This Sure Thing - by Sarah Mayfield (Hardcover)

About the Book

This Sure Thing, through a heartfelt first-person narrative, encourages youth to continue to live the love they have for their person no longer here.

Book Synopsis

Inspired by real events, This Sure Thing captures a boy's persistence after the death of his younger brother.

The boy imagines what life would be like if his brother were still alive. Days might be filled with football, laughter, and video games! His brother might discover the trick candles on his birthday cake! Despite all he wonders, the boy knows one thing for sure: his brother is no longer here, but the love he has for him still is. In sharing this unfading love with others, and writing notes to his deceased brother, the boy discovers both meaning and connection on his grief journey.

This Sure Thing, through a heartfelt, first-person narrative, encourages youth to continue to live the love they have for their person no longer here.

Bonus features included in this book:

"30 Ways to Live That Love"-Browse the list of remembrance activities and grief rituals. Pick out ones that feel like a good fit for you and your child. Discover new ways to live the love for your special person!

"Today Notes"- On these blank notes, write a few words (or draw a picture!) to your loved one about how you "live that love." Capture the love you have for your special person! Save these notes and revisit them when you feel up to it.

Print blank Today Notes and find additional grief resources at livethatlove.org.

Twenty-five percent of author's proceeds from book sales go to National Alliance for Children's Grief and Full Circle Grief Center.

Review Quotes

"This Sure Thing is a must-read for any young griever. It captures the longing and wondering you feel when you miss someone, and it gives gentle ideas of how to honor them in daily life. This Sure Thing comforts, heals, and shows that while we may not have all the answers, we can be sure of this sure thing: the strength of love."

"This insightful book takes young readers gently by the hand and guides them along the path from heartbreak towards hope. Within these pages, children struggling with painful feelings and fears can find comfort and understanding, as well as ways to express their feelings of loss. From the rhythmic pacing and comforting tone to the touching illustrations, This Sure Thing feels like a cocoon that snuggles young readers in a sense of safety, assures them their feelings are normal, and enlightens them about ways they might celebrate and cherish the memory of a sibling in positive, healing ways."

"What could parents, grandparents, or friends dealing with their own grief do to assist younger children through the loss of their sibling? Out of her own experience, Sarah Mayfield has artfully combined a mother's heart with a professional's knowledge in a touching and practical guide which will open doors of communication and companionship for bereaved youth. This is a much-needed book that young and old will find helpful."

"Sarah Mayfield's beautiful and engaging book for children is so very needed. We rarely see the stories of siblings who are missing their brothers or sisters who have died. Others rarely get a glimpse of how surviving children may feel as they navigate life without their siblings, how they may remember and include them in their day-to-day lives, or how a child may think about their relationship with their siblings whose absence is always present. This book shows us what this may look like, providing validation and support for kids living with this kind of loss. A family that is missing a child is different from other intact families, and all family members are impacted by the loss of that child. This book is one of very few that addresses that pain from the perspective of a sibling. Thank you so much for this gem of a book that will help so many."

"In the world of bereavement, finding various ways to stay connected to our loved ones is essential. Continuing these relationships after death helps us honor and remember our loved one, but it also helps us as we learn to carry our grief. This task is often difficult for children to understand, and Sarah has created a beautiful book to help introduce our children to this valuable skill. This Sure Thing will help families identify ways to continue these bonds. . .such as writing letters, carrying out tasks in their honor, finding joy in things that made our loved ones happy, and sharing memories. Personally and professionally, Sarah understands grief, and her words will be a gift to any family who needs a little guidance as they navigate the challenges of loss."