Grief Lending Library

A young boy from California, Nicholas Green, was killed by highway robbers while vacationing in Italy with his family. His parents agreed to donate his organs, which went to seven Italians waiting for transplants. This story has changed lives around the world.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Homicide / Death of a Child / Organ Donation

Coping with sorrow, anger and injustice after a tragic death. An invaluable handbook for those who grieve for someone killed.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Homicide

Brings suicide survival from the darkness into light, speaking frankly about the overwhelming feelings of confusion, guilt, shame, anger, and loneliness that are shared by all survivors. Fine draws on her own experience and on conversations with many other survivors--as well as on the knowledge of counselors and mental health professionals. She offers a strong helping hand and invaluable guidance to the vast numbers of family and friends who are left behind by the more than thirty thousand people who commit suicide each year, struggling to make sense of an act that seems to them senseless, and to pick up the pieces of their own shattered lives.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Suicide

Explores the four stages of losing a parent. Children often must endure the painful final stages of a parent’s life, the finality of their death, and their own grief while offering support for a surviving parent. Helps reader acknowledge and respect the differences in how different people process pain, explaining why all people do not feel the same after such a loss.

• General

• Death of a Parent

A message of consolation and solace from the author’s book A Guide to Confident Living.

• General

• Historical

PARENT COUNCIL REVIEW® 'A young child struggles with his grief over the death of his fish. He is especially upset when others comment 'it was only a fish.' Then to add to his distress, his father flushes Puffer down the toilet. A wise aunt suggests a memorial service, and the story ends with a healing eulogy. A wonderful story for young children grieving over the death of a beloved pet.'

• Children

• Death of a Pet

Charmingly illustrated, this heart-warming story for children aged 3+ reflects some of the feelings and experiences that a child whose parent or caregiver has depression may face. When it comes to periods of low mood in a parent or caregiver, children can often feel that they are to blame, or even that the parent doesn't love them anymore. The story provides reassurance by explaining what depression is and how it is possible to find help.

• Children

• Depression

Explores the effect of infertility on the couple’s marriage, on their relationships with their relatives and friends, and on their struggle to make sense out of their experience.

• General

• Infertility

Describes the difficulties parents with dying children must face; offers loving and practical help in handling these crises.

• Helping Children

• Children Dying

Reveals the beneficial changes that can occur of the dying person is not isolated and avoided, but instead invited to share his experiences with someone who can listen.

• Anticipatory / Before the Death

• Historical

Just as On Death and Dying taught us the five stages of death, Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessler applies these stages to the grieving process and weaves together theory, inspiration, and practical advice, including sections on sadness, hauntings, dreams, isolation, and healing.

• General

This collection of quotations and reflections create a companion to grief.

• General

• Death of a Father

Ages 6-10. Changes such as divorce, abuse, or the death of a loved one can cause children to run away or hide from the problem. This book is created especially to help teach children to see running away for what it truly is: a dangerous means of avoiding problems.

• Children

• All Loss

A delightful picture book written for children with cancer. The character, after learning he has cancer, would rather go home. But in the meantime he discovers the playroom and makes new friends.

• Children

• Cancer

Ages 4-8. When someone we love dies, emotions come and go in waves....

• Children

After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build.

• General

• Death of a Partner

A leading expert in the field of emotions research challenges the conventional model of the 'Five Stages of Grief' offering fascinating new insights on the bereavement process and the ways in which we find positive meaning in loss.

• General

Ages 2-6. "A story that gently talks about miscarriage while also embracing the hope and wonder of Heaven from a child's perspective."

• Children

• Miscarriage

The authors share the impact of Caleb’s life and affirm that life includes the inevitability of death rather than denies it. Here the gift of life is measured not in length but in depth.

• Death of a Child

• Historical

The author writes with sympathy and compassion as someone who has experienced the grief of multiple pregnancy losses making this book a great way to reach out to men who are suffering in this way. There is also space for journaling.

• Death of a Child

• Men and Grief / Miscarriage / Religious

Are you looking for ways to better understand the impact of the loss – and how to help? This booklet was written specifically for surviving adults, such as family members, caregivers, and close friends. It might also be of interest to teachers, counselors, clergy, healthcare professionals, and others who work with young people and, most importantly, care about them

• Helping Children

Losses come and go, and sometimes, in their aftermath, it feels that everything else is gone. The McDonalds guide the reader through five processes in order to cope, transition and confront new transitions throughout one’s life.

• General

In this hopeful five-book set, a mother and her three children ages 5, 7 and 19 share their story after the suicide death of husband and father Don, in 2002. Their reflections are captured in their own words and through poignant art by artist/storyteller Laurie Phillips

• Suicide

As a parent, you don't have the luxury of worrying only about yourself and your emotional well-being. It is your job, in good times and bad, to attend to the needs of your child as well as your own. Putting your child's needs first is a no-brainer, so when something bad happens, it feels natural to put your own on the back burner.The purpose is to help parents who are dealing with their own grief balance their needs with the needs of the children in their care.

• Death of a Child

Tells of the unique relationship between the author and her son who was killed in an accident.

• Death of a Child

Explores dying and death as they concern the staff members of two large hospitals.

• Anticipatory / Before the Death

• Historical

When Isabel Allende’s daughter, Paula, became gravely ill and fell into a coma, the author began to write the story of her family for her unconscious child. A powerful autobiography who straightforward acceptance of the magical and spiritual worlds will remind readers of her first book, The House of the Spirits.

• Death of a Child

Intended for those interested professionals such as teachers, counselors, ministers, religious educators, social workers and others in the helping professions.

• Professional

The handbook for how to respond in an appropriate way when someone dies – no matter what their faith or denomination. The book covers all major and many minor denominations and religious found in North America.

• General

A team of scholars surveys, assesses, and interprets the available material

• General

• Historical

Joiner explores the nature of murder-suicide and offers a unique new theory to explain this nearly unexplainable act: that murder-suicides always involve the wrongheaded invocation of one of four interpersonal virtues: mercy, justice, duty, and glory. This book seeks to make sense of one of the most difficult-to-comprehend types of violence in modern society, shedding new light that will ultimately lead to better understanding and even prevention.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Murder-Suicide

A practical guide and an emotional support for adults and children who have had a pet die.

• Death of a Pet

• Helping Children

To help pet parents everywhere, she opened the first standalone pet funeral home in the United States in Indianapolis. In this guidebook, she helps pet parents, veterinarians, death-care professionals and others celebrate the special bonds we share with our animal companions.

• Death of a Pet

For children ages 4 and up. A book about divorce, and learning, and growing. Includes helpful suggestions for parents and caregivers.

• Children

• Divorce

Poetry that expresses the needs and feelings of children, the elderly, and those who are ill, dying or mourning a death.

• General

Scripture based poems under the headings of; God's Creation, God's Children, God's Guidance, God's Gifts, and God's Victory.

• Bereavement

• Religious

Soon after the horrific events of September 11, newsroom staffers at The New York Times began to ask about the real people, the names and faces behind the unimaginable statistics. Their efforts, which grew into the daily "Portraits of Grief" feature, gathered force over the ensuing weeks and eventually became a cultural phenomenon on a national scale. Portraits: 9/11/01 brings together all the poignant memories and reminiscences, and stands as a lasting tribute to these beloved souls.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

Grades 6+. Spells out the warning signs, guides teens through the steps of reaching out to a friend, and explains when and how to seek help. It also suggests ways for teens to help themselves when they are feeling stressed or depressed.

• Teens

• Sudden & Traumatic Death / Suicide

Everyone has unique goodbyes – times of losing someone or something that has given life meaning and value. With the touch of a poet, Joyce Rupp offers her wisdom on “these experiences of leaving behind and moving on, the stories of union and separation that are written in all our hearts.

• General

• Religious

Selected papers from a conference convened Oct. 1971 in Philadelphia by the Dept. of Psychiatry of the University of Pennsylvania and sponsored by the Center for Studies of Suicide Prevention of the National Institute of Mental Health.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Suicide

Information children need to know during the illness, during the death, and what children need to heal from their loss. Information how children can express themselves, learn about integrating death into their lives and search for new meaning.

• Helping Children

• Cancer

"This book comes to grips with adolescent suicide."

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Teen Suicide

A program model for guiding adolescents in ways to understand and cope with depression and/or suicidal feelings.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Teen Suicide

Analyzes the behavior of leukemic children aged 3-9

• Helping Children

• Leukemia / Historical

A transcript of discussions which took place at a symposium.

• Anticipatory / Before the Death

• Historical

Ages 5-12. Crafted for terminally ill and/or grieving children. Tool for opening discussion on the impending death of a young person.

• Children

• Before the Death

The life story of the woman whose mission is to teach us how to confront our fear of death, so that we may know better how to live.

• General

• Historical

Sequel to On Death and Dying; consists of the most frequently asked questions and Dr. Kubler-Ross's answers.

• Anticipatory / Before the Death

• Historical

Ages 8+. Elizabeth makes a memory quilt out of scraps of her father's clothes.

• Children

• Death of a Father

Ages 2 and up. When something sad happens, Taylor doesn't know where to turn. All the animals are sure they have the answer. One by one, the animals try to tell Taylor how to act, and one by one they fail to offer comfort. Then the rabbit arrives. All the rabbit does is listen . . . which is just what Taylor needs.

• Children

Ragtail, a young mouse, has just experienced the death of his best friend. As he tries to understand what has happened, Ragtail is swept by confusing feelings of denial, anger and sadness. With the help of a new friend, he learns to deal with his feelings and soon discovers the comfort that comes from remembering.

• Children

• Death of a Friend

Ages 4 and up. A book for children who have a loved one with cancer. This book encourages conversation between children and those who love them.

• Children

• Cancer

In Rare Bird, Anna Whiston-Donaldson unfolds a mother’s story of loss that leads, in time, to enduring hope. This is a book about facing impossible circumstances and desperately wishing you could turn back the clock. It is about discovering that you’re braver than you think. It is about the flicker of hope and the realization that in times of heartbreak, God is closer than your own skin.

• Death of a Child

• Religious

Has your world been shattered by grief? Is pain pulling you under the waves of despair and threatening to hold you there? Take heart; rescue is possible. Hope is possible. Whether you’re grieving the loss of an infant child, grown child, spouse, or elderly parent, Raw Survival is for you.

• Death of a Child

• Sudden & Traumatic Death / Religious

A quarterback’s inspiring story of tackling depression and surviving suicide loss.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Suicide

The first book ever to systematically expound the piece-by-piece reconstruction and synthesis of events surrounding the terminal phase of life.

• Professional

• Historical

Ages 10-12. A heartbreakingly hopeful novel in verse about an Indian American girl whose life is turned upside down when her mother is diagnosed with leukemia.

• Children

• Cancer

A sequel to Dr. Moody's book, Life After Life. He has now interviewed hundreds more men and women who were close to death or actually pronounced dead.

• General

• Near Death Experiences / Historical

At 39, theologian Billings was diagnosed with incurable cancer. The questions were acute: Why me? Why now? Where is God in all of this? This eloquently written book shares Billing’s journey and reflections on providence, lament, and life in Christ in light of illness.

• Anticipatory / Before the Death

• Religious

A rich store of wisdom to help man face his own death bravely, and to aid his loved ones to work through their bereavement to continued meaningful life.

• Professional

• Historical

Ages 5-8. This tender, sensitive picture book gently explains the memory loss associated with aging and diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

• Children

• Alzheimer's Disease

Ages 6-96. About the unique grief felt by children when a pet dies.

• Children

• Death of a Pet

Ages 3 and up. When grandpa dies, Holly and Glen remember the special times they had together—gardening, reading and learning about butterflies.

• Children

• Death of a Grandparent

Ages 6-12. Because she has already discovered the wonders of God, Suzy understands the true meaning of her best friend's death.

• Children

• Death of a Friend

Ages 4-8. A story of a family remembering their dog through the traditions of Día de Muertos. We go along with them as they process their grief, and know they loved ones are never truly gone as long as you remember them.

• Children

• Death of a Pet

When Alexis dies mysteriously on a cold, January morning, her mother Margaret is expected to accept Alexis’s death and her own complicated life without answers. Instead, she begins to search for a perspective that would give her peace to accept the loss of the child who was part of her soul and the courage to believe in tomorrow. A powerful book for any parent of an exceptional child.

• Death of a Child

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

If you, or someone you know, has experienced the death of a child, this book can help you: Find where to turn for help. Support someone who has lost a child. Accommodate to the death of a child and keep on living. Find peace and comfort without forgetting.

• Death of a Child

Offers compassion, comfort, support and guidance during the lonely and painful times of grief. Over 300 entries, including quotes from people who have coped with their own losses, remind you that you are not alone and that you can and will survive.

• General

57 short essays, each with an evocative black-and-white photograph, each spoken by a different unidentified mourner, relating treasured or regretted moments with a lost loved one. For example, Gone 2 the Dogs describes the comfort brought by an ever-increasing canine family one of whom, "Tucker, that big ol' yellow Lab sleeping on the couch," may just be the dog of mine you wanted to come back as.

• General

• Art, Photography, and Graphic Novel

Provides practical advice on understanding and coping with grief during the many holidays and special days throughout the year. There are several interactive pages that allow the griever to create new holiday traditions.

• General

• Holidays

A guide for facing and understanding feelings and for thinking through new ways to cope with life in the after-math of loss. The 31 short, easy-to-read chapters compassionately address some of the most pressing questions and issues facing someone who has recently experienced a deep loss. Each chapter contains a brief reflection on an issue of loss, followed by carefully selected Scripture readings and a suggested prayer.

• General

• Religious

In this heartfelt book Marilyn Adams shares the loss of her 11-year-old son in a farm incident as well as the process and tremendous growth she experienced to find meaning and purpose today.

• Death of a Child

Ages 4-8. A mindfully written self-help guide to aid children in dealing with stress and anxiety by uncovering their emotions and following a simple calming routine.

• Children

This book shows how God provides roses--special occasions, people, and memories--to help us through sorrow. Drawing from the loss of her children (crib death, pneumonia, drunk driver collision) Heavilin will help you understand the grieving process, support family members, give insight into sibling grief, and maintain your marriage during this difficult time.

• General

• Death of a Child

Ages 6-10. Explains death as the inevitable end of life and provides three situations in which children experience powerful emotions when someone close has died.

• Children

What happens to children – those unborn, stillborn, or youngsters – when they die? Can you hope to see them again? Can you let go of your fear and guilt? Can God’s love soothe a wound so jagged? With Scriptural authority and the warmth of a pastor’s heart, John MacArthur examines the breadth of the entire bible and reveals in this compelling book that the Heavenly Father’s care for every life.

• Death of a Child

• Religious

Ages 5-9. Explores the feelings Sam has after his dad dies. Includes a parent’s guide for helping children cope with grief.

• Children

• Death of a Father

Ages 5-8. The story of a young girl whose father has recently died, which deals with the full range of emotions, questions, and worries that children have when a parent has died. Offers ways to remember and honor the lost parent, encourages the open sharing of feelings, and helps children understand that their parents want them to be happy and live their lives fully.

• Children

• Death of a Father

This book describes Sarah's grief following her father's death. It offers compassionate practical advice for adults who want to help grieving children.

• Children

• Death of a Father

A deep compassionate insight into the realm of self-destruction from a personal, literary and existential point of view.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Suicide / Historical

Ages 5-12. Two young friends, Carly and Savannah, experience the fullness of life by by creating a friendship garden. Unfortunately, tragedy occurs when young Savannah is diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer. As the seasons turn Carly attempts to comprehend death and support her dying friend. When Savannah dies Carly is able to find ways to cope with her grief and honor her friend.

• Children

• Childhood Cancer

Todd Monson's story, as told by his mother, touches the deep center of emotional and spiritual life.

• Death of a Child

• Historical

Until now, not much help has been available for those who have lost a pet. Saying Good-bye to the Pet You Love, written by a psychologist with twenty years of experience as a pet bereavement specialist, helps you understand the very special human-animal bond, which, in turn, can help you deal with your terrible loss.

• Death of a Pet

A book designed to help people who have experienced crushing losses survive and grow beyond the pain into the light of a new day. The author takes an in-depth look at grief, one of the most common and universal experiences of life. Clemons examines the situations that cause grief and describes the stages beyond grief. He concludes his discussion by explaining how we can help each other grieve creatively and begin to live after its wake.

• General

This book is a remarkable collection of quotations, personal reflections, and prayers intended for those who find themselves in their own “season of grief.” The insights and stories from Ann Dawson’s own experience after the death of her son are carefully placed alongside the comforting and often inspiring words of writers like C.S. Lewis and Kahlil Gibran.

• General

• Death of a Child

On November 3, 2020, Tim and Aileen Challies received the shocking news that their son Nick had died. Seasons of Sorrow includes a selection of Tim's reflections sharing the poignancy of early grief, the doubts and fears that plague us during loss, and the faith and joy that sustain us through sorrow.

• Death of a Child

• Sudden & Traumatic Death / Religious

"To shed more lights on a matter of universal concern and to help us better understand why a suicide might happen, the people in this book have volunteered to share their lives."

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Historical

A tender story of living, loving and loss – speaking to the journey of our living and our dying; embracing the concepts of faith, grace and love along life’s path.

• General

This book covers topics such as: the steps to rebuilding beliefs, relationships, and happiness; how to honor the past without being dominated by it; what assistance to request from family and friends; how to tell the difference between sadness and depression; when to seek company and when it’s best to be alone; why reminiscing about the past can help create a new future; and why some people take longer than others to recover their love of life.

• Death of a Partner

Shapeshifter is an interactive memoir with art and activities that wraps together my family's story of inherited grief following a tragic childhood death with original art and creative exercises that have helped fuel my recovery and death care work.

• General

• Art, Photography, and Graphic Novel

Hospice chaplain uses three decades of experience interacting with grieving parents to give this heartfelt, easy-to-read and intensely practical book. The author walks the reader through the powerful impact a child's death can have - emotionally, mentally, physically, relationally, and spiritually.

• Death of a Child

A collection of poems following the death of an infant. Expresses grief, anguish and anger.

• Death of a Child

• Death of a Baby

If you have no idea how to help someone when they are grieving the death of a loved one, then this is the book for you. This book was written, based on the experiences of grieving individuals who have been there and were willing to share what were the best and worst things that someone did for them while they were in the midst of their grief.

• General

How the very young can and should be taught about death at school and at home. A resource for teachers of the young, as well as for their parents.

• Helping Children

• Historical

A powerful mix of information, personal reflections, and poetry. The author draws on clinical experience, research, and wisdom from hundreds of bereaved siblings to explain the five healing tasks specific to sibling grief.

• General

• Death of a Sibling

This book consists of poems, letters, diary entries, and essays written by parents, grandparents, professional counselors, siblings, friends, and babysitters-all of whom discuss their personal experiences in confronting SIDS. After an informational opening chapter, the remaining 17 chapters focus on confronting one's loss and that of loved ones and how to move forward.

• Death of a Child

• SIDS

Clara writes of her own grief, and interviews women and men. The moving, honest responses to these interviews tells the reader that through the tears and rage and awful silence, God still loves us and knows our children.

• Death of a Child

• Miscarriage

Provides practical suggestions to validate parents' grief; cope with the unique concerns of early loss, crisis pregnancies, stillbirth, and newborn death; find medical, religious, and family support; and manage their lives afterwards.

• Death of a Child

• Miscarriage

A book about people who have changed their lives, people who have learned to stop worrying and start living, and is filled with practical, specific examples that you can draw upon in your own life, whether divorced or widowed.

• General

• Single Life / Historical

For women and men who are single and dealing with the death of a child in miscarriage, as an infant or as an older child.

• Death of a Child