Book recommendations on bereavement and grief for 11yo coping with death of a friend

[Jenniferrr]

Can anyone recommend a helpful book on dealing with bereavement/grief for an 11yo? DD’s friend was killed last year, and although DD seemed to be coping at the time with the help of some therapy sessions and a lot of support at home, her grief seems to have resurfaced and she’s struggling to process what happened - I think she was suppressing a lot as the shock was too much to take in. She has asked for a book to help her work through it as she often finds reading easier than talking, but I want to make sure I get the right one. She is autistic so prefers clear, factual language rather than euphemisms, etc. Any suggestions gratefully received 🙏

That’s so sad OP. Sorry I don’t have any personal recommendations but friends used Winston’s Wish when their children lost a parent and they were v helpful - I see it’s changed name but has a list of resources it recommends www.childbereavementuk.org/pages/category/books-resources

Eg it has this on the list for over 11s for when a friend dies www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1631984225?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_647V831PW9GKNR2A3G35

The first thought I had was Vicky Angel, by Jacqueline Wilson. The main character is with her best friend when she is hit by a car, and dies later in hospital. The plot mostly revolves around the sudden nature of the death and survivors guilt, from what I recall. However depending on how your daughters friend was killed (I note you used "killed" rather than "died") this may not be an appropriate story... but I thought I would mention it for you to look at first. You may also be looking for more of a factual book.

These are really helpful suggestions, thank you so much - I will definitely take a look at them.

I'm sorry for your daughters loss. Depending on her reading age and maturity (and if she's interested in fiction), she might appreciate The Fault in Our Stars.

It's recommended for 13+ so it may be a little too soon, but it deals with death in a gentle but realistic way, and is very much witty and life-affirming.

Thank you, I’ll look into this for her. She reads like an adult but is emotionally quite young for her age, so it’s tricky to get the balance right.