Books for Tweens, Teens, & Young Adults

Angel Catcher: A Journal of Loss and Remembrance

• This unique and sensitive grief journal allows readers to catch -- and hold -- an angel. Designed to help find meaning and overcome the loss of a loved one.

The Astonishing Color of After, A Time Magazine 100 Best YA Books of All Time Selection.

• Life, loss, love and art explode in a kaleidoscope of emotions as one teen must learn the truth about her family's past in order to bring peace to the present.  Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love. 

The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

• Just when seventeen-year-old Matt thinks he can't handle one more piece of terrible news, he meets a girl who's dealt with a lot more--and who just might be able to clue him in on how to rise up when life keeps knocking him down--in this "vivid, satisfying, and ultimately upbeat tale of grief, redemption, and grace

Dancing at My Pity Party by Tyler Feder

• Part poignant cancer memoir and part humorous reflection on a motherless life, this debut graphic novel is extraordinarily comforting and engaging.  This author walks through the stages of her mother's cancer, to the funeral, sitting shiva, and afterward, when she must try to make sense of her life as a motherless daughter. 

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner

• An unflinching, powerful memoir about growing up Korean American, losing her mother, and forging her own identity.

Fire in my Heart, Ice in my Veins By Enid Samuel Traisman

• An interactive journal for teens.  Teens can write letters, copy down meaningful lyrics, write songs and poems, tell the person who died what they want them to know, finish business and use their creativity to work through the grieving process.

Grieving for the Sibling you Lost: A Teen's Guide to Coping with Grief & Finding Meaning After Loss: by Erica Goldblatt Hyatt, DSW

• A psychotherapist specializing in teen and adolescent bereavement offers a compassionate guide to help you discover your unique coping style, deal with overwhelming emotions, and find constructive ways to manage this profound loss so you can move forward in a meaningful and healthy way.

The Grieving Teen: A Guide for the Teenagers & Their Families by Helen Fitzgerald

• Grief counselor, Helen Fitzgerald, turns her attention to the special needs of adolescents struggling with loss and gives teens the tools they need to work through their pain and grief.

The Healing Your Grieving Heart for Teens: 100 Practical Ideas by: Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD

• This series offers suggestions for healing activities that can help survivors learn to express their grief and mourn naturally.

When a Friend Dies: A Book for Teens About Grieving & Healing by: Marilyn E. Gootman, EdD

• Updated third edition offers sensitive advice and genuine understanding for teens coping with grief and loss.

What Momma Left Me by Renée Watson

• Rediscover Newbery Honor- and Coretta Scott King Author Award-winner Renée Watson's heart-rending debut, about one girl's journey to reconnect to joy.