Resources/Related Links
Children's Grief Resources:
Books - Preschool - 8 years
General
- Aarvy Aardvark Finds Hope
by Donna O'Toole
- The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages
by Leo Buscaglia
- Feelings
by Aliki
- The Healing Tree
by Kathleen Maresh Hemery
- Helping Children Cope with the Loss of a Loved One: A Guide for Grown Ups
by William C. Kroen, PhD
- I Miss You: A First Look at Death
by Pat Thomas
- Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children
by Bryan Mellonie and Robert
- When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death
by Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown
- The Saddest Time
by Norma Simon
- Sad Isn't Bad: A Good-Grief Handbook for Children
by Michaelene Mundy
- Saying Goodbye
by Jim and Joan Boulden
- Tear Soup
by Pat Schweibert, Chuck DeKlyen
- What is Heaven?
by Maria Shriver
- When Someone Dies
by Sharon Greenlee
- What is Death?
by Etan Broitzer
- Tell Me, Papa
by Joy and Marv (Papa) Johnson
- How I feel
by Alan Wolfelt, Ph.D
A coloring book for grieving children.
- The Next Place
by Warren Hanson
- A Bunch of Balloons: A Book - Workbook for Grieving Children
by Dorothy Ferguson Wofford (Author), Dorothy Ferguson (Author), Joy Johnson (Editor), Susanna Pitzer (Illustrator)
Loss of a parent
- The Brightest Star
by Kathleen Maresh Hemery
- Daddy's Promise
by Cindy Klein Cohen
- Everett Anderson's Goodbye
by Lucille Clifton
- Geranium Morning
by E. Sandy Powell
- I Heard Your Mommy Died
by Mark Scrivani
- A Quilt for Elizabeth
by Bennette W. Tiffault
- Saying Goodbye to Daddy
by Judith Vigna
- Sunflowers and Rainbows for Tia: Saying Goodbye to Daddy
by Alesia Alexander Green
Loss of a sibling
- Lost and Found: Remembering a Sister
by Ellen Yeomans
- Where's Jess?
by Joy and Marv Johnson
Loss of a friend
- Always and Forever
by Alan Durant and Debi Gilion
- Bear's Last Journey
by Udo Weigelt
- If Nathan Were Here
by Mary Bahr
- A Story for Hippo
by Simon Puttock and Alison Bartlett
- Badger's Parting Gifts
by Susan Varley
Loss of a grandparent
- Finding Grandpa Everywhere
by John Hodge
- Grandma's Scrapbook
by Josephine Nobisso
- Grandpa Loved
by Josephine Nobisso
- Liplap's Wish
by Jonathon London
- Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs
by Tomie dePaola
- Old Pig
by Margaret
- Poppy's Chair
by Karen Hesse
- Saying Goodbye to Grandma
by Jane Resh Thomas
- What Happened When Grandma Died
by Peggy Barker
Loss of a pet
- I'll Always Love You
by Hans Wilhelm
- When a Pet Dies
by Fred Rogers
- When Your Pet Dies
by Diane Pomerance, PhD
Books - 8 - 12 years
General
- Why Did You Die?
by Erica Leeuwenburgh and Ellen Goldring.
- Ragtail Remembers
by Liz Duckworthy
- What is Death?
by Etan Broitzer
- I Know I Made it Happen
by Lynn Bennett
- What on Earth Do You Do When Someone Dies?
by Trevor Romain
- Children Also Grieve
by Linda Goldman
- The Complete Book About Death for Kids
by Earl Grollman and Joy Johnson
- The Saddest Time
by Norma Simon
- About Dying (non-fiction)
by Sara Bennett Stein
- Time for Uncle Joe
by Nancy Jewall
- Coping with Death and Grief (non-fiction)
by Marge Heegaard
- Charlotte's Web
by E.B. White
- Great Answers to Difficult Questions about Death: What Children Need to Know
by Linda Goldman
Loss of a sibling
- Nadia, The Willful
by Lloyd Bloom
- Ghost Brother
C. S. Adler
- Am I Still A Sister?
by Alicia Sims
- Children Facing Grief
by Janis Loomis Romond
Letters from siblings ages 6 - 15.
Loss of a parent
- Good-Bye Momma
by Tom Moore, 1993
- Mama's Going To Heaven Soon
by Kathe Martin Copeland (Author) and Elissa Hudson (Illustrator)
- How It Feels When A Parent Dies
by Jill Krementz
Photo essays by children ages 7 -16.
- The Rag Coat (fiction)
by Lauren Mills
Love felt from dad even after death.
- Winter Holding Spring
by Crescent Dragonwagon
Dad and daughter move through a year of seasons after mom's death
- A Star for the Latecomer
by Bonnie Zindel, 1980
- Daddy's Climbing Tree
by C.S. Adler
- Devil's Bridge
by Cynthia C. DeFelice
Loss of a friend
- Dusty Was My Friend
by Andrea Clardy
Car accident.
- The Empty Window
by Eve Bunting
Loss of a grandparent
- Missing May
Cynthia Rylant
- Finding Grandpa Everywhere: A Young Child Discovers Memories of a Grandparent
by John Hodge and Susan Aitken
- A Sunburned Prayer
by Marc Talbert
Hispanic 11-year-old hopes for a miracle for grandmother's cancer.
- Blackberries in the Dark
by Mavis Jukes
Widow and grandson coping after grandfather's death. (Also a video).
- When Grandfather Journeys Into Winter
by Craig Strete
Native American grandson.
- Annie and the Old One
by Miska Miles
Little Brown.
Loss of a pet
- A Dog like Jack
by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan
Books - Teens
General
- Life Happens: A Teenagers Guide to Friends, Failure, Sexuality, Love, Rejection, Addiction, Peer Pressure, Families, Loss, Depression and Change (non-fiction)
by Kathy McCoy and Charles Wibbelsman
Includes the death of a family member, symptoms of depression and what to expect from a mental health provider in addition to other teeenage issues.
- Facing Change: Falling Apart and Coming Together Again in the Teen Years
by Donna O’Toole
Informative book to help teens understand their losses and discover creative coping strategies to deal with them.
- Helping Teens Cope with Death
by The Dougy Center
- Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens
by Alan D. Wolfelt, Phd
- Saying Goodbye When You Don't Want To
by Martha Bolton
- The Grieving Teen: A Guide for Teenagers and Their Friends
by Helen Fitzgerald
- Teenagers Face to Face with Bereavement
by Karen Gravell
- Facing Change, Falling Apart and Coming Together in the Teen Years
by Donna OToole
- Helping Teens Work Through Grief
by Mary Kelly Perschy
- Fire In My Heart, Ice In My Veins
by Enid Traisman, 2006
A journal for teenagers.
- When Death Walks In
by Mark Scrivani, 2005
Loss of a friend
- When a Friend Dies, A Book for Teens About Grieving and Healing
by Marilyn E. Grootman
- Bridge to Terabithia (ficton)
by Katherine Peterson
Accidental death of friend.
- Face at the Edge of the World
by Eve Bunting
Suicide of African American friend.
Loss of a parent
- How It Feels When a Parent Dies
by Jill Krementz and Knopf
- Tiger Eyes (fiction)
by Judy Blume
Dad murdered at a 7-11 store.
Loss of a sibling
- A Summer to Die
by Lois Lowry
Sister's death from leukemia.
Loss of a grandparent
- The Secret Letters of Mama Cat (fiction)
by Jody Sorenson
Junior High girl adjusts to death of grandmother and a move
- Toning the Sweep (fiction)
by Angela Johnson
African American story of visits to a grandmother dying of cancer.
Resources - Suicide Loss
- My Son, My Son: A Guide to Healing After a Suicide in the Family
by Iris Bolton and Curtis Mitchell
Mom’s perspective, very positive reader reviews.
- Grieving a Suicide: A Loved One's Search for Comfort, Answers & Hope
by Albert Y. Hsu
- Grieving the Unexpected: The Suicide of a Son
by Dr Gary Leblanc
Essence Publishing (Canada); January, 2003
Dr. LeBlanc openly discusses his family's struggle to survive such a dreadful event.
- The Empty Chair
by Berly Glover
Author writes about issues and experiences from the experience of the suicide of a brother and a daughter.
- But I Didn’t Say Goodbye
by Barbara Rubel
For parents and professionals to assist young survivors.
- No Time to Say Goodbye: Surviving the Suicide of a Loved One
by Carla Fine
Author experienced the death of her husband by suicide and explores the social stigma as well as the particular grief of survivors.
- In the Wake of Suicide: Stories of People Left Behind
by Alexander Victoria
Comforting stories of many survivors and their individual reactions to the suicide of a loved one. Depth and breadth of material.
- Andrew, You Died Too Soon: A Family Experience of Grieving and Living Again
by Corrine Chilstrom
Scriptural, Christian approach to grief and transformation from a tragic event, her son’s suicide at 18.
- Suicide: Why?
by Adina Wrobleski
Suicide Why? is an excellent, very informative book on suicide.
- Stronger Than Death: When Suicide Touches Your Life
by Sue Chance
A psychiatrist shares the life and suicide death of her only child and her personal struggle to cope with this tragic event.
- Suicide: A Christian Response
by Timothy J. Demy (Editor) and Gary P. Stewart (Contributor)
- The Suicidal Mind
by Edwin S. Shneidman
- Why Suicide?
by Eric Marcus
- Aftershock: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide
by Arrington Cox, Candy David, David Cox and Candy Arrington
- Dying to Be Free: A Healing Guide for Families After a Suicide
by Beverly Cobain Beverly and Jean Larch
Books on Suicide for young people
- Someone I Love Died by Suicide: A Story for Child Survivors and those Who Care About Them
by Doreen Cammarata, MS and Michael Ives Volk
- Talking With Children About Loss
by Maria Trozzi
Pulished by Beacon Press, 1990
- Living when a Young Friend Commits Suicide
by Earl Grollman and Max Malikow
- After a Suicide
by The Dougy Center
An activity book to assist children. 62 pages.
- After Suicide
by Eileen Kuehn
Teen Talk, fast facts, questions and answers. 64 pages.
- When A Friend Dies: A Book For Teens About Grieving & Healing
by Marilyn Gootman
NOTE: Catholic Charities Life Transitions Services has not endorsed nor does it endorse any of the following sites. We simply provide this listing as a service for individuals and families to utilize at their own discretion.