A beautiful little book to hold and treasure; it looks at bereavement from a very personal point of view and gives a great deal of practical information to help schools in dealing with the pastoral issues relating to death. Although the book is really about the death of a parent or very close relative, many of the suggestions could be modified to deal with the death of a friend or member of staff.
The book is divided up into eleven chapters - each one preceded by an outline of what information is in the chapter. For example - Chapter Four `Teach other children to know what to say and how to handle things` and Chapter Six` `Grieving is mentally and physically exhausting`.
So, how does it suggest you teach children how to know what to say when most adults themselves aren`t sure? Well, by talking about death with the children in RE, Circle time, PSHE and even English and History. Talk to them about the death of famous people as it happens; use the correct vocabulary and avoid euphemisms. He suggests giving children examples of what to say when a real-life scenario occurs `I`m really sorry to hear about the death of your-¦` and he gives valuable tips for children on how to handle friends who are grieving.
For the senior members of staff in a school who may have to deal with a grieving child and family, this book is a blessing but I would encourage schools to invest in several copies so that staff throughout the school can dip into it at times of need.
Would that all adults could be lucky enough to read it so that when the inevitable happens, we are all equipped with the right tools to help make the unbearable just a little more bearable.