There are many excellent books that cover a wide range of topics related to dying, death and bereavement. Check with your local library or book store.
AIDS Care
AIDS: Answers to Questions Kids Ask
Informative questions and answer format
Multiple AIDS-Related Loss
Discusses the losses associated with AIDS and ways to heal
Caregivers
Caregiving
Ways to improve quality of care for those who are dying
Final Choices
Examines tough choices regarding medical care, home care, hospice, assisted suicide etc
Final Gifts
In this moving and compassionate book, hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley share their intimate experiences with patients at the end of life, drawn from more than twenty years experience tending the terminally ill
Grief, Dying and Death
Clinical Interventions for caregivers
How Can I Help?
A Zen perspective on caregiving
The Courage To Laugh
Inspirational look at humour, hope and healing in the face of death
Children & Grief : Fiction
A Taste of Blackberries
Describes a boy’s friendship with Jamie and his feels when she dies
Aunt Mary Buttons
An aunt prepares her niece for the aunt’s impending death
Larry Red and Blue
A young friend is killed by a car; describes a 7 year old’s reactions
Lifetimes
A simple story of beginnings, endings and lifetimes of plants, animals and people
Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs
A young boy’s special relationships with his two grandmothers and his feelings whn they die
So Long Grandpa
Michael witnesses his grandfather’s deterioration and death from cancer
The Garden is Doing Fine
Corrie’s father is dying. His interest in his garden leads to the realization that life continues in his children
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
When his cat dies, a young boy tries to remember ten good things about him
Tunnel Vision
Reactions of family, friends and teacher when a 15 year old boy hangs himself
Where’s Jess
Addresses some of the questions a young child may ask when a sibling dies
Children & Grief : NonFiction
Books to Help Children Cope with Separation and Death
A listing of resources
Helping Children Cope with Loss of a Loved One
Use of narrative and case studies to explain children’s understanding of reactions to death
Hospice Care for Children
Professional resource book for pediatric hospice care
How it Feels When a Parent dies
Children (aged 7 – 16) describe their feelings when a parent died
Learning to Say Goodbye
Addresses the questions and feelings a child has when a parent is sick and dies
Too Old to Cry, Too Young to Die
Teens describe their experiences living with cancer, side effects, family, friends etc
Cross Cultural Caring
Caring for Dying People of Different Faiths
Considers the history and beliefs of several faiths, yet emphasizing the individual’s needs
Conscious Dying
Study of spiritual beliefs/practices related to conscious dying and the transition to the afterlife
Grief & Loss
A Grief Observed
A personal tale of grieving his wife’s death
In the Midst of Winter
Selections of poetry and prose about grief
Parental Loss of a Child
Clinical study and research of this topic
Sibling Loss
Sibling bereavement and its differences
So I Will Comfort You
Support for bereaved patients and others
Living with Grief
After Suicide
A guide for dealing with the aftermath of suicide
Living with Grief after Sudden Loss
A series of articles, resource materials written by experts on these areas of grief
Living with Grief When Illness is Prolonged
A series of articles, resource materials written by experts on this area of grief
Palliative Care References
Cross-Cultural caring
A Handbook for Health Care Professionals in Western Canada
Dying Well
How families find reconciliation when death approaches
New Themes in Palliative Care
Essays on key themes in palliative care, intended for professionals
The Last Dance
A textbook for death and dying courses that gives good introduction to the main issues
Spiritual/Pastoral
Dying, Yet We Live
Considers definitions of spirituality and issues commonly raised
How We Die
Reflection’s on Life’s Final Chapter
Kitchen Table Wisdom
Inspirational book on dealing with serious and chronic illness
The Grace in Dying
How We Are Transformed Spiritually As We Die
