You Wouldn't Understand

Book excerpt: The sudden death of a beloved fourth grade teacher shocks the class and forces the students to explore the concept of death and how to cope with their emotions. Our nine-year-old protagonist thinks no one could possibly understand these feelings and decides to bottle them up. However, the more the other students discuss their past experiences with grief, the more our main character realizes opening up to the right person is actually helpful. When children experience a significant death, their emotions are in flux and they grapple with all of the questions related to life coming to an end. How we teach children to cope, will have a direct impact on them for the rest of their lives. Included in this book, are suggestions for how to express grief as well as a helping section for adults.