YA Lit Books: Death of Parent(s)

[Cheryl Spenik]

I am trying to find a few YA Lit novels that deal with a teen coping with the death of one or both parents. Any suggestions?

Thanks! Cheryl

[Alan Sitomer]

Funny, cause a really nice student of mine just lost her father 3 weeks ago and she has just fallen off a cliff. She just wrote about him in class today, about how she knows he would have wanted her to be strong but she is so torn apart it makes me want to cry.

And of course, she's been ditching school, not doing work and disappearing. My hearts breaks for this kid. Had me thinking about actually writing a book for her -- and students like her -- just a few hours ago in class.

Just such heavy stuff. Interested to see what the replies are... cause I am a bit in the dark, too.

[Carol Jago]

It is not a young adult title by a long shot, but James Agee's Death in the Family is a heart-stoppingly beautiful novel that deals with this subject. As with all great literature it is also about a lot of other things: black and white, rich and poor, urban and rural.

[Meredith S]

There are some resources in this thread about assignments for students coping with loss

Alan- I think you should write the book!

Carol-A Death in the Family is one of my favorite books!

[Tom Thompson]

It's not exactly something to hold up as a model, but Willow (by Julia Hoban) is about one girl's response to "killing" both of her parents (in a car accident, while she was driving). She becomes a cutter, showing her pain by slicing up her arms and legs with razor blades. I think it does a good job of getting inside her head and showing how she processes what has happened, as well as how she interacts with friends and family. It's fairly dark, but it might be worth a look. Good luck!

[Lauren B.]

Margo Rabb's 'Cures for Heartbreak' is maybe not a book for a middle school student, but I would certainly recommend it to one in high school.

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 9 Up—Black humor, pitch-perfect detail, and compelling characters make this a terrific read, despite the pain that permeates every superbly written page. Ninth-grader Mia has just lost her mother to cancer, and now her father is hospitalized with heart trouble. The story follows her first through bleak days at the hospital, then as she copes with her grief for her mother, her father's new girlfriend, and her sometimes disastrous attempts to find love. Interwoven throughout the book are Mia's musings over her family's history and the continuing tragic impact of the Holocaust. The novel's vivid New York City setting is almost another character, with vibrant descriptions of subway rides, shopping trips, and local color. Mia's early experience with loss influences everything about her life, from her bond with her father and older sister to her troubles with school and relationships. As she struggles to make sense of her mother's death and her father's illness, she also sees humor in everyday situations, and her irreverent commentary brings the story to life. Mia's romance with Sasha, a young man whose leukemia is in remission, is especially moving. A touching afterword reveals just how closely the novel follows the author's actual experiences.—Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library

[Gail Stearns-Hussein]

The Man Who Loved Clowns by June Rae Wood. The main characters parents die in Chapter 10. You don't see it coming and it's a big shocker for everyone.

From Publishers Weekly

"In this potent debut, Wood displays a prodigious writing and storytelling talent. Delrita, 13, has recently moved to a small Missouri town with her parents and Punky, an uncle who has Down's syndrome. Delrita adores Punky, yet is also embarrassed by him. She easily accepts his childish ways at home, but avoids having visitors, and attending church in her new community causes the girl considerable anguish. Always a loner, Punky is befriended by the persistent Avanelle Shackleford ("a name that was almost bigger than she was"), a classmate who also has familial shame--and a fabulous older brother. When disaster tears Delrita's life apart, her new friends' support fortifies her as does Punky's enduring love. The skillfully crafted work, based on the author's memory of a brother who had Down's syndrome, is enriched by humorous touches and Delrita's involving, simply told narrative. This close-up view of a prevalent disease is more than a one-note novel: the author also artfully interweaves issues of loneliness, first romance and parental death. Both Delrita and Punky are complex, realistically drawn characters worthy of attention and admiration."

[Cindy Green]

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech would be good for younger teens.

[Beatrice Mendez Newman]

The Outsiders--Ponyboy's parents have died 6 months before the novel starts and you can certainly find connections between the events of the novel and the fact that the main character and his brothers are parentless.
Walk Two Moons--this is a heart-wrenching story about a girl who's coming to terms with the death of her mother (it's told so skillfully that many readers don't even know the mother is dead until the last few pages).
The Chocolate War--the main character's mother has died just before the story starts
Esperanza Rising--the main character's world is completely disrupted when her father is murdered in Mexico. Esperanza and her mother lose everything in Mexico and must rely on the generosity of their servants as they relocate to the labor camps of California.


Walk Two Moons and Esperanza Rising are borderline YA novels--the protagonists turn 13 during the novel.

Hope this helps.

[Stacey Kerr]

For younger YA, Deenie by Judy Blume may be a good choice. It was a really powerful story to me when I read it as a pre-teen. (Disclaimer: haven't read it since then.)