Teen Grief

When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into, Jarrett was worried: Wouldn't it be depressing, to be around kids facing such a serious struggle? Wouldn't it be grim?

For Gretchen Gardener and Hayden Tucker, Summerfort Grief Center, nestled near Branson, Missouri, offers a place to hope. At the tender age of six, they both endured the losses of their mothers. As children, they bonded as friends, but when puberty hits, romantic crushes develop. Shyness has them doubting every emotion.

Fifteen-year-old Wonder Blake and her family are trying to recover from the death of Wonder's older sister Lucky, who was about to sign a major record deal when she died. When Lucky's talent manager runs into Wonder at the Dairy Queen where she works, her life takes a dramatic turn. Suddenly, despite her own ambivalence, she is the one signing the record deal. Transformed into a teen idol and thrust into the spotlight, Wonder learns what it takes to be a star, and also what it costs.

For Chelsey, death was unthinkable. When her only surviving parent, her beloved father, was violently murdered days before her 14th birthday, Chelsey's life was forever changed. As she was forced to come to terms with a new home life, a new school...a new identity as an orphan, Chelsey struggled to make sense of her personal tragedy. Yet she found a way to flourish despite all the odds.

Ten-year-old Comfort Snowberger has attended 247 funerals. But that's not surprising, considering that her family runs the town funeral home. And even though Great-uncle Edisto keeled over with a heart attack and Great-great-aunt Florentine dropped dead, just like that, six months later, Comfort knows how to deal with loss, or so she thinks.

Charlie, a musical theater nerd with a deep appreciation for sprinkle-topped ice cream and other snack foods, is active in his church and comes from a family who loves and appreciates him for exactly who he is, purple pants and all. Tim, a lover of crinkle-cut pickles, black olives, and other forgivably disgusting crudités, belongs to a conservative Christian pastor and devout mother who move to the rural town to staff a small church that, predictably, holds little place for Tim. After meeting online and attending a youth group at another church, Tim and Charlie become fast friends.

An escaped madman is heading toward Chicago, leaving behind a trail of corpses. The victims are savagely torn apart - and partially eaten. Is the killer merely a cannibalistic psychopath - or a creature from the darkest pits of superstition?

I was 17 when my mum died from breast cancer. At that time, and for a period afterwards, I wasn't able to express myself verbally, so I turned to writing. It was cathartic, though I never had the courage to share what I wrote, let alone attempt to publish my work. I wouldn't claim to be a poet, or a writer, however, 20 years on, I feel ready to share. My hope is that these poems, written while I was still a teenager, will inspire, as well as be understood, whichever way you interpret them.

Highly relatable, comforting, and nurturing, RIP Corey offers listeners a BIG HUG when they need it most. Designed by a nationally-certified speech-language pathologist in collaboration with children's grief experts around the country, this life-changing resource provides young people of all abilities an understanding of grief and a practical guide to navigating the intense emotions that can come with loss.

"The girls are worried about Lauren. She’s saying things that are scaring them.” These two text messages from my best friends began a chain of events that led to us being blindsided by suicide. Our 14-year-old daughter made her attempt at ending her life in our bedroom and succumbed to her injuries seven hours later. My bright, beautiful, talented, brave, funny, and serious daughter was gone. No one saw it coming.

Here is a book to help you or a loved one think and work through grief. Many times people have no one to talk to about their loss. This book is also a resource to use to help lead a grief group discussion about the four tasks of grief. To learn more go to Grievingteens.com, GrievingTeensPublishing.com.