Recommended Fiction Books

Sometimes it helps to dig into a good story about grief and dying. Here are some books-- some new, some old-- that are worth checking out:

A Begonia For Miss Applebaum
by Paul Zindel
Discovering that their beloved former teacher Miss Applebaum is terminally ill, fifteen-year-old Henry and his friend Zelda accompany her on her excursions to the colorful parts of New York City and join her in confronting death with quiet courage.

Drive-By
by Lynne Ewing
Tito cares for his little sister while trying to deal with his brother's death in a drive-by shooting.

The Eagle Kite
by Paula Fox
Liam's father has AIDS, and the disease forces Liam to recognize some hard realities about his father's condition, his parents' relationship, and the certain outcome of his life.

Face at the Edge of the World
by Eve Bunting
Haunted by the suicide of his best friend, Charlie, Jed attempts to re-create his friend's last weeks and discover why Charlie took his own life.

Invincible Summer
by Jean Ferris
A seventeen-year-old girl battles leukemia while falling in love with a boy who is also struggling to survive the disease.

Memory
by Margaret Mahy
On the fifth anniversary of his older sister's death, nineteen-year-old Jonny Dart, troubled by feelings of guilt and an imperfect memory of the event, goes in search of the only other witness to the fatal accident and, through a chance meeting with a senile old woman, finds a way to free himself of the past.

Night Kites
by M.E. Kerr
Seventeen-year-old Erick Rudd’s family faces tragedy when his older brother, Pete, is diagnosed as having AIDS.

Ordinary People
by Judith Guest
A "normal" family deals with the accidental death of one son, and the subsequent suicide attempt of the son who feels responsible for the tragedy. Watch the movie too!

Party Girl
by Lynne Ewing
Kata begins questioning her life in a Los Angeles gang when her best friend is murdered.

Remembering Mog
by Colby F. Rodowsky
On the eve of her graduation from high school, Annie dwells on the memory of her older sister Mog, who was killed the night before her own graduation. Annie, with the help of a counselor, learns that it is all right to have experiences her sister never lived to share.

A Ring of Endless Light
by Madeleine L'Engle
During the summer her grandfather is dying of leukemia and death seems all around, 15-year-old Vicky finds comfort with the pod of dolphins with which she has been doing research.

Say Goodnight, Gracie
by Julie Reece Deaver
Morgan, 17, copes with the accidental death of her best friend Jimmy, a boy with whom she has shared everything since childhood.

Saying It Out Loud
by Joan Abelove
Sixteen-year-old Mindy and her best friend takes stock of her relationships as a way to deal with her mother's impending death from a brain tumor.

Shizuko's Daughter
by Kyoko Mori
The struggles of a modern Japanese teenager coming to terms with her mother's suicide.

The Silver Kiss
by Annette Curtis Klause
A young girl struggles to accept the impending death of her mother...and becomes involved in a relationship with a vampire.

Sort Of Forever
by Sally Warner
Cady and Nana, both twelve, explore their friendship while coping with Nana's cancer.

Stone Water
by Barbara Snow Gilbert
Grant Hues is asked by his grandfather to not allow him to be paced on life-support systems when he is transferred to the terminal ward of the hospital.

A Summer To Die
by Lois Lowry
Thirteen-year-old Meg envys 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.

Tears of a Tiger
by Sharon Draper
High school basketball star Rob dies in a car accident. The story of how his death affects his friend Andy, who was driving the car, and other classmates emerges through newspaper articles, journal entries, homework assignments, letters, and conversations.

Tiger Eyes
by Judy Blume
Davey Wexler relocates with her mother and brother as they try to recover from her father's sudden death during a convenience store hold-up.

A Time for Dancing
by Davida Hurwin
Sam and Jules are best friends planning their future together in college...then Julie is diagnosed with cancer, and their relationship is sent into a tailspin.