death and grieving
*Drawn Onward by Daniel Nayeri
By Megan Saben |
A boy struggling after the loss of his mother goes on a fantasy adventure and finds peace in her memory. *Drawn Onward by Daniel Nayeri. ...
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*Something Sad Happened: Helping Children with Grief by Darby A. Strickland
By Betsy Farquhar |
Something Sad Happened is a childlike look at what grief feels like, how we cope with it, and what the Bible has to say. *Something ...
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Spirit Sleuths by Gail Jarrow
By Janie Cheaney |
Spirit Sleuths wraps ghosts, mediums, seances, scams, and Houdini in a fascinating true tale. Spirit Sleuths: How Magicians and Detectives Exposed the Ghost Hoaxes by ...
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Jupiter Rising by Gary Schmidt
By Janie Cheaney |
Gary Schmidt brings a sad story (Orbiting Jupiter) to a hopeful conclusion with Jupiter Rising. Jupiter Rising, by Gary D. Schmidt. HarperCollins, 2024, 201 pages. ...
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And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
By Janie Cheaney |
And Then, Boom! features a winsome protagonist who suddenly finds himself abandoned. And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps. Nancy Paulsen (PRH), 2024, 244 pages Readling ...
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*Once a Queen by Sarah Arthur
By Hayley Morell |
Sarah Arthur's YA fantasy novel Once a Queen imagines a world like ours where stories come to life, but individuals have to return to reality. ...
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2024 Newbery Buzz #4: Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
By Hayley Morell |
Simon Sort of Says was longlisted for the National Book Award for Young People's Literature. Could it win the Newbery? We're continuing our long-running Newbery ...
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Black Bird, Blue Road by Sofiya Pasternack
By Janie Cheaney |
Black Bird, Blue Road is set in a neglected period of world history and explores the subject of death through a lens of Jewish mythology. ...
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My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk
By Janie Cheaney |
My Own Lightning follows the author’s previous Newbery-honored novel, Wolf Hollow, with a more hopeful conclusion. My Own Lightning by Lauren Wolk. Dutton, 2022, 307 ...
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Each of Us a Universe by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo
By Janie Cheaney |
Two girls with big problems draw resilience from each other and the "Magic" of the Universe. Each of Us a Universe by Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo ...
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The Aquanaut by Dan Santat
By Janie Cheaney |
The Aquanaut packs unexpected heart into a fantastical story from the ocean depths. The Aquanaut by Dan Santat. Scholastic Graphix, 2022, 243 pages Reading Level: ...
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Dead Wednesday by Jerry Spinelli
By Janie Cheaney |
"Dead Wednesday" is supposed to be the day middle-schoolers contemplate their own mortality, but for one 8th-grader it's a turning point in life. Dead Wednesday ...
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War and Millie McGonigle by Karen Cushman
By Janie Cheaney |
Millie McGonigle is an appealing 12-year-old who is struggling to deal with tough things in life, like death and war. War and Millie McGonigle by ...
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The House that Wasn’t There by Elana K. Arnold
By Janie Cheaney |
In The House That Wasn't There, neighbors start off on the wrong foot, but soon discover a mysterious connection. The House That Wasn’t There by ...
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The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas by Kimberly Willis Holt
By Janie Cheaney |
"Nowhere Texas" is better known as Antler, the small town that Zachary Beaver visited in an earlier novel that bears his name. The Ambassador of ...
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*Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt
By Betsy Farquhar |
Just Like That, Gary Schmidt's latest book for teens, humorously and poignantly explores love and loss. Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt. Clarion, 2021. ...
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Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder
By Janie Cheaney |
Raw, funny, and honest, Dancing at the Pity Party is a close look at grief after the loss of a mother. Dancing at the Pity ...
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The Runaways by Ulf Stark
By Janie Cheaney |
A boy and his crotchety grandfather hatch an elaborate escape plan to enjoy one last day together. The Runaways by Ulf Stark, illustrated by Kitty ...
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Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer
By Janie Cheaney |
In Raising Lumie, a grieving girl gets a new family and a dog-owning dream fulfilled. Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer. Viking, 2020, 267 pages Reading ...
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Wink by Rob Harrell
By Janie Cheaney |
Wink, a highly-praised novel for middle-graders, offers a realistic yet engaging look at coping with cancer. Wink by Rob Harrell. Dial, 2020, 314 pages Reading ...
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2020 Newbery Buzz #4: My Jasper June and Pay Attention, Carter Jones
By Janie Cheaney |
The American Library Association Youth Media awards will be announced in two weeks, and you can be sure the conversation is hot and heavy among ...
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Quiet Family Dramas: Four Recent Middle-grade novels
By Janie Cheaney |
A roundup of recent middle-grade novels about family formation and dissolution. Stories, like people, begin at home, and no matter how fanciful or adventurous middle-grade ...
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Eventown by Corey Ann Haydn
By Janie Cheaney |
Eventown is a place of forgetting, but how much forgetting does that take before you forget yourself? Eventown by Corey Ann Haydn. HarperCollins, 2019, 326 ...
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Inkling by Kenneth Oppel
By Janie Cheaney |
Imagination literally runs wild in Inkling, the latest middle-grade novel from popular novelist Kenneth Oppel. Inkling by Kenneth Oppel, with illustrations by Sydney Smith. Knopf, ...
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The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
By Janie Cheaney |
How a sensitive boy handles death and guilt is the subject of The Dollar Kids: one of our “discussion starter” titles. Ages 10-15 The Dollar ...
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The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie
By Janie Cheaney |
A girl struggles to reconcile her needs with her mother's severe mental illness, in this winsome story with some unforgettable characters. Ages 10-15 The Unforgettable ...
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A Stitch in Time by Dalphne Kalmer
By Janie Cheaney |
A Stitch in time, a quiet story about death, grieving, and change, takes place in the Vermont countryside of 1920. Ages 10-15 A Stitch in ...
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*Hope in the Holler by Lisa Lewis Tyre
By Janie Cheaney |
In this lively novel, a recently-orphaned girl finds "hope and a future" in the midst of poverty and bereavement. Ages 10-14. *Hope in the Holler ...
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*Sunny by Jason Reynolds
By Janie Cheaney |
Sunny takes us into the interior life of a track runner who doesn't want to run--so how can he stay on the team? Ages 10-14 ...
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The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
By Janie Cheaney |
The Hate U Give, one of this year’s most acclaimed YA novels, offers a well-rounded, realistic picture of challenges faced by the black community (see ...
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Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
By Janie Cheaney |
In Long Way Down, a grief-stricken and confused 15-year-old in "the projects" has a desperate choice to make after the death of his brother. Long ...
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The Trail by Meika Hashimoto
By Janie Cheaney |
A boy takes to the Appalachian Trail to ease a guilty conscience, in this adventure novel for middle grades The Trail by Meika Hashimoto. Scholastic, ...
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Joplin, Wishing by Diane Stanley
By Janie Cheaney |
An 11-year-old girl discovers some truths about herself and her family in this novel with a touch of magic and mystery. Joplin, Wishing by Diane ...
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The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge
By Janie Cheaney |
This middle-grade science fiction novel includes enough human interest to make it engaging, enough real science to make it educational. The Many Worlds of Albie ...
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Beyond the Bright Sea
By Janie Cheaney |
An isolated girl, raised by an adoptive father on a remote island, uncovers clues to her origins while learning more about the world and herself. ...
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Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel by Kimberly Willis Holt
By Janie Cheaney |
In this likeable middle-grade novel, a grieving 13-year-old builds a new life in a new place with extended family. Blooming at the Texas Sunrise Motel ...
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Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
By Janie Cheaney |
The movie version of Before I Fall has revived interest in this novel of a teen girl’s opportunity to relive her last day six times ...
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The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill
By Janie Cheaney |
The Girl Who Drank the Moon is thoughtful fantasy with imaginative twists that mature readers will enjoy parsing out. The Girl Who Drank the Moon ...
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Ghosts by Raina Telgemeir
By Janie Cheaney |
A much-acclaimed graphic novel by Raina Telgemeir pokes below the surface creepiness of "hauntings" to explore how we feel about death. Ghosts by Raina Telegemeir. ...
Read More Newbery Buzz: The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
By Janie Cheaney |
Betsy and Janie are continuing their discussion of possible 2016 Newbery Award winners. On deck today is a novel by a debut author which has ...
Read More 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher
By Janie Cheaney |
Since its publication in 2006, 13 Reasons Why has become the go-to novel on the subject of teen suicide, but it’s more sensational than useful. ...
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Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley
By Betsy Farquhar |
Boats for Papa by Jessixa Bagley. Roaring Brook Press, 2015. 40 pages. Reading Level: Picture Books, ages 4-8 Recommended For: Ages 4-8 Buckley, a young ...
Read More The Only Game by Mike Lupica
By Janie Cheaney |
The Only Game by Mike Lupica (Home Team series, #1). Simon & Shuster, 2015. 321 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10 Recommended for: ages ...
Read More The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
By Janie Cheaney |
The Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall. Knopf, 2008. 302 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-12 Recommended For: ages 8-10 and up Bottom ...
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How Long, O Lord? When Bibliotherapy Isn’t Enough
By Megan Saben |
These are dark days. I received an email this week expressing familiar anguish over the haunting reports of 21 followers of Christ who were martyred ...
Read More *The Green Ember by S. D. Smith
By emily |
The Green Ember is animal fantasy at its best, filled with gripping action and heartwarming rabbits, all deeply informed by the Christian worldview of its ...
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*Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
By Janie Cheaney |
Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt’s masterpiece first published 40 years ago, is as timeless as its title characters. *Tuck Everlasting (40th Anniversary Edition) by Natalie Babbitt, ...
Read More The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney
By Janie Cheaney |
The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Shane Evans. Little, Brown, 2014. 319 pages, including notes and glossary. Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages ...
Read More Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire
By Janie Cheaney |
Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire. Candlewick, 2014. 496 pages. Reading Level: Young Adult, ages 12-14 Maturity Level: 5 (ages 12-15) and up Bottom Line: ...
Read More If You’re Reading This by Trent Reedy
By Janie Cheaney |
If You’re Reading This, by Trent Reedy. Scholastic, 2014. 296 pages. Reading Level: Young Adults, ages 12-15 Maturity Level: 6 (ages 15-18) One-line Summary: If ...
Read More The Great Trouble by Deborah Hopkinson
By Janie Cheaney |
The Great Trouble: a Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel, by Deborah Hopkinson. Knopf, 2013, 247 pages with historical notes. ...
Read More I Kill the Mockingbird
By Janie Cheaney |
I Kill the Mockingbird, by Paul Acampora. Roaring Brook Press, 2014, 177 pages. Reading level: Middle grades, ages 11-12 Maturity level: 4 (ages 11-12) and ...
Read More Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge
By Janie Cheaney |
Shakespeare Bats Cleanup by Ron Koertge. Candlewick, 2003, 116 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Maturity Level: 5 (Ages 12-15) One-line Summary: Kevin, age 15, ...
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*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
By Janie Cheaney |
*The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Harcourt Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. 237 pages. Reading Level: Middle Grade, ages 10-12 Maturity Level: 4 (ages 10-12) and up Bottom ...
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*Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel
By Janie Cheaney |
Tommysaurus Rex by Doug TenNapel. Scholastic (Graphix), ask 2013. 238 pages. Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 8-10 Maturity Level: 3 (ages 8-10) and up Bottom ...
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Far as the Curse is Found: Two Novels Dealing with Death
By Janie Cheaney |
This seems like an odd time of year to talk about death, but the joy of the Christmas season wouldn’t be joyful at all if ...
Read More Bluebird by Bob Staake
By Janie Cheaney |
Bluebird, by Bob Staake. Schwartz & Wade, 2013, 32 pages. Reading Level: Picture Book, ages 4-8 Recommended for: ages 4-8 and up Bottom Line: This ...
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A Death Observed, Part Three
By emily |
In case you missed them, here are Part One and Part Two of this series on my mother's death. One to Two Days Prior to ...
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A Death Observed, Part One
By emily |
Today is Good Friday, so in meditating on the passion and redemption of Christ, I thought it a suitable time to begin a series on ...
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Dealing with Death: Bridge to Terabithia
By Janie Cheaney |
The first time I ever heard my father cry was when my uncle, the brother closest to him in age and disposition, was dying of ...
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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
By Janie Cheaney |
As Jesus takes us to the cross this week, I’d like to spend some time looking at recent and classic children’s literature that addresses the ...
Read More Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George
By Janie Cheaney |
Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George. Harper Collins, 1972 (paperback reissue 2003). 208 pages Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12 Recommended for: Young adult, ...
Read More RR Podcast 4: Douglas Bond on Fatherhood
By emily |
Today's interview is regarding Douglas Bond's devotional series for young men and their fathers, Fathers and Sons. I hope to eventually do another interview with ...
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The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
By Janie Cheaney |
The Book Thief, a literary novel for teens and adults, explores Nazi Germany and the Holocaust through the eyes of a child, in prose that ...
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Annexed by Sharon Dogar
By Janie Cheaney |
Annexed is the fictionalized story of Peter van Pels, Anne Frank's fellow inmate, who offers a moving account of the Holocaust for teens, but no ...
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