Picture Books
Bley. Anette. And What Comes After A Thousand? Tells the story of a friendship between a young girl and an old, hard-of-hearing man. Lisa and Otto share many interests, but they are especially captivated by numbers. After he dies, she must learn to deal with her pain and feelings of abandonment.
Cazet, Denys. Christmas Moon. Patrick misses Grandpa, especially at Christmas, but his mother helps him to remember happy times with Grandpa and to use what Grandpa taught him to make Christmas happy for himself and his friends. (Holiday section)
Chichester Clark, Emma. Up in Heaven. When Arthur’s dog Daisy dies, she watches over him from heaven and eventually helps him find a new puppy.
Krishnaswami, Uma. Remembering Grandpa. When Grandma comes down with a bad case of sadness one year after Grandpa’s death, Daysha collects objects that will remind her grandmother of Daysha’s grandfather.
Levert, Mireille. Tulip and Lupin Forever. Tulip, the watering fairy, grieves the loss of her pet, knows that she will never forget him, and learns that she can go on, and find a new way to be.
Rylant, Cynthia. Cat Heaven. Describes all the good things for cats in cat heaven.
Rylant, Cynthia. Dog Heaven. Describes all the good things for dogs in dog heaven.
Sinykin, Sheri Cooper. Zayde Comes to Live. When Rachel’s beloved grandfather, Zayde, comes to spend his last days with her family, she worries what will happen when he dies, especially after friends tell her the Christian and Muslim beliefs about the afterlife.
Smith, Maggie. Desser, the Best Ever Cat. A young girl remembers growing up with Desser, the best cat ever, and all the things they did together. When he finally gets old and dies, she misses him, but she tells her new kitten Ginger all about him.
Yolen, Jane. Grandad Bill’s Song. Jon asks his family members what they did on the day Grandad died, and then talks about how he felt.
Illustrated Literature
Boyden, Linda. The Blue Roses. A Native American girl gardens with her grandfather, who helps to raise her, and learns about life and loss when he dies, and then speaks to her from a dream where he is surrounded by blue roses.
Hole, Stuart. Garmann’s Summer. As the summer ends, six-year-old Garmann’s three ancient aunts visit and they all talk about the things that scare them.
O’Brien, Anne Sibley. A Path of Stars. A refugee from Cambodia, Dara’s beloved grandmother is grief-stricken when she learns her brother has died, and it is up to Dara to try and heal her.
Wood, Nancy C. Old Coyote. Realizing that he has come to the end of his days, Old Coyote recalls many of the good things about his life.
Non-fiction
The 155.9 section has books about death and dying, including:
J 155.9 Tho I Found a Dead Bird: The Kids’ Guide to the Cycle of Life & Death.
J 155.937 Amo Death
J 155.937 Mur Death
J 155.937 San When People Die Parent and Teacher: a special collection of pictures books and non-fiction books for reading together with a child
Alvarez, Julia. Where Do They Go? Children wonder what happens to their loved ones after death.
Bruleigh, Robert. Good-Bye, Sheepie. A father teaches his young son about death and remembrance as he buries their beloved dog.
Cochran, Bill. The Forever Dog. Mike and his dog Corky plan to be best friends forever, so when Corky becomes sick and dies, Mike is angry about the broken promise.
Davies, Nicola. The Pond. A young boy and his family struggle to overcome the loss of his father using the small pond that he had begun to build as part of the healing process.
Harris, Robie H. Goodbye Mousie. A boy grieves for his dead pet Mousie, helps to bury him, and begins to come to terms with his loss.
Huneck, Stephen. Sally Goes to Heaven. A beloved dog dies and goes to Heaven where she lives happily and helps to find her family on earth a new pet.
Jeffers, Oliver. The Heart and the Bottle. After safeguarding her heart in a bottle hung around her neck, a girl finds the bottle growing heavier and her interest in things around her becoming smaller.
Lies, Brian. The Rough Patch. Farmer Evan and his dog do everything together and, especially, in the garden but when his dog passes away Evan lets his garden fill with weeds until a pumpkin vine brings new hope.Loewen, Nancy. Good-Bye, Jeepers: What to Expect When Your Pet Dies. This is a fictionalized account of a boy whose pet dies. The stages of, and through, grief are described.
Loewen, Nancy. Saying Good-Bye to Uncle Joe: What to Expect When Someone You Love Dies. A beloved uncle passes away suddenly, leaving his extended family to try to get used to him being gone. Told from the point of view of a young boy.
Loth, Sebastian. Remembering Crystal. When Zelda’s best friend dies she refuses to accept it and sets off to find Crystal traveling to the highest mountain, deepest ocean, and eventually back to the garden.
Moundlic, Charlotte. The Scar. When his mother dies, a little boy is angry at his loss but does everything he can to hold onto the memory of her scent, her voice, and the special things she did for him, even as he tries to help his father and grandmother cope.
Penn, Audrey. Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories. After his mother explains why his classmate is not returning to school, she teaches Chester Raccoon how to make a memory.
Puttock, Simon. A Story for Hippo; A Book about Loss. Hippo and Monkey are best, best, best friends and when the wise old Hippo dies, Monkey is very sad until Chameleon helps him remember the stories he and Hippo shared.
Schwiebert, Pat. Tear Soup. Describes the stages of grief through a story of one woman’s loss and journey through grief, using the metaphor of making “tear soup.”
Urdahl, Catherine. Emma’s Question. When Emma’s grandmother, who takes care of her after school and takes her out for bagels on Wednesdays, gets sick and has to go to the hospital, Emma is afraid that she will die – but she is also afraid to talk about her fear.
Wild, Margaret. Harry & Hopper. One day when Harry comes home from school, his faithful companion Hopper isn’t there to greet him, in a touching story about the process of healing after losing a beloved pet.
Brisson, Pat. I Remember Miss Perry. A whole class is very sad when their teacher is killed in a car accident, but they all remember how wonderful she was.
Brown, Laurene Krasny. When Dinosaurs Die. Explains in simple language the feelings people may have regarding the death of a loved one and the ways to honor the memory of someone who has died.
Cochrane, Mick. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies. Eighth-grader Molly’s ability to throw a knuckleball earns her a spot on the baseball team, which not only helps her feel connected to her recently deceased father, who loved baseball, but also helps in other aspects of her life.
Johnston, Tony. That Summer. A family, including a child who is dying, sews together a quilt of its memories and love.
Mills, Joyce C. Gentle Willow: A Story for Children about Dying. Amanda the squirrel is upset that she is going to lose her friend Gentle Willow, but the tree wizards give advice that help both her and Gentle Willow accept the change that comes with death.
Portnoy, Mindy Avra.Where Do People Go When They Die? Different people give different answers to a young girl when she asks where people go when they die.
Raschka, Christopher. The Purple Balloon. Easy-to-read text reveals that dying is hard work, for the old and especially the young, and how good it is that so many people help when a person dies, from medical staff to clergy and friends to family members.
Valdivia, Paloma. And So It Goes. Explores the way that some people leave the world and others come into it, and how those who come into it eventually leave it.
Varley, Susan. Badger’s Parting Gifts. Badger’s friends are sad when he dies, but they treasure the legacies he left them.
Vigna, Judith. Saying Goodbye to Daddy. A young girl narrates the book, telling what it was like when her daddy was killed in a car accident and how sad they all were for a long time.
Weninger, Brigitte. Aunt Fanny’s Star: Children and the Loss of a Loved One. This touching, gentle picture book helps children navigate the difficult issues of dealing with the death of a loved one. It shares in simple terms the truth that death affects us all, and that life goes on as surely as there are stars twinkling in the sky.
Zucker, Bonnie. Something Very Sad Happened: A Toddler’s Guide to Understanding Death. Parent and Teacher Non-fiction
Hewitt, Sally. When People Die. Case studies and helpful advice for kids who have experienced death of a close loved one. 155.937 HewHigginbotham, Anastasia. Death is Stupid. Walks through the emotions and confusion it is common for young people to experience when someone dies, and describes some of the ways to celebrate love and life. 155.937 HigRoberts, Jillian. What Happens When a Loved One Dies? Our First Talk about Death. Offers young readers a gentle introduction to the concept of death, as well as the feelings that come with losing someone and positive ways to deal with them. 306.9 Rob
Children’s Fiction
Beaty, Andrea. Cicada Summer. Twelve-year-old Lily mourns her brother, and has not spoken since the accident she feels she could have prevented, but the summer Tinny comes to town she is the only one who realizes Lily’s secret.
Bishop, Jenn. The Distance to Home. Baseball player and super fan Quinnen must struggle to deal with her older sister’s death in a story that unfolds between two summers.
Brisson, Pat. Sky Memories. When ten-year-old Emily learns that her mother has cancer, the two of them begin a ritual that will help Emily remember her mother after she is dead.
Condie, Allyson Braithwaite. Summerlost. Following the sudden deaths of her father and autistic younger brother, Cedar Lee spends the summer working at a Shakespearean theater festival, making a new friend, and coming to terms with her grief.
Creech, Sharon. Chasing Redbird. Thirteen-year-old Zinnia Taylor uncovers family secrets and self-truths while clearing a mysterious settler trail that begins on her family’s farm in Kentucky.
De Guzman, Michael. Henrietta Hornbuckle’s Circus for Life. Twelve-year-old Henrietta Hornbuckle and her parents perform as clowns in a tiny, ramshackle traveling circus until a family tragedy jeopardizes Henrietta’s whole offbeat world.
DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. A Dog Like Jack. After a long life of chasing squirrels, licking ice cream cones, and loving his adoptive family, an old dog comes to the end of his days.
Doherty, Berlie. The Girl Who Saw Lions. In alternating voices, thirteen-year-old Rosa and her mother are trying to adopt a Tanzanian child in England, while in Tanzania, nine-year-old Abela watches her family die and her uncle illegally sends her to England, in the hopes of selling her.
Edge, Christopher. The Many Worlds of Albie Bright. When Albie’s mother, who is a scientist at CERN, dies of cancer, the concept of parallel universes and quantum physics serve as a comfort. Written at a fifth grade level.
Ellsworth, Loretta. The Shrouding Woman. When her Aunt Flo comes to help care for eleven-year-old Evie and her younger sister after their mother’s death, Evie wants nothing to do with her and she is especially uncomfortable with her aunt’s calling of helping prepare bodies for burial.
Graff, Lisa. Umbrella Summer. After her brother Jared dies, ten-year-old Annie worries about the hidden dangers of everything, from bug bites to bicycle riding, until she is befriended by a new neighbor who is grieving her own loss.
Henkes, Kevin. Bird Lake Moon. Twelve-year-old Mitch and his mother are spending the summer with his grandparents at Bird Lake after his parents separate, and ten-year-old Spencer and his family have returned to the lake where Spencer’s little brother drowned long ago, and as the boys become friends and spend time together, each of them begins to heal.
Hest, Amy. Remembering Mrs. Rossi. Although she loves her father, their home in New York City, and her third-grade teacher Miss Meadows, Annie misses her mother who died recently.
Kadohata, Cynthia. Kira-Kira. Chronicles the close relationship between two Japanese-American sisters growing up in rural Georgia during the late 1950’s and the despair felt when one sister becomes ill. (Newbery)
Klise, Kate. Grounded. After her father, brother, and sister are killed in a plane crash, twelve-year-old Daralynn’s life in tiny Digginsville, Missouri, proceeds as her mother turns angry and embittered, her grandmother becomes senile, and her flamboyant aunt continues to run the Summer Sunset Retirement Home for Distinguished Gentlemen, while being courted by the owner of the town’s new crematorium.
Kornblatt, Marc. Izzy’s Place. While spending the summer at his grandmother’s Indiana home, ten-year-old Henry Stone gets help from a new friend in dealing with the recent death of his grandfather and the possibility of his parents getting divorced.
Lupica, Mike. Last Man Out. Twelve-year-old Tommy Gallagher, the bravest and toughest football player on the field, faces his biggest battle ever when his father, a Boston firefighter, is fatally injured while rescuing a child.
Mathews, Eleanor. The Linden Tree. Nine year old Katie Sue’s mother dies suddenly. She and her family try to recover from their loss with the help of Aunt Katherine.
Mazer, Norma Fox. Girlhearts. Thirteen-year-old Sarabeth Silver’s life is turned upside down when her mother dies suddenly, leaving her orphaned, confused, and at the mercy of everyone who seems to know what is best for her.
McGhee, Alison. Snap: A Novel. Eleven-year-old Edwina confronts old and new challenges when her longtime best friend Sally faces the inevitable death of the grandfather who raised her.
Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls. Thirteen year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill — an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.
Nicholls, Sally. Ways to Live Forever. Eleven-year-old Sam McQueen, who has leukemia, writes a book during the last three months of his life, in which he tells about what he would like to accomplish, how he feels, and things that have happened to him. Ovreas, Hakon. Brown. When Rusty’s grandfather dies, he and two friends get into some antics with the help of their superhero alter egos, Brown, Black and Blue. Friendship, imagination and talismans from grandpa help Rusty adapt.
Ray, Delia. Ghost Girl: A Blue Ridge Mountain Story. Eleven-year-old April is delighted when President and Mrs. Hoover build a school near Ridge Mountain her home, but her family’s poverty, grief over the accidental death of her brother, and other problems may mean that April can never learn to read from the wonderful teacher, Miss Vest.
Rylant, Cynthia. Missing May. After the death of the beloved aunt who raised her, twelve-year-old Summer and her uncle leave their trailer in search of the strength to go on living. (Newbery)
Smith, Tamara Ellis. Another Kind of Hurricane. The world, itself, seems to bring together Henry, whose best friend died near their home in the mountains of Vermont, and Zavion, who lost his home in Hurricane Katrina, so that the boys can help each other heal.
Straight, Susan. The Friskative Dog. Sharron’s father has disappeared, and she tries to cope with her feelings of loss through the love of a stuffed dog he gave her.
Wallace, Bill. No Dogs Allowed! Eleven-year-old Christine, still struggling to come to terms with the death of her family’s beloved horse, finds it difficult to accept the new dog she receives for her birthday.
