Death, Loss, and Grief in Literature for Youth: A Selective Annotated Bibliography for K-12: 13

Death and grief are subjects that all students will face at some point, and one way for educators and professionals to empathize is through literature and other media resources. This title is a bibliography of books, websites, and other media titles that deal with death and the grieving process. The titles are suitable for students starting in kindergarten and going through twelfth grade, and are organized by grade-level appropriateness. The chapters are organized by the kind of death or loss focused on in the resource, including deaths of different family members, friends and acquaintances, and pets. This bibliography would be a valuable asset for a school library to own in its professional section for educators and staff members. Guidance counselors, librarians, and teachers could all benefit from having access to titles that would reach students on all grade levels for dealing with different kinds of deaths. It is an easy reference guide, as well, since the titles are organized by type of death and then by grade, and each title has a synopsis below it to gage subject interest and appropriateness.

Who among us hasn’t struggled at some point to help parents or caregivers (or even the young people themselves) find a book or other materials to help them through a difficult time. This comprehensive bibliography includes mostly resources for students, although it includes a chapter for educators, parents, and other professionals. It also includes chapters specifically covering websites, media resources available in DVD format, and nonfiction resources. The annotated entries are organized by type of loss: family member (broken down into specifics, such as mother, father, etc.), the death of a teacher or classmate, friend or neighbor, pets (divided by type). There are two chapters on animal and nature stories and folktales that have death as a theme. Each annotation includes publication information, suggested grade level, identification of award-winning titles, and a brief, informative description. Some of the annotations include quotes from professional reviews. A well-organized and up-to-date bibliography for all collections.