John's Book By Jill Fuller At the age of ten, John must suddenly come to terms with the death of his father. Written with compassion and understanding, this novel for young people answers many questions about the experience of bereavement. Illustrated by Bill Toop. ISBN-13: 9780718828707 Specifications: 216x135mm, 88pp, Hardback with b&w illustrations Price: £9.99 • US$19.98 Publication: June 1993 Order this Title Now

About this 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.

Contents

1. The first day of bereavement
2. What is a funeral/cremation?
3. Coping with anger
4. Finding someone else who has been bereaved
5. The first outing without Dad
6. Facing one's friends
7. Anxieties about other deaths in the family
8. New faces in the family circle
9. New friends
10. Coping with changes and starting again

Reviews and Comments

"... reactions are sensitively described ... illustrates well how children are deeply affected by secondary losses ... very useful to a teacher or counsellor who persuades a young client to read it, and to comment on John’s story, comparing it with his or her own. It could be a good way of distancing children sufficiently from their own experience to get them talking."
Mary Bending, Cruse Bereavement Care

About the Author

Jill Fuller has twenty-seven years' experience of teaching, both full and part-time, in a wide variety of schools. She has previously published teaching materials in the field of religious education and is now a freelance writer.