Parents & Teachers

Death & Dying: Death of a Child (Sibling)

General | Death of a Grandparent | Death of a Parent | Death of Other Relatives | Death of a Friend | Death of a Pet |

The books on this bibliography are designed to help parents and children cope with the death of a loved one.  Not every book is appropriate for every child.  We strongly urge caregivers to pre-read a book before sharing it with a young person.

155.937  RIC           Losing Someone You Love: When a Brother or Sister Dies.  Elizabeth Richter.  Ages 10 & up.
Sixteen young people ages ten to twenty four recall their emotions when a sibling died. This book is helpful for parents and other adults as well as young people.

155.937 BRE          When I Die, Will I Get Better?  Joeri and Piet Breebaart.  Ages 4-7. 
A six-year-old boy tries to come to terms with the death of his younger brother by creating a story about rabbit brothers that closely parallels his own experiences.

155.937 MAP        On the Wings of a Butterfly: a Story about Life and Death.  Marilyn Maple.  Ages 5-12. 
Lisa, a child dying of cancer, finds comfort and support in her friendship with a caterpillar preparing for transformation into a monarch butterfly.

Picture Books

A Little Bit of Rob.  Barbara J. Turner.  Ages 4-8.
After Rob's death, his parents and younger sister find that taking their boat out crabbing and handling his old sweatshirt allow them to come to terms with his memory.

Molly’s Rosebush.  Janice Cohn.  Ages 4-8.
When the new baby they've been expecting is stillborn, Molly and her family find different ways to express their feelings and comfort each other.

Stacey Had A Little Sister.  Wendie C. Old.  Ages 3-7. 
Stacy has mixed feelings about her new sister Ashley, but when the baby dies of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Stacy is sad and misses her.

That Summer.  Tony Johnston. Ages 5-9.
A boy remembers the last summer with his dying brother and the quilt they sewed full of memories and love.

Chapter Books

Mick Harte Was Here.  Barbara Park.  Ages 8-12. 
Thirteen-year-old Phoebe recalls her younger brother Mick’s death in a bicycle accident and the changes it brings in her family.

A Summer to Die.  Lois Lowry.  Ages 11-14. 
Thirteen-year-old Meg envies her sister's beauty and popularity.  Her feelings don't make it any easier for her to cope with Molly's strange illness and eventual death from leukemia.

Zink. Cheryl Bennett.  Ages 9-14. 
With the help of a trio of zebras from the Serengeti, sixth-grader Becky faces her battle with leukemia, her family's fears for her, and the possibility that she might die.