Coping With Grief and Loss September 11 - Talked About and Understood America the Beautiful The Different Faces of Islam The Greatest City Learning About Fire Rescue and Other Emergencies Reviews And God Cried, Too: A Kid's Book of Healing and Hope Marc Gellman Illustrations by Harry Bliss    Fifteen vignettes tell the story of little Mikey, a guardian angel in training, Gellman sets out to reassure young people who may be upset or confused by some of life's "unmarked hazards." And God Cried, Too begins with two introductions, "Things for Adults to Think About First . . ." and "Things for Kids to Think About First . . ." where Gellman explains that he believes in God but it's okay if the reader does not. He points out that the angels in the book were invented to tell the story and it's not important to believe in angels either but just to understand the message their stories tell. Each section ends with a "Things to Think About . . ." where Gellman talks to the young reader directly to reiterate the story's point. Despite the definite open-mindedness of Rabbi Gellman there is a lot of "God" in the book and the message that God is always with you might not mesh with everyone's philosophy. Still, this book has an uplifting message about sticking it out in the tough times and not withdrawing from friends and loved ones in times of sadness-good advice to help kids especially those prone to symptoms of depression. It asks a lot of "big" questions and thankfully does not try to answer them. Sometimes, as a young person, it is comfort enough to know you aren't the only one who's wondering these things. Several sections directly address the events of September 11th, but the text is meant as way to approach life in general. The book is written for children to read on their own or to help guide adults in discussion with children. 2002, HarperTrophy/HarperCollinsPublishers, Ages 7 up, $5.99. Reviewer: Sarah Seage ISBN: 0-06-009886-4 Bluebird Summer Deborah Hopkinson Illustrated by Bethanne Andersen.     Golden seas of wheat, eggshell-smooth piecrusts, mazes of marigolds, long stories, pleasant afternoons in the garden and the happy sound of bluebirds singing are sweet summertime memories dear to Mags and Cody. Now, with Grandma gone, summer is too quiet. Cody was the first to notice that, without Grandma's garden, the bluebirds stopped coming. But this sparks an idea in Mags. Pulling on her jeans and Grandma's straw sun hat, Mags is determined to rejuvenate the little garden of honey suckle, holly and Virginia creeper. This author has a gift for weaving soft, natural imagery with quiet reflection and family love. The accompanying watercolors are equally stirring and sensual. Together, the creators of this picture book have given readers an opportunity to feel hopeful and alive. 2001, Greenwillow Books, $15.95. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Leslie Julian ISBN: 0688173985 ISBN: 0688173993 Bluebird Summer Deborah Hopkinson Illustrated by Bethanne Andersen.     Grieving and healing are the concentrations of Deborah Hopkinson's Bluebird Summer. The viewpoint character is Mags, a tender child who sees and senses changes in her world; these are skillfully rendered with Hopkinson's strong imagery. Mags and her younger brother, Cody, visit her grandfather soon after their grandmother's death. Mags misses the sight of her grandmother rolling piecrust as smooth as an eggshell, or perched on a stool beside the tub reading stories until our fingers pruned up. Her tended garden, once a maze of marigolds, bluebells and sunflowers is now just a tangle of thistle and grass, and the many bluebirds who visited are gone. Hopkinson not only lets us enter the minds and hearts of this hurting family, she sets up a metaphor for healing. Mags remembers that it was her grandmother's garden that brought the bluebirds, and she begins to putter. Her grandfather and Cody pitch in to reclaim the garden, but Cody is more nuisance than help. When Cody goes missing, Mags and her grandfather discover him miles away at a store where he's found a bluebird house. Right there in the store, the three experience one of those moments that gather everything into it—the bluebird, the garden, the love for their grandmother and the laughter and joy that brings back memories of her. Bethanne Andersen's illustrations are soft and bright, as if to accompany the sad tones that are only cloaking the brilliance of the memories this family has to share. 2001, Greenwillow, $15.95. Ages 6 up. Reviewer: Susie Wilde ISBN: 0688173985 ISBN: 0688173993 Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002; Bank Street College of Education; United States Books About Trauma, Tragedy and Loss, 2002; Children's Book Council; United States Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young Readers, 2002; National Council for the Social Studies; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: The Golden Kite Award Honor Book 2002 Picture Book-Text United States Courage Bernard Waber    What is courage? Webster may have a definition that is a little bit different than the one given in this book. Is courage climbing to the top of a high dive and jumping? Is it saying, "I'm sorry" after an argument? Is it keeping a juicy secret? Courage is this and more. There are many kinds of courage. This thought provoking picture book explores 32 pages worth of different types of courage. "Courage is courage, whatever kind." The profound book can be a message to be used for children and adults alike. It will show how they have had courage, and what it means to have it. The simple illustrations accentuate the statements made in this beautiful book. They show action as well as feeling. BIBLIO: 2002, Houghton Mifflin Company, Ages 5 to 10, $15.00. Reviewer: Nicole Peterson ISBN: 0-618-23855-7 Death: Coping With the Pain Eileen Kuehn     This book defines many aspects and terms involved with death, grief, and loss, and how these things may affect teens. Death is explained as a normal part of the life cycle. Ceremonies such as funerals are discussed as a way to say good-bye to the deceased. Death and dying in different cultures are explained. Survivors have many confusing feelings including guilt, anger, resentment, or even relief. The ways in which people react to death are described. The grieving process is detailed as consisting of three phases: avoidance, confrontation, and accommodation. Healthy grieving is defined and ideas for dealing with grief are provided. Moving beyond grief and ways to return to a normal life are discussed as well. Even unhelpful grieving and depression are included in the book. Tips on helping a friend grieve and being an active listener are given. The book includes a useful index and glossary. Internet sites, hot lines, addresses, and further reading sources are listed. Quotes from actual teens are included in all six chapters. This book is an excellent resource for helping middle school students deal with death. This would be a good reference for guidance counselors to have as part of their collection. 2001, LifeMatters/Capstone Press, Ages 12 to 16, $23.93. Reviewer: Maureen Boyle ISBN: 0-7368-0745-4 Goodbye, Mousie Robie H. Harris Illustrated by Jan Ormerod.     One morning when a child tickles his pet Mousie's chin, Mousie won't wake up. Daddy tells him that Mousie is dead. The child insists Mousie is just sleeping and will wake up soon. Daddy explains that dead is very different from sleeping. The child says he's angry at Mousie and tears follow his anger. Daddy comforts him and they talk about why Mousie died. Then they make plans to bury the little pet. Mommy gives the child a shoebox to bury Mousie in. He decides to tuck in a bit of food, a toy car, a crayon and toy ring so Mousie won't be bored, and a picture of himself so Mousie won't be lonely. He decorates the box by painting on bright wiggly stripes. Mommy digs a hole for the shoebox and lights two sparklers on the grave. The child cries a bit then tells Mousie that he is mad and sad and will miss him—a eulogy of sorts. After the funeral the child thinks about the fact the mouse is dead and maybe someday he will get another mouse. "But not just yet." This book effectively captures the experience of what happens when a loved one dies. The child goes through anger, denial, grief and acceptance and his parents gently help him understand and deal with what happened. This well-told story would be quite helpful when one needs to explain death to a child. 2001, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster's Children's Publishing Division, $16.00. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Janet Crane Barley ISBN: 0689832176 Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002; Bank Street College of Education; United States Books About Trauma, Tragedy and Loss, 2002; Children's Book Council; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2002; H.W. Wilson; United States Parent's Guide to Children's Media, 2001; Parent's Guide to Children's Media, Inc.; United States Publishers Weekly Best Children's Books, 2001; Cahners; United States Publishers Weekly Book Review Stars, July 2001; Cahners; United States Healing A Friend's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas for Helping Someone You Love Through Loss Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D.     People often wonder how to comfort friends who are grieving over the loss of loved one. Many of the 100 suggestions in this book reflect sensible and easy to implement ideas to support a grieving friend. For example, readers can offer to do chores for a friend, organize a memory book, exercise together and remember ones who are grieving during the holidays. Each page in the book states a suggestion and follows up with various elaborations. In addition, at the bottom of each page is a "carpe diem," which urges readers with a way to implement the suggestion today. The author also lists ten essential qualities for friends of the bereaved at the end of the book. Overall, the text is helpful and to the point; readers can pick and choose the suggestions that resonate best in their situation. The page with suggestion 48 has a typographical error—"carpe" is spelled "cape." 2001, Companion Press/The Center for Loss and Life Transition, $11.95. Ages 13 up. Reviewer: Jeanne K. Pettenati ISBN: 1-879651-26-2 I Will Remember You: A Guidebook through Grief for Teens Laura Dower    Death is one of the hardest subjects to discuss with children. Sometimes it is just as difficult talking about the feelings after a death has occurred. Of late, I've noticed a number of new releases which have much to offer grieving families. Laura Dower provides hands-on healing in I Will Remember You: A Guidebook through Grief for Teens. Writing suggestions, visualizations, words of comfort and explanation, the poetry and prose of other teens, and survival skills make this an invaluable resource for grieving teens and the adults helping them. 2001, Scholastic, $10.95. Ages 11 up. Reviewer: Susie Wilde ISBN: 0-439-13961-9 Best Books: Books About Trauma, Tragedy and Loss, 2002; Children's Book Council; United States Loss anthology Edited by James Howe.     A host of award-winning writers for young people, including Avi, James Howe and Naomi Shihab Nye, contributed stories to this fine collection dealing with the themes of grief and loss. In "Summer of Love," a vampire remembers what it is to love and lose when he befriends a little kitten. In "What Are You Good At," a boy comes to terms with his father who is dying of AIDS. Another story opens with a family burying Grandma in the backyard—it is not what you think. Keep a box of tissues handy, because in each story, loss is poignant and heartrending, whether caused by the death of a loved one, the pain of growing old, or the end of a relationship. Following each tale is a note from the author, which offers insight and background on the piece. Kudos to James Howe for assembling an array of impressive talent in this truly memorable compilation. 2001, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, $16.00. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Christopher Moning ISBN: 0689828624 Best Books: Best Books for Young Adults, 2002; American Library Association-YALSA; United States Books About Trauma, Tragedy and Loss, 2002; Children's Book Council; United States State Reading Lists: Tayshas High School Reading List, 2002; Texas One More Wednesday Malika Doray Translated from the French by Suzanne Freeman     One More Wednesday deals with a child's struggle to understand death. Wednesdays were always special to the little bunny narrator because on that day he visited Granny. They baked cookies and snuggled. Now Granny has died and the mourning bunny is full of questions. Mama explains different beliefs about death and an afterlife but little bunny is comforted most by remembering Granny. His memories give him "one more Wednesday." Malika Doray's stunning book combines a spare text with expressive illustrations, largely black-and-white, to create a mood that respects the young child's grief. Sure to help youngsters express their complicated feelings at these times. 2001, Greenwillow/HarperCollins, $15.95 and $15.89. Ages 3 to 7. Reviewer: Mary Quattlebaum ISBN: 0060295899 ISBN: 0060295902 One More Wednesday Malika Doray Translated from the French by Suzanne Freeman    A grandchild anxiously awaits and enjoys the Wednesdays spent with a beloved grandmother. Then, one Wednesday, the Wednesday visit is cancelled because the grandmother is hospitalized. The grandmother dies, and there are no more Wednesday visits. The mother and father offer many explanations to the child's question, "Does this mean grandma is gone forever?" The primarily black line illustrations echo the tone of the book which is serious, but not maudlin. The characters are cartoon-like evocations of animals, suggesting the universality of the situation. The parents comfort the grandchild with their explanations and focus on familial love. Families with young children may find some comfort in times of loss here, too. 2001, Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins, $15.95 and $15.89. Ages 4 up. Reviewer: Judy Katsh ISBN: 0060295899 ISBN: 0060295902 Best Books: Books About Trauma, Tragedy and Loss, 2002; Children's Book Council; United States Out of the Blue Zilpha Keatley Snyder     Hallie's "perfect" world is shattered when her father is killed in a crash on the freeway; she and her mother must move from their home in a comfortable neighborhood to a hot, cramped, upstairs apartment in a modified mansion. Hallie tries to escape her despair by going into the forbidden attic. In the quiet corner of the attic she finds a colored window that looks into the home of another family. Hallie makes it her mission to learn about the family. For part of the novel, the reader wonders if Hallie is spying on someone in her own time or someone from another time; as the story unravels, however, one realizes that the two families live near one another. In her attempts to solve the mystery, Hallie comes to terms with the death of her father and must acknowledge the love of her mother. Snyder again craftily presents the intersection of lives and families in this her newest mystery for middle school readers. The author explains that the idea for the book came from watching a television account of the devastating effects of a tornado on the life of a young girl. Fans of Snyder will find this an intriguing mystery. 2001, Delacorte, $15.95. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: J. B. Petty ISBN: 0385327641 Out of the Blue Zilpha Keatley Snyder     Young Hallie Meredith's life has been turned upside down. Her father has died in a car accident. She and her mother must move from their house in Bloomfield and a life filled with beloved pets, good friends and two parents. Their new home is a creaky apartment high up in what was once the servant quarters of the old Warwick mansion, a splendid house that has also fallen on hard times, since it is now divided into apartments. Hallie is so miserable she looks for a place to hide. What she finds is the tower room of the off-limits attic. It is dusty and dark with only an old metal trunk to sit on. Adding to the insult, the room's stained glass window has been boarded up because it looks directly into a newer apartment building. But wait. The window isn't completely covered. Hallie discovers a spyhole in the wallboard; through it she watches an unusual family, complete with angry father, lovely golden-haired teen and a fuzzy-haired, gnome-like little brother, bookish and older than his years. Just as Hallie, who befriends this little guy, is unraveling the mystery, the family disappears. This is a great read by a well-established writer, with suspense and mystery enough to make it hard to put down. Snyder's book is a fine addition to any young reader's library. One question remains, however—was there anything in the metal trunk Hallie was sitting on? 2001, Delacorte Press/Random House, $23.95 and $15.95. Ages 10 to 16. Reviewer: Judy Crowder ISBN: 0385327641 Best Books: Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2002; H.W. Wilson; United States The Shrouding Woman Loretta Ellsworth     The death of her mother has left eleven-year-old Evie lonely and longing for her mother's gentle touch. Pa sends for his sister, Aunt Flo, to care for Evie and her little sister Mae. Tall and angular, Aunt Flo is the antithesis of Mama and to make matters worse, she is a shrouding woman, the one who prepares the body for burial. Evie shuns her aunt, for in her opinion, "nothing good ever came from death and nothing good could come from a woman who dealt in death." The time-honored custom of laying the body for burial is usually passed down through the women in the family and Evie fears it will be expected of her to learn the practice. Underneath her bed Aunt Flo keeps a brown box that holds her "tools of the trade," and Evie is both intrigued by and fearful of it. When, by necessity, she must assist her aunt in preparing the body of a young woman who has died in childbirth, Evie sees a softer side of Aunt Flo and gains a respect for the dignity and value of her work. Gradually Evie warms to her aunt, even to the point of allowing her to work in Mama's garden. Rich with detail of prairie life in the mid 1800s, this is a warm and uplifting story of one girl's coming of age. Ellsworth tackles the difficult subject of death with a sensitivity that will help young readers understand it as a part of the circle of life. Stubborn and rebellious Evie is no match for the quiet, non-judgmental but purposeful Aunt Flo. This is a magnificent debut from an author who writes with a tender heart. 2002, Henry Holt, $16.95, Ages 10 to 12. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey ISBN: 0-8050-6651-9 A Story For Hippo: A Book About Loss Simon Puttock Illustrated by Alison Bartlett.    Hippo, the oldest and wisest of the animals, and Monkey, the young joker, are best friends. Although Hippo has warned him ahead of time that she may die soon, Monkey misses her so much when she does that he cannot joke any more. It is only when Little Chameleon urges him to retell Hippo's stories as they were told to him, and then joins him in singing, that they bring each other the happiness of new friendship rising from the old. Bartlett's large paintings of the characters in their very simplified environment are almost child-like in their textured direct simplicity, but loaded with character. She uses colored backgrounds to reinforce the changing emotions, from friendly banter to intense grief. The lesson of mortality is made less stark by the hope in both the visuals and the text. 2001, Scholastic, $15.95. Ages 4 to 8. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz ISBN: 0439262194 Best Books: The Best Children's Books of the Year, 2002; Bank Street College of Education; United States Books About Trauma, Tragedy and Loss, 2002; Children's Book Council; United States Sun & Spoon Kevin Henkes     Oftentimes when we lose someone close to us, we want to keep something of theirs as a personal reminder. Spoon Gilmore's Gram died two months ago and he is searching for that something special he can always have. The book is filled with Spoon's remembrances of his Gram, and how he deals with his grief. He misses playing triple solitaire with her and Pa, and he knows how much she loved to collect suns. Spoon even tries to come up with a list of 52 details about her. He is afraid he is going to forget. But this is really a story about family relationships: between parent and child, brother and sister, brother and brother, grandparent and grandchild, and the living and the dead. This is a great first novel for any young reader. 1997, Greenwillow Books, $15.00. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Sheree van Vreede ISBN: 0688152325 Best Books: Capitol Choices, 1997; The Capitol Choices Committee; United States Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001; H.W. Wilson; United States Choice List, 1998; Children's Literature; United States Middle And Junior High School Library Catalog, Eighth Edition, 2000; H.W. Wilson; United States Notable Children's Books in the Language Arts, 1998; National Council of Teachers of English; United States Reading Magic Awards, 1997; Parenting; United States School Library Journal Book Review Stars, July 1997; Cahners; United States School Library Journal: Best Books, 1997; Cahners; United States Awards, Honors, Prizes: ABC Children's Booksellers Choices Award Winner 1998 Middle Grade Readers United States Elizabeth Burr Award Winner 1998 United States State Reading Lists: Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award Reading List, 1999-2000; Arkansas Iowa Children's Choice Award, 1999-2000; Iowa Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 1999; Kentucky Nutmeg Children's Book Award, 2002; Connecticut Wander Susan Hart Lindquist     Ever since their mother died, twelve-year-old James and his younger sister Sary's lives have been lonely and cheerless. It is almost as if they lost both parents, for when their mother died, something within their father died too. The quiet sadness between them wells up like a river, carrying them farther away from one another. When a stray dog appears, the children latch onto him as a source of comfort and joy. They secretly follow him, leave him food, and slowly develop a trust with the animal. But the strain of keeping the dog—their dog, Wander—a secret from their father seems to be too much. A vengeful neighbor blames the dog for the death of his sheep and is determined to kill the stray. James must finally make a choice about telling the truth when his sister's life is in danger. And with the truth and a scraggly stray dog, the power of love shines through and brings healing to a father and his children. This gentle story of death's sorrow and love's joy gives an honest portrayal of a family dealing with grief. For the dog-loving reader, Wander becomes a symbol of hope and reconciliation. 1998, Delacorte Press, $14.95. Ages 8 to 10. Reviewer: Leah Hanson ISBN: 0385325630 State Reading Lists: Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2000; Kentucky To stay up to date on new books on this topic, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here.