The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over

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.

This book addressed major issues that come along with a migraine. I liked how the phonetics of the words were also included in the book.

It may seem dramatic but this book brought tears to my eyes.

The earliest migraine I remember was when I was seven and we were in Disneyworld Florida wandering around Magic Kingdom. It gradually got worse and worse and all I remember is being stood in front of Splash Mountain crying that I couldn't go on it because my head hurt so much. My parents were lost as what to do. Over the years we found a routine, from the brain freeze of a cold cloth (I respond to cold rather than heat like in the book) and medications, boy has there been a lot. But the book is spot on, they are a cycle, a viscous one at that. You feel the warning signs coming and attempt your best to fight it off but ultimately that feels when it is at its worse is just awful.

The little seven year old me would of loved to have a book which explained a little more about what was going on. Explaining the terminology in an easy way and making it feel 'normal' or like it's not just me and my body that is broken.

That is why this book brought tears to my eyes, all the little boys and girls who will unfortunately suffer migraines will hopefully have a helping hand with this resource. It really is amazing. Thank you to the author!

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.

Sweet and short, this book explains what a migraine is, what can happen during it and how to help kids and adults alike deal with it. It talks about how symptoms are different for everyone. And it includes Jewish representation!

Never saw a book for kids about migraine but I am glad this is coming out.

I usually don‘t really read children‘s books but I picked this one up because I’ve been getting migraines since I was a child. And I hope I don‘t sound too dramatic, but some parts of this book brought tears to my eyes. For example how the main character girl (why doesn‘t she have a name though?) went to her parents when she felt the migraine coming and they did the best they could to help her (give her meds and comfort her) reminds me so much of how I always went to my parents to get their comfort and support whenever I felt a migraine approaching.
I really really love that this book shows migraines in a realistic way and it‘s great explained for kids.
I feel really connected to the girl because my migraines are really similar (I start by getting aura too and I also often have to throw up) and I love that it not only shows how the migraine interrupts our main girl‘s life and that she doesn‘t want to miss out but also that she doesn‘t miss everything because it gets better again.

I’ve chosen to acquire this book as I rethink it focuses on a topic that is not often talked about, but should be in young adults migraines. Being a sufferer o& migraines from a young age I would have loved to have this book to help me feel less alone and to have something to relate about my condition to others. It explains migraines, but also shows young readers that they can still go o. To live an active normal life as well.
Very well put together,

I don't request children's books from NetGalley too often these days, but as a migraine sufferer this one did catch my eye.

A very-well explained book about migraines and what they constitute. Do wish the explanation had been longer though.

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.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book to review!

I saw this book when I was in a migraine spell and that is what motivated me to read and review it and after I did I can confirm- this is such an important book! As an adult sometimes I get scared by how badly my head hurts and this book is so comforting, I'm sure even more so for a child who is suffering!

I loved the illustrations and the breakdown of what migraines can feel like as well as the main character continuing on with her life through it while also respecting her limits.

If your child is a migraine sufferer this might be the perfect book for them!

As someone with migraines, I really would have loved this book when I was younger. I had never heard anyone talk about them so when I got my first one I thought I was just sick. I hope this helps children not only feel better about getting migraines but know that they're normal.

This was really sweet and so informative at the same time! I suffered migraines growing up and this book makes me feel seen! I felt so bad for the girl, I could almost feel her pain just from reading about it. The illustrations were great; I wish there were more children’s books that are about these issues!

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.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial, NetGalley and Audrey Beth Stein for this ARC!

This book was really helpful. I've had migraines since I was 14 and I wish I had a book like this to explain what was happening. The Day My Best Friend and a Migraine Slept Over would be great for kids, friends, significant others and family members who may not have experienced a migraine but can understand the symptoms better. I also love how this could be for a child who just started getting migraines and doesn't really understand them.

The graphics of this book were adorable and the steps of experiencing a migraine were on point.

This is a beautifully written book for children that care about others.is that simple. the picture's are amazingly illustrated to depict a migraine to a very young child. It also gives the message of you take your medicines, your family will be by your side and a great will follow, what more could a child want!

Thanks to Netgally and the publishers for giving me a digital copy of this book in exchange for a full, crank and honest review.

Amazing book. super read for any child it is amazing story and very insightful. would recommend to anyone who likes these kind of stories, it is thoughtful, funny, amazing and very good read.

This book was enjoyable to read and I liked how the illustrations were made from the girl’s point of view. There aren’t many kids books that talk about migraines. This was informative while weaved into a fictional story.

4 Stars
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.

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

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.

This quick, engaging read is a lighthearted way to discuss a chronic illness that feels widely misunderstood, despite its prevalence. It was a stroke of genius for Solarte’s illustrations to be from our narrator’s perspective, as that immediately elicits a strong empathetic response. Stein explained migraines in a way that is easy to understand, yet not overly simplified. I also appreciated the detail of pointing out that individual people experience migraines differently, and even then, not every migraine one person may have will hit them quite the same way.

As someone who has suffered from chronic migraines for as far back as they can remember, I feel books like this one are much needed. Growing up, the general consensus was that I was either faking it or being wildly over dramatic over a simple headache. Having to deal with that attitude, on top of the excruciating pain of my migraines, was terrible. No one, let alone a small child, should be treated so much like a fraud for suffering from a chronic illness not everyone understands. I’m sure my mother would have loved for this book to have been around when I was little. I certainly would’ve!

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.

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.

As someone who gets migraines and has children who watch me deal with it, I totally appreciate this book. Not only does it help kids understand migraines, but it also offers some understanding for any kind of chronic health condition, and will help kids who deal with then feel more seen.

Sweet story and informative for kids.

As a parent of an 8-year-old who experiences migraines I loved how relatable this book was, both in the chosen words and the pictures that go along with it. I could see this book being helpful for a child who has just started experiencing migraines or for the friends of a child that has migraines to help them know what to expect.

My only critique is the title which seems a bit long for the book and target audience.

Thank you to the author, publisher and net galley for providing an early reader copy in exchange for my honest feedback.

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 for letting me review this book! I live with a chronic migraine disorder, so I was elated when I found a Children's book that addresses migraine! The biggest issue with migraine awareness is that people do not understand that it is not just a headache. I feel this book did a great job of capturing the essence of a migraine in a simple way that would help children (and adults) understand better.

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.

Where was this book when I was a kid? Such a cute story. I enjoyed the clarification and pronunciations of words. I could have done without the toilet, but it fit in the story. 4.5 ⭐️

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.

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.

As someone who suffers from occasional migraines this is a great book. It helps explain to the younger audience what migraines are so they can understand them better. I think the title is a little too wordy though.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my ARC.

I liked the disability representation in this book. As a child that had migraines, I appreciate that this book is being published. I don't think I would use it in a classroom just because it happens in more of a home setting, but I think it is a valuable read for kids. I would use this as a parent and not as a teacher.

Tha k you to Booksgosocial and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I thought this book was just great. As a Migraine sufferer, I can definitely identify with the girl in the story. I think adults as well as kids have trouble understanding Migraines. Most people think they are just a Headache. This book makes people understand the difference. I am going to let me niece read this as well. She is also a Migraine sufferer.

Ahhh I am so glad that there is a children's book about migraines. I wish I had this growing up so friends could understand what it was like to have a migraine when they would come over. This was great!

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I found this book geared towards to kids to be helpful. I wish I had something like this was younger. With dealing with people with migraines my mom suffered from them my whole life. And I started suffering with the at 12. This one is great for both kids and adults.

I'm sorry to say I don't like the art as much as I like the story. But it's really not bad! Migraines are seriously annoying and although I don't have them, I know people who suffered from it since young but didn't get taken seriously due to their young age. I hope this book helps a lot of children.

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.

This book paints a great introductory picture of migraine headaches, what they're like and how to live with them and still enjoy life as a child or at any age. This is the first children's book I've seen on this topic and I really appreciate the awareness it raises. As someone who's lived with migraines and a variety of other headaches regularly since childhood, I can relate to this story in so many ways and wish I had a book like this to read as a young girl.

I gratefully received an advance reader's copy (ARC) of this book and these are my honest thoughts.

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.

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.