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Good Reads
Death & Dying
Fiction
\ Nonfiction
FICTION
The following books can be found in the Fiction collection, shelved by
the first three letters of the author's last name, e.g., F BAR .
Acampora, Paul. Defining Dulcie [2006].
When
sixteen-year-old Dulcie's father dies, her mother
makes a decision to move them to California,
where Dulcie makes an equally radical decision to
steal her dad's old truck and head back home.
Adoff, Jaime. The death of Jayson Porter [2008].
In the Florida projects,
sixteen-year-old Jayson struggles with the harsh
realities of his life which include an abusive mother, a drug-addicted
father, and not fitting in at his predominately white school, and bring him
to the brink of suicide.
Albom, Mitch. For one more day. [2006].
In an
inspirational debut novel by the author of Tuesdays with Morrie,
Charles "Chick" Benetto, grieving over
the death of his mother, uses alcohol as a crutch to deal with his loneliness,
isolation, and depression and the disintegration of his life, until an
encounter with his mother’s ghost brings him new awareness and leads
him to attempt to put his life back together.
Albom, Mitch. The
five people you meet in heaven.
A
bitter eighty-three-year-old war veteran who believes his life is meaningless
dies while trying to save a little girl's life and finds himself in heaven,
where five people from his past--some loved ones, some strangers--explain
what his years on Earth really meant, and whether or not he succeeded in
saving the child.
Anderson,
Laurie Halse. Catalyst.
Eighteen-year-old
Kate, who sometimes chafes at being a preacher's daughter, finds herself
losing control in her senior year as she faces difficult neighbors and an
unexpected death.
Anderson,
Laurie Halse.
Wintergirls.
[2009].
Eighteen-year-old
Lia comes to terms with her best friend's death
from anorexia as she struggles with the same disorder.
Anfousse, Ginette
A terrible secret
Sixteen-year-old
Maggie Alexander, whose younger brother died mysteriously a year ago, carries
a secret that colors her relationships with her friends and others including
the Knight gang and her ex-friend, Lauren Carver.
Asher, Jay.
Thirteen reasons why: a novel. [2007].
When high
school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen
cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he
spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town,
listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.
Athkins, D.E.
Swans in the mist. [2006].
Sixteen-year-old
Lydia,
who's been away at boarding school since her parents' death years ago moves
in with her older sister, Lillie who has recently married rich, handsome
Jason. But when Lillie suddenly dies, Lydia is devastated, and Jason
responds by locking her in a tower to force her obedience.
Ayarbe, Heidi.
Freeze frame. [2008].
Fifteen-year-old
Kyle believes he does not deserve to live after accidentally shooting and
killing his best friend.
Banks,
Kate. Walk softly, Rachel.
When
fourteen-year-old Rachel reads the journal of her brother, who died when she
was seven, she learns secrets that help her understand her parents and
herself.
Bennet, Jay. THE
EXECUTIONER.
After
a car crash that severely injures Bruce and kills Raymond, Bruce, Elaine, and
Ed are stalked by "the Executioner" who feels that ll of the survivors of the crash must pay.
Baratz-Logsted, Lauren. Secrets
of my suburban life [2008].
Everything
changed for Lauren ("Ren") after Harry
Potter killed her mom. No, it's not what you think-Harry Potter didn't come
to life and stab her or anything. A stack of those
thick books crushed her. Now Ren is stuck out in
the suburbs of Connecticut, dragged out
there because her father is too grief stricken to continue living in New York.
Belton,
Sandra. Store-bought baby. [2006].
The death of
Leah's beloved older brother, and her parents' reactions to the tragedy,
raise questions for Leah about the meaning of family and about her place in
her own.
Berne,
Suzanne. The ghost at the table: a novel. [2006].
Two sisters,
Frances and Cynthia, travel to visit their estranged father for Thanksgiving,
and, amidst questions surrounding their mother's death, they struggles with
differing ideas of what their relationship with him should be like.
Berg,
Elizabeth. True to form.
Thirteen-year-old Katie, having moved from Missouri to Texas in 1961
following the death of her mother, has a difficult time sorting out the
details of friendship, loyalty, and other trials and tribulations of teenage
life.
Blake, Emily. Life or death. [2008].
Chad is in a coma, fighting for his life.
Will he pull through...or take his secrets to the grave?Tom blames himself for what happened to Chad.
Will he get to apologize before it's too late? Only Zoey
knows the truth about the accident. But who will believe her?
Blacker,
Terence. Boy2girl [2005].
After the
death of his mother, thirteen-year-old Sam comes to live with his cousin; and
as a prank, he dresses up as a girl for school.
Blume, Judy. TIGER EYES.
After
Davey Wexlet's father is
violently killed one night at his 7-Eleven store, Davey and her family move to New Mexico to live with relatives.
She finds it difficult to deal with new surroundings and her father's death
until she meets Wolf, whose own father is dying and who helps her resolve her
fears.
Broach,
Elise. Desert crossing. [2006].
A summer
trip across the New Mexico
desert turns nightmarish for fourteen-year-old Lucy, her older brother Jamie,
and his best friend Kit, as they become involved in the suspicious death of a
young girl.
Brooks, Kevin. Martyn
Pig : a novel.
Martyn Pig's life goes from bad
to worse when he accidentally kills his father, and he must choose whether to
tell the police the truth about what happened and be suspected of murder, or
he can get rid of the body and pretend nothing ever happened.
Burns, Laura J. Quarantine.
Roswell's new pharmaceutical
company, Meta-chem, accidently
infects the the townspeople with a disease,
including Liz - who is dying as a result.
Byars, Betsy. THE NIGHT SWIMMERS.
Since
hermother's death two years ago, Retta has had to take care of her two younger
brothers. Their father, a country-western singer, performs at night,
and doesn't suspect that the children sneak off nights to swim in a
neighbor's pool - until a near-tragedy occurs.
Carter,
Alden R. SHEILA'S DYING.
Three
teens are confronted with death for the first time when Sheila is diagnosed
with cancer. Boyfriend Jerry and best friend Bonnie become very
involved in her everyday care.
Clark, Mary Higgins. Daddy's little
girl.
Ellie
Cavanaugh's long-held beliefs are picked apart when she reinvestigates her
sister's murder in an attempt to prove the guilt of the man, recently
released, who spent twenty-two years in prison for the killing.
Charlton-Trujillo, E. E. Feels like home. [2007].
Following
the death of their father, seventeen-year-old Michelle's older brother--who
had disappeared six years earlier--returns to their small Texas town where, with the help of S.E.
Hinton's "The Outsiders," the two siblings try to find a way to
move beyond a past tragedy.
Cheripko, Jan.
Sun, moon, stars, rain.
[2006].
Still
grieving over his father's death, nineteen-year-old college dropout Danny Murtaugh turns to a drunk, an eccentric landowner, and a
young waitress for answers about his past and direction for his future.
Clements,
Andrew. Things hoped for. [2008].
Seventeen-year-old
Gwen, who has been living with her grandfather in Manhattan while she attends music school,
joins up with another music student to solve the mystery when her grandfather
suddenly goes missing.
Coburn,
Jake. Prep.
A one-time tag artist, Nick tries to come to terms with the death of a
friend, to protect the brother of his would-be-girlfriend, to excape the violence of wealthy New York City prep-school hoods, and to
figure out who he really is.
Connelly, Neil. St. Michael's scales.
Keegan
Flannery, fleeing responsibility for his twin brother's death and his
mother's mental illness, believes he must atone by committing suicide before
his sixteenth birthday, but he gains new insight when he hoins
his school's wrestling team.
Cooley, Beth. Shelter. [2006].
Following
her father's death and the discovery of his debts, high school sophomore Lucy
moves with her mother and brother from their upper-middle-class neighborhood into
a homeless shelter where she tries to come to terms with her new life.
Cooney,
Caroline B. FLIGHT #116 IS DOWN.
Heidi
wakes up as an ordinary teenager but will be a 16-year-old going on 50 by the
time she recovers from the ordeal of her life.
Cormier,
Robert. THE BUMBLEBEE FLIES ANYWAY.
Barney
Snow is a guest at The Complex, an experimental hospital. He meets some
boys who are regarded as human guinea pigs by their doctor, known as
"the Handyman." In spite of their terminal illnesses, these
boys all become close friends.
Cormier,
Robert. NOW AND AT THE HOUR.
Alph is dying of cancer and he is angry about
it. As his family begins to crumble with the stress, Alph becomes sensitive and compassionate and helps keep
everyone together.
Craven,
Margaret. I HEARD THE OWL CALL MY NAME.
This
is the touching story of a young, mortally ill priest who spends the last
days of his life working among the Kwakiutl Indians of British Columbia.
Crutcher, Chris. RUNNING LOOSE.
Louie
Banks's senior year is one that he'll never
forget: he refuses to play dirty and challenges his football coach, flls in love, and loses his girlfriend in a fatal
accident. Louie is caught in a world that appears to value winning and
appearances over honesty, love, and fairness.
_____________. The
sledding hill. [2005].
Billy,
recently deceased, keeps an eye on his best friend, fourteen-year-old Eddie,
and helps him stand up to a conservative minister and English teacher who is
orchestrating a censorship challenge.
______________. Deadline.
[2007].
Given the
medical diagnosis of one year to live, high school senior Ben Wolf decides to
fulfill his greatest fantasies, ponders his life's purpose and legacy, and
converses through dreams with a spiritual guide known as "Hey-Soos."
Davis,
Jenny. GOODBYE AND KEEP COLD.
After
Edda's father is killed, her mother's best friend
Annie helps them through their hard times, but while coping with her own
emotions, Edda is puzzled by the behavior of the
adults in her life.
Davis, Patrick A. A long day for
dying.
When
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is found dead in the private
compartment of his airplane, Air Force investigator Martin Collins finds himself thrust into the most controversial case of his
career.
Deaver, Julie Reece. SAY GOODNIGHT,
GRACIE.
Jimmy
Woolf and Morgan Hackett have grown up together, developing a strong
friendship based on their common interestes in
theatre and dance. When Jimmy is tragically killed by a drunk driver,
Morgan suggers her own crash by staying in bed for
weeks with his jacket on. Morgan must come to terms with her grief and
let their hopes and dreams become her own.
DeClements, Barthe.
I NEVER AKSED YOU TO UNDERSTAND ME.
Didi's life falls apart while her mother is
dying from cancer. Because she has trouble concentrating in school, her
grades begin to drop and she finds herself in an alternative school where she
meets some new friends that help her learn to cope.
Dekker,
James C. Scum. [2008].
While still
grieving over the death of her brother, who was killed during a robbery,
Megan learns some startling facts about Danny's life; and when the police
seem unmotivated to solve the crime, Megan searches for answers.
Dekker,
Ted. Adam. [2008].
FBI behavioral
psychologist Daniel Clark has been made famous by his arguments that religion
is one of society's greatest antagonists. What Daniel doesn't know is that
his obsessive pursuit of a serial killer known only as "Eve" will
end in his own death at Eve's hand. Twenty minutes later Daniel is
resuscitated, only to be haunted by those twenty missing minutes of
life. It soon becomes painfully clear
that the only way to stop Eve is to recover those missing minutes by dying .
. . again. What isn't nearly as clear is just how many times he will have to
die to discover the truth, not only about Eve, but about himself. To stop the
killer, Daniel will have to face haunting realities about demon possession in
the modern world--and reevaluate his own prejudice against religion.
Dogar, Sharon. Waves.
[2007].
Hal feels
eerily connected to his comatose older sister as she hovers between life and
death in a hospital. Hal believes his
sister is trying to communicate with him as he tries to solve the mystery of
her accident.
Donnelly, Jennifer. A northern
light.
In
1906, sixteen-year-old Mattie, determined to attend college and be a writer
against the wishes of her father and fiance, takes
a job at a summer inn where she discovers the truth about the death of a guest.
Based on a true story.
Dowd, Siobhan. A swift pure cry. [2008].
Coolbar, Ireland, is a village of secrets and Shell,
caretaker to her younger brother and sister after the death of their mother
and with the absence of their father, is not about to reveal hers until
suspicion falls on the wrong person.
Draper, Sharon M. The battle of
Jericho.
A
high school junior and his cousin suffer the ramifications of joining what
seems to be a "reputable" school club.
Duble, Kathleen Benner. Bridging beyond.
Fifteen-year-old
Anna feels that she is responsible for the death of her best friend in a drunk driving accident, but with the help of dreams that
reveal memories from her great-grandmother's past, she begins to work through
her grief.
Ferris, Jean. INVINCIBLE SUMMER.
During
the fall of her senior year of high school, Robin finds herself battling
leukemia. While in the hospital for tests, she meets Rick who is
receiving chemotherapy for his cancer. Eventually, they fall in love
and life takes on a new meaning. More good news is in store for Robin
as her leukemia goes into remission during the spring. Just when
everything is looking so hopeful, things take a turn for the worse and
tragedy must be faced.
Frank, E. R.
Wrecked [2005].
After a car
accident seriously injures her best friend and kills her brother's
girlfriend, sixteen-year-old Anna tries to cope with her guilt and grief,
while learning some truths about her family and herself.
Fox,
Paula. A PLACE
APART.
Wne Victoria is only
13, her father suddenly dies leaving her to deal
with many problems: reduced family income, a move from Boston to New Oxford,
and her mother's plans to remarry.
Gaiman, Neil and McKean, Dave. The
graveyard book. [2008].
The orphan Bod, short for Nobody, is taken in by the inhabitants of
a graveyard as a child of eighteen months and raised lovingly and carefully
to the age of eighteen years by the community of ghosts and otherworldly
creatures.
Giles, Gail. Dead girls don't write
letters.
Fourteen-year-old
Sunny is stunned when a total stranger shows up at her house posing as her
older sister Jazz, who supposedly died in a fire months earlier.
Grant, Cynthia D. PHOENIX
RISING OR HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR LIFE.
After
18-year-old Helen dies of cancer, her family nearly falls apart. Her
17-year-old sister, Jessie, becomes very depressed and withdraws.
Jessie finds Helen's diary which helps her understand her sister and her
death a little better. The novel alternates between Jessie's thoughts
and Helen's words.
Griffin,
Adele. Where I want to be. [2007].
Two teenaged
sisters, separated by death but still connected, work through their feelings
of loss over the closeness they shared as children that was later destroyed
by one's mental illness, and finally make peace with each other.
Grisham, John. Bleachers.
When
his old coach dies, high school football star Neely Crenshaw returns to his
hometown after fifteen years, reunites with his former teammates, and
struggles to resolve his mixed feelings about the man.
__________. The summons.
Law
professor Ray Atlee and his troublesome younger brother Forrest are called
home to Clanton, Mississippi by their dying father, Judge
Atlee, but when the judge dies before the meeting can take place,
Ray is left to untangle an old family secret.
Guest, Elissa Helen. OVER THE MOON.
At
16, Kate is just beginning to confront her parents
death of four years ago. Older sister Mattie is having problems of her
own, and Kate and younger brother Jay visit her to try to convince her to
move back with them to Aunt Georgia's
so the family can be reunited.
Hartnett,
Sonya. Surrender. [2006].
As he is
dying, a twenty-year-old man known as Gabriel recounts his troubled childhood
and his strange relationship with a dangerous counterpart named Finnigan.
Holland,
Isabelle. OF LOVE AND DEATH AND OTHER JOURNEYS.
As
the title indicates, the main character, Meg, moves through several phases in
her life: She begins to understand how open love is, whe sees how easy it is to hurt others, and she realizes
the value of life. Meg's mother dies and Meg works through the grief
process and develops an understanding of how to live.
Hooper, Mary. Newes from the dead. [2008].
In 1650,
while Robert, a young medical student, steels himself to assist with her
dissection, twenty-two-year-old housemaid Anne Green recalls her life as she
lies in her coffin, presumed dead after being hanged for murdering her child that
was, in fact, stillborn.
Howe,
Norma. GOD, THE UNIVERSE, AND HOT FUDGE SUNDAES.
16-year-old
Alfie Newton has just experienced the death of her
younger sister who died of a congenital muscle disease which affected her all
of her life. Following her sister's death and parents' divorce, Alfie is forced to come to terms with her own attitudes
about death, religion, and love.
Hunt,
Irene. UP A ROAD
SLOWLY.
After
his mother's death, 7-year-old Julie Trelling
chooses to live with her Aunt Cordclia instead of
her father and his new wife. This novel traces Julie's development
through her 18th birthday.
Hurwin, Davida.
The farther you run.
Even
with a new best friend and a new boyfriend, Samantha has a hard time
adjusting to life without her best friend Juliana, who died of
cancer.
Johnston,
Jeffry W. Fragments. [2007].
Ever since
the accident, Chase feels shattered. He just wants things to go back to
normal. So when he starts getting flashes of memory, he's relieved. But when
the flashes reveal another memory, Chase starts to panic. He must face the
truth about who he is . . . and what he has done.
Jones,
Carrie. Girl, hero. [2008].
High school
freshman Lily pours her heart out in letters to her hero, dead movie star
John Wayne, in which she tells him about the death of her beloved stepfather,
her mother's abusive boyfriends, her fears that her father is gay, getting
the lead in the high school play, and her burgeoning romance with a classmate
who reminds her of Mr. Wayne.
Jones,
Patrick. Chasing tail lights. [2007].
Seventeen-year-old
Christy, sad since her father's death, ignored by her mother, and abused by
her drug-dealing half-brother, finds friends who help her learn to stand up
for herself and move past the old hurts and fears that are keeping her down.
Kaslik, Ibi. Skinny.
[2006].
After the
death of their father, two sisters struggle with various issues, including
their family history, personal relationships, and an extreme eating disorder.
Klass, David. Whirlwind.
[2008].
Jack finds
himself embroiled in another dangerous adventure when, after a six-month
absence, he returns to the Hudson River town where he grew up to find his
girlfriend PJ only to discover that she is missing and everyone believes him
to be responsible for her disappearance and the death of his family.
Klein, Norma. SUNSHINE.
Kate,
Jill's mother, is informed that the lump on her leg is not bursitis but
cancer. As Kate goes throught the various
stages of dying, Jill is there to receive her mother's undying love for her.
Koertge, Ronald. Deadville. [2008].
While
visiting an injured classmate in the hospital, sixteen-year-old Ryan, who is
trying to come to terms with his sister's death from cancer, meets a young
patient who claims to be able to see into the world where the dead live.
Kuipers, Alice. Life
on the refrigerator door: notes between a mother and daughter. [2007].
Claire and
her mother are running out of time, but they don't know it. They rarely find
themselves in the same room at the same time, and it often seems that the
only thing they can count on are notes to each other
on the refrigerator door. When home is threatened by a crisis, their relationship
experiences a momentous change. Forced to reevaluate the delicate balance between
their personal lives and their bond as mother and daughter, Claire and her
mother find new love and devotion for one another deeper than anything they
had ever imagined.
L'Engle, Madeline. A RING OF ENDLESS
NIGHT.
Vickie
spends the summer with her grandfather, a retired minister, who is dying of
leukemia. She develops a maturing sense of love and meaning in life as
she confronts the problems of first love and the slow death of her
grandfather.
Little,
Jean. MAMA'S GOING TO BUY YOU A MOCKINGBIRD.
Jeremy's
father is very sick with cancer. He and his sister Sarah have to spend
the summer with their aunt while their parents deal with frequent visits to
the hospital. After their father's death, they have to sell their house
and move to an apartment which was once owned by the grandfather of a girl
named Tess. Tess and Jeremy become friends because they know what it
feels like to lose a parent - Tess through abandonment and Jeremy throgh death.
Lowry,
Lois. A SUMMER TO DIE.
Beautiful,
vibrant Molly is diagnosed with leukemia, and her younger sister, Meg, who
wears glasses, hates boys, and likes to be alone in her photography darkroom,
must sort out her feelings for her sister and come to grips with her sadness
about Molly's eventual death.
MacCullough, Carolyn. Drawing
the ocean. [2006].
A gifted
artist, sixteen-year-old Sadie is determined to fit in at her new school, but
her deceased twin brother Ollie keeps appearing to her.
Mahy, Margaret. MEMORY.
Five
years ago, Jonny Dart used to be a television tap dancer with his twin
sister, Janine. Now, at 19, he decides that he must confront the issues
surrounding his twin sister's death. He meets Sophie West,
and eccentric woman suffering from Alzheimer's and is drawn to her.
Their relationship helps him deal with the painful memories of his sister's
accidental death.
Manning, Sarra. Let's get lost. [2006].
As she acts
out the role of "Mean Girl"--at school, with her father and brother,
and even with her new boyfriend--sixteen-year-old Isabel comes to a dead end
and finally confronts issues related to her mother’s death.
Martin,
Ann M. WITH YOU AND WITHOUT YOU.
Liza's
father is dying from a heart ailment, so the family makes plans to have the
best Christmas ever while he's still alive. After his death, Liza's
family must learn to adjust to life with one income and a new home.
Matthews,
Andrew. The way of the warrior. [2008].
When Jimmu was ten years old, his father woke him in the
middle of the night to explain that he had brought shame to the family. He
then committed seppuku, a form of suicide. Jimmu is
left in the care of his father's most trusted samurai swordsman, Nichiren, who explains that the charges that brought
shame to his family were false. His father was set up by his enemy, Lord Ankan. Striken by the injustice
of his father's death, Jimmu develops a deep hatred.
He decides to train as a samurai warrior and vows to one day avenge his
father's death by killing Lord Ankan.
Mazer, Harry. THE ISLAND
KEEPER.
Cleo
Murphy is desolate after the deaths of her mother and sister. She tries
to escape her loneliness by running away to a deserted island in the middle
of a Canadian lake. Her loniness is worsened
and compounded by fear when her canoe is destroyed, and she must face a
brutal Canadian winter by herself.
Mazer, Harry. WHEN THE PHONE RANG.
When
Billy answers the phone, the tragic message he hears changes the three Keller
children's lives forever: their parents have been killed in a plane
crash.
Mazer, Harry. SOMEONE'S MOTHER IS MISSING.
Lisa
and Robyn are sisters trying to cope after their wealthy father's
death. To compound matters, their mother leaves after creditors
repossess their personal effects. The girls have no choice but to go
live with their Aunt Renee and her teenage son, Sam.
Mazer, Norma Fox. AFTER THE RAIN.
Rachel's
parents and cantankerous old grandfather are getting on her nerves. But
after her grandfather is diagnosed with cancer and given a short time to
live, Rachel finds herself walking with him every day - and listening.
Mazer, Norma Fox. WHEN WE FIRST MET.
Jenny
is about to flal in love for the first time - with
the son of a woman who killed her sister in a drunk
driving accident two years earlier.
Mazer, Norma Fox. HEARTBEAT.
Tod knows about death: his mother died when
he was three, and his best friend, Amos, saved him from drowning when they
were kids. When Amos calls in the favor, Tod's
feelings get in the way.
McDaniel,
Lurlene. SIX MONTHS TO LIVE.
Two
girls develop a close friendship while being treated for leukemia.
__________.
SOMEWHERE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH.
After
a car accident leaves Amyh in an irreversible coma
and brain dead, her family is forced to make some difficult decisions.
__________.
NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP.
Carrie
and Kieth both have cancer. Carrie's is in
remission, but Kieth's is terminal. Keith
decides to participate in a home hospice program with his family close to
him. Carrie's parents have just divorced and neither of them can come
to terms with their daughter's disease. By spending time with Kieth, though, Carrie develops a strong will to live.
__________. As long as we both shall live : two novels.
Contains
two novels about love and death by Lurlene
McDaniel.
________. Briana's
gift. [2006].
When a
pregnant seventeen-year-old girl is hospitalized and in a coma, her younger
sister faces several difficult choices while dealing with loss, love, and
life at Christmastime.
_________. Letting
go of Lisa. [2006].
Home-schooled
for most of his education, Nathan enters the public high school as a senior
where he meets a beautiful girl with a secret and together they learn about
loving, living, and dying.
Miller, Mary
Beth. On the head of a pin. [2006].
While
drinking alcohol and playing with a loaded gun at a party, a teenage boy
accidentally shoots and kills another student and then tries to conceal her
death.
Mitchard, Jacquelyn. All
we know of heaven: a novel. [2008].
Sixteen-year-old
best friends Maureen and Bridget are in a terrible accident where Bridget
dies and is incorrectly identified as Maureen; but when Maureen recovers, she
must deal with the repercussions of the accident as well as the loss of her
best friend.
Morgenroth, Kate. Echo. [2007].
After Justin
witnesses his brother's accidental shooting death, he must live with the
repercussions, as the same horrific day seems to happen over and over.
Moranville, Sharelle Byars. A higher geometry. [2006].
While
grieving the death of her grandmother in 1959, teenager Anna is torn between
her aspirations to study math in college and her family's expectations that
she will marry and become a homemaker after high school.
Murphy, Claire Rudolf. Free radical.
In
Fairbanks, Alaska, in the middle of the summer Little
League baseball season, fifteen-year-old Luke is stunned when his mother
confesses that she is wanted by the FBI for her role in the death of a
student during an anti-Vietnam War protest thirty years ago.
Murphy,
Rita. Looking for Lucy Buick. [2007].
Following
the death of her favorite adoptive aunt, Lucy goes searching for her
biological family who abandoned her in an old Buick eighteen years before.
Nixon, Joan Lowery. THE SPECTER.
Diana
is 17 and is in the hospital being treated for cancer. Her roomate, 9-year-old Julie, believes that her parents'
fatal car accident was no accident: she believes that a man, Bill
Sikes, killed them and is threatening her life.
Noël, Alyson.
Saving
Zoë. 2007].
A year after
her older sister Zoe's murder, fifteen-year-old
Echo is still struggling to put her life back together, but when Zoe's boyfriend gives Echo Zoe's
diary, Echo finds a connection with her sister and learns some surprising
secrets Zoe was keeping.
Oates, Joyce
Carol. After the wreck, I picked myself up, spread my wings, and flew away.
[2006].
Blaming
herself for the car accident on the Tappan Zee Bridge
that killed her mother, fifteen-year-old Jenna undergoes a difficult physical
and emotional recovery.
O'Keefe, Susan Heyboer.
My life and death by Alexandra Canarsie.
Escaping
school and family problems in a cemetery, fourteen-year-old Allie begins
attending strangers' funerals, which leads to her first real friendship and a
mystery that she believes only she can solve.
Pagliarulo, Antonio. A different kind of heat. [2006].
Trying to
come to terms with her brother's death, high school student and former gang
member Luz meets his killer face to face as she begins to rebuild her own
life in a group home in New York
City.
Parker,
Robert B. The
boxer and the spy. [2008].
Fifteen-year-old
Terry, an aspiring boxer, uncovers the mystery behind the unexpected death of
a classmate.
Patterson,
James. Max: a Maximum Ride novel. [2009].
When
millions of fish start dying off the coast of Hawaii and something is
destroying hundreds of ships, the government enlists the Flock--a band of genetically
modified children who can fly--to help get to the bottom of the disaster
before it is too late.
Peck,
Robert Newton. A DAY NO PIGS WOULD DIE.
A
young boy must give up the pig he earned as a reward for saving a neighbor's cow
when it is discovered that the pig is infertile: it's a harsh, cruel
reality that a man must face. Rob earns his passage into manhood and as
a result is better able, when the time comes, to
accept his father's death.
Peet, Mal. Tamar.
[2008].
In England in 1995, fifteen-year-old Tamar,
grief-stricken by the puzzling death of her beloved grandfather, slowly begins
to uncover the secrets of his life in the Dutch resistance during the last
year of the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, and the climactic
events that forever cast a shadow on his life and that of his family.
Pfeffer, Susan Beth. THE YEAR WITHOUT
MICHAEL.
One
day, Jody's 13-year-old brother, Michael, disappears somewhere between the ballfield and home. The family doesn't know what's
worse - the loss or not knowing. For Jody and her younger sister, the
months that follow are horrible. Not only do they have to deal with
their won feelings of loss, but they have to deal with their mother's
irrational behavior and their father's withdrawl.
Picoult, Jodi. The pact: a love story. [2006].
A teenage
suicide pact between a pregnant girl and her boyfriend, both children of
wealthy New England families. He shoots her,
but fails to shoot himself and is charged with murder. At the trial he explains
what made them do it.
Prince, Maggie. The house on Hound
Hill.
Soon
after she, her mother, and her younger brother move into an old house on what
was once known as Beggarsgate, Emily begins to have
terrifyingly real glimpses of scenes of 17th century London devastated by the
plague.
Prose,
Francine. Bullyville. [2007].
After the
death of his estranged father in the World Trade Center on 9/11,
thirteen-year-old Bart, still struggling with his feelings of guilt, sorrow and
loss, wins a scholarship to the local preparatory school and there encounters
a vicious bully whose cruelty compounds the aftermath of the tragedy.
Qualey, Marsha. THIN ICE.
17-year
old Arden has been raised by her older
brother, Scott, since their parents died when she was just six years old, so
when Scott is presumed drowned in a snowmobile accident, Arden is convinced he's really run away.
Rabb, M. E. Cures
for heartbreak. [2008].
As she
navigates adolescence, ninth-grader Mia must deal with her mother's recent
death and her father's illness while she searches for friendship and love in
the world around her.
Ranulfo. Joker.
[2006].
Matt, a
seventeen-year-old Australian student, feels his life crumbling around him.
His parents have gotten divorced and his mother just got remarried, plus his
best friend just died. When his other friends try to talk him into dropping
out of school with them, Matt's inner voice, called Joker, pushes him instead
to avenge all the injustices in his life.
Ruditis, Paul. Dreamwalk.
Kyle
begs Isabel to help him get rid of the nightmares he's having every night
about Alex's death.
Runyon,
Brent. Maybe. [2006].
Sixteen-year-old
Brian struggles with life at a new school, his sexual desires, and his
unresolved feelings about the loss of his older brother.
Ryan,
Patrick. Saints of Augustine. [2007].
In St. Augustine, Florida,
former best friends Charlie Perrin and Sam Findley, now both sixteen, come to
realize that their friendship is the only thing that will keep them afloat
when each of their worlds is turned upside down through death, divorce, and
the seemingly out-of-control direction of their lives.
Schroeder,
Lisa. I heart you, you haunt me. [2008].
Ava can't
see or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for
the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows
he's here. Jackson.
The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the
dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.
Schreck, Karen Halvorsen. Dream
journal. [2006].
As Livy
struggles to accept her mother's impending death, she is swept into an
ill-fated crush and must learn to trust not only those around her, but also
herself.
Scott, Elizabeth. Living
dead girl. [2008].
Alice, a
fifteen-year-old girl who was abducted by Ray when she was ten, lives in fear
of what he is going to do to her and hopes death will save her from the
nightmare.
Sebestyen, Ouida. FAR FROM HOME.
13-year-old
Salty Yeager's mute, unmarried mother dies leaving him in charge of his
grandmother. Before she died, his mother left him a note telling him to
love Tom Buckley who owns the boarding houwe where
she used to work. Salty goes to work in the Buckley Arms Hotel and
finds out that not only is Tom his father, but that Tom will never claim
Salty as his own.
Shusterman, Neal. Everlost. [2006].
When Nick
and Allie are killed in a car crash, they end up in Everlost,
or limbo for lost souls, where, although Nick is satisfied, Allie will stop
at nothing--even skinjacking--to break free.
Sitomer, Alan Lawrence. Homeboyz. [2007].
Seventeen-year-old
Teddy Anderson, who is known on the streets as T-Bear, decides to seek
revenge on the person responsible for his little sister's death, which was
caused by a stray bullet from a semiautomatic handgun.
Slade,
Arthur G. Megiddo's shadow. [2008].
After the
death of his beloved older brother Hector in World War I, sixteen-year-old
Edward leaves the family farm in Canada to enlist in Hector's
battalion, where he attempts to come to terms with what has happened.
Spencer,
Katherine. More
than friends: a Saving Grace novel. [2008].
Grace
Stanley has finally started putting the pieces of her life back together
after her brother's death, with a new job and a new relationship with her
brother's best friend, but she soon learns that old habits die hard and
sometimes it is necessary to lean on others for support.
__________. Saving Grace. [2006].
After her
brother's death, Grace has difficulty finding meaning in her life and begins
to get into various kinds of trouble, until a mysterious new girl at school
helps her find her way back to family, old friends, and even God.
Strasser, Todd. THE ACCIDENT.
After
a group of friends are killed in a car wreck pegged as a drunk
driving accident, Matt learns that high-powered individuals sometimes
reinvent the truth in order to protect themselves. Although this teen
finds himself alone in his quest of the the truth,
he doggedly sets his mind in its pursuit.
Taylor,
Brooke. Undone [2008].
Sixteen-year-olds
Serena and Kori look alike but have opposite
personalities and live very different lives in Kismet, Colorado, but when tragedy
strikes, Serena decides to complete Kori's list of
"5 Secret Things" and uncovers, in the process, the mystery that
has bound them together.
Turner, Ann
Warren. Hard hit. [2006].
A rising
high school baseball star faces his most difficult challenge when his father
is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Valentine,
Jenny. Me, the missing, and the dead. [2008].
Sixteen-year-old
Londoner Lucas Swain, left in possession of the ashes of Violet Park,
becomes convinced that Violent is communicating with him, initiating a voyage
of self-discovery that forces him to finally confront the events surrounding
his father's sudden disappearance.
Voigt,
Cynthia. TELL ME IF THE LOVERS ARE LOSERS.
Ann,
Nikki, and Hildy are hovering on the brink of
womanhood. The three became inseparable - until something happened that
changed their lives forever.
Volponi, Paul. Rooftop. [2006].
Still
reeling from seeing police shoot his unarmed cousin to death on the roof of a
New York City
housing project, seventeen-year-old Clay is dragged into the whirlwind of
political manipulation that follows.
Walde, Christine. The
candy darlings. [2006].
A girl,
grieving for her dead mother and emotionally detached from her father,
becomes fast friends with a mysterious classmate who constantly eats sweets
as the two of them battle the vicious popular girls at school and listen to
the stories of an elderly patient at the hospital where they volunteer.
Wersba, Barbara. RUN SOFTLY, GO FAST.
Dave
Marks and his father have a love-hate relationship. Not until his
father dies does Dave examine his own life, values, and beliefs.
Whitcomb,
Laura. The
Fetch: a novel. [2009].
After 350
years as a Fetch, or death escort, Calder breaks his vows and enters the body
of Rasputin, whose spirit causes rebellion in the Land of Lost Souls
while Calder struggles to convey Ana and Alexis, orphaned in the Russian
Revolution, to Heaven.
Wittlinger, Ellen. Blind faith. [2006].
While coping
with her grandmother's sudden death and her mother's resulting depression and
fascination with a spiritualist church, whose ministers claim to communicate
with the dead, fifteen-year-old Liz finds herself falling for a new neighbor whose
mother is dying of cancer.
Wood,
Phyllis Anderson. THEN I'LL BE HOME FREE.
Rosemary
has always taken the security of living with her doting grandparents fro
granted. When Gram suddenly dies, Gramps becomes a lonely, dependent
old man right before her eyes.
Yumoto, Kazumi and Hirano,
Cathy. The letters.
In
Japan,
the death of her former landlady triggers a young woman's memories about her
father's death when she was six years old, and the special way the old lady
helped her to cope with the loss.
Zeises, Lara M. Bringing up the bones.
Bridget
Edelstein mourns the loss of her high school boyfriend who died in a car
crash, and rebounds with a new love.
Zindel, Paul. CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE
BABOON.
Chris
Boyd moves with his mother, a practical nurse, from one live-in job to the
next. Chris tells the shocking story of spending his 15th year with a
dying lady and Lloyd Dipardi, her 30-year-old
misfit son. Lloyd helps Chris learn that he must take responsibility
for his own life if he is ever to become a man.
Zindel, Paul. A BEGONIA FOR MISS
APPLEBAUM.
Henry and Zelda's favorite teacher is going on
an early retirement. When they decide to bring her a pink begonia as a
gift, they learn that she is really dying of cancer.
Zusak, Markus. The book thief. [2006].
Trying to
make sense of the horrors of World War II, Death relates the story of Liesel--a young German girl whose
book-stealing and story-telling talents help sustain her family and the
Jewish man they are hiding, as well as their neighbors.
NONFICTION
155.9 COP
Gaughen, Shasta. Coping with death.
Contains twenty-five essays in which the authors discuss the nature of death,
death preparations, how to deal with loss and grief, and ethical issues
related to the end of life.
155.9 GOO
Gootman, Marilyn E and Espeland, Pamela. When a friend dies :
a book for teens about grieving & healing.
Gives practical advice for teens who have
experienced the death of a friend.
155.9 VIN
Vincent,
Erin. Grief girl: my true story [2007].
Author Erin Vincent describes her life after her parents were both
killed in a car accident, leaving her parentless at the age of fourteen
with a seventeen-year-old sister and a three-year-old
brother; and gives a description of the stages of grief she experienced.
306.9 DEA
Haley, James. Death and dying.
306.9 PRO
Egendorf, Laura K. Problems of death : opposing viewpoints.
362.1 TER
Williams, Mary E. Terminal illness : opposing
viewpoints.
Presents various articles which discuss how care of the terminally ill can be
improved, how their physical and emotional pain should be addressed, the
morality of physicians aiding in the deaths of terminally ill patients, and
the right of the terminally ill to die.
393 PER
Perl, Lila. Dying to know -- about death, funeral customs, and final
resting places.
REF 174.2 ENC
Reich, Warren T. Encyclopedia of bioethics; vol. 1: ABO - DEA.
Addresses timeless problems along with the most pressing concerns of today
drawing on the philosophical and religious traditions of the whole world.
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