Death and Loss in Middle Grade Novels

I've gotten my share of teasing about why I read and love books about death and loss from friends and colleagues - both novels written for adults, and chapter books and picture books written for children and young adults.  Even some of my students have laughed when I say I can't wait to share a book with them, and they say, "Does someone die, Mrs. Mueller?!"  It's time to defend myself in this blog post about why I think books about death or dying make for some of the most profound literature! ;-) I'm going to concentrate on intermediate grade novels, and one very special picture book.

Death, dying, loss, and the fear of loss seem to preoccupy a lot of us.  I just read a Facebook post about a friend celebrating her anniversary, and how it makes her sad to think time is going by so fast.  Even celebrations can make you feel the sting of mortality:  weddings, birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, retirements, even births.  The older you get, the faster time seems to fly.  The loss of a loved one can especially make you realize how fleeting this life is, and how each day needs to be celebrated and lived fully.  I think we'd be surprised how many children have been touched by death, illness, or loss: divorce, a parent losing a job, a sibling or best friend moving away, moving, a pet's illness or death ( DON'T discount this one!), a family member injured, ill, or passing, etc.  When a book brilliantly addresses the very real pain of loss, but then shows us how to embrace hope and life, I'm hooked.  I just finished See You at Harry's Jo Knowles by Jo Knowles, and I spent the next few days thinking about what it is that makes that kind of story so moving.  It's the impact a death makes on your life.  It makes you think about your own story and how you want it to touch someone else.  You want your story to exist before you, and you want it to continue after you're gone.  Like Knowles says in her book, "When all that's left of me is love, give me away."  That's what we want - something that lasts of us after we leave.  Not long before my grandmother died, she gave my children and me pictures of her and said, "Remember me.  You won't forget me, will you?"  When one of my best friends recently passed away, his dying words were, "Remember me in the good times, okay?"  We all want our legacies to remain in the friends and family left behind.  Kids get that, and when they're dealing with loss, one of the best gifts we can give them is a story about that very thing, and remind them they're not alone.

Here are some of my favorite middle grade stories that address death, dying, injury, illness, disabilities, abandonment, or loss and then help us choose hope:

 

And one incredibly moving picture book...

 

And one young adult novel I recently read that has to be included in this blog...
 

I know this list is not by any means exhaustive, and there are some books on my "to-read" list on Goodreads that will undoubtedly be added.  What are some of your recommendations (old or new) for books to read on this topic?