Good Grief!
A strange topic for a blog post leading up to the joyous holidays? For many this is a tough time, with the merriness of the season overshadowed by the recent or long ago death of a loved one.
Because The Rock and the Butterfly (my latest book) is about friendship and loss, I was asked by the 49th Shelf to recommend other books that feature characters who are grieving. I wrote about six picture books and two books for adults.
Two more wonderful books for young people that I could have included, which I’m sure many adults have enjoyed as well —
The Christmas Wind by Stephanie Simpson McLellan and Brooke Kerrigan.
The combination of Stephanie’s poignant text and Brooke’s delicate art makes it one of my favourite Christmas books ever. It’s the story of a girl travelling in search of shelter with her sick mother and a newborn baby brother on Christmas Eve. They find it in the home of a man grieving the loss of his wife. CanLit for Little Canadians calls the book “a story of compassion and grief and determination and acceptance.” In a Starred Review, Kirkus called it “a charming use of a modern setting to convey the familiar theme of the Christmas story.”
Barry Squires, Full Tilt by Heather Smith.
CM Magazine describes the book as “by turns hilarious, shocking, embarrassing, and unbearably sad.” It’s fairly late in the book that twelve-year-old Barry, who desperately wants to join the Full Tilt Irish Step Dancers, encounters loss. When he does, Heather writes about what he goes through in a way that will be comforting to someone who has experienced what Barry has, and help someone who hasn’t known such sorrow understand it. The book was shortlisted for the prestigious Dublin Literary Award in 2022, a rare if not the only time a book for young people was so honoured.
What book would you recommend to someone (any age) experiencing grief at this time of year? Or, since grief has no season, at any time?
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Kathy Stinson is the author of the classic Red Is Best and the award-winning The Man with the Violin. Her wide range of titles includes picture books, non-fiction, young adult fiction, historical fiction, horror, biography, series books, and short stories. She has met with her readers in every province and territory of Canada, in the United States, Britain, Liberia, and Korea. She lives in a small town in Ontario.
Hi there. It is a difficult time of year for many (myself included). I recently read Kristin Butcher’s new book, Closer to Far Away (Red Deer Press) and it’s an excellent middle grade novel about how different family members react to the mother’s unexpected death. I love books that show rather than tell readers about difficult topics. I will check out your suggested material. Congrats on your beautiful picture book. You are a master. Peace to all!
Thanks for mentioning Kristin’s new book, Gabriele. It sounds like a good one.
Thanks also for your kind words about me and my new book. 🙂
Wishing you moments of peace and joy in among the tough ones in the coming weeks.
What a lovely mention, Kathy – thank you. Huge admiration for all of your accomplishments which seem never-ending (and love to both you and Peter).
My pleasure, Stephanie. The Christmas Wind is such a wonderful story.
I shall pass along a share of your love to Peter, and bachatcha!
Suggestions: Mourning Has Broken by Erin Davis, A Time to Grieve by Carol Staudacher. Kristen Butcher’s Closer to Far Away, also wonderful. Everything you write Kathy is always a treasure that I look forward to and share.
Thank you for your suggestions, Wendy. I was pretty sure you would have good recommendations on this subject, and sorry for the reasons you do.
Mourning Has Broken by Erin Davis and A Time to Grieve by Carol Staudacher. Kathy, everything you create is magic and I thank you for writing such superb stories.
And thank you for your kind words of support for my work, too. All the best to you.