Part of Me Died Too: Stories of Creative Survival Among Bereaved Children and Teenagers

by Virginia Lynn Fry, Katherine Paterson (Foreword)

A moving and eloquent chronicle of eleven children, ranging from toddlers to teenagers, who have lost family or friends shows how drawing, music, and other rituals can help the grieving process, offering creative strategies for dealing with loss.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 1995

Reviews

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not read all the stories and the one I was interested in dealt with a more complicated grief pattern so I didn't find the book very helpful although other parents with younger children and the children themselves might.

[Aletha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each chapter of this book explores a different type of death and/or a different age-group of child(ren) with narratives of their experiences. One hospice counselor talks about her interactions with them, picking up the pieces of their loss, what things helped them cope and what didn't, etc. For anyone who works with children or personally knows a child who's been through loss or trauma, I would highly recommend this read. There are some great examples of activities and conversations that may help children relieve their anger, fear, sadness and be able to incorporate the experience into their lives and continue living. My only wish is that the author would have been a little clearer about who she intended the audience to be for this book - it seems like part of the time she is directing it to children or adolescents and other times to family members, teachers, counselors or other adults. I would like to see two versions of this book - more specific and with different language for different audiences.

[drowningmermaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stories in this anthology move from the ordinary traumas of death, but grow steadily more horrifying. The final stories are so awful that I still think of them, ten years after reading this book.

An excellent look at death and bereavement.