Never Too Young to Know: Death in Children's Lives. - Review - book review

Adolescence, Spring, 2001

SILVERMAN, Phyllis Rolfe. Never Too Young to Know: Death in Children's Lives. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 271pp. $19.95 (p).

In spite of society's wish to protect and insulate children from death, the experience of loss is unavoidable and there is surprisingly little guidance on how to help children cope with grief and bereavement. Never too Young to Know brings together diverse fields of study and offers a practical as well as multifaceted theoretical approach to how children cope with death. Using stories of children's own experiences supported by data from a large research study, Silverman explains the wide range of effects of loss upon children, the challenges they face as they grieve, and ways of supporting them as they change and grow in the bereavement process. Chapters include: historical and theoretical perspectives; bereavement--a time of changing relationships and transition; grieving and psychological development; children in the family context; the death of a parent--dealing with bad news (my world is turned upside down); death of a parent--making an accommodation; my child is dying; after a child's death--nothing is t he same; when a sibling dies; invisible mourners--the death of a friend; help over time--meeting changing needs; finding help--services for the bereaved; and teachable moments--promoting competence.