Suggested readingThis is a brief list of suggested reading. Many CBN subscribers have more detailed booklists on their websites: try looking for local or national services for details.
Under 5sWhen Uncle Bob Died Granpa Goodbye Mousie Key Stage 1 (5-7)Badger's Parting Gifts Susan Varley (1994) Picture Lions A story of animals learning to remember their friend. The Best Day of the Week Hannah Cole (1997) Walker Books Ltd Angela and Carole always spend Saturdays with their grandparents. Their Granny becomes ill and dies, and the book shows the family coping and managing to have fun, while still remembering her. Waterbugs and Dragonflies: explaining death to young children Doris Stickney (2002) Continuum International This book uses the analogy of a waterbug transforming into a dragonfly to illustrate the idea of life after death. Written from a Christian viewpoint, children may need an adult to help understand the relevance of the story. What do we think about death? Karen Bryant-Mole (2000) Hodder Wayland Talks about life, death and the feelings associated with bereavement. Useful as a general education book as well as for bereaved children. Remembering My Brother Ginny Perkins and Leon Morris (1996) A & C Black A boy finds ways to remember his brother in positive ways. Key Stage 2 (7-11)Two Weeks with the Queen Morris Gleitzman (1999) Puffin Books When Luke gets cancer, his brother Colin is sent to stay with relatives in the UK from their home in Australia. He has adventures trying to get the Queen to lend him the best cancer doctor to treat his brother, Charlotte's Web E B White (2003) Puffin Books A classic story of Wilbur the pig and other animal friends of Fern who lives on a farm. Charlotte the spider saves Wilbur's life, but dies herself after her babies are born. Milly's Bug-nut Jill Janney (2002) Winston's Wish A short story of Milly, whose father has died, and the way her family finds through bereavement. She knows that when people die they can't come back, but she keeps a wish to see her Dad one more time The Golden Bird (Yellow Bananas) Berlie Doherty (1995) Heinemann Young Books When Andrew's father dies, he finds he cannot talk to his friends or teachers about it. His teacher casts him as the golden bird in a school play and he learns to express himself again. What on earth do you do when someone dies? Trevor Romain, Elizabeth Verdick (1999) Free Spirit Publishing Describes the overwhelming emotions involved when a loved one dies, and discusses how to cope. Someone special has died Department of Social Work (1989) St Christopher's Hospice Describers emotions likely to occur after bereavement and what happens to a body after death Someone has died suddenly Department of Social Work (1999) St Christopher's Hospice Explains what might happen in the aftermath of an unexpected death including procedures such as inquests and funerals, as well as practical suggestions about how to cope. Key Stage 3 (11-14) and aboveThe Lost Boys' Appreciation Society Alan Gibbons (2004) Orion Children's Books When Gary and John's mother dies suddenly, the boys and their father are thrown into turmoil. John feels responsible for Gary who starts hanging out with the wrong crowd. Straight talk about death for teenagers Earl Grollman (1993) Beacon Press Reassuring the reader that grief is normal, this book covers a range of feelings and reactions in response to different deaths. Vicky Angel Jacqueline Wilson (2001) Corgi Children's Books After Vicky was run over and died, her best friend Jade is confused to find that Vicky is an even more distracting presence than when she was alive. Covers the power of friendship and the overwhelming feelings around a sudden death. The Charlie Barber Treatment Carole Lloyd (1997) Walker Books Ltd When Simon's mother dies suddenly from a brain haemorrhage, he clams up. But his new friend Charlie helps him to talk again to his family and friends, and to find ways of enjoying life. Someone close to you has died Candle Project (2001) St Christopher's Hospice Describes feelings experienced by bereaved teenages and issues including not being understood, wondering if normality can be possible again, changes and unfinished business. Facing Grief: Bereavement and the young adult Susan Wallbank (1991) Lutterworth Press Deals with the particular experience of losing a parent, sibling, partner or friend between the ages of around 18 and 25. WorkbooksGood Grief 1: exploring feelings, loss and death with under 11s (1995) Good Grief 2: exploring feelings, loss and death with over 11s and adults (1996) Barbara Ward (1995, 1996) Jessica Kingsley Publishing With 20 educators contributing ideas piloted with children of different abilities and backgrounds in their care, this text has been designed to explore and demystify the experience of loss - in different contexts- within the framework of the National Curriculum. Muddles, Puddles and Sunshine Winston's Wish and Kate Shepherd (2000) Winston's Wish A range of fun and thoughtful creative activities and exercises for bereaved children, Fully illustrated, and introducing friendly characters of Bee and Bear. Grief Encounter Workbook Shelley Gilbert (2003) Grief Encounter Project A workbook to encourage conversations about death and bereavement between bereaved children and adults. When someone very special dies Marge Heegard (1991) Fairview Press For children and adults to use together to talk about general concepts of death and loss, as well as around a particular bereavement. Finding a way through when someone close has died: what it feels like and what you can do to help yourself Written and illustrated by children and young people who discuss their own feelings after a bereavement and make practical suggestions of what helped them to cope. Readers are encouraged to write and draw about their own experience and to think about how they can seek further support. Talking with children and young people about death and dying Covers concepts of death and dying and aspects of bereavement, including anger, fear. dreams and ways of remembering. Can be used as a basis for opening discussions between a bereaved child and adult. Parents and carersTalking about Death: a dialogue between parent and child Earl Grollman (1991) Beacon Press 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, cemetaries, and grief. It includes advice from parents and acknowledges that they may be grieving too. Grief and Bereavement: understanding children A brief guide to how children are likely to understand death and how to explain it to them, with suggestions for further sources of support. Caring for Bereaved Children Offers insights into the ways children grieve from birth to adolescence, and suggests ways of helping. Grief in Children: a handbook for adults This book covers a range of bereavement experiences, covering different types of death, bereavement at different ages and differences in the way boys and girls may grieve. Makes suggestions for looking after children's needs. Also includes a chapter on bereavement groups for children. Helping children cope with separation and loss Discussing the need to help children regain self-esteem and self-control after a bereavement, this book covers breeaking bad news to children, separation reactions and seeking meaning. A Child's Grief This information booklet for adults supporting children though bereavement covers a variety of issues which may affect a child and offers practical suggestions and activities. Beyond the Rough Rock: supporting a child who has been bereaved through suicide An information booklet ofering practical advice for families where someone has died by suicide, aiming to give parents and professionals the confidence to involve children in discussions about the nature of death by suicide. Includes activities for the child to do with the family to start making sense of what has happened. Schools and other settingsGrief in School Communities: effective support strategies Louise Rowling (2003) Open University Press This book aims to help individuals and school communities to create environments in which grief, while a difficult experience, is seen as a normal life event. It demonstrates the components in a school that can be used to support grieving individuals in times of personal crisis and to support whole school communities when traumatic incidents occur. Childhood Bereavement: developing the curriculum and pastoral support Gill Frances and Nina Job (2004) National Children's Bureau Covering areas in the curriculum where death and bereavement can be introduced, this book also discusses ways of supporting bereaved pupils. It draws on good practice from a variety of schools, including a special school, and gives a selection of lesson plans. The Forgotten Mourners. Guidelines for working with bereaved children Susan C Smith (1999) Jessica Kingsley Publishers Aimed at teachers and social workers, this book outlines children's grieving at different ages , discusses secondary losses, and outlines some of the useful techniques which the adults around them can use in support. About childhood bereavementChildren and Grief: when a parent dies William Worden (2001) Guilford Press The volume presents major findings from the Harvard Child Bereavement Study and places them in the context of previous research, covering the wide range of normal variation in children's experience of grief and the factors that put bereaved children at risk. The book compares parentally bereaved children with those bereaved of a sibling or who have experienced divorce, exploring similarities and differences between these losses. A concluding section explores the clinical implications of the findings and includes a review of intervention models and activities, as well as a screening instrument designed to help identify high-risk bereaved children.
Healing Children's Grief: Surviving a parent's death from cancer Grace Christ (2000) Oxford University Press Inc, USA Using qualitative analytic methods, this book identifies five developmentally derived age groups that clarify important differences in children's grief and mourning processes, in their understanding of events, their interactions with families, and their varying needs for help and support. The author gives numerous examples of the ways parents and extended family interacted with the children, and also the ways that professionals, friends, and many others help families deal with this experience. About childhood bereavement servicesInterventions with Bereaved Children Susan C Smith and Margaret Pennells (1995) Jessica Kingsley Publishers A wide variety of practitioners and researchers in childhood bereavement have contributed in areas of individual work, family work, groupwork including residential models and work with specific groups including secondary school pupils, children with learning disabilities and children bereaved through the Hillsborough football tragedy. Then, Now and Always: supporting bereaved children as they journey through grief Julie Stokes (2004) Winston's Wish This guide for practitioners covers about the practical and theoretical aspects of running a community-based, child bereavement support service, giving specific details about the work of Winston's Wish, based in Gloucestershire. Brief Interventions with Bereaved Children Barbara Monroe and Frances Kraus (eds) (2004) Oxford University Press This book addresses and explains the theoretical concepts and practical implications behind the idea of brief work with bereaved children and families. Flexible and accessible short term services delivered at the right time underpin the strengths of bereaved children, supporting their recovery rather than pathologising the grief process. The book covers a range of interventions aiming to support children and families' resilience. |
