This book describes a detailed study by the author into the use of children's fiction in helping children understand and cope with their grief bibliotherapy in bereavement. She sought to develop a classification system providing convenient reference to aspects of bereavement in books covering the topic of death and then to review children's novels within this system of classification. Early chapters follow the author's journey in understanding what is meant by bibliotherapy and how death has been portrayed in literature from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day. However, it is the chapter on Classification of Books that will most interest adults searching for a guide in helping them to select books to recommend to children and young people. The author presents a helpful model of classification, which is then illustrated in three diagrams. These provide a useful visual aid in directing the reader towards books most likely to fit with the particular experience and needs of a young person. More detailed information about these books is then provided which further enhances the selection process. The author is convincing in her conclusion that there is potential in the use of bibliotherapy with bereaved children. -- National SIDS/ Infant Death Resource Center
This study could be of considerable interest to professionals, introducing an alternative and practical approach. -- The Compassionate Friends Newsletter UK
Her book offers an extremely careful assessment of a number of novels which are chosen on the grounds of literary merit, age of potential readers, nature of the bereavement portrayed, relationship of the protagonist to the dead person, and the level of emotive content. -- Bereavement Care
Eileen Jones is persuaded that fiction can help children in both directive and non-directive situations, alongside other support. Her book will be of interest to teachers, counsellors and parents and will help them greatly in making judgements on books that come their way; for my own belief is that we should never offer a book to a child for therapeutic purposes without having read it ourselves. -- Bereavement Care
