Death and Bereavement

Fiction for Younger Readers   | Fiction for Older Readers | Fiction for Teenagers |
Non-fiction for Younger Readers | Non-fiction for Older Readers
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From time to time the Schools Library Service is asked for books on death and bereavement. Requests are made for support either when these difficult subjects form part of a project, or when a death occurs which affects children or teachers in a school or at home.

The books in this list are available at the Schools Library Service Centre for browsing through or, when necessary, for borrowing. This list is not exhaustive and the Schools Library Service would be pleased to hear of further books which people have found useful.

Fiction for Younger Readers

HeavenALLAN, Nicholas
Heaven
Red Fox 9780099488149
Dill the dog knows it is his time to go so he packs up and says goodbye to Lily.  Lily wants to go too but has to let go of her beloved pet.

Heart and the BottleJEFFERS, Olive
The Heart and the Bottle
Harper Collins 9780007182343
A young girl learns about the wonders of life through her father but become emotionally detached when one day his chair is empty.  As time goes on she learns to live again through a girl just like her.  A powerful story about love and loss for sharing with children that have lost a loved one.  Shorlisted for the Greenaway Award.

FArTHERBAKER-SMITH, Grahame
FArTHER
Templar 9781848771260
A boy's father dreams of flying and works night and day to find a way to fly until he is called to war and does not return.  Time goes on and boy continues the father's work and finds a way to fly.  His father's dream lives on him.  Winner of the Greenaway Award 2011.
 

Up In HeavenCLARK, Emma Chichester
Up in Heaven
Andersen 1842700464
A dog sends messages from heaven, in dreams to help Arthur deal with her death.

 

JoshJEFFS, Stephanie
Josh
Bible Reading Fellowship 1841014230
A sensitive story, from a child's perspective, which moves through the pain and emptiness of grief and the loss of a friend, including the sadness and acceptance of death and burial.

Goodbye MogKERR, Judith
Goodbye Mog
Collins 0007149689
When Mog dies, a little bit of her stays awake to help the new kitten to settle in with the family.

 

Sad BookROSEN, Michael
Michael Rosen's Sad Book
Walker 9781406317848
Written when Michael Rosen lost his son and describes the experience of loss and coming to terms with it.  A powerful account of a journey through bereavement.

 

Bear's Last JourneyWEIGELT, Udo
Bear's Last Journey
North-South 0735817995
How Fox and the other forest animals come to terms with Bear's death is a moving story about death, grief and memories.

 

 

Fiction for Older Readers (9-13)

Two Weeks With the QueenGLEITZMAN, Morris
Two Weeks with the Queen
Puffin 014130300X
A boy decides to go to the Queen of England to see if she can help his brother, who has cancer.

 

 

Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43GOODWIN, Harriet
The Boy Who Fell Down Exit 43
Stripes 9781847150905
After his father's death Finn has an accident in his mum's beat up old car and finds himself hurtling through Exit 43 - the divide between the living and dead to a place where ghosts wait for their families. 

 

 

Confetti GirlLOPEZ, Diana
Confetti Girl
Little, Brown 9780316029568
Lina and her father are trying to cope with the death of Lina's mother.  Follows the life of Lina after the loss of her mother and her relationship with her dad, her best friend and growing up. 

 

 

The Cat MummyWILSON, Jacqueline
The Cat Mummy
Corgi 9780440868576
Verity loves her cat and misses her when she dies.  At school she is learning about the Egyptians and Mummies so decides it would be a good idea to make her cat into a mummy.  

 

 

Fiction for Teenagers

 

GoodbyePHILLIPS, Dee
Goodbye
Evans 9780237541941
A girl has lost her boyfriend but must learn to let him go if she can move on in her new relationship.  An accessible high-low reader for teens.

 

 

EverlostSCHUSTERMAN, Neal
Everlost
Simon and Schuster 9781847385048
When Nick and Allie are killed in a car crash they find themselves in Limbo and must find a way to reach their final destination.  A story about letting go and moving on and the journey in between.

 

 

ElsewhereZEVIN, Gabrielle
Elsewhere
Bloomsbury 9780747577201
When a girl's life is cut short at the age of 16 she finds herself in a earthlike world but with some differences.  Instead of growing older, in "Elsehwere" the inhabitants get younger. 

 

 

Non-Fiction for Younger Readers

Saying GoodbyeONYEFULU, Ifeoma
Saying Goodbye
Lincoln 0711217009
A little boy called Ikenna describes what happens at a ceremonial goodbye to his great-grandmother, Mama Nkwelle, after her burial.

I Miss YouTHOMAS, Pat
I Miss You: A First Look at Death
Hodder 0340911069
A reassuring picture book, which explores the difficult issue of death for young children.

Non-Fiction for Older Readers

DeathAMOS, Janine
Death
Cherrytree 1842341634
Letters, stories and practical advice help children to understand their feelings and cope with them until happy times return.

 

Journey's EndGANERI, Anita
Journey's End: Death and Mourning
Evans 023752841X
Looks at how people from the six main religions mourn the death of their loved ones and the rites and rituals surrounding dead.

 

 

When People DieLEVETE, Sarah
When People Die
Watts 9780749674991
Looks at how death affects children with real life stories of loss.  A well laid out book with clear text to help young people understand feelings of loss.

 

FuneralsROSS, Mandy
Funerals
Heinemann 9780431177199
Covers the funeral customs of the main religions and includes stories of individual experiences of death around the world.

 

 

Page last updated 8th July 2011
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