by Cole Imperi; illustrated by Bianca Jagoe
A very readable non-fiction book defining grief – both the death-loss (the loss of a loved one) or a shadow-loss (the loss of something not someone) type while providing useful strategies for moving forward through all types of grief. I don’t think I was ever aware of what shadowloss was, but I absolutely understood it and why it causes grief after reading the book. The book provides calm, gentle assurances throughout that there is no right or wrong way to grieve. Grieving is a process & not an emotion. LOTS of emotions can be part of grief. Outside support organizations are also provided in every chapter, as are words of loving kindness. I found the book’s calming voice reassuring and soothing and the organization of each chapter helpful. Scattered throughout are examples of real people moving through their grief. I appreciated the section aimed at adults who might be trying to help younger folks dealing with grief and the lists of suicide-prevention organizations at the end of the book. I think this will be a very helpful book to put in students’ hands – even those who may not be grieving now. The strategies will be helpful someday, and they might be surprised to learn about shadow-loss as I was and recognize their own, less-obvious types of grief.
