In School Library Journal: Good Grief: Middle Grade Authors Normalize Loss

Hop on over to School Library Journal’s site to see my recent cover story, “Good Grief: Middle Grade Authors Normalize Loss.”

Grief is a natural response to death and loss. It’s stressful, emotional, and can take a toll on mental health and physical well-being.

In the last several years, middle grade books that grapple with grief have flourished, perhaps reflecting the deaths of friends and loved ones that many experienced since the start of the pandemic, or as part of a cultural shift that is bringing subjects like grief and mental health out of the shadows. As of February 2022, at least 204,000 U.S. children and teens had lost parents and other in-home caregivers to COVID-19—more than 1 in every 360 youth, according to COVID Collaborative, a group that is raising awareness and support for COVID-bereaved children.

Full interviews with all of the authors from this article will appear throughout October here on TLT. Thanks to Jess Redman, Christina Li, Debbie Fong, K.A. Reynolds, Gary D. Schmidt, Emily Barth Isler, and Lisa Stringfellow for taking the time to talk with me about this important topic.

Filed under: Sensitive Issues