• not if but when
  • what we do
  • featured books
  • more books for littles
  • more books for kids
  • more books for teens
  • presentations
  • additional resources
  • our team
  • book recommendation form
  • not if but when
  • what we do
  • featured books
  • more books for littles
  • more books for kids
  • more books for teens
  • presentations
  • additional resources
  • our team
  • book recommendation form
    • not if but when

      books for young people about death and loss

    • what we do

      encourage and support sharing good books and stories about death and loss with children and teens

      throughout their lives

      not if but when

      Death is a natural part of our time on earth together. Each of us will lose people important to us, and each of us will die. The question is not if, but when.

      young people need help

      Children and teens facing the loss of friends and family, or their own mortality, need help navigating the emotional, physical, and practical upheavals and restorations that are part of the natural process. Books offer opportunities to ask questions, wonder, and simply acknowledge the realities of their circumstances.

      the sooner the better

      We tend to broach the subject of death with young people only after death has occurred or becomes imminent. By "protecting" children from these conversations we inadvertently prevent them from acquiring the skills and context necessary to make sense of death when it does arrive. Introducing the subject through books and stories provides a safe and comfortable context for these important conversations.

    • featured books

      a categorized selection of books about death and loss

    • more books for littles

      Where Do They Go?

      by Julia Alvarez, illustrated by Sabra Field

      The Fall of Freddie the Leaf

      by Leo Buscaglia

      Grandma's Gloves

      by Cecil Castellucci, illustrated by Julia Denos

      Missing Mommy

      by Rebecca Cobb

      Big Cat, Little Cat

      by Elisha Cooper

      Death, Duck, and the Tulip

      by Wolf Erlbruch

      The Tree in the Courtyard

      by Jeff Gottesfeld, illustrated by Peter McCarty

      Goodbye Mousie

      by Robie Harris, illustrated by Jan Ormerod

      Garmann's Summer

      by Stian Hole

      The Heart and the Bottle

      by Oliver Jeffers

      The Invisible String

      by Patrice Karst, illustrated by Geoff Stevenson

      Come With Me

      by Holly McGhee, illustrated by Pascal Lemaître

      Always Remember

      by Cece Meng, illustrated by Jago

      The Flat Rabbit

      by Bárður Oskarsson

      The Purple Balloon

      by Chris Raschka

      Cry, Heart, but Never Break

      by Glenn Ringtved, illustrated by Charlotte Pardi

      Bone Dog

      by Eric Rohmann

      Michael Rosen's Sad Book

      by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Quentin Blake

      Harry & Hopper

      by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Freya Blackwood

      I'll Always Love You

      by Hans Wilhelm

    • more books for kids

      Maybe a Fox

      by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee

      The Girl Who Drank the Moon

      by Kelly Barnhill

      Lucky Strikes

      by Louis Bayard

      The Thing About Jellyfish

      by Ali Benjamin

      Harvey

      by Hervé Bouchard, illustrated by Janice Nadeau

      The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

      by Pablo Cartaya

      Summerlost

      by Ally Condie

      Walk Two Moons

      by Sharon Creech

      Eight Days

      by Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Alix Delinois

      Marguerite's Christmas

      by India Desjardins, illustrated by Pascal Blanchet

      The Graveyard Book

      by Neil Gaiman

      The Honest Truth

      by Dan Gemeinhart

      Refugee

      by Alan Gratz

      When Friendship Followed Me Home

      by Paul Griffin

      Waiting for Unicorns

      by Beth Hautala

      Everything on a Waffle

      by Polly Horvath

      Love, Aubrey

      by Suzanne LaFleur

      Grandfather and the Moon

      by Stéphanie Lapointe

      The Giver

      by Lois Lowry

      Sonny's House of Spies

      by George Ella Lyon

      27 Magic Words

      by Sharelle Byars Moranville

      Bridge to Terabithia

      by Katherine Paterson

      Summer of the Gypsy Moths

      by Sara Pennypacker

      Ninth Ward

      by Jewell Parker Rhodes

      Stepping Stones

      by Margriet Ruurs, illustrated by Nizar Ali Badr

      Missing May

      by Cynthia Rylant

      What the Heart Knows

      by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski

      Counting by 7s

      by Holly Goldberg Sloan

      Bambi

      by Felix Salten

      Charlotte's Web

      by E. B. White

      Clayton Byrd Goes Underground

      by Rite Williams-Garcia

      After Tupac & D Foster

      by Jacqueline Woodson

    • more books for teens

      The Tight Rope Walkers

      by David Almond

      Wintergirls

      by Laurie Halse Anderson

      The Killer's Tears

      by Anne-Laure Bondoux

      Going Bovine

      by Libba Bray

      The Bunker Diary

      by Kevin Brooks

      Tell Me Three Things

      by Julie Buxbaum

      Deadline

      by Chris Crutcher

      The Golden Day

      by Ursula Dubosarsky

      Love Letters to the Dead

      by Ava Dellaira

      If I Stay

      by Gayle Forman

      The Dead I Know

      by Scot Gardner

      The Fault in Our Stars

      by John Green

      The Boys Who Challenged Hitler

      by Phillip Hoose

      And the Soldiers Sang

      by J. Patrick Lewis, illustrated by Gary Kelley

      Pieces

      by Chris Lynch

      Bubonic Panic

      by Gail Jarrow

      Gone, Gone, Gone

      by Hannah Moskowitz

      Yummy

      by Greg Neri, illustrated by Randy DuBurke

      A Monster Calls

      by Patrick Ness

      This is Where it Ends

      by Marieke Nijkamp

      All the Bright Places

      by Jennifer Niven

      The Adoration of Jenna Fox

      by Mary Pearson

      Anna and the Swallow Man

      by Gavriel Savit

      Orbiting Jupiter

      by Gary D. Schmidt

      Jasper Jones

      by Craig Silvey

      Hold Tight, Don't Let Go

      by Laura Rose Wagner

      The Last Execution

      by Jesper Wung-Sung

      The Book Thief

      by Markus Zusak

    • presentations

      we engage with educators, librarians, parents, healthcare workers, clergy, and other community members dedicated to young people's comfort and integrity

      Ferndale Public Library, Ferndale, WA

      Tuesday, February 2, 2016

      nErDcamp Bellingham

      Sunday, February 28, 2016

      Woodring College of Education, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

      Wednesday, April 27, 2016

      Department of Social and Human Services, Bellingham, WA

      Tuesday, May 17, 2016

      Burlington Public Library, Burlington, WA

      Tuesday, September 27, 2016

      Bellingham Public Library, Bellingham, WA

      Thursday, October 27, 2016

      Village Books, Bellingham, WA

      Sunday, October 30, 2016

      Bellingham Public Library, Bellingham, WA

      Tuesday, March 6, 2018

    • additional resources

      we recommend these agencies for further assistance and support

      Our TreeHouse

      Our TreeHouse provides a safe environment where children and their families grieving a death can share their experiences and help them heal. www.our-treehouse.org

      Camp Killoqua’s Camp Willie

      A Grief Camp for Children in grades 2-12
      This camp for children who have lost someone they love provides children with the additional support they need to get through through the isolation often associated with grief. www.campfiresnoco.org/camp/grief-camp/

      The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

      A national institute serving young people in trauma

      The mission of the NCTSN is to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families and communities throughout the United States. http://www.nctsn.org

    • nibw team

      we are dedicated to meaningful considerations of grief, mourning, and peace through literature

      Marie Eaton

      Marie Eaton is the former Dean of Western Washington University's Fairhaven College and currently serves as Director of the Palliative Care Institute.

      Sylvia Tag

      Sylvia is a Librarian and Associate Professor at Western Washington University where she is founding curator of PoetryCHaT, a comprehensive collection of poetry for children and teens.

      Thom Barthelmess

      Thom is the Youth Services Manager at the Whatcom County Library System where he oversees collections, programs, and services for children and teens.

    • give us a hand

      let us know about your favorite books that present death and loss to a young audience

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