BLOGS > AUGUST 4, 2021
BY JILLIAN HEISE
It is never easy as a teacher to navigate a classroom community through loss. Whether it be a student, student’s family member, staff, or a beloved pet, death is something that a teacher will have to address with students at some point in their career. And in our current circumstances of a global pandemic, it is even more heavily on the minds of educators and children.
So what can we do when these heartbreaking situations come up? How can we help support students through grief and loss with a sense of empathy and support for remembrance? We can turn to picture books to guide our way.
Every school year, I get questions or see posts asking about good picture books on loss to share with a class or gift to someone who is grieving. It can be hard -- as educators are not social workers or counselors -- to know what to do, and many teachers are afraid of messing it up and making it worse. Sometimes the best thing to do is talk about it. Sometimes the best thing to do is not talk about it. Sometimes the best thing to do is a combination of both. I do believe in the power of #ClassroomBookADay to be responsive to the needs of the kids in a particular classroom, and that means I can’t just keep pushing forward with books I have planned when tragedy befalls our classroom, school, or broader community. I need to be able to use the choices of read-alouds to support the emotional needs of students and staff. Sometimes that will mean bringing in a picture book that might help us laugh and feel normal again. And other times it means we will need to face it head-on.
When someone experiences a loss, we often see prayers for comfort and peace. I believe that through sharing any of these 20 picture books, those moments of peace and comfort in the memories can be found, as well as the support for knowing they are not alone in feeling sad or angry or helpless as well. Because when tragedy happens, I turn to books to say what I sometimes don’t know how to say myself. I hope these books will be useful to you. I hope you will find some comfort in them. And I hope they will help you to guide students, or yourself, through stages of grief in a supportive way.
Jillian Heise
Jillian Heise, NBCT and MLIS, is currently a K-5 Library Media Teacher in southeastern Wisconsin. She previously taught Grades 7 and 8 ELA in the Milwaukee area for 11 years. Jillian is the founder of #classroombookaday and dedicated to supporting all student identities and lived experiences through access to inclusive literature. She brings her literacy expertise and knowledge of kidlit to her role as Chair of the USRA Children's Literature Committee. You can find Jillian online at Heise Reads & Recommends and @heisereads.
Read all Jillian Heise #ClassroomBookADay articles here.
Watch webinar recording presented by Jillian Heise, Building Community: #ClassroomBookADay Read-Alouds.
What We're Reading – Books to Add to Your TBR List
June 4, 2025
As a Follett Content Outside Sales Consultant, I’m not only an avid reader, but also a passionate book reviewer! I’ve curated my top 10 book picks that are perfect for adding to your To Be Read (TBR) list. These titles...
Read more
Author Joseph Koszary on the Changes Made to the International Baccalaureate Extended Essay
May 22, 2025
As someone who’s served as an extended essay coordinator, examiner, and supervisor, I’ve grown deeply familiar with the previous incarnation of the extended essay (EE). Like many of you, years of accumulated experience have made supporting students through the process...
Read more
Celebrate Literacy All Year Long: Host an Online Book eFair!
May 12, 2025
Reading and literacy are essential parts of our lives, and there are numerous events throughout the year dedicated to celebrating and promoting these important skills. Hosting a Follett Book eFair is a fantastic way to engage your school community, share the...
Read more
What Can Comics Do? Tapping Into Empathy and Flexibility
May 7, 2025
When I write the word comics, many images and ideas might spring to mind for the reader. Maybe it is first the action figure or bombastic film that occupies a child’s life that you know, or maybe a stack of...
Read more
High-Interest Books: Maximize Them!
May 1, 2025
As educators we recognize that we have reluctant readers no matter what grade we teach. In our hearts we desperately want those students to enjoy reading and not see it as a daunting task. A reluctant reader is not always...
Read more
5 Ways to Bring Kwame Alexander Bookfest to Your School Library
April 23, 2025
One of my favorite parts of being a librarian is helping our students find and connect to books. This happens in the library, within classrooms, in the lunchroom, at after-school events, and even walking down the hallway. Discovery and connection can...
Read more