I did not read all the stories and the one I was interested in dealt with a more complicated grief pattern so I didn't find the book very helpful although other parents with younger children and the children themselves might. ( )

I did not read all the stories and the one I was interested in dealt with a more complicated grief pattern so I didn't find the book very helpful although other parents with younger children and the children themselves might. ( )

Stephanie Zvirin (Booklist, January 1, 1995 (Vol. 91, No. 9))
This is an extremely difficult book to read because it's such a vivid catalog of pain. But Fry, a bereavement counselor, aims to do more than tell harrowing stories. She also wants to get young people to use their creative talents to ease their emotional turmoil: each of the 11 real-life stories she includes is followed by a selection of reasonable self-help activities--make a trouble doll, stitch a memory quilt, etc. The narratives, from young people ranging in age from toddler to teen, encompass a wide variety of situations. In one, a little boy deals with the death of a pet; in another, a little girl recounts the horrific murder-suicide of her parents. The accounts show the importance of professional counseling as well as the value of helping oneself. Unfortunately, the audience for this book is not clear-cut. The text may be too difficult and the situations too stark for some elementary or middle-school children (to whom many of Fry's self-help activities seem directed), and the chapter readings (presented with no publication information) aren't always age appropriate. For example, Wilson Rawls' Where the Red Fern Grows, an adult book, is suggested reading at the end of the story about a preschool child. Still, Fry captures the cruel legacy of loss while providing a firm statement that, with time and work, the pain will eventually ease. Illustrated with original artwork by kids. Category: Older Readers. 1995, Dutton, $14.99. Gr. 5-8.
(Stephanie Zvirin (Booklist, January 1, 1995 (Vol. 91, No. 9))

Won Notable Books for Children, 1995 ; American Library Association-ALSC; United States

art therapy

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