My Life with Losing a Parent - by Mari C Schuh (Paperback)

About the Book

"Meet Scarlett! She likes to ride bike, read, and play outside. Her dad died when she was young. Scarlett is real and so are her experiences with grief. Learn about what it's like when a parent dies in this illustrated narrative nonfiction picture book for elementary students"--

Book Synopsis

In this installment of our popular series highlighting real-life stories of real kids, we delve into family topics that affect countless kids: grief, divorced parents and blended families. Foster understanding and empathy with these narrative nonfiction books featuring real kids and their lives. Expressive illustrations and a dyslexic-friendly font foster inclusivity.
Meet Scarlett! She likes to ride bike, read, and play outside. Her dad died when she was young. Scarlett is real and so are her experiences with grief. Learn what it's like when a parent dies in this illustrated narrative nonfiction picture book for elementary students. With the help of experienced children's author Mari Schuh, Scarlett sheds light on how her family grieved and what it's like to live without her dad. Scarlett's story is augmented by colorful, realistic illustrations. A dyslexic-friendly font promotes accessibility. Includes tips for kids about interacting with people who have a lost a loved one.

Review Quotes

The My Life With ... series presents infrequently discussed family challenges in an accessible and authentic manner that even the youngest readers can relate to. Each title offers a first-person narrative from the perspective of a real-life young person navigating a particular life experience, without shying away from tough topics. In My Life with a Blended Family, Karson shares how her family structure involves splitting time between her parents' two homes and navigating life with her stepdad and new siblings. Joseph's parents also split up in My Life with Divorced Parents, leading to a period of housing instability before finding a new home and routine for their restructured family. In My Life with a Foster Family, Shaylee discusses her experience in foster care and her eventual adoption by her foster family. While she initially struggles, she finds support through talking with a therapist. My Life with Losing a Parent addresses how the sudden death of Scarlett's father resulted in months of stress until the girl began speaking with her mom and a therapist to find a new normal. Back matter in each book includes a brief biography of the child interviewed for the book plus tips, a glossary, further reading, and helpful websites. The children featured are racially and socioeconomically diverse, and the books include a dyslexic-friendly font to promote accessibility.

"Accessible and authentic..." --Booklist

"Unreservedly recommended for elementary school and community library Social Issues and Books in Series collections for young readers." --Midwest Book Review

About the Author

Mari Schuh is the author of hundreds of nonfiction books for beginning readers, covering topics from tomatoes to tornadoes. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and their sassy house rabbit.