Healing a Teen's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas for Families, Friends and Caregivers »

Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD, is an internationally known teacher, a grief counselor, and the author of The Journey Through Grief and The Understanding Your Grief Journal. He is director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition and faculty member at the University of Colorado Medical School’s department of family medicine. He is the “Children and Grief” columnist for Bereavement magazine and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, and NBC’s Today. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

A compassionate resource for friends, parents, relatives, teachers, volunteers, and caregivers, this series offers suggestions to help the grieving cope with the loss of a loved one. Often people do not know what to say—or what not to say—to someone they know who is mourning; this series teaches that the most important thing a person can do is listen, have compassion, be there for support, and do something helpful. This volume addresses what to expect from grieving young people, and how to provide safe outlets for teens to express emotion. Included in each book are tested, sensitive ideas for “carpe diem” actions that people can take right this minute—while still remaining supportive and honoring the mourner’s loss.

KLIATT

This little book, written by a grief counselor who is the Director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition, will help many parents, grandparents, teachers and coaches to do something useful when teens grieve. There are 100 practical suggestions given here, with ideas on how to put them into effect. Some of the ideas are: respecting the teen's wish not to talk about the death; helping the teen choose a keepsake; asking to see photos; being the teen's advocate; and galvanizing the teen's support system. Being a good friend to a teen in need is a long-term commitment and sometimes we all need directions on how to go about it. This book will serve that purpose. Also available from Companion Press: Healing Your Grieving Heart For Teens: 100 Practical Ideas (2001, 128p, 22cm, 00-110524, isbn 1-879651-23-8, $11.95). KLIATT Codes: JSA—Recommended for junior and senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2001, Companion Press (3735 Broken Bow Rd. Fort Collins, CO 80526), 128p, 22cm, 00-192971, $11.95. Ages 13 to adult. Reviewer: Barbara Jo McKee; Libn/Media Dir. Streetsboro H.S. Stow, OH, May 2001 (Vol. 35 No. 3)