Penny S. Robbins

Comm 112B

Dr. Warner

How Teens Cope With Death

Today�s teens face death more often then their parents ever did. With the increase in alcohol and drugs the teens of this generation have seen, know, or witnessed friends that have died either suddenly in an accident or by their own hand. I have found some articles and books that treat death in a delicate way that is easier for a teen to assimilate to the grief process. Dying is never easy for anyone, but for a youth they can�t always understand what or why this horrible tragedy had to happen. More teens are committing suicide now then ever before. No one is sure what pressures or outside influences have help to cause this horrible trend.

Some of the books I have annotated deal with suicide and the others are Young Adult Literature that deal with a little bit of mystery and adventure but also have a good deal to do with the death of a teen and how the friends and family learn to deal with it. My own first adventure into this was with the book that I read for my book talk, which was The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. A friend recommended this book to me and I was so impressed with the story that I have given it to many friends for their children to read. This is an excellent book about dying and learning to come to grips with death plus letting go both on the spirit side as well as for the family and friends.

All of the annotated stories I have attached will show you different aspects of how we cope with death. This is not an easy topic for people to talk about it generally makes them ill at ease. The fact that it can be put into a book tastefully says a great deal about the authors that have contributed to this genre in their writing.

The Lovely Bones: A Novel by Alice Sebold. (Little Brown & Company, 2002)

. ISBN: 0316666343

Not many new novels debut or are as masterful or compelling as Sebold's. Her heroine, 14-year-old Suzy Salmon, is murdered in the first chapter, on her way home from school. Suzy narrates the story from heaven, viewing the devastating effects of her murder on her family. Each member reacts differently: her gentle father grieves quietly, intent on finding her killer; her aloof mother retreats from the family; her tough younger sister, Lindsey, keeps everything inside, except for the occasional moment when she tentatively opens up to her boyfriend; and her four-year-old brother. Bucky, longs for his older sister and can't comprehend her absence. Suzy also watches Ray Singh, the boy who kissed her for the first time, who represents all of her lost hopes, and Ruth Connors, who became obsessed with death and murder after Suzy's passing.

Under Suzy's watchful eye, the members of her family individually grow away from her murder, each shaped by it in their own way. In heaven, Suzy herself continues to grapple with her death as well, still longing for her family and for Earth, until she is finally granted a wish that allows her to fulfill one of her dreams. Sebold's beautiful novel shows how a tragedy can tear a family apart, and bring them back together again. She challenges us to re-imagine happy endings, as she brings the novel to a conclusion that is unfalteringly magnificent. And she paints, with an artist's precision, a portrait of a world where the terrible and the miraculous can and do co-exist.

Patterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia: Harper Trophy 1977 ISBN: 0-690-01359-0

Jess Aaron waited all summer to prove that he was the fastest runner in the fifth grade. Everyday at recess the fourth and fifth grade boys would race on the far field to see who was the fastest. When the first day of school had come Jess could hardly wait, but a new girl had interrupted the boy�s fun. The new girl, Leslie Burk, ran faster than any of the boys with out even loosing her breath, which did not make any of the boys like her especially Jess.

Eventually they become best friends and spend all their time together. Together they built a Castle in the woods they called Terabithia. It was their own little magical place where they could play everyday. One day as it began to rain the river that flowed right by Teribithia over ran its banks, and Leslie fell in and drowned. Jess was devastated and could not accept her death, he never wanted to return to the spot where she died. Finally he was able to go back to the castle where Jess built a bridge over the river so that no one else could ever die there again and the magic would return.

Cormier, Robert After The First Death: Del Laurel-Leaf. ISBN: 0-440-20835-1

In this book we deal with the prospect of children being held captive by a couple of terrorists and how Miro the youngest one can�t wait to get his first kill. For him it is the thrill of the fact he will become a man once he kills someone. We see the girl and children he comes to know during the showdown as being very brave even when a couple of the kids get killed in front of them. But the whole of the story is seen through the eyes of Ben who died, and how he felt betrayed by his father who he watches and blames for his death.

Ben isn�t looking for peace for his father but for an apology and acknowledgement from his father as to why he put his own son in peril just for his job. Poor Kate who thinks she has turned Miro around still winds up dead at his hands even though it never had to go that far, except for Miro�s need to kill. This look at what drives a criminal mind and people to kill gives great insight to the psych of someone who is driven. This novel will keep most boys interested due to the violence and twist in the plot.

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War, Publisher: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1974

In typical Cormier style of writing is the essence of suspence that pulls readers through, who will come out on top in The Chocolate War. The story is about a high school freshman Jerry, who decides not to sell candy for the annual chocolate drive at school. This upsets both Archie the leader of the powerful social clique The Vigils, and his intimidating teacher Brother Leon.

During all this Jerry is also learning to deal with the death of his mother. His best friend Goober tries to help him but is worried about what could happen to him.

Crutcher, Chris Chinese Handcuffs, Publisher: New York Greenwillow Books ISBN 0688083455

This novel deals with many teenage issues such as child abuse, suicide, and brothers. The story of eighteen-year-old Dillon who becomes deeply involved in the terrible secret of his friend Jennifer, who feels she can tell no one about what her stepfather is doing to her. Dillon is still troubled by his older brother�s violent suicide.

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk, Dell Laurel-Leaf ISBN 0-440-22938-3

Crutcher can bring out memories with the images in his books, we can all relate to the fact that there are bullies in school, kids who get picked on just because they are different and the one who chooses to stand up for the all the rest. TJ starts out just trying to piss off the jocks of the school but then gets a change of heart when he realizes that all the misfits mean something to him and he really does care about them. It becomes no longer just his quest, but what is right for the rest of the misfits. During his journey of self-discovery he loses his adoptive father to violence, trying to deal with it by finding his half brother and putting his life back into perspective. Very insightful novel guys will enjoy the banter between the jocks and the nerds.

Griffith Ewers, Melinda. Something to remember: Nursing, Nov 1993 v23 n11 p96(1)

This article talks about the common death of young athletes from congenital heart defects. The case of young Andrew Hauser a college student who died from this disorder is presented in this article. He died despite frantic efforts of doctors and nurses who did everything they could to save his life. It tells of how the parents found a meaningful way to accept their son�s death. The Nurses have found that it is sometimes helpful to give the family something of their loved one, such as a lock of hair, to make the process of dealing with their loss more bearable.

All of these books have great views on how to accept death and go on with your life. Most of these novels would be appealing to high school boys as well as girls. Most of them have a sport motif along with an underdog feel to them that they appeal will be rather broad.

Works Cited

Griffith Ewers, Melinda. Something to remember: Nursing, Nov 1993 v23 n11 p96(1)

Patterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia: Harper Trophy 1977 ISBN: 0-690-01359-0

Cormier, Robert After The First Death: Del Laurel-Leaf. ISBN: 0-440-20835-1

Sebold, Alice The Lovely Bones: A Novel.(Little Brown & Company, 2002) ISBN: 0316666343

Cormier, Robert. The Chocolate War, Publisher: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1974

Crutcher, Chris Chinese Handcuffs, New York Greenwillow Books ISBN 0688083455

Crutcher, Chris. Whale Talk, Dell Laurel-Leaf ISBN 0-440-22938-3