"Danny's life is falling apart. He's become a single father to eleven-year-old Will--who hasn't spoken since the death of his mother in a car crash a year earlier--and Danny has just been fired from his construction job. To make matters worse, he's behind on the rent and his nasty landlord is threatening to break his legs if he doesn't pay soon. Danny needs money, and fast. After observing local street performers in a nearby park, Danny spends his...

The death of a friend is a wrenching event for anyone at any age and can spark feelings that range from sadness to guilt to anxiety. Teenagers especially need help coping with grief and loss. This sensitive book answers questions grieving teens often have, like "How should I be acting?" "How long will this last?" and "What if I can't handle my grief on my own?" The book also addresses the complicated emotions that can accompany the death of an acquaintance,...

Unhappy about moving from sunny California to rainy Corvallis, Oregon, and grieving over the death of her best friend, sixth-grader Iris looks for a miracle and may find one in new friend Boris.

"Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason’s learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard. An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story Mason has told about that day. Both Mason and his...

Twelve-year-old Lily Pruitt loves her grandparents, but she doesn't love the circus -- and the circus is their life. She's perfectly happy to stay with her father, away from her neglectful mother and her grandfather's elephant, Queenie Grace. Queenie Grace, a circus elephant, is happy to have Grandpa Bill as her keeper. She has had cruel keepers in the past, but Bill is her friend and treats her with love and respect. She doesn't quite understand...

""She's in a better place now," adults say again and again. But mortality doesn't seem better, it seems stupid. This forthright exploration of grief and mourning recognizes the anger, confusion, and fear that we feel about death. Necessary, beautiful, and ultimately reassuring, Death Is Stupid is an invaluable tool for discussing death, but also the possibilities for celebrating life and love. The Ordinary Terrible Things Series shows children who...