Books on Death and Bereavement for Children and Adults
Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children by Liana Lowenstein
—Helping children grieve can be daunting for even professional therapists. Here’s a practical workbook for professionals and caring laypeople.
Death's Door: Modern Dying and the Ways We Grieve by Sandra M. Gilbert
--A thoughtful meditation on many dimensions of death and grief, including how the modern experience of death has changed, and how tragedies and major catastrophes have changed perspectives on death. A thoughtful reflection on death and dying.
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages by Leo Buscaglia
—One of my personal favorites on grief and cultivating acceptance of grief. A book designed for children, and equally skillful for adults. Using nature imagery, Dr. Buscaglia offers a moving explication of death and grief. Accessible to people from a wide variety of backgrounds, from people who are atheist to religiously conservative.
How We Die: Reflections of Life's Final Chapter by Sherwin B. Nuland
—As the title suggests, Dr. Nuland offers a candid, compassionate explication of the practical dimensions of dying.
I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas R. Hofstadter
—Dr. Hofstadter, a professor of cognitive science, offers a penetrating and thoughtful explication of neurology, experience, and the “strange loop” of existence. He also movingly discusses the death of his wife.
Journeys of Heartache and Grace: Conversations and Life Lessons from Young People with Serious Illnesses by Melody Chatelle
—I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Chatelle when I used to work in hospice care. Dr. Chatelle helps illuminate how to support children based on her own personal interviews with children facing illness and grief.
On Our Way: The Final Passage through Life and Death by Robert Kastenbaum
—This text is just one example of the many great books by Dr. Kastenbaum, a pioneer in the research and psychology of many different dimensions of death and grief. He’s written scholarly texts and books such as this meant for a wider audience. His work is highly recommended.
Our Cancer Year by Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner
—A graphic novel appropriate for adults and perhaps mature teens. Pekar offers a refreshingly honest sharing of his cancer treatment, which he survived. It is worth noting that Pekar later died, in 2010, of an accidental overdose of psychiatric medications, which occurred after his third bout of cancer.
The Skeleton at the Feast: the Day of the Dead in Mexico by Elizabeth Carmichael and Chloe Sayer
—A great book with amazing photographs and information about Day of the Dead. A helpful resource too for anyone who wants to integrate dimensions of the Day of the Dead into their own lives and coping rituals.
Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irv Yalom
—Dr. Yalom is definitely one of the leading thinkers and clinicians on grief-counseling and coping. A must read for anyone interested in coping with death-related concerns.
Stricken: The 5,000 Stages of Grief, edited by Spike Gillespie and Katherine Tanney
—Spike Gillespie is a friend, and I was honored to be included in this anthology. The writers in this text, from varying cultural perspectives, share their personal journeys and struggles with grief. I contributed a chapter on a secular-Zen approach to grieving.
Why, Charlie Brown, Why?: A Story About What Happens When a Friend Is Very Ill by Charles M. Schulz
—Admittedly, I’m a Peanuts fan. And here is a thoughtful book for children where Linus and Charlie Brown struggle when a friend of theirs is very ill and in the hospital (their friend survives).
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
—A powerful book, written in a first person perspective, exploring this noted writer’s personal experiences with grief.
—Helping children grieve can be daunting for even professional therapists. Here’s a practical workbook for professionals and caring laypeople.
Death's Door: Modern Dying and the Ways We Grieve by Sandra M. Gilbert
--A thoughtful meditation on many dimensions of death and grief, including how the modern experience of death has changed, and how tragedies and major catastrophes have changed perspectives on death. A thoughtful reflection on death and dying.
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages by Leo Buscaglia
—One of my personal favorites on grief and cultivating acceptance of grief. A book designed for children, and equally skillful for adults. Using nature imagery, Dr. Buscaglia offers a moving explication of death and grief. Accessible to people from a wide variety of backgrounds, from people who are atheist to religiously conservative.
How We Die: Reflections of Life's Final Chapter by Sherwin B. Nuland
—As the title suggests, Dr. Nuland offers a candid, compassionate explication of the practical dimensions of dying.
I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas R. Hofstadter
—Dr. Hofstadter, a professor of cognitive science, offers a penetrating and thoughtful explication of neurology, experience, and the “strange loop” of existence. He also movingly discusses the death of his wife.
Journeys of Heartache and Grace: Conversations and Life Lessons from Young People with Serious Illnesses by Melody Chatelle
—I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Chatelle when I used to work in hospice care. Dr. Chatelle helps illuminate how to support children based on her own personal interviews with children facing illness and grief.
On Our Way: The Final Passage through Life and Death by Robert Kastenbaum
—This text is just one example of the many great books by Dr. Kastenbaum, a pioneer in the research and psychology of many different dimensions of death and grief. He’s written scholarly texts and books such as this meant for a wider audience. His work is highly recommended.
Our Cancer Year by Harvey Pekar and Joyce Brabner
—A graphic novel appropriate for adults and perhaps mature teens. Pekar offers a refreshingly honest sharing of his cancer treatment, which he survived. It is worth noting that Pekar later died, in 2010, of an accidental overdose of psychiatric medications, which occurred after his third bout of cancer.
The Skeleton at the Feast: the Day of the Dead in Mexico by Elizabeth Carmichael and Chloe Sayer
—A great book with amazing photographs and information about Day of the Dead. A helpful resource too for anyone who wants to integrate dimensions of the Day of the Dead into their own lives and coping rituals.
Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irv Yalom
—Dr. Yalom is definitely one of the leading thinkers and clinicians on grief-counseling and coping. A must read for anyone interested in coping with death-related concerns.
Stricken: The 5,000 Stages of Grief, edited by Spike Gillespie and Katherine Tanney
—Spike Gillespie is a friend, and I was honored to be included in this anthology. The writers in this text, from varying cultural perspectives, share their personal journeys and struggles with grief. I contributed a chapter on a secular-Zen approach to grieving.
Why, Charlie Brown, Why?: A Story About What Happens When a Friend Is Very Ill by Charles M. Schulz
—Admittedly, I’m a Peanuts fan. And here is a thoughtful book for children where Linus and Charlie Brown struggle when a friend of theirs is very ill and in the hospital (their friend survives).
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
—A powerful book, written in a first person perspective, exploring this noted writer’s personal experiences with grief.