Suggested Reading - Suggested Reading - Maximo and the Big C: A Tale of courage and compassion

Maximo and the Big C: A tale of courage and compassion, A lesson in how to Fight the Fear by Viji Venkatesh
Publisher: The MAX Foundation, 2013
Age Range: grammar school and up 
ISBN-10: 0989079805
ISBN-13: 978-0989079808

Maximo and the Big C is a story for all ages. Beautifully illustrated and poetically written, the book tells the story of Maximo, a little sparrow who is weaker and smaller than other young sparrows, and unable to fly. As much as he tries to overcome his challenge, Maximo is thinking about giving up, when one day he finds himself as the only creature in the forest about to witness the big Cat's attack of another small and weak sparrow. Finding the strength he did not know he had, Maximo sweeps down and rescues the weak bird. This experience helps Maximo realize that he had the strength to overcome his challenge all along. Maximo and the Big C is a work of love created by a group of cancer survivors and caregivers who have overcome their own challenges by dedicating their lives to serving people living with cancer in their communities, in partnership with The MAX Foundation. The MAX Foundation is an organization dedicated to improving access to treatment and support and providing a voice to people living with cancer worldwide. The moral of the story is that we all have the strength inside of ourselves to overcome a cancer diagnosis; and that it is by giving ourselves to others that we defeat the Big C.