Using Literature to Help Troubled Teenagers Cope with End-of-Life Issues

Losing a loved one is a scary and confusing event for teenagers, but one that can be made easier through the use of literature and informed mentoring from a caring adult. This teacher friendly reference resource and bibliography provides tools for those who work with young adults to help them come to terms with the grieving process. Literacy experts and counseling professionals are uniquely paired in each chapter to explore specific types of loss and ways in which professionals can help students to explore their feelings by reading about those in similar situations. This novel approach encourages young people to cope with their losses while improving their literacy skills.

Aware of the many ways in which adolescents can suffer loss, Allen has chosen a different theme for each chapter. These themes vary from coping with the death of a parent, to coping with violent deaths, to coping with an AIDS-related death. Annotated bibliographies in each chapter provide a wealth of information for those seeking the materials they need to address these issues, and original pieces written by young adult authors provide a rich context from which to work.

JANET ALLEN is an international consultant recognized for her literacy work with at-risk students. She is the author of It's Never Too Late: Leading Adolescents to Lifelong Literacy, There's Room for Me Here: Literacy Workshop in the Middle School, Words, Words, Words: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12, and Yellow Brick Roads: Shared and Guided Paths to Independent Reading 4-12.