Grief Lending Library

• Helping Children & Teens

Ages 8-12. As a parent and a grandparent, Randy Alcorn knows how important it is to pass along the biblical truths about Heaven. So in Heaven for Kids, Randy has adapted his best-selling book Heaven for a younger generation. He’s made all the great information and fresh teaching accessible and applicable for kids. Set up in an easy question-and-answer format.

• Children

• Religious

This story is about a child whose father dies at home. It follows the family from the night of the father's death through the days following the funeral. The feelings of the child and the events surrounding her father's death are realistically portrayed and caringly addressed. The illustrations are bright and colorful and the text is rich and descriptive. This is an excellent resource for families who are experiencing, or will soon experience, the death of a family member.'

• Children

For the very young; text and photographs present the concept of death, the importance of grief, and the customs of mourning.

• Children

• Historical

The words for this book were written long ago as a poem. The poem is now part of the Bible, called Ecclesiastes. It tells about the cycle of life. In the Bible, God says that he will change the pattern of good and bad that we see all around us. God can turn our sadness into dancing. He wants to give us a life that last forever, a life with him on a healed earth with no sickness, no crying and no death-ever!

• Children

• Religious

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

Ages 6-13. A warm, sensitive story of how one little boy is encouraged and supported to find his own way to remember his best friend. Written in simple, honest language, and the warm, expressive watercolors tenderly express the sensitive story of children’s friendships.

• Children and Teens

• Death of a Friend

This honest, sensitive and beautifully illustrated picture book is designed to help explain the concept of death to children aged 3-7. Written from a child's own words, it is based on the real-life conversations that Elke Barber had with her then three-year-old son, Alex, after the sudden death of his father. 

• Children

• Death of a Father

This picture book aims to help children aged 3+ to understand what happens to the body after someone has died.

• Children

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

Todd's wife Lisa reveals what really happened on that ill-fated flight, as well as poignant glimpses of a genuine American hero. She talks candidly about Todd's growing-up years, their marriage and last week together, and then family moments without him-the devastating day her children learned their daddy had died, how they celebrated his first birthday without him, the mix of grief and joy when she gave birth to their third child, and how she's found the confidence to go on in the face of such tragedy and loss. It's no wonder that, through this unpretentious homemaker and mother, an entire nation can find hope, inspiration and strength.

• Death of a Partner

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

This book is designed to promote resiliency and healing in children that have experienced the death of a loved one. Using simple language and captivating photographs, this book guides children towards a path of understanding their emotions, as well as caring their minds, bodies, and spirits.

• Children

Provides a wealth of information on books designed to help children from ages 3 to 16 overcome the grief of loss in whatever form it takes.

• Helping Children

• All Loss

Ages 4-9. Tender story of a duck (Timothy) who loves a boy. Timothy watches John get sick and die; learns about grief and goodbyes.

• Children

Ages 3-8. Deals with childhood guilt; looks at feelings when there’s a family fight, a divorce, illness, injury and death. Let’s kids know that their thoughts don’t control the world.

• Children

This book will help children see how much god loves them and how God works through people to provide comfort and hope. They are not alone in feeling afraid.

• Teens

Join seven-year-old Grace on her journey through coping with the loss of her father while learning about the different ways that people grieve the loss of a loved one. In the process of learning about who her father was through the eyes of others, she learns about who she is today because of her father's personality and love.

• Children

• Death of a Father

Analyzes the behavior of leukemic children aged 3-9

• Helping Children

• Leukemia / Historical

The author analyzes the effects of a death in the family on the lives of children and adults.

• Professional

Ages 9-16. A realistic guide to coping with the stresses and emotions a child or young teen may face when a parent has died.

• Children and Teens

• Death of a Parent

A book to help sibilings anticipate a brother or sisters death from a terminal illness.

• Children

• Anticipatory / Before the Death

Ages 4-7. Children love the illustrations in this excellent book. We learn about why some parents divorce, having two homes, telling your friends, visiting your parent, and even holidays.

• Children

• Divorce

Ages 5-8. Unlike many books on death for little ones, this one doesn't tell a story. Instead, it addresses children's fears and curiosity head-on, and in a largely secular fashion, by answering some very basic questions: "Why does someone die?" "What does dead mean?" "What comes after death?" Other questions deal with emotions, and there's a section about death customs.

• Children

An inspiring allegory illustrating the delicate balance between life and earth.

• Children

How parents can survive when more than one child dies. The author speaks of his experiences of going back to work, marriage and Jessica, the surviving big sister who was at home.

• Death of a Child

• Death of children

This book was created about fetal loss to help families have conversations with their children.

• Children

• Miscarriage

Designed for adult caregivers to read to surviving youngsters following a suicidal death. 'Wondering if you could have done something to prevent this suicide is normal. Nothing you said or did would have changed what happened.'

• Children

• Suicide

Ages 8-13. Black Jack Jetty follows Jack as he copes with his father’s death in Afghanistan. Follow Jack’s journey through his grief, anger, anxiety, and guilt. A tip sheet for kids to help cope with a parent s death follows the story.

• Children

• Death of a Father / Military

This practical compendium is filled with frank advice for fellow survivors. Dealing with the three major survivors' issues (the question "Why?", anger over the event, and guilt) the book gives description of typical patterns in grief process and offers helpful steps to recovery. Chapters include dealing with others, handling holidays, and effects of death and tragedy on the family unit. Of special interest is a portion of one chapter devoted to grief issues of surviving children.

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

• Suicide

Eleven children share their experiences with terminal illness, especially the ways they helped each other cope with the prospects of their own death.

• Children

• Terminally Ill Children / Historical

A reader friendly guide to helping children. Includes: supporting grieving children and teens, signs of grief in children and teens, what you can do, teachable moments, and taking care of yourself. Information that will help parents and their grieving children.

• Children

A reader friendly guide to helping children. Includes: supporting grieving children and teens, signs of grief in children and teens, what you can do, teachable moments, and taking care of yourself. Information that will help schools when a death in the classroom occurs.

• Children

• School Resources

This short, easy to read book offers simple but important advice and guidance for school teachers and staff on what to do when a child is grieving. It includes advice on explaining death to children, insights into how children may be feeling and how they may react, and ways in which they can be supported. The book also covers how bereavement can affect a child and how it can affect the whole school in the case of a death of a pupil or staff member.

• Helping Children

• School Resources

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

Honest and straightforward, this story explores the many emotions a child who has experienced a death may experience, from anger and guilt to sadness and bewilderment. Ultimately, Missing Mommy focuses on the positive―the recognition that the child is not alone but still part of a family that loves and supports him.

• Children

• Death of a Mother

Ages 4 and up. When the new baby they've been expecting isn't strong enough to be born, Molly and her family find different ways to express their feelings and comfort each other.

• Children

• Miscarriage

This model is designed for a six-week time period.  In other words, the group meets once a week for six weeks.  When groups get stretched out over longer periods of time, participation is often interrupted.  Many people can plan six weeks into their schedules, but beyond that, it may get complicated.  It also means people are not committing to a series of meetings which may never end.   Six Simple Weeks gives you everything you need to know to start a support group.  It includes all the information necessary and a week by week model to get you started.

• Helping Children

• School Resources

Offers wise comments and effective comebacks to help today's busy and beleaguered parents answer questions, encourage dialogue, explore feelings, and teach values. Each chapter consists of practical, how-to advice based on various scenarios, "Smart Talk" sidebars-new insights to the issues important to parents, and helpful "Rules of Thumb--"short but sweet tips.

• Helping Children

Elementary age children. Corey and his grandmother love to watch balloons floating up to the sky, and when she dies, Corey thinks of a special way to say goodbye.

• Children

• Death of a Grandparent

Writing for children ages 8-12 and their parents, Coleman discusses the fears and questions that young people have when someone they love dies.

• Children

After the Ant Hill School is destroyed, a little boy ant is afraid to go back to school. This story thoughtfully addresses fears associated with both natural and man-caused disasters. It models effective parenting and teaching responses. This book can help assure children that through love, empathetic understanding, preparation, and effective communication, they can stand strong, even in the midst of uncontrollable events

• Children

• Any Disaster

Ages 8-11. A compassionate yet straightforward story to assist young children and their caregivers as they deal with an impending death of a mother. The bright, childlike artwork and simple, straightforward language offer readers a hopeful message. The book does not specify what is wrong with the mother, so it could apply to a number of situations or illnesses.

• Children

• Anticipatory / Before the Death

Guidelines for assisting adolescents presently struggling with the difficult issues of dying, death and bereavement.

• Helping Children & Teens

Focused on the traumatic nature that death presents in children's lives. It also includes a rang over a variety of topics, from supporting children during disaster, through the benefits of death education, to the value of ritual in helping children adjust to a radically altered set of circumstances following loss.

• Helping Children

• Sudden & Traumatic Death

A young child discovers a grandparents love grows even after death. After the death of her grandfather, Camillia decides to plant the garden she used to plant with her grandfather. She dresses the scarecrow in grandfathers old clothes and makes the best garden ever.

• Children

• Death of a Grandparent

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

• General

Ages 8-11. Twins Amy and Allie were eight years old and their brother was four when their beloved father died suddenly in his sleep. Encouraged and guided by their mother, the three children kept a journal for almost two years. They wrote about the night he died, the funeral, the first week, the first year, the cemetery, their thoughts and feelings-and the future.

• Children

• Death of a Father

"In a warm and sensitive way it (the book) will help children deal with the loss of a loved one."

• Children

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

Discusses various issues that children and adolescents face before, during, and after the death of a loved one. Also touches on the dying child. Topics that are discussed include developmental perspectives, children’s hospice care, sibling loss, loss of a parent, loss of a friend, and loss experienced by military children.

• Helping Children & Teens

Focuses on ways to assist adolescents as they encounter loss, grief, and death. Some of the foremost experts in the field share their insights on this critical topic. The chapters examine the variety of losses adolescents encounter and offer ways to support both grieving adolescents and adolescents facing their own life-threatening illness. Voices of adolescents are included in their own words, to best articulate both their perspective on loss and the sources of their support.

• Helping Children & Teens

A readable book directed primarily at caregivers but might also benefit a family dealing with a pediatric related problem of grief and bereavement.

• Helping Children

A compilation of writings each dealing with how we can better help children and adolescents cope with grief and loss, including pieces written by grieving children themselves.

• Helping Children & Teens

This book offers a gentle way of explaining a loved one's suicide without sweeping it under the rug. By starting an open and honest conversation with our youth, we can help break down the stigmas and start raising mental health awareness.

• Children

• Suicide

Drawn from stories, suggestions and insight shared by grieving children and their family members, this book explores how children view, understand and process death; how to talk with children about death at various ages and developmental stages; how to be supportive and helpful throughout their grieving process; and when to seek professional help.

• Helping Children

Addresses issues that arise in the classroom after a death impacts a student, a classroom or a school. Includes practical tips and step-by-step information on what to say and do.

• Helping Children

• School Resources

The Dougy Center and American Foundation For Suicide Prevention created this helpful book discussing children and teen suicide loss.

• Helping Children

Ages 7-10. In discussing her mother's death with her father, 11 year old Sarah comes to see that in endings there are new beginnings, that in winter there is promise of spring, and that everything comes full circle.

• Children

• Death of a Mother

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

After her grandmother dies, Lindsay finds strength and beauty in the butterfly bush they planted together.

• Children

• Death of a Grandparent

How books and stories can be used to help children grow, to help reduce fears and anxieties, and to initiate open honest communication between children and adults.

• Helping Children

• Historical

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

Offers tools for school personnel to effectively address the needs of grieving children. Chapters include tools to help with data collection, classroom activities, and on-going evaluation of progress.

• Helping Children

• School Resources

Provides suggestions for dealing with a child's emotional responses (including anger, guilt and depression) and helping a child adjust to a new life after someone loved dies.

• Helping Children

Treating children with complicated mourning and advice for parents. This study on magical thought offers interactive healing techniques, correcting distorted death stories, prescribed therapy, and uniting parents to assist grieving children.

• Helping Children

Ages 6-12. Melinda looks forward to the letters and cards she receives from her favorite neighbor who has moved into a nursing home and when the old woman dies, it takes Melinda a while to find a way to stop missing her so much.

• Children

• Death of a Friend

Designed to help adults who work with groups of children in their efforts to assist surviving children to cope with the emotional stresses with result when a friend dies.

• Helping Children

Five or more years after the death of their children, twenty-five families open their hearts and share stories of courage, hope and their attempts to make sense out of the most unbearable loss of all. What did they do to move on with their lives, to make each day meaningful again, to remember their child? In addition to helping themselves, learn how these parents help others and what advice they give to those still having difficulty living in a world without their child.

• Death of a Child

Fried’s letters, written after their deaths to a number of his most memorable patients, surely served as a catharsis for him, a means of venting pent-up grief. Compiled, they iterate the life affirmations of the children he came to know and admire over the years

• General

In Stepparenting the Grieving Child, Diane Ingram Fromme shares the assumptions and presumptions, steps and missteps that occurred within her own stepfamily. Diane faced the key challenges any new stepparent to grieving children experiences, including helplessness to know how and when to offer comfort, awkwardness to identify the times and ways to memorialize the lost parent, and outsider blues--not only feeling uncomfortable in her own home but also in her own skin.

• Helping Children

• Death of a Parent

Using a question and answer format, it explores the changes and feelings a child may experience during a divorce, and provides ideas to help cope with this life change. Illustrated with SymbolStix, which uses a symbol-based language for visual thinkers, this book explains a difficult topic to children who might otherwise struggle to understand it, and gives additional guidance for guardians.

• Children

• Divorce / Disabilities

This book is designed to help kids, including children with autism spectrum disorder or other additional needs, to understand what it means when someone in their life has cancer.

• Children

• Disabilities / Cancer

A guide for newly bereaved grandparents working through their own grief while comforting their children. Includes stories and quotes from those who have experienced such a loss.

• General

• Death of a Grandchild

The moon is always round, even when we can't always see the whole moon. Through this illustration, children understand that God is always good, even in difficult times when we can't always see all of his goodness. Help your kids find answers to hard questions about God and suffering.

• Children

• Religious

A handbook for teachers who this year alone, will deal with more than three million grieving children. Case study, class support for the grieving child, and ideas from counselors who have dealt with a series of deaths. Age appropriate responses included.

• Helping Children

• School Resources

A Beareavement Story for Children. "Oh Grandpa! Why did you leave me?" This is the question that lingers in little Billy's mind when his beloved Grandpa dies. Then he remembers his trip with his grandfather to a valley of butterflies.

• Children

• Death of a Grandparent

A guide for parents, educators, clergy and health care professionals to handle children’s loss and grief issues. Includes bibliographical references and index.

• Helping Children

Children Also Grieve is an imaginative resource that offers support and reassurance to children coming to terms with the loss of a close friend or relative and to adults who are supporting them through their bereavement.

• Helping Children

A guide for helping children with complicated grief issues. Includes bibliographical references and index.

• Helping Children

• Complicated Grief

Ages 4 and up. When Mom or Dad dies, children grieve deeply. But we can show our care and love for them by encouraging them to share their feelings of sorrow and loss. We can give them the time and space they need to adjust and listen to—if not answer—their questions. We can let them know that they can heal and live a happy, full life of faith, hope, and love—the kind of life their Mom or Dad want for them. We can listen to their hurt and respond in a loving and supportive way.

• Children

• Death of a Parent

Explaining divorce and separation to children is difficult. This book gives helpful advice on how to talk about you and your spouse walking separate paths. Includes a storybook section for children and adults to read together. Following is a section for parents to use to open up communication between parent and child.

• Helping Children

• Divorce

Ages 4-12. This workbook answers questions children ask about burial and cremation. Talks about how the body is cared for and why it is important to say goodbye.

• Children

• Funeral Rites

Ages 4-12. This workbook discusses grief, feelings, and the funeral. What the child is likely to experience, what he or she will see and what people may do are all discussed in ways that will graciously include the child in this important family event.

• Children

• Funeral Rites & Ceremonies

A collection of readings to help any reader face death more effectively.

• Helping Children

• Historical

For young children whose mommy miscarries. Grandma explains how you're not to blame, how we don't always have answers and that it's OK to ask questions. Also affirms the normalcy of play during grief.

• Children

• Miscarriage

Readily adaptable message to both children and adults about “life after life”. Uniquely illustrated.

• Children

• After Life

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

In this touching, humorous, whimsical and illuminating follow-up to Dear God, What Religious Were the Dinosaurs, best-selling author David Heller and Elizabeth Heller once again tap into the minds and hearts of children to help answer some of life’s really important questions, such as: What is heaven?, Where is heaven?, What is an angel?, etc.

• Children

• Religious

A father helps his grieving daughter, following the death of her mother, by pointing out a twinkling star that seems to be smiling down at them.

• Children

• Death of a Mother

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

'Sammy couldn't wait to go to Baba Marta's house. Her grandma told such wonderful stories. They were stories that filled her with delight. But the story Baba told Sammy today was different. Sammy and Bab had been sitting on the old swing under the oak tree. Sammy noticed a long bare strip on the trunk of the tree where there was no bark. 'Baba, what happened to this tree? Why is there a big scar running down the middle of it?'' So begins the story of the healing tree.

• Children

• Cancer

Ages 8-12. A chapter book that tells the story of Willow who loses his best friend and how he deals with the loss.

• Children

An uplifting tribute to the human spirit -- to the nurses, the doctors, the parents and relatives, and especially the children at University Hospital Center.

• Professionals

• Historical

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 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

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

A wonderful resource for helping children understand death, grief, and remembrance, this is the story of a young boy who has been told that he has 'lost' his grandfather. The boy remembers when he himself was lost in the mall and wants to help his grandmother find his grandfather. When he learns that his grandfather is not lost but dead, the boy remembers the old man's kindness, love, and generosity. Material objects then begin to evoke warm memories of his grandfather. This touching story will encourage young readers to discuss their feelings of loss and grief.

• Children

• Death of a Grandfather

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

Molly talks about the feelings that she has been having since the death of her mother. Includes information for caregivers.

• Children

• Death of a Mother

Ages 4-7. For children who have witnessed any kind of violent or traumatic episode. An afterward for parents and other caregivers offers extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children, including a list of other sources that focus on specific events.

• Children

• Witness Traumatic Event