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Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio
This anniversary edition includes an updated and extended epilogue about the author's experiences since the original publication. It also includes twelve pages of new photos and a lengthy section about polio, past and present.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
263 people are currently reading
3,277 people want to read
About the author
Peg Kehret
70Ìýbooks632ÌýfollowersPeg Kehret writes middle grade fiction and nonfiction. She's won dozens of state children's choice awards, where kids vote for their favorite book.
When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.
A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."
When she was twelve, Peg was paralyzed with polio. Most of her protagonists are the age she was then.
A volunteer with animal rescue groups, three of Peg's books are co-authored by Pete the Cat."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,055 reviews
March 6, 2019
This was my all-time favorite book in 4th grade (AKA the year before Harry Potter). Peg Kehret really knows how to write a page-turner, as evidenced below by the 4th grade class yearbook photo that I was completely oblivious to.
This book is excellent. If I ever have equally photogenic, really popular children, this will absolutely be on their shelves.
This book is excellent. If I ever have equally photogenic, really popular children, this will absolutely be on their shelves.
May 6, 2021
when i was a very small child, one of my favorite books was this memoir about a child a million years ago who got polio.
i was very cool and normal.
that's it. that's the review.
this is part of a project i forgot i was doing where i review books i read a long time ago. i picked this one because i knew it would be easy.
i was very cool and normal.
that's it. that's the review.
this is part of a project i forgot i was doing where i review books i read a long time ago. i picked this one because i knew it would be easy.
January 11, 2015
What a beautiful story! My grandmother was born in 1901 and had polio as a young teen (we think that's the right age). Her father was a doctor and had heard about some unorthodox treatments that were being done for polio victims and tried them on her. They involved heat and massage, so I am now assuming these were the Sister Kenny treatments that the author referred to. My grandmother made a full recovery. I'm fascinated that my great grandfather found out about these treatments so early and used them (they were started in 1903 in Australia and didn't come to the U.S. until 1940). I would love to learn more about my great grandfather and what he did exactly, but I guess I'll never know. I'm thankful to have read Peg Kehret's account and get a little glimpse into what polio must have been like for my grandmother. As an aside about the book, one of the things I love the best are the pictures and the update at the end about the friends she made along the way. She brings it all to life so clearly that you long to know how it all turns out.
May 13, 2022
I am usually a rather slow and deliberate reader, so yes, I was pretty massively surprised that I managed to read Peg Kehret’s 205 page memoir about her struggles with polio (as a twelve year old, in 1949) in about two hours maximum. For indeed, it usually tends to take me at least a day or two to read two hundred pages of anything, but with Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio I simply and also hungrily devoured Peg Kehret’s engaging, sometimes painful but generally hopeful and optimistic words in record time (and was actually even a trifle disappointed and frustrated when Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio ended, as indeed, I could have gladly read more, more, more).
Descriptive, factual and also always showing Peg Kehret’s innermost thoughts and emotions (about her life, her family, her polio affliction, including detailed descriptions of the doctors, nurses and physiotherapists helping her to recover), I have definitely and absolutely found Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio immensely readable and author Peg Kehret’s twelve year old self (and first person narrator) very much personally relatable (someone whose words have entered my soul and whose battle against polio has also made me totally appreciative of the oral polio vaccinations of my own childhood and that fortunately polio is no longer the constant fearful spectre it was in the early to middle parts of the 20th century). Highly recommended (and yes, I also very much applaud that in the epilogue of Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, Peg Kehret makes a point describing post polio syndrome and that she, as well as many of her friends from when she was an in patient recovering from polio are currently struggling with this).
Descriptive, factual and also always showing Peg Kehret’s innermost thoughts and emotions (about her life, her family, her polio affliction, including detailed descriptions of the doctors, nurses and physiotherapists helping her to recover), I have definitely and absolutely found Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio immensely readable and author Peg Kehret’s twelve year old self (and first person narrator) very much personally relatable (someone whose words have entered my soul and whose battle against polio has also made me totally appreciative of the oral polio vaccinations of my own childhood and that fortunately polio is no longer the constant fearful spectre it was in the early to middle parts of the 20th century). Highly recommended (and yes, I also very much applaud that in the epilogue of Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, Peg Kehret makes a point describing post polio syndrome and that she, as well as many of her friends from when she was an in patient recovering from polio are currently struggling with this).
July 21, 2020
If I had to choose to name one book as the most inspiring book I've ever read, it just might be this one. Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret is a true story of hope, healing, courage, resilience, and the determination to fight and win against a terrible disease despite overwhelming odds.
Each time I read Small Steps, I experience along with the author her joys and sorrows, her laughter and tears, her defeats and victories. The book vividly conveys each event - including the author's terrifying polio diagnosis, illness, and complete paralysis at the age of 12; facing great pain and the threat of death; her long and difficult recovery; each of the family members, roommates, and medical professionals who were with her each step of the way; and much more. I admire the author's courage, resilience, determination, joy, and will to survive and recover, and her immense spirit that couldn't be extinguished. I feel for her as I read about each event and struggle she went through. She's honest about her despair, terror, and each of her other feelings, but she never loses her hope and determination even when faced with the possibility of death or the probability of lifelong paralysis or disability.
And through it all, she also never lost her sense of humor, choosing to have joy and make jokes even through immense pain, hardship, and loneliness. This book makes me laugh often, at the events the author experienced or caused, the way she tells about them, her self-deprecating wit, or the jokes she made in moments of difficulty.
Small Steps doesn't just make me laugh - it also makes me cry many, many times throughout the book, in a good way. It's rare for a book to make me cry real tears even once, but this book made me cry often throughout on my most recent read - genuine tears and even sobs. I cried at the author's experiences and hardship, from reading about the thoughts or feelings that are similar to ones I've experienced, from the sadness that it brings me to be aware of the suffering of so many people who face serious illness, at the example of the wonderful doctors who cared for her and comforted the author, and with tears and sobs of joy at her healing and recovery.
The author's writing style is smooth, crisp, and vivid, and it draws me into the story, and her bright personality, wit, and sense of humor shine throughout the book. And even more than in fiction, there are wholesome themes and insights presented in this book - subtle and never blatant, such as the author increasing in kindness, generosity, and being aware of the hardship of others, while being honest about being resentful of them at first.
THE CHARACTERS
For me, the most wonderful part of Small Steps, aside from the author and her personal story, are the other people that populate the pages of this book. Each person she met along the way impacted her in some way, and she writes about them insightfully. So many people helped her in her journey of illness and healing, and she remembers them with fondness and gratefulness. In addition to feeling like I know the author herself through her honesty and vivid, personal voice, she brings colorfully to life each other person in her story, making me feel as if I know each of them as well.
The most prominent of all were her parents - a kind, caring, generous couple who loved their daughter more than anything and were willing to go to great lengths to provide her with the best medical care possible. Their actions on several occasions literally made the difference of life and death for the author, and they walked beside her faithfully during every step of the way, making it possible for her to survive and gain a full recovery. I also love watching her parents care for and show love to the author's young roommates, acting as surrogate parents to the rest of them as well. During the events of this book, the author learned how lucky she was to have such wonderful and loving parents, and it reminds me of my own parents, who are just as wonderful - and I appreciate my parents along with the author.
Just as instrumental were the doctors, nurses, and physical therapists who treated the author and fought with her for her life and health. Two of them in particular were especially important and inspiring to the author and to me as a reader. Her favorite doctor, a young intern named Dr. Bevis, cared for her during the most intense phase of her illness and early recovery, and he went above and beyond in his care. He helped sealed the author's determination to recover, and he inspired her resolve to get well and walk again. The other individual, a young physical therapist, Miss Ballard, was the one who helped her recover the rest of the way and do just that - walk again. Both of their compassionate, kind, and caring medical treatment - and personal care rather than just mechanical physical treatment - impacted the author hugely. Without them, she would not have recovered the way she did, and seeing it moved me to tears on more than one occasion. And these two individuals and several kind nurses contrast sharply with another nurse, doctor, and physical therapist who were insensitive or mean to the author.
The author was also impacted by the sweet roommates who cheered her on in her healing even while they recovered more slowly or not at all. Their bond was forged as they fought the same terrible disease, and they supported each other through hardship and rejoiced in each other's joys and victories. Though the author at first resented her first roommate, a young boy in an iron lung named Tommy, they quickly grew to be inseparable. And the same was true of the four girls who were her roommates at the second hospital where the author spent her recovery. I loved reading about their sweet times together and the author's sisterly bond with each of them. Their sweet spirits, courage, determination, and resilience matched that of the author herself, and they inspire me as well.
WHAT THIS BOOK MEANS TO ME
I first read Small Steps at the age of 10, and it was the first memoir I had read - but it was by no means the last. I've read this book many, many times since then, as a preteen,as a teenager, and now as an adult, and it's impacted and inspired me each time - and made me laugh and cry. It remains one of my top few all-time favorite books, and for good reason. Out of the many, many autobiographies I have read and loved since first reading this book, this one remains one of the very best.
Unlike when I read the book as a child, I now have a chronic illness of my own, and though it's nothing compared to polio, it's been a long and difficult journey of many years of illness and slow, difficult recovery. It's encouraging and healing for me to read about the author's journey and experiences, and I see my own mirrored in hers. A few of my experiences have been almost exactly the same as hers - her thoughts and feelings about her illness, a few of her physical symptoms (though much less severe), the losses and discouragement she went through, and the destruction of all her dreams and her future. I wept on many occasions throughout the book as I read of her struggles and hardship, and I sobbed tears of joy at her recovery - and it renewed my hope that someday, I will recover and get well, like her, even though it seems impossible - as it did for her. I also cried with mixed comfort and sadness at the reminder that there are many, many others like me - young people who suffer from a serious, long-term illness, during years when we should be especially healthy and strong. It's comforting to remember that I'm not alone, and it's heartbreaking to be aware - as I have been before - of the suffering of so many others who are much worse off than me.
In addition to identifying with the author's experiences of illness, I'm inspired by the doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who helped the author on her journey. Though I didn't foresee it when I first read this book, I'm now heading towards nursing school, and I'm passionate about my future career as a nurse. I'm inspired by the example of the wonderful people who provided medical care to the author during the events of this book - especially one doctor and one physical therapist in particular, whom I mentioned above, but also including other wonderful nurses and hospital staff. I want to be like them, and it's moving for me to see the impact that a skilled and compassionate medical professional can have on one patient or many - it even made me cry on multiple occasions during the book. I also do not want to be like the handful of insensitive, unkind, or mean doctors, nurses, or therapists the author encountered as well, who hurt her in more ways than one and made her journey more painful and difficult. However, I'm grateful and inspired to see that overall, the author's experience at both hospitals she stayed at were incredibly happy and beneficial - so much so that she didn't want to leave each time she was transferred or discharged.
CONCLUSION
I think every individual would enjoy and benefit from this wonderful book. Though the writing style is mature and sophisticated, the length and reading level are targeted toward middle-grade readers (ages 8-13) of the age the author was at the time of her experiences. I find that very appropriate, and I can't imagine the book any other way. But Small Steps is no less enjoyable for teens and adults of any age, and my whole family has enjoyed this book immensely. It's especially eye-opening for those who don't know about polio or who have never been through hardship or illness, and it's a wonderful book for young readers or readers of all ages. It's also squeaky clean - though I won't give it to my little sister until she's old enough to read one extremely brief mention of a crush, or of another character calling a young man cute - and the medical details are never the kind that would be uncomfortable for a sensitive or squeamish reader. (There is one small mention of a spinal tap, but it's not in-depth, over in a brief sentence or two, and should not be bothersome.)
Overall, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio is an amazing true story that I think everyone should read. With quality writing, engaging storytelling, humor, joy, raw honesty, and inspiring hope, Peg Kehret shares the amazing story of her determined fight to survive and recover from polio and paralysis. I've read this book many, many times and enjoyed it immensely each time, and this will by no means be the last. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Each time I read Small Steps, I experience along with the author her joys and sorrows, her laughter and tears, her defeats and victories. The book vividly conveys each event - including the author's terrifying polio diagnosis, illness, and complete paralysis at the age of 12; facing great pain and the threat of death; her long and difficult recovery; each of the family members, roommates, and medical professionals who were with her each step of the way; and much more. I admire the author's courage, resilience, determination, joy, and will to survive and recover, and her immense spirit that couldn't be extinguished. I feel for her as I read about each event and struggle she went through. She's honest about her despair, terror, and each of her other feelings, but she never loses her hope and determination even when faced with the possibility of death or the probability of lifelong paralysis or disability.
And through it all, she also never lost her sense of humor, choosing to have joy and make jokes even through immense pain, hardship, and loneliness. This book makes me laugh often, at the events the author experienced or caused, the way she tells about them, her self-deprecating wit, or the jokes she made in moments of difficulty.
Small Steps doesn't just make me laugh - it also makes me cry many, many times throughout the book, in a good way. It's rare for a book to make me cry real tears even once, but this book made me cry often throughout on my most recent read - genuine tears and even sobs. I cried at the author's experiences and hardship, from reading about the thoughts or feelings that are similar to ones I've experienced, from the sadness that it brings me to be aware of the suffering of so many people who face serious illness, at the example of the wonderful doctors who cared for her and comforted the author, and with tears and sobs of joy at her healing and recovery.
The author's writing style is smooth, crisp, and vivid, and it draws me into the story, and her bright personality, wit, and sense of humor shine throughout the book. And even more than in fiction, there are wholesome themes and insights presented in this book - subtle and never blatant, such as the author increasing in kindness, generosity, and being aware of the hardship of others, while being honest about being resentful of them at first.
THE CHARACTERS
For me, the most wonderful part of Small Steps, aside from the author and her personal story, are the other people that populate the pages of this book. Each person she met along the way impacted her in some way, and she writes about them insightfully. So many people helped her in her journey of illness and healing, and she remembers them with fondness and gratefulness. In addition to feeling like I know the author herself through her honesty and vivid, personal voice, she brings colorfully to life each other person in her story, making me feel as if I know each of them as well.
The most prominent of all were her parents - a kind, caring, generous couple who loved their daughter more than anything and were willing to go to great lengths to provide her with the best medical care possible. Their actions on several occasions literally made the difference of life and death for the author, and they walked beside her faithfully during every step of the way, making it possible for her to survive and gain a full recovery. I also love watching her parents care for and show love to the author's young roommates, acting as surrogate parents to the rest of them as well. During the events of this book, the author learned how lucky she was to have such wonderful and loving parents, and it reminds me of my own parents, who are just as wonderful - and I appreciate my parents along with the author.
Just as instrumental were the doctors, nurses, and physical therapists who treated the author and fought with her for her life and health. Two of them in particular were especially important and inspiring to the author and to me as a reader. Her favorite doctor, a young intern named Dr. Bevis, cared for her during the most intense phase of her illness and early recovery, and he went above and beyond in his care. He helped sealed the author's determination to recover, and he inspired her resolve to get well and walk again. The other individual, a young physical therapist, Miss Ballard, was the one who helped her recover the rest of the way and do just that - walk again. Both of their compassionate, kind, and caring medical treatment - and personal care rather than just mechanical physical treatment - impacted the author hugely. Without them, she would not have recovered the way she did, and seeing it moved me to tears on more than one occasion. And these two individuals and several kind nurses contrast sharply with another nurse, doctor, and physical therapist who were insensitive or mean to the author.
The author was also impacted by the sweet roommates who cheered her on in her healing even while they recovered more slowly or not at all. Their bond was forged as they fought the same terrible disease, and they supported each other through hardship and rejoiced in each other's joys and victories. Though the author at first resented her first roommate, a young boy in an iron lung named Tommy, they quickly grew to be inseparable. And the same was true of the four girls who were her roommates at the second hospital where the author spent her recovery. I loved reading about their sweet times together and the author's sisterly bond with each of them. Their sweet spirits, courage, determination, and resilience matched that of the author herself, and they inspire me as well.
WHAT THIS BOOK MEANS TO ME
I first read Small Steps at the age of 10, and it was the first memoir I had read - but it was by no means the last. I've read this book many, many times since then, as a preteen,as a teenager, and now as an adult, and it's impacted and inspired me each time - and made me laugh and cry. It remains one of my top few all-time favorite books, and for good reason. Out of the many, many autobiographies I have read and loved since first reading this book, this one remains one of the very best.
Unlike when I read the book as a child, I now have a chronic illness of my own, and though it's nothing compared to polio, it's been a long and difficult journey of many years of illness and slow, difficult recovery. It's encouraging and healing for me to read about the author's journey and experiences, and I see my own mirrored in hers. A few of my experiences have been almost exactly the same as hers - her thoughts and feelings about her illness, a few of her physical symptoms (though much less severe), the losses and discouragement she went through, and the destruction of all her dreams and her future. I wept on many occasions throughout the book as I read of her struggles and hardship, and I sobbed tears of joy at her recovery - and it renewed my hope that someday, I will recover and get well, like her, even though it seems impossible - as it did for her. I also cried with mixed comfort and sadness at the reminder that there are many, many others like me - young people who suffer from a serious, long-term illness, during years when we should be especially healthy and strong. It's comforting to remember that I'm not alone, and it's heartbreaking to be aware - as I have been before - of the suffering of so many others who are much worse off than me.
In addition to identifying with the author's experiences of illness, I'm inspired by the doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals who helped the author on her journey. Though I didn't foresee it when I first read this book, I'm now heading towards nursing school, and I'm passionate about my future career as a nurse. I'm inspired by the example of the wonderful people who provided medical care to the author during the events of this book - especially one doctor and one physical therapist in particular, whom I mentioned above, but also including other wonderful nurses and hospital staff. I want to be like them, and it's moving for me to see the impact that a skilled and compassionate medical professional can have on one patient or many - it even made me cry on multiple occasions during the book. I also do not want to be like the handful of insensitive, unkind, or mean doctors, nurses, or therapists the author encountered as well, who hurt her in more ways than one and made her journey more painful and difficult. However, I'm grateful and inspired to see that overall, the author's experience at both hospitals she stayed at were incredibly happy and beneficial - so much so that she didn't want to leave each time she was transferred or discharged.
CONCLUSION
I think every individual would enjoy and benefit from this wonderful book. Though the writing style is mature and sophisticated, the length and reading level are targeted toward middle-grade readers (ages 8-13) of the age the author was at the time of her experiences. I find that very appropriate, and I can't imagine the book any other way. But Small Steps is no less enjoyable for teens and adults of any age, and my whole family has enjoyed this book immensely. It's especially eye-opening for those who don't know about polio or who have never been through hardship or illness, and it's a wonderful book for young readers or readers of all ages. It's also squeaky clean - though I won't give it to my little sister until she's old enough to read one extremely brief mention of a crush, or of another character calling a young man cute - and the medical details are never the kind that would be uncomfortable for a sensitive or squeamish reader. (There is one small mention of a spinal tap, but it's not in-depth, over in a brief sentence or two, and should not be bothersome.)
Overall, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio is an amazing true story that I think everyone should read. With quality writing, engaging storytelling, humor, joy, raw honesty, and inspiring hope, Peg Kehret shares the amazing story of her determined fight to survive and recover from polio and paralysis. I've read this book many, many times and enjoyed it immensely each time, and this will by no means be the last. I can't recommend it highly enough.
August 14, 2020
Thank God for vaccines.
March 14, 2021
In 1949, when Peg Kehret was twelve, she was the only one in her town to contract polio. She contracted three different strains of the polio virus. This was a memorable and wonderful read that would appeal to both children and adults. I can't imagine anyone reading it and not being at least a little moved by it.
April 10, 2012
Kids have been telling me this was their favorite book for years so I finally picked it up and read it. I was not disappointed--it was a wonderful and inspiration story, but not too sappy. She describes her feelings very realistically and she's not always nice about it!
February 3, 2020
Wow! I had no idea about polio. I don't know how my knowledge was so limited to understand even the basics but I have so much gratitude that this is not something I had to watch people experience. I am so impressed by this quick read that for such a topic you don't finish feeling depressed or sad. I actually feel filled with gratitude and awe. Peg's parents shine in this book and I loved the positive family relationships that were shown.
It was fascinating to read about how it was treated and the methods for trying to prevent permanent muscle damage. I came away from reading this with an awareness of how small ways we talk and interact with others can have big effects. Peg reading to Tommy, Dr. Bevis encouraging Peg instead of belittling her, Miss Ballard communicating with her patient during physical therapy and responding to her, Peg's parents including all the girls in their visits. There are just so many wonderful parts of this book. I really enjoyed it.
It was fascinating to read about how it was treated and the methods for trying to prevent permanent muscle damage. I came away from reading this with an awareness of how small ways we talk and interact with others can have big effects. Peg reading to Tommy, Dr. Bevis encouraging Peg instead of belittling her, Miss Ballard communicating with her patient during physical therapy and responding to her, Peg's parents including all the girls in their visits. There are just so many wonderful parts of this book. I really enjoyed it.
September 22, 2021
this book was my favorite in third grade. i remember we went to go see a history teacher down the hall who would read one chapter of this to us each day, and i left her class desperate to know what happened next. i've owned it as an adult for a couple of years, and after deciding to pick up some old childhood favorites this month, this was one of the first ones on the roster to revisit for the first time in over a decade. as expected, i was just as hooked as i was as a 10 year old, and i'm surprised at how many details i remembered.
i finished the book close to tears, also as expected, and literally within minutes of finishing i wrote an email to the author explaining how much i appreciated this book as a child and as an adult.
long story short, get vaccinated folks.
i finished the book close to tears, also as expected, and literally within minutes of finishing i wrote an email to the author explaining how much i appreciated this book as a child and as an adult.
long story short, get vaccinated folks.
August 1, 2023
When I tell you... the emotional chokehold this book has on me. I first read this as a child for school, and loved it then. Imagine my excitement when I was assigned a project on it at work and got to reread it! I loved it just as much as the first time.
Though this was marketed to children around the same age as Peg was when she first contracted polio, this can be read and enjoyed by people of all ages. And it should be. The amount of resilience and determination young Peg displayed and the writer she grew to be, despite polio temporarily taking those dreams away from her, is truly inspiring.
The storytelling is straightforward which makes it all the more impactful and emotionally effective. Seriously, it doesn't matter how old you are, read this.
Though this was marketed to children around the same age as Peg was when she first contracted polio, this can be read and enjoyed by people of all ages. And it should be. The amount of resilience and determination young Peg displayed and the writer she grew to be, despite polio temporarily taking those dreams away from her, is truly inspiring.
The storytelling is straightforward which makes it all the more impactful and emotionally effective. Seriously, it doesn't matter how old you are, read this.
December 5, 2016
The book small steps is about a teen girl named peg that just discovered she has polio, Her parents rushed her to the hospital to see if she could overcome this terrible disease. Peg battles going from highs to lows with polio, meting people through her journey of polio in and out of hospital rooms. Will she survive this terrible disease? I thought this book was great it had so much details and emotion. I loved it! I also thought this book was great because it wasn't to sad because there was happy moments and sad moments. If you like books that have lots of emotion then you will love this book.
February 21, 2020
One of the best book's I've ever read. What an incredible snapshot of life in a different time and place.
November 29, 2012
"P-O-L-I-O" Those were the words that Peg and her parents never expected. I don't think you can expect it to.
It all started one afternoon when Peg was noticing a hot fever (103 degress) and muscle cramps. When she went to the doctor, they assumed that she had the flu. The fever contiued for a couple of days. When she woke up the next morning, she was paralyzed! The doctor took Peg to the hospital. There, they diagnosed her with polio, but not just one, three types, bulbar, spinal, and respiratory polio. She had to stay at different hospitals until she finally got cured. There are the hopital, she went through walking sticks, hot packs, re- learning to walk, and daily exercises which she hated. During her hospital stay, she had made some friends, whose conditions were worse than hers ( Including her friend Alice, whose relatives would never visit her because she was ugly).
When you follow Peg Kehret's small steps for overcoming polio, you will love it! This book is very inspiring even for people who don't even have polio. I love this book because it contains her personal feelings and how she had to adjust to her new life. I would recommend this book to everyone because it really capture's your mind (it is also really short). When I started reading it, I literally couldn't put it down. I don't understand why in the beginning she wouldn't tell her mom she had aches and cramps because if I were her I would just tell my parents because I would be worried if I had any illnesses. If you are interested in this autobiography, read more of Peg Kehret's books. Keep in mind that is counts for the thirty book challenge.
It all started one afternoon when Peg was noticing a hot fever (103 degress) and muscle cramps. When she went to the doctor, they assumed that she had the flu. The fever contiued for a couple of days. When she woke up the next morning, she was paralyzed! The doctor took Peg to the hospital. There, they diagnosed her with polio, but not just one, three types, bulbar, spinal, and respiratory polio. She had to stay at different hospitals until she finally got cured. There are the hopital, she went through walking sticks, hot packs, re- learning to walk, and daily exercises which she hated. During her hospital stay, she had made some friends, whose conditions were worse than hers ( Including her friend Alice, whose relatives would never visit her because she was ugly).
When you follow Peg Kehret's small steps for overcoming polio, you will love it! This book is very inspiring even for people who don't even have polio. I love this book because it contains her personal feelings and how she had to adjust to her new life. I would recommend this book to everyone because it really capture's your mind (it is also really short). When I started reading it, I literally couldn't put it down. I don't understand why in the beginning she wouldn't tell her mom she had aches and cramps because if I were her I would just tell my parents because I would be worried if I had any illnesses. If you are interested in this autobiography, read more of Peg Kehret's books. Keep in mind that is counts for the thirty book challenge.
December 17, 2018
What a fantastic book. I literally could not put it down. Kehret writes in a straightforward and entertaining manner about her sudden polio symptons at age 13, her trip to the emergency room, and the experience of waking up paralyzed.
However, the story doesn't end there--in fact, it's just the beginning. She meets wonderful doctors, nurses and has four roommates, all girls her own age, and they go through therapy together, share treats and baked goods brought by Kehret's parents, who treat all the girls as their own daughters. Kehret delves into the emotions she went through as she regained the use of her arms and legs, learned to use a wheelchair, graduated to walking with braces, and finally began to walk on her own again.
This story really underscores why vaccines were such an enormous medical breakthrough. In her epilogue, Kehret reminisces about how she was moved to tears when her own children received their polio vaccines. She also lets readers know how life turned out for herself and all the patients she met, so there is a sense of closure to the book.
This story is told simply enough for elementary age children to read, and yet I (far from being a child!) was so engrossed by Kehret's storytelling that I stayed up late reading it. It reminded me of "The Plague and I," another fantastic personal memoir by Betty MacDonald, about her experiences with tuberculosis.
However, the story doesn't end there--in fact, it's just the beginning. She meets wonderful doctors, nurses and has four roommates, all girls her own age, and they go through therapy together, share treats and baked goods brought by Kehret's parents, who treat all the girls as their own daughters. Kehret delves into the emotions she went through as she regained the use of her arms and legs, learned to use a wheelchair, graduated to walking with braces, and finally began to walk on her own again.
This story really underscores why vaccines were such an enormous medical breakthrough. In her epilogue, Kehret reminisces about how she was moved to tears when her own children received their polio vaccines. She also lets readers know how life turned out for herself and all the patients she met, so there is a sense of closure to the book.
This story is told simply enough for elementary age children to read, and yet I (far from being a child!) was so engrossed by Kehret's storytelling that I stayed up late reading it. It reminded me of "The Plague and I," another fantastic personal memoir by Betty MacDonald, about her experiences with tuberculosis.
December 10, 2022
This is the perfect example of why I love the Oregon Battle of the Books program. Prior to this year's selections, I'd never heard of Peg Kehret. In flipping through her extensive bibliography, I wouldn't be surprised if I had read at least one of her books when I was a kid. However, she was a new name to me this year, and she has two books on the list. I read first, and it was a fantastic adventure story set in Oregon, so that was great. Then I read Small Steps, and I was completely blown away.
This is an autobiographical rendition of the year she had polio as a 12-13 year-old. While this is a shorter book, the story is a riveting, thought-provoking, and emotional powerhouse. Everyone should read this book to be exposed to life pre-vaccine and the horrors the different types of polio have visited on previous generations.
She is also a young person in love with reading and writing, so that adds a lot to the story for fellow bookworms. Peg Kehret is a treasure of the Pacific Northwest, an amazing writer, and both my son and I look forward to reading more of her work.
This is an autobiographical rendition of the year she had polio as a 12-13 year-old. While this is a shorter book, the story is a riveting, thought-provoking, and emotional powerhouse. Everyone should read this book to be exposed to life pre-vaccine and the horrors the different types of polio have visited on previous generations.
She is also a young person in love with reading and writing, so that adds a lot to the story for fellow bookworms. Peg Kehret is a treasure of the Pacific Northwest, an amazing writer, and both my son and I look forward to reading more of her work.
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February 8, 20131:17:13
I am currently reading this awesome good book. This book is about a 12 year old girl who got three types of Polio. She had to race to the hospital because it was serious. I once had to go to the hospital because I pnemonia. I was only in Kindergarten. In the story she said she had to move to a different hospital because the first hospital could not handle this really bad sickness. At first she could not breathe by herself so she had to use an iron lung. In the book she said that when you are using the iron lung that you can only see the head of the body that is using the iron lung. She said that it was so hard to drink and eat food. the nurses said they cant have milk but when her mom snuck that extra milkshake but it saved her life. If you want to know more about this tory than I suggest that you read this book!
I am currently reading this awesome good book. This book is about a 12 year old girl who got three types of Polio. She had to race to the hospital because it was serious. I once had to go to the hospital because I pnemonia. I was only in Kindergarten. In the story she said she had to move to a different hospital because the first hospital could not handle this really bad sickness. At first she could not breathe by herself so she had to use an iron lung. In the book she said that when you are using the iron lung that you can only see the head of the body that is using the iron lung. She said that it was so hard to drink and eat food. the nurses said they cant have milk but when her mom snuck that extra milkshake but it saved her life. If you want to know more about this tory than I suggest that you read this book!
September 27, 2021
This was an absolute incredible and true story based in 1949. Peg was 12 years old when she got all three kinds of polio! She was taken immediately into the hospital and went from sick to paralyzed overnight. This book chronicled her seven month battle with polio. Miraculously, she was one of the fortunate who was able to walk eventually after lots of therapy and hard work. Small steps was her theme for healing and improving.
We read this book aloud as a family. The kids were hooked and completely attentive. They were all relieved to know they will never get polio because they were vaccinated when little. What a blessing! I’m so glad Peg wrote about her journey.
We read this book aloud as a family. The kids were hooked and completely attentive. They were all relieved to know they will never get polio because they were vaccinated when little. What a blessing! I’m so glad Peg wrote about her journey.
October 21, 2010
This woman's optimism is contagious, loved it. Especially the epilogue. I realized I never really new much about polio- just the bare basics. Excellent book for pre-teens to be reading especially when you consider some of the other "literature" available to them.
February 8, 2009
it was the best book ever
December 30, 2017
Omg I LIVE this book. My favorite Character is Alice. I am at the part where she gets her walking sticks
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2021
I used to read this book aloud when I taught 7th grade reading & language arts. I pulled it out again to read to my 5th grade MTSS group during the last couple weeks of school. We didn’t get it finished, but I couldn’t stop reading. Peg’s voice is the best. We’re really able to see things from her perspective. It was also an interesting twist to read this book during a Pandemic... there were lots of new connections.
April 30, 2020
Really sweet and very relatable for me.
February 3, 2021
An uplifting book about a very frightening time in the author's life. She takes us through the first scary days of diagnosis and nearly dying all the way through her recovery and hard work gaining strength. The other thing that shone through was the kindness and comeraderie between Peg and the other patient's she met.
February 7, 2013
February 4, 2013
I am currently reading Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, by Peg Kehret. I think that Peg Kehret is so smart to write a story about herself! From the title- it looks like this book is about the year Peg Kehret got Polio. There is no paragraph or sentence that I don't like! I can't stop reading it! Every sentence is rich with descriptive words, action verbs, and everything that makes a sentence good. Actions and nouns, and descriptions- OH MY! You get my point!
Most people have read this book by fifth grade, because it was so popular, but I'm one of those people who like to wait until the book isn't popular anymore, and it's not hard to check out. I like to wait for the right time. Like Peg does in this book. She's waiting for the right time for her to conquer her Polio. Peg knows that moment is going to come. What makes her want to do it even more is that she's doing it for one of her SPECIAL doctors, from the hospital. He is a doctor from her old hospital, but she got moved to a different one because her conditions got- no need for me to spoil the book!
Peg has been going through some hard times, so she needs her friends to help her through it. New friends, new friends, new friends, she's got that finished! New friends are coming from everywhere, which she loves, of course! She loves her roommates! They play, they joke, they even sing with her before she goes to bed! Like Peg, I couldn't live without my friends. There has been tons of times where my friends have had to help me through hard situations, but those situations are not exactly like Pegs. I wasn't the best at spending the night over at my friends houses. It was dark and different than I was used to. Don't worry, they helped me over that by making every sleepover special and fun! I feel comfortable now when I spend the night with my friends. I couldn't live without them!
This story is slow paced and very focused on Peg. If you like those types of books, then here's a book to consider! Well, that is if you haven't read it yet!
I am currently reading Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, by Peg Kehret. I think that Peg Kehret is so smart to write a story about herself! From the title- it looks like this book is about the year Peg Kehret got Polio. There is no paragraph or sentence that I don't like! I can't stop reading it! Every sentence is rich with descriptive words, action verbs, and everything that makes a sentence good. Actions and nouns, and descriptions- OH MY! You get my point!
Most people have read this book by fifth grade, because it was so popular, but I'm one of those people who like to wait until the book isn't popular anymore, and it's not hard to check out. I like to wait for the right time. Like Peg does in this book. She's waiting for the right time for her to conquer her Polio. Peg knows that moment is going to come. What makes her want to do it even more is that she's doing it for one of her SPECIAL doctors, from the hospital. He is a doctor from her old hospital, but she got moved to a different one because her conditions got- no need for me to spoil the book!
Peg has been going through some hard times, so she needs her friends to help her through it. New friends, new friends, new friends, she's got that finished! New friends are coming from everywhere, which she loves, of course! She loves her roommates! They play, they joke, they even sing with her before she goes to bed! Like Peg, I couldn't live without my friends. There has been tons of times where my friends have had to help me through hard situations, but those situations are not exactly like Pegs. I wasn't the best at spending the night over at my friends houses. It was dark and different than I was used to. Don't worry, they helped me over that by making every sleepover special and fun! I feel comfortable now when I spend the night with my friends. I couldn't live without them!
This story is slow paced and very focused on Peg. If you like those types of books, then here's a book to consider! Well, that is if you haven't read it yet!
December 12, 2012
Although I haven't read to much of this book I'm in Love with it! It goes in to so much detail and it is definitely character driven. This book tells the story of a girl who obviously got polio. It tells a out her struggles and how she reacts to them. She is so upset and she is super scared. Who wouldn't? She has two different types of polio, one that causes her to not be able to move her arms and legs and one that causes her not to breath very easily.if I was her I would be screaming but she is sitting there quiet, not freaking out. She can't see her parents because it is super contagious, and she didn't even get to say good bye to her grandpa or her dig B.J. I really think you should read this book, you will totally like it!
_______________________________________________________________________12/11/12
I just finished this book and it is one of the BEST books i have ever read! I really adnire that this was a true story and she wrote it about her self. i also liked how she used really people and decribed them throughout the book. The main character was Peg Kehret and in the book, at the Sheltering Arms, peg meets three other girls that have polio like her. There was Alice, Dorothy, and Sherley. These girs were special to Peg and later in they were sisters. Every night, even when the lights whent out, the all sung to each other. Sunday was the only visitors day in the hospital. Alice, Dorothy, and Shirley never had any visitors so when Pegs parents came they were their parents too. I have been very sick before but I have never have had a disese or have been hospitalized. I was thinking of what was going to happen next on every page. This book kept me thinking of what it would be like to be her even after I finished.
_______________________________________________________________________12/11/12
I just finished this book and it is one of the BEST books i have ever read! I really adnire that this was a true story and she wrote it about her self. i also liked how she used really people and decribed them throughout the book. The main character was Peg Kehret and in the book, at the Sheltering Arms, peg meets three other girls that have polio like her. There was Alice, Dorothy, and Sherley. These girs were special to Peg and later in they were sisters. Every night, even when the lights whent out, the all sung to each other. Sunday was the only visitors day in the hospital. Alice, Dorothy, and Shirley never had any visitors so when Pegs parents came they were their parents too. I have been very sick before but I have never have had a disese or have been hospitalized. I was thinking of what was going to happen next on every page. This book kept me thinking of what it would be like to be her even after I finished.
March 4, 2019
I enjoyed this honest, nostalgic, and touching memoir of the author's struggle with polio in the late 1940s. The peek into the past was fascinating, even while the descriptions of the issues faced by the polio victims was sobering and heart-wrenching. It's hard to imagine so many people suffering through something like this! I found the descriptions of the treatments and their development fascinating and really appreciated the author's honesty about her fears and struggles, large and small.
4.5 stars
Content--mentions of various difficulties associated with using the bathroom in various stages of the disease (bedpans, etc.)
4.5 stars
Content--mentions of various difficulties associated with using the bathroom in various stages of the disease (bedpans, etc.)
December 14, 2016
This was a very touching story and memoir- it almost made me cry! I felt very sorry for Peg when she learned that she had all three kinds of polio, but her courage and bravery were even more admirable. I loved seeing how funny and clever Peg was with her friends and how she had to manage while not being able to move. It made me feel very thankful for my healthy life and supportive friends and family, and glad that I'm living in a more modern time, where many more diseases are easily treated. I recommend this to those who like reading memoirs and feel-good stories.
June 27, 2022
Fantastic book by Peg Kehret; she describes what happened when she was diagnosed with polio at age 12.
As a seventh-grader, she was hospitalized and initially could not have any visitors, including her parents, due to the concerns about the contagiousness of polio.
She was initially paralyzed from the neck and had trouble breathing and swallowing. Her road to recovery took seven months, but she created fabulous relationships with all of her roommates at the various hospitals.
Great memoir about grit, determination, grace, compassion, and resilience.
As a seventh-grader, she was hospitalized and initially could not have any visitors, including her parents, due to the concerns about the contagiousness of polio.
She was initially paralyzed from the neck and had trouble breathing and swallowing. Her road to recovery took seven months, but she created fabulous relationships with all of her roommates at the various hospitals.
Great memoir about grit, determination, grace, compassion, and resilience.
January 30, 2017
This book Small Steps, is a great book. I suggest this book to people who like auto-biographies. This book is about a girl named Peg Kerhet. Peg has polio and was diagnosed with it when she was about 12 years old. You would have to read the book to know about her journey through polio.
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