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Books About Coping,
Comfort, and Culture
Complied by Lisa Von Drasek and the
Children’s Book Committee
The following books can aid young children
and the adults in their lives cope in the wake of the terrorist
attacks that took place on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
Coping
These titles are one that describe and identify feelings,
explain death and perhaps help cope with loss.
by Aliki.
Ages 4+
This book takes children’s emotions seriously, and its brief
stories, sketches, and pictures give them a light and meaningful
touch. Happy, sad, mad, glad: they are all explained in simple,
clear language.
by Molly Bang
Ages 4 and up
This Caldecott Honor book expresses out of control feelings
with explosive reds, oranges and yellows.
by Laurence Brown, illustrated by Marc Brown
Ages 5 and up
In simple language, this book explains the feelings many people
have regarding the death of a loved one. The accessible text
addresses children’s questions such as, “Why does someone
die?” and “What does dead mean?”
by Lucille Clifton, illustrated by Ann Grifalconi.
Ages 5 and up
A young African- American boy copes with his father’s death.
by , Malika Doray
Ages 4 and up
Simple line drawings and tender text describe a bunny’s weekly
visits with his granny and his questions now that she is gone.
by Marc Gellman and Thomas Hartman
Ages 10 and up
Renowned clergymen describe different kinds of losses -- losing
possessions, competitions, health, trust, and the permanent
loss because of death -- and discuss how to handle these situations.
by Robie Harris, illustrated by Jan Ormerod
Ages 4 and up
Angry and upset when his pet Mousie dies, a little boy learns
that it is okay to be mad, and as he prepares to bury Mousie,
he discovers that memories and sadness are all part of the
grieving process. This poignant picture book will help little
ones deal with loss.
by Kevin Henkes New York
Ages 10 and up
After the death of his grandmother, ten-year-old Spoon tries
to find the perfect artifact to preserve his memories of her.
by Margaret Holmes and Sasha Mudlaff
Ages 5 and up
After Sherman sees something terrible happen, he becomes anxious
and then angry; but when a counselor helps him talk about
these emotions, he feels better. From a mental health expert,
a picture book for helping children who have experienced trauma
understand their feelings.
edited by James Howe
Ages 12 and up
A collection of stories dealing with different kinds of loss
experienced by such authors as Angela Johnson, Norma Fox Mazer,
Michael J. Rosen, Avi, Walter Dean Myers, and Jacqueline Woodson.
by Jill Krement
Ages 8 and up
Eighteen children from ages seven to seventeen speak openly
of their experiences and feelings accompanied photographs.
by Nancy Lamb
Ages 8 and up
Quotes from children are combined with descriptions of the
events of the 1995 bombing.
by Naomi Shihab Nye
Ages 12 and up
One hundred and forty contemporary poets contribute to this
collection of poems about a diversity of loss, from losing
a glove to losing a loved one.
Comfort
The Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street
proposed a list of books to comfort us, which we turn to in
times of stress. Comfort books are great huddle-together read-alouds,
cuddling in the blankets on a bed, snuggled in a big overstuffed
chair, leaning together on the floor with a cat or dog across
our feet. Here are a few of their favorites.
by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
Before going to sleep, a little rabbit says goodnight to all
his familiar possessions, as his big, green bedroom slowly
darkens. The classic bedtime tale.
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Ages 8 and up
Ten-year-old Mary comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire
moors and discovers a cousin and an abandoned garden. Take
a journey to a magic place where children can make friends
despite their differences.
by Kate DiCamillo
Ages 9 and up
Ten-year-old India Opal Bauloni is sad and lonely because
she is missing her mother whom she never really knew. Enter
a big smelly dog with a grin and talent for making friends.
Suddenly, things begin to change. A Newbery Honor book.
by Joyce Dunbar, illustrated by Debi Giori
Ages 3 and up
Willa has trouble falling asleep until her brother reminds
her of all the happy things that await her in the morning.
Sweet and gentle rhythmic story we want to hear over and over.
By Paul Fleischman, illustrated by Judy Pedersen
Ages 10 and up
One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds
transform a trash-filled, inner-city lot into a productive
and beautiful garden. If ever there was a way for a community
to come together, it is to garden.
by Mem Fox, illustrated by Jane Dyer.
Ages 2 and up
Rhymed couplets and oversized lovely watercolors portray a
variety of animals tucking in for the night.
by Kevin Henkes
Ages 3 and up
Owen’s parents try to get him to give up his favorite blanket
before he starts school, but when their efforts fail, they
come up with a solution that makes everyone happy.
by Shirley Hughes
Ages 4 and up
An enduring classic about how a little boy’s stuffed dog is
lost and found again.
by Barbara M. Joosse
Ages 3 and up
A child living in the Arctic learns that a mother’s love is
unconditional.
by Montgomery, Lucy Maud
Ages 10 and up
Spend some time with a willful, talkative, red-headed, short-tempered
orphan girl living on Prince Edward Island.
by Richard Peck
Ages 12 and up
During the recession of 1937, fifteen-year-old Mary Alice
is sent to live with her feisty, larger-than-life grandmother
in rural Illinois and comes to a better understanding of this
fearsome woman.
by Maurice Sendak
Ages 4 and up
A classic worth retelling of young Max who misbehaves, sails away only find when he returns that supper is still warm.
by William Steig
Ages 3 and up
When Pete is in a bad mood, his father turns him into a pizza by first rolling him like dough and then pretending to top him with ingredients until the final personal touch. A family that plays together...
by E.B. White
Ages 8 and up
A pig, a spider and a rat aren’t the usual friends -- but then again Charlotte is no ordinary spider.
by Vera B. Williams
Ages 5 and up
A family deals with the loss of their belongings and works together to make a new home.
History and Culture
This is just a small selection of books that help us understand
the diversity of cultures.
by Daniella Carmi, translated by Yael Lotan
Ages 12 and up
Samir, a Palestinian boy, is sent for surgery to an Israeli hospital where he has two otherworldly experiences -- making friends with an Israeli boy, Yonatan, and traveling with him to Mars where Samir finds peace over his younger brother’s death in the war.
by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland, illustrated by Ted Lewis
Ages 6 and up
In modern day Egypt, a young boy who works delivering fuel oil goes about his daily tasks in Cairo, anticipating the return to his family in the evening.
by Florence Parry Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland, illustrated by Mary Grandpre.
Ages 6 and up
Ancient Baghdad is lovingly depicted in this luminous book. It is the story of a library where scholars gathered to read, exchange ideas, and collect knowledge from all over the world.
by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Ages 8 and up
This book follows Ibraham’s family through the month of praying and fasting until the feast and celebration of Eid al’Fitr that ends Ramadan. The basic beliefs of Islam and the life of the Prophet Muhammad are explained, and the reader is offered an intimate look at a devout Islamic family.
by Mary Mathews, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Ages 7 and up
In this early chapter book, Magid, an eight-year-old Muslim boy in Cairo, wishes to follow the tenets of his faith despite the opposition of family members who feel that he is not yet old enough to fast.
by Ken Mochuizuki, illustrated by Dom Lee
Ages 6 and up
A Japanese American boy plays baseball while living in an internment camp during World War II, and his ability to play helps him after the war. A remarkable picture book in a bilingual edition.
by Ann Morris
Ages 3 and up
Exquisite photographs portraying families from around the world provide examples of the different ways in which love can be expressed, with an emphasis on the relationship between parent and child.
by Naomi Shihab Nye, illustrated by Raul Colon
Ages 12 and up
When fourteen-year-old Liyanne Abboud, her younger brother, and her parents move from St. Louis to a new home between Jerusalem and the Palestinian village where her father was born, they face many changes and must deal with the tensions between Jews and Palestinians.
edited by Naomi Shihab Nye
Ages 10 and up
More than one hundred poets from nineteen different Middle Eastern countries share their innermost feelings about place, family, war, and peace.
edited by Naomi Shihab Nye
Ages 10 and up
A poetry anthology in which 129 poets from sixty-eight different countries celebrate the natural world and its human and animal inhabitants.
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