BE A FRIEND

Compiled by the coordinator of the Pediatric HIV Psychosocial Support Program and the Chief of Pediatrics at NIH's National Cancer Institute, plus an artist who lost her son to AIDS, a selection of art and writing by young patients at the Institute. These candid, heartfelt pieces are a poignant blend of the cosmic and the mundane. The children wonder about God or personify AIDS as a monster; several worry about how their families will cope after their deaths, while one observes that the doctors' wearing gloves ``bothers'' him. Grouping makes the pieces more telling: The dreams and yearnings of the ``I often wonder...'' section are followed by the daily struggles of ``Living with HIV,'' especially the pain of keeping it secret or of being rejected; viewpoints of family and friends round out the offering. Robert Coles contributes an inspirational foreword underlining the contributors' precocious wisdom and courage. An eloquent plea for compassion and—most of all—for acceptance. ``All publisher's profits and royalties will be donated to the Pediatric AIDS Foundation.'' (Nonfiction. 7+)