The Grieving Teen: A Guide for Teenagers and Their Friends

I lost my Mom when I was 16, so when I was asked for some recommended books for teens who lost their parents in the Sept 11, 2001 terrorism attacks, this was one of them. It is a good book for any grieving teen. We sent about 30 copies of this book to New York City and Washington DC (along with other books as well). Helen Fitzgerald does a wonderful job explaining grief and the healing process to teens. I would suggest supplementing the book with some sort of journal like the book "Fire in My Heart, Ice in Veins" .. But this one is definitely worth purchasing for any grieving teen. It covers the full spectrum of grief's emotions - anger, fear, exhaustion, shock, disbelief and more. It also covers the funeral and what to expect, reacting to your emotions, and how to go on living your life.

Although I bought this book for my niece who is 14, after my sister was killed in a car accident, I found the book useful for anyone mourning the death of a loved one. The book was written in a clear and concise manner. It has a table of contents that can lead you directly to the topic you want to learn more about. In our case we went to the sections that spoke about "when death comes sudden" and "no time to say good-bye". The author also writes about practical matters like what to expect at the wake and the funeral. There are even sections that some people might think taboo, like what does a dead person look or feel like. All these things helped us to come out of the shock of it all. There are two other book in the series: The Mourning Book (which I have read and is equally wonderful) and The Greiving Child (which I have not had a chance to purchase - but I will - I have another niece who is 4yrs old). Helen Fitzgerald should be congratulated in the work she is doing to heal so many she will never meet.