Straight Forward Parenting

Loss and Grieving

Quote: Death is an ending. But with every ending of one thing is the beginning of something else. -John McAfee. The Fabric of Self.

Help Me Say Goodbye.
by Janis Silverman

An art therapy and activity book for children coping with death. Sensitive exercises address all the questions children may have during this emotional and troubling crisis. Children are encouraged to express in pictures what they are often incapable of expressing in words.

After Charlotte's Mom Died.
by Cornelia Spelman

Because her mom's death causes six-year-old Charlotte to feel sad, mad, and scared, she and her dad visit a therapist who helps them acknowledge and express their feelings.

Saying Goodbye to Daddy.
by Judith Vigna

Frightened, lonely, and angry after her father is killed in a car accident, Clare is helped through the grieving process by her mother and grandfather.

Grieving Well. Suitable for parents/adults
by Judy Davidson

The journey through grief can only be accomplished by the individual who experienced the loss. This journal assists the grieving person through the normal grief process. Leading statements prompt the writer to address typical issues related to loss. The use of a journal is an effective strategy in coping with and reducing stress related to the death of a loved one. This journal can be helpful for any adult who is grieving any type of death experience.

How It Feels When A Parent Dies.
by Jill Krementz

18 children from age 7 - 17, speak openly of their experiences and feelings. As they speak we see them in photos with their surviving parent and with other family members, in the midst of their everyday lives.

How To Help Children Through A Parent’s Serious Illness. Suitable for parents/adults
by Kathleen McCue

This book helps children from the moment a parent is diagnosed with a serious or life threatening illness along with what happens throughout the illness. It gives ways to communicate with children about difficult situations as well as ways to help children work through and deal with the changes that occur when dealing with a serious illness.

Miracle's Boys.
by Jacqueline Woodson

Life is full of poignant (and painful) hypothetical for Ty'ree, Charlie, and Lafayette, three brothers who are raising themselves after losing both parents. Each boy deals with his grief in his own way--but if they are to survive, it will have to be "brother to brother to brother." As always, Jacqueline Woodson writes with a sure hand and true understanding of young lives, and the result is a captivating, unflinchingly honest story.

When a Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving & Healing.
by Marilyn E. Gootman, Pamela Espeland (Editor), Deborah Prothrow-Stith

Recommended for grieving teens, their parents and educators, this book reaches out to every one with wisdom and compassion.

Only Opal: The Diary of a Young Girl.
by Jane Boulton (Introduction), Barbara Cooney (Illustrator), Opal Whiteley

From Horn Book
Boulton based this unusual book on her longer work, an adaptation of the diary kept by Opal Whiteley during her fifth and sixth years. Orphaned at five, Opal was taken in by an Oregon family who gave her shelter but little else. Transcribed into a lyrical text with luminous watercolors, the account captures the life of a turn-of-the-century child who, despite the odds, remains true to herself and the memories of her Angel Mother and Angel Father., -- Copyright © 1994 The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Tenth Good Thing About Barney.
by Judith Viorst and Erik Blegvad

"In simple phrases narrated by a child whose cat, Barney, has just died, the author succinctly and honestly handles both the emotions stemming from the loss of a beloved pet and the questions about the finality of death which naturally arise in such a situation. . . . An unusually good book that handles a difficult subject straightforwardly."--The Horn Book.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf.
by Leo F. Buscaglia

This story is a warm, wonderfully wise, and strikingly simple story about a leaf named Freddie--how Freddie and his companion leaves change with the passing seasons, finally falling to the ground with winter's snow.

Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs.
by Tomie De Paola, Thomas Anthony De Paola

Four-year-old Tommy enjoys his relationship with both his grandmother and great-grandmother, but eventually learns to face their inevitable death.

Everett Anderson's Goodbye.
by Lucille Clifton, Ann Grifalconi

"A simple, poetic telling of Everett Anderson's feelings as he copes with and accepts the fact of his father's death."--Childhood Education. Coretta Scott King Award; NCTE Teacher's Choice; Reading Rainbow Feature.

Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children.
by Bryan Mellonie, Robert R. Ingpen

A pet...a friend...or a relative dies, and it must be explained to a child. This sensitive book is a useful tool in explaining to children that death is a part of life and that, eventually, all living things reach the end of their own special lifetimes.

On Death And Dying.

Questions And Answers On Death And Dying.

On Children And Death.

Living With Death And Dying.

Death: The Final Stage Of Life.

To Live Until We Say Good-bye.
by Elisabeth Kubler Ross

Elisabeth Kubler Ross writes several books relating to death and does an exceptional job of extensively covering the topic thoroughly. She has been known for her development of the stages individuals progress through while grieving the death of a loved one. These books would be helpful for any parent to read.

Remember The Secret.
by Elizabeth Kubler Ross, Heather Preston

Because she has already discovered the wonders of God, Suzy understands the true meaning of her friend's death.

When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide To Understanding Death.
by Laurie Krasny Brown, Marc Tolon Brown

From Kirkus Reviews- In the newest title in their sensible, upbeat self-help series, the Browns (Dinosaurs to the Rescue, 1992, etc.) take on the subject of death. Crowded cartoons plunge right in, with terse explanations of what it means to be living and how death is part of the cycle. Any philosophical bent soon gives way to illustrations showing a hospital patient hooked up to tubes, premature babies too small to survive, and accident victims (complete with EMS vehicles and IVs), as well as loss of life in war, as the result of social problems, and through suicide. Confusing for a picture-book audience may be the juxtaposition, in one spread, of play with a toy gun--``Bang, bang. You're dead''--with a real dead bird. Feeling, funerals, reincarnation, resurrection, sitting shivah--the few things that don't make it into the text (autopsy, wake) can be found in the glossary. The coverage sometimes raises more questions than it answers (a youngster worries about family finances, only to be soothed by a parent), but just as Dinosaurs Divorce (1986) stressed the continuing love between parents and children, this book, too, has at its center a positive message: Grieve, and go on with living. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-8) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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