Can You Hear Me Smiling?: A Child Grieves a Sister [Paperback]

Aariane R. Jackson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

The book's author recounts with honesty, tenderness, and courage, the story of her older sister's illness, passing and the range of emotions she experienced during this difficult time.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. The intimacy, tenderness, and honesty make this true story a powerful picture-book resource for family grief counseling. Nine-year-old Aariane talks about the death of her beloved sister, Londee, who died from pneumonia at age 12. Aariane is haunted by the mean things she said in a quarrel ("I don't like you. You're not my real sister, anyway"), and her grief is mixed with jealousy about the attention Londee received and the perfect image people remember. The realistic pictures of sibling intimacy (they shared a room and ate off each other's plates) and the personal particulars (they are African American; Aariane was adopted a year after Londee was adopted) root the story in a warm home. The mix of guilt and resentment with love, sorrow, and overwhelming loneliness is universal and will open up discussion with many children who are facing loss. The story is framed by a preface from the girls' mother and a long, clear afterword in which grief counselors speak plainly and clearly to adults about how to confront a child's anguish and help him or her feel less alone. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Child & Family Press (June 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0878688358
• ISBN-13: 978-0878688357
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.9 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.3 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,298,701 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.