By Navigating life as a teenager is especially difficult, without adding death and grief into the mix. We’ve discussed talking to toddlers and young children about death, but teenagers are an entirely different story. According to a study on the impact of childhood bereavement, “The death of a parent during childhood has been linked with a wide range of serious and enduring health consequences ranging from schizophrenia to major depression and suicide.” This means it is especially important to have open and honest conversations with your teens about death and grief.
However, navigating these conversations is not always clear and straightforward. Whether you are a teenager, or looking to support a teenager, here are six books to support you.
Special thanks to my local teen librarian Sabrina for these recommendations.
Books for Teenagers Navigating Death and Grief
Grief: Insights and Tips for Teenagers by Joe Jansen
Grief: Insights and Tips for Teenagers is a compassionate guide to help you and those you care about navigate the difficult path of grief. Filled with the words of other young adults who have walked this road themselves, you will find that you are not alone—and that things do get better.
You will learn
- how to honor the memory of those you have lost
- what movies, writers, musicians, and philosophers can teach us about grief
- what has helped other teenagers work through their grief
- the many resources available to you, including websites, videos, music, podcasts, and more
Grief is one of the most personal emotions we can experience—no one will ever have the unique relationship you had with your family member or friend. At the same time, the sadness of grief is one of the most universal feelings.
Purchase: Publisher’s Website
Grief recovery for teens: letting go of painful emotions with body-based practices by Coral Popowitz
In this compassionate guide, you’ll discover how your mind can affect the way you feel physically, and discover body-oriented skills to help your body heal after experiencing loss. You’ll also find ways to relieve feelings of anxiety and confusion that can make your physical symptoms worse, and finally begin the healing process.
Knowing how your body is affected by grief and loss—and what you can do to relieve the physical and emotional pain—will give you healthy coping skills to last a lifetime. This book will help you learn these skills and start feeling better in both body and mind.
Purchase: BookShop.org
When a Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving and Healing by Marilyn E. Gootman
The death of a friend is a wrenching event for anyone at any age. Teenagers especially need help coping with loss. This sensitive book answers questions grieving teens often have, like “How should I be acting?” “Is it wrong to go to parties and have fun?” and “What if I can’t handle my grief on my own?” The advice is gentle, non-preachy, and compassionate; the author has seen her own children suffer from the death of a friend, and she knows what teens go through.
The revised edition includes new quotes from teens, new resources, and new insights into losing a friend through violence. Also recommended for parents and teachers of teens who have experienced a painful loss.
Purchase: BookShop.org
Suicide: When it Happens to Someone you Know by Bonnie Szumski
When someone you know-when someone you love-dies from suicide the sense of loss and guilt can be overwhelming and it is natural to wonder how you can ever come back from that pain.
This book offers a deeply personal look at the thoughts, feelings, and grieving process in the aftermath of suicide. It shows that there is no magic elixir, no ideal path to feeling okay again but that the way back includes accepting how you feel, talking to people you trust, and taking care of yourself.
Purchase: BookShop.org
You are not Alone: Stories by Young Teens Who Have Experienced the Death of a Sibling
You Are Not Alone: Stories by Young Teens Who Have Experienced the Death of a Sibling is a collection of true stories told by grieving young teens. Each author in this book writes with authenticity as they honor their deceased sibling. You Are Not Alone is meant to provide support to other young readers who may be grieving the death of someone they loved. John Green, the New York Times best-selling author of The Fault in Our Stars and Turtles All the Way Down, has written the foreword to You Are Not Alone. John writes, “Warning: this book will probably make you cry.
This book will also make you smile as you read about the ways people honor their lost loved ones, and the warm memories they carry on with them.” Grieving the death of loved ones is difficult, and everyone processes grief differently. The teen authors who have contributed to this book transparently share their grief journeys and how the support of programs such as Brooke’s Place has helped transform their grief into hope.
Purchase: Centering.org
Coping with Parental Death: Insight and Tips for Teenagers
Losing a parent at any time in one’s life is difficult, but losing a parent when a teenager brings its own distinct challenges. Coping with Parental Death: Insights and Tips for Teenagers offers compassionate support for anyone struggling with the death of one or both of their parents. Through the stories of other teenagers who have lost a parent—as well as the author herself who lost her mother at a young age—you will see that you are not alone during this difficult time.
You will learn
- Valuable coping methods
- Different ways to honor the memory of your loved one
- Strategies and advice from fellow teenagers
- How to navigate the first year and important milestones
- Tips for seeking out a counselor
With expert advice, useful resources, relevant organizations, and even fictional movie references to provide additional perspective, Coping with Parental Death is a valuable guide to help you face the challenging road ahead with courage and care.
Purchase: BookShop.org
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