitation and you need to foster empathy between siblings. It is a poignant story about Anna, a young girl in the 1920s whose little sister Katya returns from the hospital with leg braces after contracting polio. The story focuses on how the sisters navigate their changed relationship, moving from sadness over what was lost to a beautiful discovery of new ways to play and find joy. It is a gentle, historically grounded exploration of resilience and the enduring power of sisterly love. Parents will appreciate how it validates the complex feelings of siblings while modeling creative adaptation. It is most appropriate for children ages 6 to 10 who are developing a deeper understanding of empathy and the idea that being different does not mean being less capable of happiness.