A Guide to Grief

Ages 10 to 14

This book is the wise and compassionate friend you need when you experience grief and loss. Everyone faces loss, and everyone grieves. But grief is as unique as a thumbprint—not everyone grieves the same losses or in the same way. A Guide to Grief covers everything you need to know about death and loss that no one wants to talk about, including:

What to expect in the days, months, and years after loss
The different kinds of loss
How to ask for help
How to help a grieving friend

Whether you are grieving a deathloss (the death of a loved one), or a shadowloss (the death of something not someone), there are simple exercises and helpful mantras to help you move forward in healthy ways. Grief traditions from different cultures and throughout history remind you that this is a universal experience, and you are not alone. This guide has been sensitively reviewed by experts in the field, and contains writing prompts, helpful resources, a glossary of terms, as well as a guide for caregivers. You are part of a new generation of grievers. So let’s start a new way of talking about endings.

About the Author

Cole Imperi is the founder of the School of American Thanatology. A certified thanatologist, she is one of the foremost experts on death, dying, grief and loss, and has spoken on the subject in two TEDx talks, on NPR, in the New York Times and in an episode of Netflix's The Future Of series. Cole has worked as a prison chaplain, mortuary college professor, crematory operator, hospice volunteer, deathcare consultant and grief support group leader. She lives in Los Angeles.

Bianca Jagoe is an illustrator and designer who enjoys telling stories with words and pictures. She likes writing lists, making things with her hands and drawing the funny things her kids do and say. She lives in Tasmania/lutruwita, Australia, which has the world's cleanest air and oldest trees, and towns with cute names like Flowerpot, Snug and Penguin.