Topics in the Youth Collection

"This exploration of grief and mourning recognizes the anger and confusion that a child feels around death while offering possibilities for celebrating life and love."

"A young boy and his family are trying to overcome the loss of his father. The natural world becomes part of the healing process."

"A visit with Grandma is always a special event, but this time she is frail. With encouragement from his mom, Xiao Le plays with and helps Grandma. When Grandma dies shortly thereafter, Xiao Le comforts his mom--reminding her that when it rains, Grandma is washing her clothes in the sky ... and that although the Perfume Village in heaven cannot be reached by train, it can be accessed by the heart."

"Bird, an artistic young African American boy, expresses himself through drawing as he struggles to understand his older brother's drug addiction and death, while a family friend, Uncle Son, provides guidance and understanding." (Note that this is shelved in the fiction section, not YE.)

"It's quieter than it's ever been. Unable to sleep, a young boy climbs into his father's arms. Feeling the warmth and closeness of his father, he begins to ask questions about the birds, the foxes, and whether his mom will ever wake up."

"Ben's Flying Flowers follows Emily as she tries to overcome her grief following her brother's death."

"Grandmother lives with Grace's family. She teaches her how to measure water for rice. She tells her stories about growing up in China and together they savor the flavors of her childhood. Grandmother says goodbye when she drops Grace off at school every morning and hello when she picks her up at the end of the day. Suddenly, Grandmother stops walking Grace to and from school, and the door to her room stays closed. Father comes home early to make dinner, but the rice bowls stay full. One day, Grandmother's room is empty. And soon after, she is buried. After the funeral, Grace's mom turns on all the outside lights so that Grandmother's spirit can find its way home for one final goodbye."

A young child learns that even superheroes hurt too in this heartrending story about loss and love, written by debut author Kevin Johnson and illustrated by #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator Kitt Thomas. When a child loses the person in his life that he loves more than anything, he uses his cape as protection from his grief. On the day of the funeral, he uses it to block out the pictures and stories people share, refusing to acknowledge the memories that keep bubbling up. He won't think about them. He doesn't want to. He avoids the memories, until he no longer can. He remembers then. Their laugh, their smile, the moment they gave him the cape. The cape transforms, becoming a source of comfort and strength as the child navigates the sadness and joy that these memories bring up. In Cape, Kevin Johnson has crafted an achingly beautiful and honest story about processing and redefining grief after the loss of a loved one. With evocative illustrations by New York Times bestselling artist Kitt Thomas (Stacey's Extraordinary Words), Cape is a powerful, unforgettable, and necessary story.

An imaginative and heartfelt book that reminds us that there is no loss without love. When Grief first arrives, it is like an elephant-so big that there is hardly room for anything else. But over time, Grief can become smaller and smaller.

With simple language and colorful graphics, this book explains that parents who decide to separate love their kids and want them to be happy.

"A nonfiction picture book that introduces very young children to the concept of separation and divorce in a reassuring and straightforward way."

"After her parents get divorced, Emily finds comfort in making and learning about art."

"When her parents get divorced, a little girl is worried about many things, including how she will celebrate the Jewish holidays in two different households."

"A young girl named Nina recounts her feelings about her parents' divorce and describes what it is like to live in two households."

"Carol Olivia Clementine lives with Mama Rose. Mama Rose is tender and sweet. She is also as stern and demanding as any good parent should be. Though Carol Olivia misses her mother and father, Mama Rose becomes her home."

"Johnson and Beebee's mama has gone away many times before, but something tells them that this time she won't be coming back. Then a social worker comes and takes them to meet their aunt Gracie."

"A young girl who lives with her grandparents experiences warmth, love, and closeness, even when she wonders why her parents are not raising her."

"After Lester is adopted from his foster home by Daddy Albert and Daddy Rich, he can't fall asleep in his new bed. What will it take to make Lester feel home at last?"

A variety of fictional children share their thoughts, feelings, and actions related to a family member's incarceration. A page of "tips for adults" is included at the end.

"A little girl who misses her father because he's away in prison shares how his absence affects different parts of her life. Her greatest excitement is the days when she gets to visit her beloved father."

Queenie worries about what will happen while her mother goes to jail, but a new quilt and a letter from Mama help keep them connected between visits.

"When someone you love goes to jail, you might feel lost, scared, and even mad. What do you do? No matter who your loved one is, this story can help you through the tough times."

"This richly imagined picture book explores the inner life of a boy who struggles to love a father who can be difficult to love at times. Though they may only have brief visits together, it's clear they love each other."

Saya's mother, who has been jailed because of her immigration status, communicates with Saya via cassette tape, inspiring Saya to create her own stories.

"A little girl imagines a lion taking the place of her father who no longer lives with her family, an animal that keeps her safe on her travels from school to home." (An illustration suggests that her father's absence may be due to a political forced disappearance.)

After Isabel's mother leaves to work in another country, her father drops her off to stay with her grandmother indefinitely. That night, three friendly animals help her explore her new situation.

After his father leaves, a young boy seeks his guidance and advice for for growing up. (While the author shares his experience with his father's incarceration and absence in an author's note, the text is intentionally nonspecific about why the fictional father is no longer present.)

Kids share their strategies for being brave while a parent is away on military duty, accompanied by photographs from around the US and the world. A note for caregivers is included at the end.

"The young daughter of a Navy man does not want him to go to sea, but he points out the red flag on the mailbox, the white clouds in the sky, and the blue ocean that will remind her of him while he is away."

"At the mountain's base sits a cabin under an old hickory tree. And in that cabin lives a family -- loving, weaving, cooking, and singing. The strength in their song sustains them through trials on the ground and in the sky, as they wait for their loved one, a pilot, to return from war."

In this moving picture book, a young girl reflects on the emotions and challenges of growing up with a brother who is incarcerated. This touching story is filled with vivid illustrations and is based on the author's childhood experiences. An NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Honor Book . NPR Best Book of the Year With her older brother in prison, a young girl copes with the confusing feelings his absence creates. At times she remembers the way her brother would carry her on his shoulders or how he would make up stories to tell her at bedtime. Other times she feels angry and wants to fly so far away that she can forget what happened. When her Mama and Daddy take her on the 500-mile journey to visit him, a trip she knows not all families are able to make, the girl is excited but also nervous. But the nerves turn to joy when she sees him-everything is different, but everything is the same too. Her brother is not home, but his love hasn't changed. With words that are spare, gentle, and reassuring, this picture book will help young readers with similar stories feel less alone and give other readers a window into the struggles some children face.

"Telling the story of a gender-neutral child who is inappropriately touched by an uncle's friend, this tale delivers a powerful moral when the youngster reveals the offender and the parents praise the child's bravery. Most importantly, this narrative assures young ones that sexual molestation is not their fault, and by speaking out, the child will continue to grow big and strong."

"Everett Anderson wonders how he can help his friend Greg, who appears to be a victim of child abuse."

"A young girl describes what it's like when her mom's new friend comes to stay -- a moving story about domestic violence that ends on a hopeful note."

"A teacher tells the children in her class to talk to an adult if they are being sexually abused."

"A self-help guide to enable children to cope with alcoholism in the family setting."

"A father's drinking causes pain and embarrassment to his family, until he begins to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings."

"Describes the situation of homeless young people, including children whose families have lost their homes, teenagers who no longer have families, and people who have found improvised families while homeless." (This book is longer and skews a bit older than most books on this list!)

"Jeremy, who longs to have the black high tops that everyone at school seems to have but his grandmother cannot afford, is excited when he sees them for sale in a thrift shop and decides to buy them even though they are the wrong size."

"Adrian Simcox brags about owning a horse, and Chloe just knows he's making stuff up ... until she learns an important lesson in empathy."

"Uncle Willie explains what goes on in a soup kitchen and tells of the people who are there."

"It seems everyone in Andrew's building has been so busy during the day, they've forgotten to buy anything for dinner. Their fridges are all empty--well almost. With only three carrots to eat, Andrew decides to go upstairs to ask his neighbor Nabil if he's got anything in his fridge. Nabil's not doing much better: he only has two eggs and small piece of cheese. Together, they decide to try the family on the second floor. As they ascend each floor of their apartment building, they gather more ingredients from more neighbors until they reach the top floor and everyone finally has enough for a meal. But now the question is what to cook?"

"Two children learn from their experiences of homelessness and uncertain housing that despite their living circumstances there are aspects of their lives that remain constant."

"The whole community comes together to help Sharonda and Mama build their house!"

"Illustrations and easy-to-read, rhyming text convey advice about what to do when a friend becomes very sick."

"As Mom goes through treatment for cancer, her family supports her with what cancer hates most: love." (Note that this book goes heavy on warrior/fierceness metaphors and might not be a good choice for a family where someone has died from cancer--certainly not because of insufficient love!)

"Aleeya, concerned when her beloved mother becomes sick, remembers and returns the promise Mommy has made to her--that she will always be by her side."

"Thunderstorm follows the course of a storm through midwestern farm country minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, from late morning into late afternoon."

"When their house is destroyed by fire and everything is lost except a stuffed bear and a family photograph, Mama reminds Maria and her little brother, Pepito, that they still have their most important possessions."

"Even though their trailer is destroyed by a tornado, a young boy's family is grateful because they find his baby sister alive."

"Despite their own poverty since Daddy died, Mama tells nine-year-old James Otis they need to help Sarah, whose family lost everything in a fire."

"When flood waters submerge their New Orleans neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a young cornet player and his parents evacuate their home and struggle to survive and stay together."

"Told in alternating voices, four friends from the same New Orleans neighborhood describe what happens to them and their community when they are separated, then reunited, as a result of Hurricane Katrina."

"In 1999, Jimmy, Lavada, their mother, and other residents of the tiny town of Princeville, North Carolina, struggle to make a new start after the terrible floods caused by Hurricane Floyd."

A tornado, a blizzard, a forest fire, and a hurricane are met, in turn, with resilience and awe in this depiction of Nature's power and our own.

"Young refugees wonder what their new homes will be like in this nonfiction photo-based picture book featuring images of refugee children from around the world."

"Imagine if, on an ordinary day, war came. Imagine it turned your town to rubble. Imagine going on a long and difficult journey - all alone. Imagine finding no welcome at the end of it. Then imagine a child who gives you something small but very, very precious..."

"Separated from his family when they were forced to flee their home, a young East African boy named Deo lives alone in the Lukole refugee camp in Tanzania. With scarce resources at the camp, bullies have formed gangs to steal what they can, and a leader named Remy has begun targeting Deo. Then one day a coach gathers all the children to play soccer."

"Newcomer Salma and friends cook up a heartwarming dish to cheer up Mama."

"What is it like to have to leave everything behind and travel many miles to somewhere unfamiliar and strange? A mother and her two children set out on such a journey; one filled with fear of the unknown, but also great hope."

When his daddy comes home from the service struggling with PTSD, a young boy discovers that learning yoga together can be a source of healing. Ever since Daddy returned from overseas, he's been different. At first, Butta Bean thinks it's his fault--that maybe his daddy doesn't love him anymore. But Mama explains that Daddy's mind is hurt from things that happened while he was away. When Mama takes them all to yoga class at their local YMCA, Daddy doesn't want to go at first, and Butta Bean thinks it looks weird. But as Daddy and Butta Bean get better at the yoga poses (Daddy says he's a real boyogi), Butta Bean starts to see a change in Daddy. He seems more and more like his old self. In a picture book gently tuned to a child's understanding, award-winning author David Barclay Moore and Caldecott Honor recipient Noa Denmon celebrate the transformative power of yoga, therapy, and abiding love for your family.