Grief

"The art of losing isn't hard to master," wrote poet Elizabeth Bishop. Perhaps she meant that we will all face loss at some point in our lives. In this collection, we have brought together texts that take up the universal experience of grief.

Iveliz Explains It All

by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Publication year 2022

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Mental Health, Family, Conflict, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Race, Coming of Age, Death, Fathers, Grandparents, Mothers, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Mental Illness

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James And The Giant Peach

by Roald Dahl

Publication year 1961

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Friendship, Community, Safety & Danger, Childhood & Youth, Family, Love, Fear, Loneliness, Grief, Death, Hope, Perseverance

Tags Fantasy, Classic Fiction, Humor, Children`s Literature, Magical Realism, Animals, Action & Adventure

James and the Giant Peach by British author Roald Dahl was first published in 1961. This critically acclaimed children’s novel was made into an award-winning film in 1996. It tells the story of a giant peach that magically grows in a young boy, James’s, back garden—big enough for him to enter the center of the peach and have adventures with the insects who live in there. Dahl is known as one of the 20th century’s greatest... Read James And The Giant Peach Summary

Japanese Gothic

by Kylie Lee Baker

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Fear, Grief, Guilt, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Death, The Past, Nature Versus Nurture, Daughters & Sons, Colonialism, War, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal

Tags Magical Realism, Contemporary Literature

Kylie Lee Baker’s Japanese Gothic (2026) is a psychological horror novel that blends Western Gothic traditions with Japanese folklore. The story follows Lee Turner, a university student who flees to an old family home in Japan, believing he has murdered his roommate. Haunted by suppressed trauma, Lee discovers the house is a portal connecting his present to the year 1877. There, he meets Sen, a young female samurai whose family is hiding after a failed... Read Japanese Gothic Summary

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life

by Wendy Mass

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Coming of Age, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Fear, Grief, Joy, Fathers, Self Discovery, Family

Tags Realistic Fiction, Children`s Literature, Mystery & Crime Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Action & Adventure

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2006) is a realistic middle grade novel that follows best friends Jeremy and Lizzy on their quest to find the meaning and purpose of their lives as they try to unlock a gift from Jeremy’s late father. The book was nominated for several major awards, including the Nutmeg Book Award in Connecticut (2010) and the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers’... Read Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life Summary

Jesus' Son

by Denis Johnson

Publication year 1992

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Forgiveness, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Hope, Loneliness, Regret, Shame & Pride, Masculinity, Mental Health, Death, Future, The Past, Friendship, Self Discovery, Community, Safety & Danger

Tags Addiction & Substance Abuse, American Literature, Modern Classic Fiction, World History, Classic Fiction

Jesus’ Son (1992) is a collection of short fiction by American writer Denis Johnson, published by Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux. It explores themes of The Slipperiness of Time, Substance Use Disorder, and Violence as Inevitability. In the form of a short story cycle, each of the 11 stories of Jesus’ Son is narrated by the same protagonist, who has a substance use disorder and is referred to in the narrative as “Fuckhead”. The book takes... Read Jesus' Son Summary

John & Paul

by Ian Leslie

Publication year 2025

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Fear, Grief, Joy, Love, Memory, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Future, The Past, Place, Family, Friendship, Mothers, Teamwork, Community, Art, Fame, Loyalty & Betrayal, Music, Order & Chaos

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Junie

by Erin Crosby Eckstine

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Love, Grief, Friendship, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Race, Coming of Age, Siblings, Self Discovery, Equality

Tags Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Coming of Age, American Civil War

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Keeping 13

by Chloe Walsh

Publication year 2018

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Grief, Love, Mental Health, Coming of Age, Family, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community

Tags Romance, Sports, New Adult, Modern Classic Fiction, Trauma & Abuse

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Keesha's House

by Helen Frost

Publication year 2003

Genre Novel/Book in Verse, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Perseverance, Gratitude, Grief, Hope, Loneliness, Femininity, Gender Identity, Masculinity, Mental Health, Race, Sexual Identity, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Family, Teamwork, Self Discovery, Safety & Danger

Tags Realistic Fiction, Narrative Poem

Keesha’s House (2003) is a coming-of-age novel in verse by Helen Frost. Frost has published several books for young readers, including other novels in verse. Keesha’s House is a Michael L. Printz Honor Book, and it is praised for introducing young readers to poetry. Frost uses sestinas and sonnets to tell the stories of seven teens—Stephie, Jason, Keesha, Carmen, Dontay, Harris, and Katie—who confront different levels of precarity. The narratives alternate and intersect, and they... Read Keesha's House Summary

Killing Mr. Griffin

by Lois Duncan

Publication year 1978

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Apathy, Conflict, Fear, Grief, Guilt, Hate & Anger, Loneliness, Revenge, Shame & Pride, Coming of Age, Appearance & Reality, Friendship, Community, Education, Family, Good & Evil, Fate, Justice, Power & Greed, Literature, Trust & Doubt, Safety & Danger, Truth & Lies

Tags Mystery & Crime Fiction, Horror & Suspense, Realistic Fiction, Dramatic Literature, Trauma & Abuse, Education, Education

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Kin

by Tayari Jones

Publication year 2026

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Mothers, Siblings, Conflict, Perseverance, Grief, Loneliness, Love, Memory, Femininity, Gender Identity, Race, Sexual Identity, Coming of Age, The Past, Place, Family, Friendship, Self Discovery, Social Class, Community, Education, Safety & Danger

Tags Relationships, African American Literature

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Kira-Kira

by Cynthia Kadohata

Publication year 2004

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Family, Grief, Love, Race, Childhood & Youth, Coming of Age, Siblings, Social Class, Economics, Justice, Power & Greed

Tags Historical Fiction, Grief & Death, Asian Literature, Coming of Age, Realistic Fiction, Civil Rights & Jim Crow South, US History, Parenting, Race & Racism, American Literature, Children`s Literature, World History

Cynthia Kadohata’s first novel, Kira-Kira (2004), is a historical coming-of-age novel for middle-grade readers. The novel tells the story of the Japanese American Takeshima family, who live in the Chesterfield, Georgia, in the 1950s. The protagonist and first-person narrator is the younger daughter, Katie. The narrative spans seven years, involving the family’s move from Iowa to the South, where Katie’s parents become workers in the poultry industry. The narrative follows Katie as she awakens to... Read Kira-Kira Summary

Krik? Krak!

by Edwidge Danticat

Publication year 1996

Genre Short Story Collection, Fiction

Themes Femininity, Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Grief, Mothers, Family

Tags Historical Fiction, Survival Fiction, Gender & Feminism, Women`s Studies, Education, Education, Modern Classic Fiction

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