Loss and Grief
Readers will learn about the stories of people who miss their parent, sibling, or friend and cope with the separation. Some of the stories deal with the tragedy of death and the process of grief. In these books, children and adolescents need to develop the inner strength to care for themselves or others.
Beardance
Cloyd Atcitty returns to the high country with his rancher friend Walter. Walter is searching for a lost cache of Spanish gold and Cloyd is hoping to find a family of grizzly bears.
Counting by 7's
Willow is a twelve-year-old genius. Her world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone.
Death Be Not Proud
Johnny Gunther was only seventeen years old when he died of a brain tumor. During the months of his illness, everyone near him was unforgettably impressed by his level-headed courage, his wit and quiet friendliness, and, above all, his unfaltering patience through times of despair.
Heaven
When fourteen-year-old Marley discovers her parents are not her natural parents, her previously peaceful world is suddenly not what it seemed to be. This novel is useful for a discussion about adoption.
Miracle's Boys
Set in contemporary Harlem, this novel tells of three African-American brothers who are left alone after their mother's passing.
Nectar in a Sieve
This is a story of a simple peasant woman in a primitive village in India. Her entire life becomes a gallant, persistent battle to care for those she loves.
Somewhere in the Darkness
In this story, Jimmy learns about his father and about himself, finding out that while things can't always be fixed, sometimes they can be understood, and maybe even forgiven.
The Afterlife
Teenaged Chuy tells the story of what it is like for him to be dead, what he observes among the living in his former Fresno neighborhood, and how he alters his choices from those he made while living.
Tunes for Bears to Dance To
After his brother’s death, Henry moves with his parents to a new town, where he meets and befriends Mr. Levine, an elderly survivor of the Holocaust who spends his days craving a replica of his childhood village.
Where the Red Fern Grows
This is a story of a boy's childhood in the Ozarks which features his intense relationship with two coonhounds and the many adventures they have while hunting.
Whirlgig
Brent Bishop discovers the meaning of accountability when his drunken action causes the death of Lea Zamora.