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Helping Children Cope with Tragedy, Loss, and Change
Young people sometimes experience emotional pain associated with moving, illness, or the death of a
loved one or pet. This Showcase features books that help children cope with these and other painful experiences.
Please browse the titles below and click on those that interest you to see cover art and a full book
description. Some of the titles may also include examples of interior art that offer a clearer representation of the actual book. The titles included in the Showcase are selected by their publishers
who provide the art and descriptive information.
These books are available at your local bookstore, which we urge you to patronize. Your local
bookseller can supply these titles and offer professional, informed help in selecting other good books for children. Check the American Booksellers Association's directory of member bookstores for a bookseller near you.
If you do not have convenient access to any local bookstores, you can purchase these CBC Showcase books online from independent bookstores at BookSense.com.
CBC Showcase is a bimonthly thematic bibliography available only online. Please visit the Showcase Archive to view previous lists, which include Poetry Titles, Math and Counting Books, Folk and Fairy
tales, The African-American Experience, and Humorous Books. The next Showcase featuring children's Poetry books will be online as of March 1.
Aria of the Sea, written by Dia Calhoun. Ages 10-14. Crackling with suspense, full of enchantment
and truth, this a novel about trusting your talents and honoring your heart. (Winslow Press)
Blackwater, written by Eve Bunting. Ages 10 and up. Best-selling author Eve Bunting explores
complex moral issues in this gripping novel that looks deep into the conscience of a young boy and reveals that honesty gives hope to even the darkest moments of life. (Joanna Cotler Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Bloomability, written by Sharon Creech. Ages 8-12. Switzerland is the picturesque backdrop of
Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's novel about young Domenica Santolina Doone who discovers the beauty of nature, her place in the world, the value of friendship, and that life is full of wonderful
"bloomabilites". (Joanna Cotler Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Bye, Mis' Lela, written by Dorothy Carter, illustrated by Harvey Stevenson. Ages 5-8. Loving and remembering go hand in hand. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Carolina Autumn, written by Carol Lynch Williams. Ages 12 and up. Fourteen-year-old Carolina has
been through a terrible loss. As she struggles to speak openly to her new boyfriend and to relate to her distant, sad mother, the reader slowly realizes the nature of their shared tragedy. (Delacorte)
Chasing Redbird, written by Sharon Creech. Ages 9 and up. Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's
novel is a beautifully crafted story about discovering that life is a tangle of mysteries, surprises and everyday occurrences -- a journey that often needs unraveling and that sometimes must be traveled
alone. (Joanna Cotler Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Chinese Handcuffs, written by Chris Crutcher. Dillon Hemingway, a high school triathlete, struggles to
move forward after his brother's suicide. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
The Cuckoo's Child, written by Suzanne Freeman. During a painful summer in Tennessee, away from
her parents and in new surroundings, Mia Veery learns some important truths about herself--and about families in general. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Dinah Forever,
written by Claudia Mills. Ages 8-12. The fourth book about the star of Dynamite Dinah, Dinah for President, and Dinah in Love. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Drawing Lessons, written by Tracy Mack. Ages 10 and up. A first novel that will open your eyes and
pierce your heart. (Scholastic Press)
Falling From Grace, written by Ann McNichols. Ages 10 and up. Life can change in just one minute.
A remarkable novel about the way knowledge turns innocence into maturity and wisdom. (Walker & Company)
Flapjack Waltzes, written by Nancy Hope Wilson. Ages 8-12. A developing friendship with an elderly
holocaust survivor helps ease a twelve-year-old girl's pain following the death of her teenage brother in a tragic automobile accident. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
For Better, For Worse: A Guide to Surviving Divorce for Preteens and their Families, written by Janet
Bode and Stan Mack. Ages 8-12. For preteens, Janet Bode explores how to cope with separation, divorce, and remarriage. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Frozen Summer,
written by Mary Jane Auch. Ages 12 and up. It's 1816 and Remembrance "Mem" Nye and her family are going through a cold, hard summer in their new home in western New York. (Yearling)
Give A Boy A Gun, written by Todd Strasser. Ages 12 and up. Bestselling author Todd Strasser
explores high school violence in a timely novel. (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
Harley, like a person, written by Cat Bauer. Ages 12 and up. Tough, funny, and refreshingly honest,
this is a compelling story of mothers, fathers, daughters, the power of creativity and the enduring strength of self. (Winslow Press)
Help!: A Girl's Guide to Divorce and Stepfamilies, written by Nancy Holyoke, illustrated by Scott
Nash. Ages 8 and up. This book answers girls' letters about every aspect of divorce, from the initial split-up to a parent's remarriage. (Pleasant Company Publications)
In the Quiet, written by Adrienne Ross. Ages 10 and up. Eleven-year-old Samantha is on a quest for
magic. They're looking for just the right magic to bring back the spirit of someone lost, Sammy's mother. (Delacorte)
Jazper, written by Richard Egielski. Ages 3-7. Jazper's dad is in an accident, so he has to find a way
to pay the rent. That's when he learns a few tricks, and becomes the Amazing Jazper. (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Learning to Swim: A Memoir, written by Ann Turner. Ages 12 and up. Ann Turner's luminous memoir
gently sheds light on the dark realities of abuse. With insight and tenderness, Learning to Swim touches the wounded parts of all of us, extending a buoy of hope. (Scholastic Press)
Lost and Found, written by Rabbi Marc Gellman & Monsignor Thomas Hartman, illustrated by Debbie
Tilley. A heartening book by the TV and radio personalities known as the God Squad, who offer guidance to kids coping with loss. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Memories of Summer, written by Ruth White. Ages 10 and up. In 1955, thirteen-year-old Lyric finds
her whole life changing when her family moves from the hills of Virginia and her older sister begins descending into madness. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
The Memory String, written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ted Rand. Ages 5-8. While still grieving for
her mother and unable to accept her stepmother, Laura clings to the memories represented by forty-three buttons on a string. (Clarion Books)
My Guy, written by Sarah Weeks. Ages 8-12. When Guy's crazy mom drops the bomb that she's
getting remarried, he'll stop at nothing to break her and the groom-to-be up. (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
My Life, Take Two, written by Paul Many. Ages 12 and up. A compelling look at a teenage boy on the brink of adulthood. (Walker & Company)
The Old Dog, written by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by James Ransome. Ages 4-8. With crystalline
simplicity, beloved author Charlotte Zolotow captures the essence of loss and healing in this gentle picture book, re-illustrated in full color. Children's Choices for 1996 (IRA/CBC). (HarperCollins Children's Books)
One More Wednesday, written by Malika Doray, translated by Suzanne Freeman. Ages 4 and up. In
clear, honest prose and warm illustrations, this book shows how a young bunny grows to understand and accept a loved one's death. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Praying to A.L., written by Judith Caseley. Ages 10 and up. A portrait of Abraham Lincoln helps a
young girl cope with the sudden loss of her father in this heartbreaking yet comforting novel. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Promises, written by Elizabeth Winthrop, illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Ages 5-8. A moving, hope-filled
story about a young girl contending with the serious illness and eventual recovery of her mother. (Clarion Books)
The Right Touch: A Read-Aloud Story to Help Prevent Child Sexual Abuse, written by Sandy
Kleven, illustrated by Jody Bergsma. Ages 3 and up. Reaching far beyond the usual children's picture book, this gentle read-aloud story is an invaluable aid in helping children learn to avoid sexual abuse.
(Illumination Arts Publishing Company)
Rosey in the Present Tense, written by Louise Hawes. Ages 12 and up. Their love was strong
enough to reach beyond life itself. (Walker & Company)
Rudi's Pond, written by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ronald Himler. Ages 5-8. When Rudi dies, his
friends and classmates remember him by building a school yard pond in his memory. (Clarion Books)
Running Loose, written by by Chris Crutcher. A riveting sports novel, a love story, and a moving,
totally believable portrait of a boy as he grows in manhood. (Greenwillow Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Sarah Plain and Tall, written by Patricia MacLachlan. Patricia MacLachlan's Newbery-Award winning
novel explores themes of abandonment, loss and love. When Caleb and Anna's father invites a mail-order bride to come live with them in their prairie home, they are captivated by their new mother and hope that she will stay.
Some Things Change
, written and illustrated by Mary Murphy. Ages 3-5. A reassuring book for
young listeners about the nature of change. (Houghton Mifflin)
Stonewater, written by Barbara Snow Gilbert. Ages 13 and up. Grant Hughes is asked by his beloved
grandfather to help him die if he is transferred to the terminal ward of his nursing home. (Laurel-Leaf )
A Three Hat Day, written by Laura Geringer. One day, when R.R. Pottle wears three hats instead of
one, his dreams come true in the best possible way.... (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
The Truth About Rats, Rules and Seventh Grade, written by Linda Zinnen. Ages 8-12. Larch has
her own rules for dealing with life. But the rules are no help when she finds out the truth about her father's death. (HarperCollins Children's Books)
Upside-Down Cake, written by Carol Carrick, illustrated by Paddy Bouma. Ages 7-10. A sensitive
chapter book narrated by a young boy who recounts his family's experience with the father's illness and death from cancer. (Clarion Books)
Vanishing, written by Bruce Brooks. Ages 10 and up. When a bout with bronchitis lands Alice in the
hospital, she would rather live there than with her alcoholic mother, and she'll do whatever she must to stay. (Laura Geringer Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
Walk Two Moons, written by Sharon Creech. Ages 10-14. Sharon Creech's Newbery-Award winning
novel tells the story of thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle who travels from Ohio to Idaho with her eccentric grandparents, a trip that takes on a growing urgency as Salamanca hopes to get to Idaho in
time bring her mother, who disappeared from Sal's life, back home.
The Wanderer, written by Sharon Creech. Ages 8-12. Newbery-award winner Sharon Creech's newest
novel is about 13-year-old Sophie's sailing journey across the Atlantic Ocean that brings more adventure than just the battle of the open seas. (Joanna Cotler Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
What You Know First, written by Patricia MacLachlan, illustrated by Barry Moser. All ages. Newbery
Medalist Patricia MacLachlan and National Book Award winner Barry Moser's stunning picture book resonates with wisdom about what's important: family, history, sense of place and self. (Joanna Cotler
Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death, written by Laurie Krasny Brown, illustrated by
Marc Brown. Ages 4-8. A sensitive and thoughtful guide for children and their families coping with the loss of a loved one. (Little, Brown and Co.)
When I Was Older,
written by Garret Freymann-Weyr. Ages 10 and up. The Unique story of one young girl's attempt to understand life, death and the time that passes in between. (Houghton Mifflin)
When Sophie Gets Angry--Really, Really Angry. . ., written and illustrated by Molly Bang. Ages 2-7. In a simple, easy-to-read story, this useful picture book helps parents and children understand how
to handle the common problem of anger. (Blue Sky Press)
When the Bough Breaks, written by Anna Myers. Ages 12 and up. A powerful tale of tragedy and
healing, blending contemporary and historical narratives. (Walker & Company)
When They Fight, written by Kathryn White, illustrated by Cliff Wright. Ages: 3-6. This unique picture
book explores the difficult subject of dealing with family discord. (Winslow Press)
Where Do Balloons Go?
, written by Jamie Lee Curtis, illustrated by Laura Cornell. Ages: 4-8. The
latest New York Times bestseller from Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell is a truly uplifting fantasy about letting go. (Joanna Cotter Books, HarperCollins Publishers)
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