Emelita Street School

General Bereavement

Brave Bart (a cat experiences both a post-traumatic stress reaction and grief following a bad, scary thing) Caroline Sheppard, ACSW. Ages 3-14
Why Do People Die? (general treatment of subject of death, funerals, the after-life and grief written and illustrated in an engaging style) Cynthia MacGregor. Ages 6-12
When Someone Very Special Dies. (workbook format dealing with lifecycle, grief reactions, memories and coping strategies) Marge Heegaard. Ages 5-10
What is Death. (philosophies of death according to different religions) Etan Boritzer. Ages 6-14
Lifetimes- The beautiful way to explain death to children. (gentle explanations of life cycle) Ages 3-6
I Wish I Could Hold Your Hand” (explanations of grief and how to cope with loss using death of a beloved dog) Dr. Pat Palmer. Ages 3-6
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. (death, grief and the afterlife as experienced by a young boy following the death of his dear cat) Judith Viorst. Ages 3-8
When Dinosaurs Die. Laurie Krasny Brown & Marc Brown. Ages 6-12
Fall of Freddie the Leaf (Poetic look at the life cycle and it’s greater meaning)
Leo Buscaglia, Ph.D. All ages
Day of the Dead (A village in Mexico prepares and celebrates this holiday which honors the memories of their loved ones) Tony Johnston & Jeanette Winter. Ages 3-10
 

Death of a Parent
Saying Goodbye to Daddy. (a gentle treatment of death, funerals, grief as a multi-generational family grieves the death of the adult son, husband and father) Judith Vigna. Ages 6-12
Sad But OK-My Daddy Died Today. (chapter book chronicling a family’s journey through Cancer, death and grief. Barbara Frisbie Juneau. Ages 8-12
The Three Birds. (gentle treatment of subject of death told from the standpoint of a family of birds) Marinus van den Berg. Ages 3-6
Everett Anderson’s Goodbye. (young boy goes thru Kubler-Ross’ Stages of Death and Dying following the death of his father) Lucille Clifton. Ages 3-6
 

Grandparent Loss
Zeydeh- A Story Guide To Help Jewish Children Cope With Loss and Bereavement. Moshe Halevi Spero Ages 6-12
What’s Heaven? Maria Shriver. Ages 3-8
I know I Made it Happen. (Deals with self blame when a series of bad thins happen including a grand parent’s death) Lynn Bennett Blackburn. Ages 6-12
Saying Good-bye to Grandma. (In depth look a family gathering for the funeral of beloved grandmother ) Jane Resh Thomas. Ages 8-12

Sibling Loss
The Empty Place- A Child’s Guide Through Grief. Roberta Temes, Ph.D. Ages 3-8
When I Die will I get Better. Joeri and Piet Breebaart. Ages 3-8
Children Facing Grief. Janis Loomis Romond. Ages 9-18
Thumpy’s Story. (Bunnies learn about death, grief and love when their sibling dies. Good explanations for younger children. Nancy C. Dodge. Ages 3-8

Death of a Friend
A Taste of Blackberries. (a fictional look at how a pre-adolescent boy comes to terms with the death of a friend) Doris Buchanan Smith. Ages 8-14
When A Friend Dies (a book for teens about grieving and healing ). Marilyn Gootman, Ed.D. Ages 12-18
Timothy Duck (Duck learns about Death, Dying, Grieving and Healing when his friend dies) Lynn Bennett Blackburn. Ages 3-8

Suicide
Bart Speaks Out (an interactive story and workbook for children dealing specifically with a death by suicide. Uses photos of dogs to soften the impact)
Linda Goldman, M.S. Ages 3-10