Press reviews for: Understanding Children's Experiences of Parental Bereavement
Resources Hotline ( The World Pastoral Care Center)
Holland, a psychologist and researcher, offers a revised childhood model of loss around the meaning of the death of a parent. The authors examines funerals and significant rituals, especially as given meaning by children, the transition back to school, and effective communication.
Mortality
The book is easy to read with a common-sense approach to the subject. There is a logical sequence to the chapters, the sections within these and it is equally good either to dip into or read through. It would make a good reference book for every school and be an especially useful starting point for teachers in those schools where immigrant children are trying to settle while dealing with the often unacknowledged loss and change in their lives.
British Journal of Educational Psychology
This book is an important contribution to our understanding of how children experience bereavement and how they can and should be supported, both in the short and long term. It will be a particularly valuable resource for any professional working with bereaved children, especially within the school setting, or for anyone wishing to develop a greater understanding of the area of childhood bereavement or, indeed, for any practitioner wishing to conduct their own research in this area.
Bereavement Care
For a bereaved child, school is a paradox. It can be both a haven from the emotional intensity of home and a source of additional demands. It can provide support and generate feelings of isolation and alienation. The challenge for teachers is to recognise how to develop school as a positive resource for bereaved children, which is the main focus of Holland's study.