Best death & dying books for children according to redditors

I see that this is solved, but if you liked this book, there is one I loved when I was a kid called The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright that you might also enjoy.

You wanna have a good cry? Well...okay.

Grief and Loss

Bridge to Terabithia

Katherine Patterson's masterpiece is rightly remembered as one of the saddest books ever written for an elementary-aged audience. A young boy strikes up a friendship with his new neighbor, a girl his own age, bonding over the fact that their individual interests make them outsiders among their classmates. Together, they form a "kingdom" they christen "Terabithia" in the woods behind their houses. Tragically, the girl dies accidentally and the boy must what he's learned and move on.

Mick Harte Was Here

Notable in that the tragedy happens in the first act, this novel follows teenaged Phoebe as she struggles with the reality that her brother died in a bicycle accident.

On My Honor

Probably the shortest, but also arguably the most brutal, of these books. After promising his father he would only ride his bike out to the rocky ridge, Joel follows his daredevil friend Tony to the Vermillion River. Joel challenges Tony to a swimming race. Joel surfaces, Tony does not. And Joel must face their parents.

Just for You to Know

A young girl, the oldest in her large family, finds herself in over her head when her mother dies in childbirth.

The Man Who Loved Clowns

If somewhat dated, this tragic novel follows thirteen-year-old Delrita as she struggles to come to terms with not only her parents' untimely deaths in a car accident, but also her maternal uncle Punky, who has Down's Syndrome.

Turtle On A Fencepost

The sequel to The Man Who Loved Clowns follows Delrita as she tries to find her place in the world, and her desperation to connect with her Aunt Queenie. She finds a kindred spirit in an unexpected place.

Pets

Old Yeller

Fred Gibson's novel is more than a story about a boy and his dog. It is a story about a boy becoming a man, and how becoming a man is not easy at all.

Where the Red Fern Grows

Billy's quest to gain dogs, not just any dogs, but hunting hound dogs, is a classic and rightly so. The story of Billy, Old Dan and Little Ann is one that is not to be forgotten.

Shiloh

Phyllis Naylor's beloved quartet about a boy and his beagle was one of my favorites growing up. Marty's struggle to rescue Shiloh from the abusive Judd Travers is just the beginning, with later books exploring themes of faith and forgiveness.

Stone Fox

Young Willy must gather all his strength to win the National Dogsled Race and win desperately needed money for his grandfather's farm, with his beloved Searchlight as lead dog.

A Childhood Lost

These books are often similar to those under Grief and Loss but I felt that it was important to separate these as they feature heavy themes of racism, discrimination, and war.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963

Told from the point-of-view of the bookish nine-year-old Kenny, the titular Watsons get into their fair share of misadventures in Flint, Michigan, but for the most part, things are relatively peaceful. The most strife comes from teenaged Byron. But a family trip to Birmingham flings the family head-on into the thick of the Civil Rights Movement, including the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

Let the Circle Be Unbroken

The Road to Memphis

These three books are part of a series, telling the story of an African-American girl named Cassie who grows up during the Great Depression in the Deep South and sees first-hand just how ugly Jim Crow can be.

Number the Stars

Lois Lowry's novel tells a dramatized version of the efforts of the Danish Resistance, with special emphasis on the evacuations to Sweden.

Abuse

Call Me Hope

Twelve-year-old Hope struggles with the emotional abuse brought on by her mother and copes by "awarding points" for specific insults.

You are living through something tragically incomprehensible to most adults. The silver lining is that children are different creatures entirely. They are wonder-ful; their imaginations and empathy, unmatched. While death seems impossible to explain, I hope you can take comfort in knowing there are beautiful ways of communicating this concept to children...

Here is a short list of outstanding picture books by writers and illustrators who’ve dedicated their artwork to this express purpose:

The Dandelion’s Tale by Kevin Sheehan & Rob Dunlavey

The Memory Box by Joanna Rowland & Thea Baker

The Heart and The Bottle by Oliver Jeffers

Rabbityness by Jo Empson

The Invisible String by Patrice Karst & Geoff Stevenson

I have an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults. Death and grieving in picture books is a prominent topic. I mention this only to perhaps add some validation to these suggestions. As an adult, I’ve found relief from picture books, and I know the power they have for children.

Sending you white light. Xo

A couple other books to recommend for this age - Always Remember, The Memory Tree, The Invisible String, and Cry, Heart, But Never Break. There's a new one called Death is Stupid that might really resonate with him, but I'd preview it first. You can also try a kids grief activity book like Help Me Say Goodbye or When Someone Very Special Dies.

I think I read this book too! Is is Turnabout by Margaret Peterson Haddix? http://www.amazon.com/Turnabout-Margaret-Peterson-Haddix/dp/141693653X/ref=pd_sim_b_2

There are some really good children’s books on death and dying, here is a good one written from a little girls perspective.

The Memory Box: A Book About Grief https://www.amazon.com/dp/1506426727/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KW-DCbW7XVQRS

So sorry for your loss. Your daughter is young so be sure to save some things so she can remember her mother later, it will be important to her later in life. For now she’s probably going to seem fine but exhibit her loss in other ways (sleeplessness, crying or even tantrums) just be with her all you can. ❤️

Neal Shusterman

and you can buy it here, if you want it

ebook please!

M rules! :D

http://www.amazon.com/Found-Dead-Bird-Guide-Cycle/dp/1897066716

The Dead Bird by Margaret Wise Brown, but it's about a wild bird found dead outside and mom is not involved.

There's a guide to death titled I Found a Dead Bird.

School recommended this
I Have a Question about Death: A Book for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Other Special Needs https://www.amazon.com/dp/1785927507/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yV0NzbXA1HHZF


He's been reading it with his play therapist and we have it at home. He's been reading it on his own in his room. School says be concrete and not abstract. It's not easy.

Kiddo and I've had a few discussions. It's really not easy. Not the discussion you want to have but it's ok to be truthful and cry. Cry now or cry more later. May as well start healing sooner than later.

For me, it was A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.

This book really pulled at my heartstrings. I read the entire thing in one sitting because I just got so engrossed. I cried while I was reading it and I cried when it was over. It makes you think about life and death, and after it was over I called both my parents and told them how much I loved them. I really don't want to say too much about it, but everyone should really read it.

No the book series
https://www.amazon.ca/Scythe-Neal-Shusterman/dp/1442472421/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_sSE6P6F5gIVkCCtBh3eVAQtEAAYASAAEgImI_D_BwE&hvadid=208329519514&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9001402&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=2647777066146063663&hvtargid=kwd-308858941871&hydadcr=22425_9261598&keywords=scythe+book&qid=1574706507&sr=8-1

Death Watch by Ari Berk. It's not high fantasy at all, rather more gothic in tone. It takes place in a small coastal town filled to the brim with ghosts and otherworldy entities.

In any case, the writer is a folklorist, and the setting is atmospheric and surprisingly grim for a YA novel.

Edit: formatting

Awesome! I work more with PTSD rather than grief, but it often overlaps. I imagine you'll be getting training prior to starting with whatever assessment tools your agency uses, but I recommend reading up on TF-CBT, which is a great modality for trauma treatment with kiddos. I also really love this workbook for grief. My agency has a scanned copy so we can just print it off when necessary, so if yours doesn't have this I really recommend buying it and scanning the pages!

Hope this is helpful :) Good luck!!

Hero of time!

Book.

Thanks for the contest!

I've published my book on amazon, it's A touching tale about a girl who decides to take a pause and reflect over the life she's leading. It uncovers the pillars of human emotions and relations. From friendship, love, family, internal conflicts to depression and subsequent success. After her mother's death, she's vulnerable and in unknown territory. A hit which forced the protagonist, Snigdha, to introspect deeply. She rewinds the past events while knitting a better present. 
It is the story of how she reclaimed her otherwise messy life. It is about how she accepted what's wrong and decided to do something about it. 
Check it here: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07NF5DH57/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_awdo_t1_V-uxCbQNS6VS8

Trouble's Daughter?

http://www.amazon.com/Troubles-Daughter-Susanna-Hutchinson-Captive/dp/0440415799

I'd love to read this book, and my favorite book is "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert A. Heinlein because I like the idea of colonizing another planet, and that colony's relationship with Earth afterwards, and Arthur C. Clarke once said that the first colonizers of another world would be convicts. And I find Heinlein's ideas of social order and poly relationships interesting. And of course - sentient computer!

I don’t think this is it and I’m struggling to come up with it https://www.amazon.com/Flat-Rabbit-Bardur-Oskarsson/dp/1771470593

Nope :( The cover was similar to Neil Shusterman's Everlost series.

so it goes
Trouble's Daughter because I read it when I was a teenager and it completely changed the way I thought about culture and acceptance. I know it seems silly, but I have always wanted my own copy so that I could one day let my (possible) children read it so it will have the same effect on them. It also sparked my love of historical fiction and Native American history. I recently finished My Mother's Secret and Angela's Ashes (for like the ump-teenth time) and am currently reading A Game of Thrones and The Caged Graves.

Everlost by Neil Shusterman
You can see a sample here: https://www.amazon.com/Everlost-Skinjacker-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B002NT3B6Q