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Death
The following list contains both fiction and non-fiction stories about death or the loss of a loved one. The books range from Preschool level (age 1-3) to 8th grade (age 14). Links to sources for purchase may be found by clicking on each title or may readily be acquired through your local library. Additionally, several of the titles may be found in read-aloud form on YouTube or other video sharing platforms.
Pre-K - Kindergarten
Always and Forever
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Big Cat, Little Cat
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children
Non-fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Goodbye Book
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Where Are You?
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
Always Remember
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Boats for Papa
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Chester Raccoon and the Acorn Full of Memories
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Cry, Heart, But Never Break
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Grandad's Island
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
I’ll Always Love You
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
I Miss You: A First Look at Death
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Ladder to the Moon
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
One Wave at a Time: A Story About Grief and Healing
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Sad Isn’t Bad: A Good Grief Handbook for Kids Dealing with Loss—
Non-fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Samantha Jane’s Missing Smile: A Story About Coping with the Loss of a Parent
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Saying Goodbye to Lulu
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Dead Bird
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Day My Daddy Died
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Heart and the Bottle
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Invisible String
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Memory Box: A Book About Grief
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Next Place
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Rabbit Listened
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
What's Heaven?
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
When My Daddy Died, I…
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
2nd Grade - 4th Grade
A Stone for Sascha
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Ida, Always
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Day My Dad Turned Invisible
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Dragonfly Door
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life for All Ages
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Scar
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
4th Grade - 6th Grade
Best Nerds Forever
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Bridge to Terabithia
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Counting by 7s
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Ghost Boys
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Love, Aubrey
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Maniac Magee
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Mockingbird
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Book Thief
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Graveyard Book
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The One and Only Ivan
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Stars Beneath Our Feet
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Thing About Jellyfish
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
When You Reach Me
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
When You Trap a Tiger
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Wonder
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
6th Grade - 8th Grade
All the Bright Places
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
A Monster Calls
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Before I Fall
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Five Feet Apart
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Holding Up the Universe
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
If I Stay
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Someone Like You
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Dead Moms Club: A Memoir About Death, Grief, and the Mother of all Losses
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Fault in Our Stars
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Hate U Give
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
The Sky Is Everywhere
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
They Both Die at the End
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Thirteen Reasons Why
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
Tuesdays with Morrie
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon
We Were Liars
Fiction
Purchase on Amazon