Books

The Dougy Center has a vastly informative selection of books on grieving children and teens. You may view this material as well as purchase books directly through their website, www.dougy.org.

Common Ground’s Recommended Reading List

To download the list of our recommended reading materials, please click here

Recommended Books for Children Ages 3-6

Brown, L.K., & M. (1996). When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide To Understanding Death. Little Brown & Co.
Buscaglia, L. (1983). The Fall of Freddie the Leaf. Holt, Rinehart.
Cazet, D. (1984). Christmas Moon. Macmillan Publishing Company.
Dodge, N. (1984). Thumpy’s Story: A Story of Love and Grief Shared by Thumpy, the Bunny. Prairie Lark.
Gryte, M. (1988). No New Baby: For Boys and Girls Whose Expected Sibling Dies. Centering Corporation.
Hanson, W. (1997). The Next Place. Waldman House Press.
Haas, S. (1991). Daddy’s Chair. Kar-Ben Copies, Inc.
Mellonie, B., & Ingpen, R. (1983). Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children. Bantam Books.
Miles, R. (1971). Annie and the Old One. Little, Brown, & Co.
Mills, J. (2003). Gentle Willow. Magination Press.
Mundy, M. (1998). Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good-Grief Guidebook for Kids Dealing With Loss. Abbey Press.
Rogers, F. (1998). When a Pet Dies. GP Putman’s Sons.
Rothman, J. (1992). A Birthday Present for Daniel: A Child’s Story of Loss. Prometheus Books.
Temes, R. (1992). The Empty Place: A Child’s Guide Through Grief. Small Horizons.
Viorst, J. (1971). The Tenth Good Thing About Barney. Athenaeum.
Vigna, J. (1991). Saying Goodbye to Daddy. Albert Whitman & Co.
Wilhelm, H. (1985) I’ll Always Love You. Crown Publishers.

Recommended Books for Children Ages 7-10

Buscaglia, L. (1983). The Fall of Freddie the Leaf. Holt, Rinehart.
Carrick, C. (1976). The Accident. Seaburg Press.
Clifton, L. (1988). Everett Anderson’s Goodbye. Holt, Rinehart, & Winston.
Coburn, J. B. (1980). Annie and the Sand Dobbies. Harper Collins.
Douglas, E. (1990). Rachael and the Upside Down Heart. Price, Stern, & Sloan.
Johnson J., & Johnson, M. (1978). Tell Me Papa: Answers to Questions Children ask about Death and Dying. Centering Corporation.
Karst, P. (2000). The Invisible String. DeVorss Publications.
Krementz, J. (1983). How it Feels When a Parent Dies. Alfred A. Knopf.
Kubler-Ross, E. (1998). Remember the Secret. Celestial Press.
Madenski, M. (1991). Some of the Pieces. Little, Brown, & Co.
Paulus, T. (1973). Hope for the Flowers. Paulist Press.
Romain, T. (1999). What on Earth Do You Do When Someone Dies?. Free Spirit Publishing.
Walker, A. (1988). To Hell with Dying. Harcourt, Brace, & Jovanovich Publishing.
Winsch, J. L. (1995). After the Funeral. Paulist Press.
Varley, S. (1984). Badger’s Parting Gifts. New York: Mulberry Books.

Recommended Books for Children Ages 10-13

Cohen, J. (1994). Why Did it Happen? Helping Children Cope in a Violent World. Morrow Junior Books.
Cosby, B. (2000). The Day I Saw my Father Cry. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Goldring, T.M. (1999) Kat’s Surrender. Boyds Mill Press.
Graeber, C. (1982). Mustard. Macmillan Publishing Company.
Jampolsky, G. (1982). Straight from the Siblings: Another Look at the Rainbow. Celestial Arts.
Jukes, M. (1985). Blackberries in the Dark. Yearling Publishers.
Leshan, E. (1976). Learning to Say Goodbye: When a Parent Dies. Simon & Schuster.
Mandino, O., & Kaye, B. (1989). The Gift of Acabar. Bantam Books.
Mills, L. (1991). The Rag Coat. Little, Brown, & Company.
Paterson, K. (1977). The Bridge to Tarabithia. Harper Collins.
Schwiebert, P., & Dekylen, C. (2001). Tear Soup. Grief Watch.
Spies, K. (1990). Everything You Need to Know About Grieving. Rosen Publishers.
White, E. B. (1952). Charlotte’s Web. Harper & Row.

Recommended Books for Children Ages 13 and Over

Canfield, J., Hansen, M.V., & Kirberger, K. (1997). Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications.
Dower, L. (2001). I Will Remember You: What to do When Someone You Love Dies, A Guidebook Through Grief for Teens. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Fitzgerald, H. (2000). The Grieving Teen: A Guide for Teenagers and Their Friends. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Fry, V. (1995). A Part of Me Died, Too. Dutton Children’s Books.
Gootman, M. E. (2005). When a Friend Dies: A Book for Teens about Grieving and Healing. Free Spirit Publishing.
Mahon, K.I. (1992). Just One Tear. Lothrop, Lee, & Shepard Books.
McDaniel, L. (1999). The Girl Death Left Behind. Skylark.
O’Toole, D. (1995). Facing Change: Falling Apart and Coming Together in the Teen Years. Mountain Rainbow Press.
Schuurman, D. (2003). Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent. New York: St. Martin’s Press.
Wolfelt, A.D. (2001). Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens: 100 Practical Ideas. Companion Press.