When Georgia finds a secret sketch her late father—a famed artist—left behind, the discovery leads her down a path that can reshape everything that holds her family and friends together. Georgia’s quest takes her from around her Upper West Side neighborhood in NYC to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and ultimately right back to where she’s always belonged—with the people who love her no matter what. From debut author Caroline Gertler, this character-driven story about friendship, family, grief, and creativity is literary and perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! During times of grief, I take solace in stories. Reading about someone experiencing a loss I can relate to provides comfort that I’m not alone, even when grief makes me feel alone. Books about grief also help me process my feelings. As I read about how the characters in these books are feeling, I begin to find words to express my own mix of emotions. There’s a certain power and relief to be felt when you can fully articulate how you’re feeling and why. In School Library Journal, Jessica Anne Bratt discusses the importance of helping children explore their emotions. She writes: “A first step of empathy development is the ability to name one’s feelings, whether positive or negative.” Reading books with characters experiencing grief can help children not only better express their grief, but also nurture empathy for those grieving. On the cusp between childhood and adolescence, preteens are at a particularly delicate age in terms of emotions. If you’d like to explore a variety of heartfelt and memorable middle grade books about grief, either for you or a tween in your life, check out these books. While these middle grade books explore the difficult emotions of grief, each one also includes tender moments of love and hope in the face of great loss. I hope one may inspire and touch you, or a middle grade reader in your life. CW: Child abuse, homophobia, racism. CW: Cancer. For further reading, check out these Rioters’ discussions on death, resilience, and empathy in middle grade books:
A Reader’s Life, Starting With a Middle Grade Book About Death8 Great Middle Grade Books About Resilience15 Amazing Middle Grade Books to Read for Empathy
