Listed in alphabetical order by book title.
The ABCs of Grief: Emotions & Feelings
by Jessica Correnti
Introducing, Book 2 in The ABCs of Grief series! A wonderful next layer to helping children process and understand their experiences and emotions while grieving.
Grief is messy, confusing, and overwhelming for all ages—but especially young children who are trying to make sense of the big changes and losses happening around and within them.
There is often this misconception that grief is only the sadness we feel when going through a loss. Grief is much more complex and multi-dimensional. This book will help caregivers and professionals have deeper conversations and connections while navigating one of life’s most difficult experiences.
This is the perfect complement or next step to the first book in the series, but can also be read independently from The ABCs of Grief.
For Children facing grief related to: death, moving, illness, traumatic medical experiences, new diagnoses, natural and manmade disasters, big changes with school or other activities, feeling ‘different’ from others, abuse, immigration, foster care, absent or distant caregivers, and more.
Also perfect for: Parents, schools, libraries, hospitals, therapy offices, grief centers, non-profit organizations working with youth and families, and more.
The Adventures of Peighten and Gingerbread: Navigating Cancer Diagnosis and Developing Strategies for Grief by Feryn Heath
What happens when a child loses a family member for the first time? As a parent, how can you explain to your child what is about to happen when a family member has a terminal diagnosis of cancer? The beautifully-illustrated picture book, The Adventures of Peighten and Gingerbread: Navigating Cancer Diagnosis and Developing Coping Strategies for Grief, for ages 3-9, takes its young readers on a psychoeducational journey on the topic of grief due to loss and positive coping strategies that can be implemented to assist children through grief.
All Around Is Me by Leanne Whallett and Jessica Slater
All Around Is Me, a children’s book centered around grief, shifts the focus away from the sorrow of losing a loved one, and instead emphasizes the enduring love and cherished moments shared between a child and the departed.
With its enchanting storytelling and captivating illustrations, the book encourages young readers to seek out comforting signs, reassuring them that the presence of their loved one goes beyond their death.
Dubbed as a ‘beacon of hope’ for children as they navigate through the complexities of loss, All Around Is Me illuminates a magical idea of an everlasting spirit, offering comfort during the grieving process, prompting them to look for signs that spark memories in their minds and hearts.
Intentionally crafted to resonate with children of all ages to help process the heaviness of grief, the book offers a message of resilience and enduring love that transcends generational boundaries.
By encouraging children to seek solace in the beauty of their surroundings, the book provides a gentle pathway for them to navigate through grief and find peace in the love and memories they hold dear.
Connie & Bella: A Special Tail of Love
by Peter Troy
The bond between people and their pets is often profound especially for children. When a pet passes away, the grief can be intense. However, the memories of the time spent together often bring comfort. Told with colorful and playful illustrations, this is the heartfelt story of one of those relationships between a young woman, Connie, and her pet dog Bella.
Cory Helps Kids Cope with Grief: Playful Activities for Young Children by Liana Lowenstein
Through Cory’s Story and a range of inventive activities, including art, games, and puppets, this book provides specialized techniques to help children bereaved by suicide, homicide, drug overdose, natural disasters, military casualties, mass violence, and other types of loss. Tailored for ages 4 to 8, this essential resource features a reproducible story, creative assessment and treatment interventions, and insightful parent handouts. It’s ideal for one-on-one sessions, family work, or grief support groups. Let Cory guide young grievers on their journey to healing.
Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children, Second Edition by Liana Lowenstein
In this popular resource, best-selling author and international keynote speaker Liana Lowenstein outlines her most innovative therapeutic tools including games, art, and stories, to help children bereaved by all types of death-loss, including drug overdose, suicide, homicide, mass violence, line-of-duty-death, natural disasters, and serious illness. Some activities may be adapted for youth experiencing a non-death loss—for example, a parent who is incarcerated, parental military deployment, or placement in foster care. The activities can be used in a variety of settings, including in-person and virtual individual and family sessions, children’s grief support groups and camps. This thoroughly updated second edition incorporates up-to-date knowledge on childhood grief, many new activities, additional topic areas, a sample curriculum for children’s grief support groups, and reproducible handouts for caregivers. Geared to ages 7-12.
New to the Second Edition:
• Up-to-date theoretical information on childhood grief
• Revised intake questionnaire
• All new activities to help children safely express feelings, understand death and its finality, address anger and self-blame, commemorate the deceased, and learn coping strategies
• Special interventions for children bereaved by suicide, homicide, drug overdose, natural disasters, and other types of loss
• Techniques to help bereaved children process trauma responses
• Sample curriculum for children’s grief support groups
• New and revised interventions for family sessions
• Reproducible handouts for caregivers and tips for school personnel
• And more!
Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children, Second Edition is a must-have resource for child bereavement program staff and child serving professionals seeking engaging ways to help grieving children and their families.
The Day Grandpop’s Music Stopped
by Anitra J Green
This book shares the story of Tia and Nathan who are siblings and lose their grandfather. They are picked up from school and told about grief and how it affects your mind and body. They learn that while all life ends at some point, love and memories never do.
The Elephant on Aaron’s Chest
by BZ Tebo
The Elephant on Aaron’s Chest is the story of a boy who is struggling with the weight of his emotions. His emotions take on the form of a cumbersome elephant. With little success, Aaron tries to get the elephant to leave. When Aaron decides to befriend the elephant, things start to change for the better. Leading the charge in social-emotional issue books, BZ Tebo’s debut breaks ground with this heartwarming story. Her hope is to help children of all ages learn to identify, understand, and learn to live with their complex feelings and emotions.
Grandma Will Always Be Here With You
by Jennifer Johnson
Grandma Will Always Be Here With You’ is a safe, age-appropriate and heartfelt story that introduces children to the concept of grief and loss, specifically a grandmother. The message is that although grandma is no longer physically present, she will always be with them in their hearts and memories. It helps children and adults alike feel more connected to their loved ones and can provide a sense of comfort and security. It also provides a way to keep grandma’s memory alive and to remember all the good times spent together. It is a perfect tool for parents and caregivers to discuss these difficult emotions with young children. At the end of the story, draw or write a letter to your loved one from this book to their ears.
It won’t ever be the same: A teen’s guide to grief and grieving by Korie Leigh
Help young people name, express, and give shape to their grief with this book on grieving for teens.
Whether teens are in the midst of their first grief experience or have experienced grief before, It Won’t Ever Be the Same is designed to support them. Reflections, analogies, and suggested activities within the pages guide teens in working through and making sense of their personal and complex grief experiences, and words and artwork from other grieving teens help them feel less alone and more connected.
It Won’t Ever Be the Same is a validating and reassuring book that speaks directly to teens experiencing grief, providing them with tools to understand, express, and cope. Written by grief counselor Dr. Korie Leigh, the book touches upon big milestones in the grief journey, starting with new grief and continuing through the days, weeks, months, and years after. Each chapter ends with a Give It a Try activity idea to help teens build an understanding of what they’re going through. Other moments throughout invite teens to reflect on a specific question or experience, tune in to what they’re feeling, or try out a new way of viewing or being in their grief.
Let’s Talk About It: A Guide for Talking to Children After a Suicide of a Loved One
by Laura Camerona
This book gives adults the words to talk to kids after the death of a loved one by suicide.
Talking about mental health with your child and supporting their feelings after losing a loved one to suicide is important. For a long time, many people in society have avoided talking about suicide. Unfortunately, not talking about it doesn’t make it go away. Many people struggle to find the right words for this conversation, and so, this book was created as a resource to help guide the conversation. Honest and simple explanations help children make sense of what has happened. Supportive phrases and suggestions in this book can help children find coping skills, people to talk to, and words to describe their feelings.
After reviewing the information and tips on the first pages, an adult can read the remainder of the book with the child. The words and illustrations make it appropriate for most situations, no matter the family dynamics, race, culture, or relationship to the deceased.
Little Grievers Workbook
by Sarah Brown & Nannette Thomas
Knowing how to support preschool children when a loved one dies is difficult. The Little Grievers Workbook helps parents and caregivers address this sensitive topic with confidence. The parent portion of the workbook explains the unique developmental needs of grieving two to five-year-olds, and gives specific suggestions for developmentally appropriate language as well as ways to help preschoolers cope with their grief. The child portion of the workbook contains worksheets to be completed by preschoolers with a parent or other trusted adult.
More Than Sad: Feelings After Someone Special Dies by Laura Camerona, CCLS
A book that helps caregivers talk to children about the many things they might be feeling, thinking, and wondering about after a death. More Than Sad is great conversation starter and helps kids understand that feelings can show up in many different ways. This book acknowledges that all feelings are okay and suggests things that kids can try if certain feelings get ‘too big’.
-Good for both children and their caregivers.
-Appropriate for a lot of different death experiences and relationships.
-Reminds everyone that all feelings are okay.
-Includes helpful ideas that a family can use to work through each feeling when it gets too big.
-Great for support groups and includes suggested art activities that partner well with the book.
-One way for an adult to ‘walk with’ their child after a death.
The book’s illustrations connect feelings with different colors. Using this representation, the book suggests several activities that kids can use to express what they are feeling.
This book was created to be most appropriate for ages 4-12.
The Most Special Gift
by Dr. Karen S Scott and Sarah Brown
The Most Special Gift: Explaining Organ Donation to Children sensitively tells the story of Julian, a young boy whose father dies. Throughout the course of the story Julian learns his family made the special decision for organ donation. In the narrative, Julian’s mother explains organ donation in age-appropriate language. Ultimately, Julian and his mother remember that Julian’s dad was always helping other people, and they take comfort that he continued helping people through the most special gift of life.
Moving In Forever
by Rebecca Wu
“Moving In Forever” is a heartfelt true story about love, loss, and the lasting impact of those we cherish.
When Ryan and Brandon’s Aunt Carrie moves in with them, their world opens up to new adventures. Carrie is the coolest aunt, but she’s also very ill, and in her final days, she wants to be surrounded by love. The book follows the boys as they care for their aunt and shows how, even after her death, the memory of Carrie lives on in their hearts forever.
Based on real people in author Rebecca Wu’s life, the story honors Carrie, her fierce spirit, and the joy she brought to her family. Rebecca was fortunate to spend Carrie’s last days with her, witnessing the compassion and care of her sister’s family as they supported Carrie through hospice.
In writing this story, Rebecca sought to create a resource for families facing loss, particularly for children, offering a simple yet powerful way to talk about death and love. *Moving In Forever* is a tribute to the ways love, even after death, stays with us forever.
My Grief Comfort Book
by Brie Overton
My Grief Comfort Book invites kids to take a creative break from the heaviness of their loss. This activity book gives a grieving child space, time, and ideas for processing emotions, building coping skills, and growing through their grief.
My Memory Journal
by Patricia Mazza-Vlamis
A coloring book for children who have experienced loss in their life and are grieving. Often it is easier for children to express themselves through drawing and writing their feelings rather than speaking them out loud. This book will help them document special times they shared with their loved one that has died, work through their feelings and emotions and help them move forward.
Shipwrecked: A Memoir of Widowed Parenting and Life After Loss by Jeanette Koncikowski
When you find that your family’s life as you planned it has been wrecked, how do you move forward? How do you help children grieve the loss of a parent when you are also heartbroken by the loss of your spouse?
Shipwrecked: A Memoir of Widowed Parenting and Life After Loss details Jeanette Koncikowski’s personal experience of being widowed at age 36 with two young children, and what her family had to overcome as they navigated those uncharted waters. Anchored by Koncikowski’s impactful story—compellingly told with humor, humility, and grace—the book is interwoven with practical tips and strategies for newly widowed parents on surviving and then thriving as a family.
Shipwrecked explores themes common to newly widowed parents including:
– talking with your children about the death of their parent, in the immediate aftermath of the loss and over time
– involving your children in memorials and meaning-making
– seeking closure in your marriage and dating again
– coping with secondary losses and milestones
– handling the challenges of solo parenting
– staying connected to your deceased loved one
– dealing with children’s changing grief over time
– building a life you love
– honoring your beloved’s legacy as you create your own
A must-read for all widowed parents and anyone seeking to understand how families can cope and adapt to life after trauma and loss, Shipwrecked throws its readers a life preserver, offering an important account of family love, healing, and resilience.
Someone I Love Died from a Drug Overdose
by Melody Ray
Accidental substance overdoses continue to rise across our country, leaving families at a loss as to how to tell and assist the children that are grieving. This story is an excellent tool for parents and caregivers. Includes a workbook, definitions, some facts and a note to the adult reading the story.
When I Remember the Tears Come
by Tiffany Joyner
A year has passed since Master Peter’s father, Sir Henry, died. Sitting alone in his castle room, Peter feels the weight of missing his dad. Everywhere he turns, memories flood back—walking around the castle halls together, watching his dad read in his study, and more. Peter can’t step anywhere without thinking of him. When he remembers, the tears come. Seeking comfort, Peter turns to his mother, and she, too, shares how much she misses Sir Henry. She tells him that he is everywhere, in every corner of their castle. She helps Peter understand that it’s okay to feel sad, and encourages him to remember happy memories, like when his father read him bedtime stories. Even though Peter starts to feel a little better, the tears still come—because he will always love and remember his dad.