John's Book

John was ten when his father died. His world will never be the same again. Suddenly he has to face great loss and the added responsibility of helping his mother cope. Jill Fuller treats this difficult subject with a rare insight gained from her own first hand experience in dealing with bereaved children. In a fictionalised account, she deals with all aspects of death, from the funeral itself to facing one's friends. She tackles both the emotional side and the practical side with great sympathy - questions which seem obvious to an adult are not so obvious to children, such as "What happens to the body'." The title refers to a gift to John from his aunt: John's Book is an album of photographs of his ancestors. At the end of the album are pictures of John with his new family: his mother's second husband and stepchildren. This book addresses a difficult question in an accessible form. It addresses a need for literature for children on the experience of bereavement and will be a great help and comfort to both the children themselves and the adults who care for them.