When a Grandparent Dies: A Kid's Own Workbook for Dealing with Shiva and the Year Beyond [Hardcover]

Nechama Liss-Levinson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

The death of a grandparent is often a child s first encounter with grief. Why did this happen? What should I do? How do I feel? This workbook helps children to participate in the process of mourning, and overcome the awkwardness that often accompanies their participation in grieving rituals. Drawing insights from both psychology and Jewish tradition, When a Grandparent Dies offers children guided exercises, rituals, and places to write, draw, list, create, and express their feelings. Appropriate for children aged 7-11, the workbook moves from the immediacy of shiva through the entire year of mourning. Children and parents who use this book together will have a unique opportunity for sharing as they come to know more about themselves, their family, and the complexities of life and death.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A child will not only learn the brilliance of our tradition, but will be able to celebrate the life of their grandparent while perpetuating memory in a meaningful way." -- David M. Techner, author of A Candle for Grandpa; Funeral Director, Ira Kaufman Chapel

"A valuable resource! Empowers children with tools to cope." -- Anne Brener, author of Mourning & Mitzvah: A Guided Journal for Walking the Mourner's Path through Grief to Healing

"Thoughtful, sensitive, practical." -- Rabbi Marc D. Angel, author of The Orphaned Adult: Confronting the Death of a Parent

"Will bring support, guidance, and understanding for countless children, teachers, and health professionals." -- Rabbi Earl A. Grollman, D.D., author of Talking about Death

Long needed...splendid. -- Rabbi Harold Kushner, author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People

About the Author

Nechama Liss-Levinson, Ph.D., is a psychologist and psychoanalyst in private practice and author of many articles on family relationships and on grief.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing; First Printing edition (July 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879045443
• ISBN-13: 978-1879045446
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #338,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #40 in Books > Children's Books > Religions > Judaism

More About the Author

Nechama likes to help people. Her books for children all offer help on dealing with a difficult situation, like the death of a grandparent, or the death of a pet. Her own Grandma Blumie died when she was ten years old,and she has wanted to help kids learn coping strategies since that time. Recently, Nechama was awarded the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award for her novel, "When the Hurricane Came to New Orleans," written after two amazing volunteer relief missions that she worked on after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. When Nechama is not busy as a writer, she is a psychologist, as well as a wife, mother and grandma to two cutie pies.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a moving and sensitive resource for kids and their parents, April 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: When a Grandparent Dies: A Kid's Own Workbook for Dealing with Shiva and the Year Beyond (Hardcover)

This is an exceptionally beautiful and sensitve guide for children to help them cope with the death of a grandparent. While targeted for children 7-11, I suspect that younger AND older children, and even adults, will find the information and various activities extremely worthwhile. It provides a very good overview of the way in which Jewsih rituals associated with death and mourning serve to help the child and his/her family copy for the short and long-term. A must-have for rabbis, teachers, synagogue libraries and funeral directors. - and a book I wish I had when my grandparents died!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Teaching a child to reflect on how to create lasting memories, May 25, 2008

By 

Christine C. Maasdam - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When a Grandparent Dies: A Kid's Own Workbook for Dealing with Shiva and the Year Beyond (Hardcover)

Liss-Levinson's thoughtful approach to comforting and teaching a young child about death is skillfully orchestrated through a sequence of activities which serve as building blocks to a deeper understanding of death and a Jewish response.

This process is accomplished by accessing a child's memories about their grandparent. Since it is likely, that the death of a grandparent will be the first introduction of death to a child, Liss-Levinson uses the event as a platform to allow the child to speak about their feelings through drawings, simple sentences or photos. It also allows for the child to ask questions and gain historical information from parents, family members and friends.

The workbook weaves Judaic education through the exercises by explaining Shiva, the Kaddish, and common family practices. The child is given the opportunity to take charge and become a Shiva Detective as way to gain a larger memory base about their grandparent. The result creates a world of memory for the child to hold and cherish and introduces them to the Judaic concept of remembering. The inclusion of how the child can recall their memories at each Jewish holiday instills a sense of continuation and hope.

The workbook assists parents by bringing difficult topics to the forefront and creates the possibility of ongoing discussions with a child. Most importantly, the child has gained a valuable skill, the power to remember and the confidence to treasure their memories.

I would highly recommend this workbook to be suggested by rabbis, Jewish educators, and child therapists. It is appropriate for 8-12 year olds, and should be encouraged to be used by younger children with their parents help. It is truly a "memory bank" and will be greatly appreciated by the family.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book, July 2, 2007

By 

M. Everett (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When a Grandparent Dies: A Kid's Own Workbook for Dealing with Shiva and the Year Beyond (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful book. Drawing from her professional and personal experience, the author, with her wisdom, sensitivity, and insight, provides moving, creative opportunities for children to work through the process of grieving and healing.

I recently gave this gem of a book to a close friend for her eight-year-old daughter whose grandmother passed away. My friend was so excited about this gift, and she is eager to start going through the book with her daughter.