About death and grief Expand A Monster Calls Patrick Ness 12-year-old Conor O'Malley has a close bond with his seriously ill mother and maintains the household during her regular chemotherapy treatments at the hospital. His grandmother often visits, and suggests he come live with her in the event of his mother's death. One night, Conor is visited by a tree-like Monster at 12:07 AM which tells that he will tell three true stories to Conor; in return, the boy will tell his own story to the Monster about the truth behind his dreadful nightmare. A Monster Calls has also been adapted to film. Buy from Amazon A teenage guide to coping when someone dies (fold out A3 guide) This resource can be folded down to fit in a pocket. It contains practical advice and guidance for a young person managing confusing emotions when someone important in their life dies. Original text written by a young person whose father died. The text can also be found in our section For Young People - what helps to move forward. Download for free or buy from Child Bereavement UK Coping with grief when someone you love dies suddenly This free booklet aims to help you understand emotions and feelings commonly suffered after a sudden death. It provides straightforward advice on how to cope and who can help you to recover. Available to download from Sudden Letters from the Grief Club Beth French and Kate Moreton A book containing letters from a diverse group of bereaved young adults, written to themselves on the day their loved one died. The letters reflect on their immediate grief whilst offering advice and support to their current selves. The editors, Beth French and Kate Moreton, have experienced loss themselves, with Beth losing her mum, and Kate losing her dad at the young age of 17. Buy from Amazon Living with loss: a grief guide for young people This publication is written for adolescents, providing information, advice, and activities to support them when faced with the death of someone close to them.The booklet, 'What Happens Next: A Funeral Guide for Young People' accompanies this guide.Available to download from SeeSaw Michael Rosen's Sad Book Michael Rosen A very personal story that speaks to adults as well as children. The author describes feeling sad after the death of his son and what he does to try to cope with it. Buy from Amazon Sometimes Life Sucks: When someone you love dies Molly Carlile Teenagers experience loss in all kinds of ways. Whether it’s the death of a grandparent, pet or school friend, a teen fatality, a peer with terminal illness, living without a mum or dad, or the death of a celebrity. Like everyone else teenagers also struggle to come to terms with their shock and grief. Full of great tips, stories and gentle advice, Sometimes Life Sucks helps teens to navigate their personal experience of grief. Buy from Amazon We Get It Heather L. Servaty-Seib and David C. Fajgenbaum A unique collection of 33 narrative by bereaved students and young adults in America, this book aims to help young adults who are grieving and provide guidance for those who seek to support them. It has been described as like having a group in a book. Buy on Amazon When someone special dies - for young people Child Bereavement UK This leaflet has been prepared with the help of bereaved families. It aims to help children when they have been bereaved. Also essential for A&E, Intensive care units and professionals who support families. Download for free or buy from Child Bereavement UK You will be OK Julia Stokes In this honest, comforting and strength-building guide Julie Stokes, a clinical psychologist and founder of childhood bereavement charity Winston’s Wish, provides readers with the tools they need to navigate this tough and turbulent time. Packed with practical exercises, such as creating memory boxes and managing different kinds of memories using ‘memory stones’, this guide will give readers helpful ways to manage their grief so they can begin to move forward with life. Buy from Amazon
Activity books and resources to support bereaved 11 - 18-year-olds Expand Grief in Children: A Handbook for Adults Atle Dyregov This fully updated second edition of “Grief in Children” explains children’s understanding of death at different ages and gives a detailed outline of exactly how the adults around them can best help them cope. Buy from Amazon Someone Very Important Has Just Died: Immediate Help for People Caring for Children of All Ages at the Time of a Close Bereavement Mary Turner This short book tackles the sensitive issues of what to tell children, how far to include them in the events immediately after the death, and how to tend to their physical and emotional needs. The material is suitable for anyone regardless of their background and beliefs, and is supplemented with information on where to go to obtain longer term bereavement support. Buy from Amazon Supporting Teenagers Through Grief And Loss: Practical Ideas & Creative Approaches Anna Jacobs A wealth of advice and helpful suggestions for those helping children through bereavement and loss. This book gives an overview of different behaviours you may encounter in school and how to respond, as well as discussing questions children may ask and how to answer them. Children's understanding of death varies according to stage of development and the author provides guidance on age-appropriate, honest responses along with a toolkit of creative and arts activities to help children examine and understand their emotions, physical feelings and memories. Buy from Amazon Talking About Death: A Dialogue Between Parent and Child Earl Grollman This guide to helping children cope with death includes an illustrated, read-along story, and discusses coping with a child’s anger, denial or guilt, and how to discuss funerals, cemeteries and grief. Buy from Amazon The Little Book of Bereavement for Schools Ian Gilbert A short, personal account of the way various schools tried to support the author’s three children after the death of their mother. A book for a parent to take into any school which is seeking to support grieving pupils. It opens with a brief 15-point guide which would be a helpful starting point. Buy from Amazon Tough Stuff Journal - Someone has died Pete English Designed in free form for a bereaved young person to work through on their own or with a trusted adult, this journal asks questions and invites the young person to express feelings and emotions that are otherwise difficult to articulate. Useful for schools, youth leaders, parents or anyone working with a bereaved child or young person from 9 to 13 years old. Available to buy from AtaLoss.org When your partner dies: Supporting your children Child Bereavement UK A short booklet which offers guidance for a surviving partner when parenting their bereaved children as well as coping with their own grief. It was developed with help from bereaved families and was originally funded by BBC Children in Need. Also useful for GP surgeries, Health visitors etc. Download a copy here You Just Don’t Understand: Supporting bereaved teenagers Helen Mackinnon The transition from childhood to adulthood can be a challenging process at the best of times. This booklet aims to help you understand what is normal adolescent development, and to recognise the additional problems teenagers may face if someone important dies during these years. Buy from Amazon
When someone is not expected to live (pre-bereavement) Expand As Big as it Gets Julie Stokes and Diana Crossley This booklet aims to help families cope with the serious illness of a parent or child. It provides a range of ideas for parents and carers so that they may feel more able to explain to their children what is happening. The booklet also includes some suggestions about what parents might say to children and how to offer support.Buy from Winston's Wish Dancing At The Pity Party Tyler Feder Part poignant cancer memoir and part humorous reflection on a motherless life, this debut graphic novel is extraordinarily comforting and engaging. From before her mother's first oncology appointment through the stages of her cancer to the funeral, sitting shiva, and afterward, when she must try to make sense of her life as a motherless daughter, Tyler Feder tells her story in this graphic novel that is full of piercing-but also often funny-details. She shares the important post-death firsts, such as celebrating holidays without her mom, the utter despair of cleaning out her mom's closet, ending old traditions and starting new ones, and the sting of having the "I've got to tell Mom about this" instinct and not being able to act on it. This memoir, bracingly candid and sweetly humorous, is for anyone struggling with loss who just wants someone to get it. Buy from Amazon My Parent Has Cancer and it Really Sucks Marc and Maya Silver This book provides real-life advice from real-life teens designed to help teens live with a parent who is fighting cancer. This book gives practical guidance that includes: How to talk about the diagnosis (and what does diagnosis even mean, anyway?) The best outlets for stress (punching a wall is not a great one, but should it happen, there are instructions for a patch job) How to deal with friends (especially one the ones with 'pity eyes') Whether to tell the teachers and what they should know (how not to get embarrassed in class) What happens in a therapy session and how to find a support group if you want one. Buy from Amazon When your Mum or Dad has cancer Ann Couldrick and Graham Jeffrey A short book for younger children (7+) to teenage children. It has an introduction for parents but then explains cancer in a simple way children can relate to. It also covers many questions children ask, such as will the person die and what exactly happens, but tackles the answers with insight and honesty. Buy from Child Bereavement UK
When a parent has died Expand Dancing At The Pity Party Tyler Feder Part poignant cancer memoir and part humorous reflection on a motherless life, this debut graphic novel is extraordinarily comforting and engaging. From before her mother's first oncology appointment through the stages of her cancer to the funeral, sitting shiva, and afterward, when she must try to make sense of her life as a motherless daughter, Tyler Feder tells her story in this graphic novel that is full of piercing-but also often funny-details. She shares the important post-death firsts, such as celebrating holidays without her mom, the utter despair of cleaning out her mom's closet, ending old traditions and starting new ones, and the sting of having the "I've got to tell Mom about this" instinct and not being able to act on it. This memoir, bracingly candid and sweetly humorous, is for anyone struggling with loss who just wants someone to get it. Buy from Amazon How To Make Friends With The Dark Kathleen Glasgow It's always been Tiger and her mother against the world. Then, on a day like any other, Tiger's mother dies. Now it's Tiger, alone. And she must learn to make friends with the dark.Buy from Amazon Rory’s Story Anna Jacobs Rory is an adolescent boy who is struggling with the loss of his mother. Confused and bullied at school, he attempts to run away and finally returns to face his feelings. This therapeutic story is a gritty, readable story that teenagers will relate to; it explores the teenage experience of loss and bereavement; it can be used to support young people who have experienced loss; it can help teenagers understand the needs of their peers when loss occurs; it has notes for discussion on the themes of each chapter. This story can be used in conjunction with the practical workbook 'Supporting Teenagers through Grief & Loss'. This useful tool which will help teachers, therapists and carers to support and understand the needs of adolescents facing loss. Buy from Amazon Still Here with Me: Teenagers and Children on Losing a Parent Suzanne Sjoqvist This book is a moving and thoughtful anthology of the experiences of thirty children and teenagers who have lost a parent. In their own words, children and young people of a variety of ages talk openly and honestly about losing their mother or father. They describe feelings of pain, loss and anger, the struggle to cope with the embarrassed reactions and silence of others, and the difficulties involved in rebuilding their lives. They also share happy and loving memories of their parents, and talk about the importance of remembering while learning to accept their parent’s deaths. Buy from Amazon
When a sibling has died Expand A Manual for Heartache Cathy Rentzenbrink When Cathy was still a teenager, her happy family was torn apart after an accident. In A Manual for Heartache she describes how she learnt to live with grief and loss and find joy in the world again. She explores how to cope with life at its most difficult and overwhelming and how we can emerge from suffering forever changed, but filled with hope. It is a moving, warm and uplifting book that offers solidarity and comfort to anyone going through a painful time, whatever it might be. It's a book that will help to soothe an aching heart and assure its readers that they're not alone. Buy from Amazon Love Letters to the Dead Ava Dellaira It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more - though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was, lovely and amazing and deeply flawed, can she begin to discover her own path. Buy from Amazon The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud Ben Sherwood As a boy, Charlie St Cloud narrowly survived a car crash that killed Sam, his little brother. Years later, still unable to recover from his loss, Charlie has taken a job tending to the lawns and monuments in the New England cemetery where Sam is buried. When he meets Tess Carroll, a captivating, adventurous woman in training for a solo sailing trip around the globe, they discover a beautiful and uncommon connection that, after a violent storm at sea, eventually forces them to choose between death and life, past and present, holding on and letting go. This was also adapted into a film, starring Zac Efron. Buy from Amazon The Last Act of Love Cathy Rentzenbrink The Last Act of Love is a book about Cathy's own relationship with her brother, Matty. In 1990, when Matty was just weeks away from getting his GCSE results, he was in a hit and run accident and left in a permanent vegetative state. This book is the love that came before this event and what happens in the aftermath of tragedy. Buy from Amazon The Sky is Everywhere Jandy Nelson Seventeen-year-old Lennie Walker spends her time tucked safely and happily in the shadow of her fiery older sister, Bailey. It tells the story of an American high school girl, Lennie Walker, struggling to cope with the sudden death of her older sister. Lennie becomes romantically involved both with her sister's former fiancé, who shares Lennie's grief and loss, and with a new boy in town, who shares Lennie's love of music. Ultimately, Lennie must choose between the two relationships. This book has also been adapted to film. Buy from Amazon
When a grandparent has died Expand Coco Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer. Film: Coco The Farewell A headstrong Chinese-American woman returns to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Billi struggles with her family's decision to keep grandma in the dark about her own illness as they all stage an impromptu wedding to see grandma one last time. Film: The Farewell The Loose Ends List Carrie Firestone As Maddie readies herself for college, she learns of her grandmother's terminal cancer. Gram is taking charge of her final days by taking the family on a farewell cruise. Despite the extravagance, Maddie can't seem to come to grips with losing such a significant person in her life. This would also be relevant for pre-bereavement. Buy from Amazon
When a friend has died Expand Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson Jess Aarons wants to be the fastest boy in the class, but when a girl named Leslie Burke moves into the neighbouring farm his life changes forever. Even though she runs faster than him, Jess begins to think Leslie might be okay - she's clever and funny and not a bit soppy. And it is Leslie who invents Terabithia, the secret country on an island across the creek where he can escape his troublesome family. The only way to reach Terabithia is by rope-swing where Jess and Leslie become King and Queen, defeating giants, sharing stories and dreams, and plotting against their enemies. They are invincible - until tragedy strikes. It is more dreadful than anything Jess had ever dreamed of, but as he struggles to cope with his grief and anger, he finds that his family value him more than he'd thought and that, still King, he could even save Terabithia for the future. Bridge to Terabithia has also been adapted into a film. Buy on Amazon The Fault in Our Stars John Green The Fault In Our Stars is about a young teenage girl who has been diagnosed with lung cancer and attends a cancer support group. Hazel is 16 and is reluctant to go to the support group, but she soon realises that it was a good idea, befriending another young person there. The Fault in Our Stars has also been adapted into a film. Buy from Amazon Vicky Angel Jacqueline Wilson Jade is used to living in the shadow of her best friend, Vicky. Vicky's sparkly, hilarious and full of life. And, she's certainly not going to let a small thing like being dead stop her from living life to the full. But as Jade attempts to move on, Vicky is determined to make her presence felt. Vicky Angel is a heart-warming and hilarious read that explores grief, guilt and confidence. A moving story that young readers will adore. Buy from Amazon When a Friend Dies: A book for teens about grieving and healing Marilyn E Gootman When a Friend Dies offers sensitive advice and genuine understanding for teens coping with grief and loss. The death of a friend is a wrenching event for anyone at any age and can spark feelings that range from sadness to guilt to anxiety. Teenagers especially need help coping with grief and loss. This sensitive book answers questions grieving teens often have, like How should I be acting? How long will this last? and What if I can’t handle my grief on my own? The book also addresses the complicated emotions that can accompany the death of an acquaintance, as opposed to a close friend. Buy from Amazon
Special educational needs Expand Finding Your Own Way to Grieve Karla Helbert A creative activity workbook for grieving children and teens on the Autistic Spectrum. The clear concise language will help adults communicate with children around the abstract concepts of death and grief. Buy from Amazon Let's Talk About Death Down’s Syndrome Scotland A booklet about death and funerals for young people and adults who have a learning disability. Includes some simple text on why people die, what happens at funerals and possible grief reactions. Photographs support the text. Download from Down's Syndrome Scotland When Dad Died Hollins and Sireling This book take an honest and straightforward approach to death and grief in the family. The pictures tell the death of a parent in a simple but moving way. The approach is non-denominational. Suitable for young people and adults with a learning disability. Buy from Books Beyond Words When Mum Died Hollins and Sireling This book takes an honest and straightforward approach to death and grief in the family. The pictures tell the death of a parent in a simple but moving way. “When Mum Died” shows a burial. The approach is non-denominational. Suitable for young people and adults with a learning disability. Buy from Books Beyond Words When Somebody Dies Hollins and Sireling Using pictures, the book tells the story of Mary who is very upset when someone she loves dies. She is encouraged by a friend to go to regular bereavement counselling sessions, which help her to feel less sad. John also loses someone he is close to. He is given comfort and companionship by friends and is shown learning to cope better with life. Suitable for young people and adults with a learning disability. Buy from Books Beyond Words