5 stars Told with sympathy, understanding, and humor, the book walks through different aspects of a loved one dying. This was such a wonderful read. Was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I especially love that it points out some of the confusing things people say to children (“She’s only sleeping.”,…
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Narrated by Joshua Quinn 5 stars Jaw-droppingly good. The best of modern mythology retellings. Kwame just wants to have a normal summer. Instead his family is taking him to Ghana for his grandmother’s celebration of life. Still grieving the loss of his grandmother and having never felt Ghanaian enough at family events, Kwame is dreading…
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4 stars Following a traumatic school shooting, Bea takes up horseback riding to help her cope. We see glimpses of Bea’s life before and after the shooting, learning about her experience with cerebral palsy, her adopted mom Max, and her attempts to get her Little, Josie, to come out of her shell. A heartbreaking story….
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5 stars I read the graphic novel adaptation of this book a few years ago and loved it. Finally got around to reading the original and was not disappointed. Molly moves with her family to a renovated church in the middle of nowhere, complete with a quiet little graveyard. The place creeps Molly out, but…
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Illustrated by Hala Tahboub 5 stars An absolutely beautiful story about being there for those you care about when they’re grieving. As different people in his life experience loss, the narrator wants to help them, but they all seem to need different things. The narrator learns there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that just being…
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Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell 5 stars A beautiful story of grief, loss, and remembering. The narrator and her grandfather have a special box of treasures that is all their own. Together, they add to the collection. But when her grandfather passes away, the narrator doesn’t want to open the box anymore; it will just…
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Illustrated by Xindi Yan 5 stars An absolutely stunning exploration of the lasting presence of a loved one. A little girl remembers her grandfather and keeps his memory alive by enjoying the things they once did together. While she is saddened by his absence, she finds joy in living out the lessons she learned from…
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Illustrated by Matt Rockefeller 5 stars Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Told entirely as a palindrome, this lushly-illustrated fantasy tale follows a young boy grieving the loss of his mother. In his anger and grief, he sets out on an adventure to seek the answer to a crucial question, learning an important lesson along the way. A…
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4 stars Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is the first I’ve read of Armstrong’s work. Nicola is grieving over the loss of her husband, Anton. Due to her cystic fibrosis, she always expected to die first. In an effort for closure, Nicola dabbles in the world…
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Translated by Geoffrey Trousselot 3 stars A heartwarming exploration of grief, regret, family, and love. From those who didn’t express themselves before it was too late to those who feel they’ve wronged their loved ones, Café Funiculi Funicula gives customers a chance to resolve unfinished business with those they’ve lost. Though they can’t change the…
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