Sunny: the death of a pet

Author: Judith E. Greenberg and Helen H. Carey

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death

Year of Publication: 1986

Publisher & Location: Franklin Watts New York

ISBN#:0-531-10102-9

Target Age Level: Elementary

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: Old Black and white pictures

Brief Summary:

Bill is scared when his dog Sunny gets sick, but after her death a new puppy helps him stop grieving.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children:

The book is not adequate for a school curriculum on death. It does not enlighten children about the joys of pets, nor does it help to deal with death. It just notes death as a sad event. The book is simplistic, cool, and poorly written, reading like a "Dick and Jane" reader. It just basicly tells kids to move on and get a new dog.

Activity:

Have kids draw picture of their favorite things they liked to do with their pets.

Looking For Normal

Author:Betty Monthei

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Suicide, Death of Parents, Family Relationship Problems, Grief
Year of Publication: 2005

Publisher & Location: Harper Collins

ISBN#:0060725052
978-0060725051

Target Age Level: Mature Teen

# of Pages: 192

Quality of Illustrations: none

Brief Summary:

After being called out of class by the principal, 12-year-old Annie is told that her father shot and killed her mother and then turned the gun on himself. Annie and younger brother Ted experience all the stages of grief (shock, denial, sadness, acceptance) as they transition to living with grandparents who hated their father. Rather than pulling together, the family's healing is slowed by Grandma's drinking and misplaced anger, Grandpa's increasing absences from the home, and the children's disenfranchisement from their friends. Only after Grandma spirals out of control does the family finally begin to deal with its problems.

This book deals with some serious issues.

I Had A Friend Named Peter

Author:Janice Cohn, D.S.W.

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death of a Friend

Year of Publication: 1987

Publisher & Location: William Morrow and Company, USA

ISBN#: 0688066852

Target Age Level: Beginning

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: Very Good

Brief Summary: Betsy learns of her friend Peter sudden death from her parents. Her parents help her to cope with the news in a loving, gentle way. Betsy is confused at first because she does not understand what it means to die. Her parents explain to her the finality of death. She has a lot of questions surrounding death, the funeral, and the casket that her parents answer. Betsy decides to a picture to put in her room as a reminder of Peter.

At the beginning of this book, the author discusses guidelines from experts that parents and teacher may have about talking to children about death. It is a great story to help children cope with a difficult time.

Activity: This book answers a lot of questions a child may have about death. It would be a great tool to discuss with a child any fears they may have and explore ways they could remember someone who has passed away.

Out of the Dust

Author: Karen Hesse
Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: Natural Disasters
Year of Publication: 1997
Publisher and Location: Scholastic, Inc.: New York
ISBN# 0-590-37125-8
Target Age Level: Upper Elementary/Junior High
# of Pages: 227
Quality of Illustrations: None
Brief Summary: Billy Jo lives with her parents in Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl. The book is narrated by Billy Jo as she describes her experiences of living through the Dust Bowl, the death of her mother and the new baby, the grief she shares with her father, running away, and then reuniting with her father, as well as the healing process that it all entails.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: The book is written as a series of poems.
Activity: Have the students write their own poems describing their situation, and how they could overcome/cope with them.

The Accident

Author: Carol Carrick:

Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: death

Year of Publication: 1981
Publisher and Location: Houghton Miffin
# ISBN-10: 0899190413
# ISBN-13: 978-0899190419
Target Age Level: 4-8 Kindergarden, low elementary
# of Pages: 32
Quality of Illustrations: excelent

Brief Summary: Christofer, a young boy, takes his dog Bodger out for a walk in the country. The dog is hit and killed by a truck. Christopher must deal with his feelings about Bodger’s death. How will he overcome his own guilt and feelings of depression in the matter?

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children:
This books is a touching and realistic story and a great way to broach the subject of death with a young person.

Activity: Reading out loud to children

The Healing Book Facing the Death and Celebrating the Life of Someone You Love

Author: Ellen Sabin
Type or emotional/crisis issue addressed: Death and Loss
Year of Publication: 2006
Publisher and Location: Watering Can, China
ISBN# 097598683
Target Age Level: Elementary
# of Pages: 63
Quality of Illustrations: Good
Brief Summary: This book is set up like a work book, the child can read through with an adult or independently. It helps them identify what they’re feeling after someone they love died. It lets them know that whatever they’re feeling is okay. They can write down their questions about death, where people go, what happens after they die, etc. Then it goes through remembering the person who died. The child can make a scrapbook about the person who died. They can include different memories including pictures or stories. It also offers some ways to feel better, and gives space for a journal for the child to express themselves.
Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: It’s a great book that could really help a child process the loss of someone they loved.
Activity: Work through the book with a child. It may take some time. Let the child work through the book at their speed.

When a Pet Dies

Title: When a Pet Dies

Author: Fred Rogers

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death of a pet

Year of Publication: 1998

Publisher & Location: Penguin Group

ISBN#: 9780698116665

Target Age Level: Preschool, early elementary

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: photographs

Brief Summary: This book is written by Fred Rogers from Mr. Roger's neighborhood and explains the emotions that a child may experience when a loved pet dies. The book reassures the child that their feelings will get better.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book: none

Post Reading Activities: Have the child draw a picture of their pet or retell and write a story about one of their favorite memories with their pet. Discuss how they feel and provide comfort and reassurance.

Freak the Mighty

Author/Authors: Rodman Phillbrick

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: FRIENDSHIP, DEATH, INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

Year of Publication: 1993

Publisher & Location: Scholastic Paperbacks

ISBN #: 0439286069

Target Age Level: Upper elementary

# of Pages: 176

Quality of Illustrations: None

Brief Summary: Maxwell Kane lives with his grandparents after his father allegedly killed his mother. He is picked on and also is in special education which adds to his low self-esteem. He then meets Kevin (aka freak) who has a rare birth defect where his body does not grow like it is supposed to. Kevin is very smart and has a very active imagination. Max carries Kevin all over the place and Kevin is the “brain” of their duo friendship is called Freak the Mighty. In the end of the story, Kevin dies and Max is left with his memory of their friendship. Max’s dad also kidnaps his son and attempts to harm him as well. This story has multiple emotional/crisis issues that can be talked about.

Post reading activity:
I found a website that a teacher put together that has questions after every chapter or two. This would be a good guide to use when asking questions. There is also a Jeopardy game which would be fun to use. The link is http://www.cowden-herrick.k12.il.us/staff/burruscasey/elearning/ftm/activities.html .

When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death

Author/Authors: Laurie Krasny Brown

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: DEATH

Year of Publication: 1998

Publisher & Location: Little, Brown Young Readers

ISBN #: 0316119555

Target Age Level: Lower elementary

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: Good colorful illustrations.

Brief Summary: This book isn’t in story format. Instead, it answers basic questions a child may have about death. For example, it talks about what alive means, death, how to say good-bye and other common questions or concerns. Look at the book before using. It is very frank and may bring up more concerns than you want to discuss.

Post reading activity:
This book is a great way to talk about different subjects about death as it comes up. Use it to create discussion opportunities. In the event of a lost one, have the child then make a collage of things about the person who has died. They could put together pictures or cut out things from a magazine that reminds them of the person.

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf

Type of emotional/crisis issues addressed: DEATH AND LOSS

Author/authors: Leo Buscaglia

Year of Publication: 1982

Book Title: The Fall of Freddie the Leaf

ISBN #: 0913590894

Age Level: Early Elementary

# of pages: 14

Quality of illustrations: Live picture book

Brief Summary: This story is a story about a leaf named Freddie. It is a simple story that takes you through the various seasons of life that Freddie and his companion leaf friends go through, ultimately falling to the ground in the winter time and changing homes or “dying.” Freddie proceeds to ask a lot of questions, most questions that you would expect a small child to ask and he gets his questions answered in a clear and direct way while still sensitive for young readers. Great book.

Post reading activity: Have the children talk about a time they had someone they knew that changed homes and died. Ask them to share how that made them feel and how Freddie would feel. Help the children process the answers to the difficult questions posed in this book.

The Forever Dog

Author: Bill Cochran

Illustrator: Dan Andreasen

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death (of a pet)

Year of Publication: 2007

Publisher & Location: New York: HarperCollins Publishers

ISBN#: 9780060539399

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: Excellent

Brief Summary: Mike and his dog Corky plan to be best friends forever, so when Corky becomes sick and dies, Mike is angry about the broken promise.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Excellent for dealing with the death of a pet. Realistically shows how Mike is sad and angry about Corky's death. His mom helps him remember the good things about Corky and the fun they had together.

Activity: Have the child talk about, write about, or draw pictures of the positive things they remember about their pet, just like Mike did.

Hunting Grandma's Treasures

Author: Gina Willner-Pardo

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death, Grandparent, Family Relationship

Year of Publication: 1996

Publisher & Location: Clarion Books: New York

ISBN#: 0-395-68190-1

Target Age Level: Upper Elementary

# of Pages: 35

Quality of Illustrations: Colorful, but do not show a lot of detail.

Brief Summary: Kevin's grandmother is dying, but before she dies, she leaves a secret with him. After her death, Kevin reveals that the secret is a treasure hunt that all the grandchildren will go on during the summer at Wrigley Lake. During their time at the lake, Kevin and his family talk about what things are different and are the same after Grandma's death.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This is a short chapter book that does a good job at describing how the different family members respond to their grandmother's death in different ways.

Activities:

1. Have the students write down things they remember doing with person that passed away, or things they learned from that person. Discuss how although some things may be different because of their death, other things stay the same.
   
2. If your loved one sent you on a treasure hunt, what would your treasure be? Have the students create their own treasure hunt.

Goodnight, Mr. Tom

Author: Michelle Magorian

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Abuse, War, Loss, Adoption

Year of Publication: 1981

Publisher & Location: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. New York

ISBN#:0-06-440174-X

Target Age Level: Junior High, High School

# of Pages: 318

Quality of Illustrations: NA

Brief Summary: William comes from an abusive home during world war II and is placed as an evacuee with a man whom he calls Mr.Tom. Mr. Tom is struggling with the loss of his wife and later on both experience another loss of a loved one.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: One scene in the book becomes very descriptive which may be too much for a student who still is or recently has been in an abusive home.

Activities: Discuss some challenges that may come from being in an abusive home/a loss and how over time the pain gets softer (sea glass analogy).

My Grandfather's Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge and Belonging

Author: Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death, Illness

Year of Publication: 2001

Publisher & Location: Riverhead Trade

ISBN#:

1573228567 (isbn13: 9781573228565)

Target Age Level: Young Adult, Adult, High School

# of Pages: 400

Quality of Illustrations: none

Brief Summary: When doctor and author Rachel Naomi Remen was young, she was caught between two different views of life: that of her rabbi grandfather and that of her highly academic, research-oriented parents, who believed religion was the opiate of the masses. As Remen gravitated toward academics and serving the world as a medical doctor, her grandfather became an "island of mysticism in a vast sea of science." But over time, Remen discovered that two seemingly divergent paths could lead to the same destination, especially as she learned to blend her spiritual beliefs with her medical treatment.

Remen uses the heart-rending stories of her patients to teach readers how to follow in her example, that is, combining a life of service with a life of receiving and giving blessings (a combination that avoids common problems such as burnout, self-sacrifice, and navel gazing). Remen also includes personal stories of her grandfather, who showered the world with his mystical beliefs and wizened blessings. --Gail Hudson

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: good book, deals with different types of loss. for older readers.

Activities:
Since it is for older readers, a discussion would probably suffice. Although each chapter is a different story and are typically not long, you could find one (the one about collectible toy cars is a good one to use) that you could do activities with.

Lifetimes: A Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children

Author: Bryan Mellonie and Robert Inpen

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death

Year of Publication: 1983 (October)

Publisher & Location: Bantam Books, New York, NY

ISBN#:

• 0553344021
  
• 9780553344028

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary

# of Pages:48

Quality of Illustrations: Colored pencil drawings, detailed and realistic

Brief Summary: A pet . . . a friend . . . or a relative dies, and it must be explained to a child. This sensitive book is a useful tool in explaining to children that death is a part of life and that, eventually, all living things reach the end of their own special lifetimes. (From Barnes & Noble Website, 5/12/2009)

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Good for kids who are really into nature; not so good for kids who have limited exposure to nature and are unfamiliar with the animals in the story.

I Miss You, A First Look At Grief

Author: Pat Thomas

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death

Year of Publication: 2001

Publisher & Location: Barron's Educational Series, Hauppauge, NY

ISBN#: 0764117645
978-0764117640

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary, and possibly Upper Elementary

# of Pages: 27

Quality of Illustrations: Cute, colorful, multi-cultural, but somewhat busy (for kid who get visually distracted)

Brief Summary: This book explains in simple, matter-of-fact terms, the feelings that might come with the death of a loved one, as well as the subsequent funeral.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This book was developed for educational use. It is straight-forward and presents grief as acceptable and different for each person. There are several pages that include prompts/questions to ask kids as you read the book. Also, after the end of the story, there are a few pages with suggestions for activities.

Dog Heaven

Author: Cynthia Rylant

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death, loss

Year of Publication: 1995

Publisher & Location: The Blue Sky Press, New York

ISBN#: 0-590-41701-0

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 30

Quality of Illustrations: Excellent, colorful paintings done by the author; depiction of various ethnicities

Brief Summary: This book discusses where dogs go when they die: Dog Heaven. In Dog Heaven, God has created a place where dogs are taken care of by angel children, given as many dog biscuits as they want, can run free in the fields, and even visit the people they love back on earth from time to time. This is a great book to address the loss of a pet and is very positive and hopeful. All dogs are well taken care of and can stay there as long as they want, waiting for old friends.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: God is mentioned many times in connection with Dog Heaven, so consider children's religious beliefs before using this book.

Activities: Discuss children's experiences with losing a pet. Have children draw a picture or write and illustrate a short story about their own pet's heaven (e.g., Dog Heaven, Cat Heaven, Fish Heaven). Children may share their pictures/stories in small groups.

I'll Always Love You

Author: Hans Wilhelm

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Death, loss, pets

Year of Publication: 1985

Publisher & Location: Scholastic; New York, NY

ISBN#: 978-0517556481

Target Age Level: Lower and Upper Elementary, Pre-K

# of Pages: 32

Quality of Illustrations: simple, colorful

Brief Summary: "In this gentle, moving story, Elfie, a dachshund, and her special boy progress happily through life together. One morning Elfie does not wake up. The family grieves and buries her. The watercolor illustrations, tender and warm in color and mood, suit the simple text perfectly."--School Library Journal.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: Good, simple book about death, loss and grieving. Although the death is of a pet, it can be transferred over to human death and loss.

Activity:
Talk about each stage with the boy and the dog. Discuss how people reacted differently to the dog. Discuss why they think the boy told the dog he loved him, even though the dog can't understand him. Talk about ways to show someone that you love them. Have the children write a note to someone (including pets) whom they love (alive or dead).

Annie's Monster

Author: Barbara Corcoran

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Mental Illness, Adolescence, Caregivers, Death, Pet Care, Family Relationships, Mental Health Facilities

Year of Publication: 1990 (out of print, but available used)

Publisher & Location: Macmillian, New York

ISBN#: 0689316321

Target Age Level: Upper Elementary

# of Pages: 188

Quality of Illustrations: None

Brief Summary: Annie gets a new dog and when they are out one day, they stumble across a homeless woman who Annie tries to help.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: