A new edition of the raw and heartbreaking YA debut about one gay teen’s sacrifice and the community that can’t come to terms with the way he lived.   Sixteen-year-old Joel Espen died of thirst and heat exhaustion while on a hike in the Grand Canyon. He collapsed in a desperate attempt to get water for his friend. In the aftermath, everyone said was the strongest, bravest, and kindest young man anyone knew. But nobody really knew him.   The novel tells the story of Joel’s life and death through the memories of those who grew up around Joel. As each character presents a piece of the boy they knew, it becomes clear that however much people loved and admired Joel, there was something about him they could never quite admit—could never bring themselves to see. The heartbreaking tragedy was not only Joel’s death, but that in his life the people who loved him most, couldn’t accept him for what he was.   The Way He Lived is an unsparing story of a teen’s life and death and legacy in a small community told with nuance and subtlety.    “Powerful, funny, beautiful, and infinitely real. I love this book.”—Sara Zarr, National Book Award Finalist “Compassionate and heartfelt.” —Ellen Wittlinger, Michael L. Printz Award Honoree Winner of the 2009 Utah Book Award

Death is an important part of life, and yet it is one of the hardest things to talk about--for adults as well as children. Historian and museum curator Sarah Chavez is determined to create a book that sparks wonder and curiosity about dying, instead of fear and shame. In this informative book, illustrated by Annika Le Large, children will marvel at the flowers different cultures use to represent death. They will find out about eco-friendly burials, learn how to wrap a mummy, and go beneath the streets of Paris to witness skull-lined catacombs! Readers will also ride a buffalo alongside Yama, the Hindu god of death, come face-to-face with the terracotta army a Chinese emperor built to escort him to the afterlife, and party in the streets to celebrate the Day of the Dead in Mexico. Through these examples Sarah Chavez showcases the amazing ways humans have always revered those who have died. Full of practical tips, this book won't stop the pain of losing a loved one or a pet, but it may give young readers ideas for different ways they can celebrate those who have passed away, and help begin the healing process.

A twenty-year-old crime, an accelerated death penalty, and an elitist family cover-up: Nyla races against the death row clock to save a woman the world is rooting for . . . and against. Pick your side.

“An artful exercise in melancholy…Every reader will love openhearted Will.” —Booklist (starred review) “Haunting, introspective.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Emotionally raw…[A] piercing narrative.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “McGhee artfully illustrates the tangled web wherein grief intertwines with the mundane.” —BCCB After his dad dies of suicide, Will tries to overcome his own misery by secretly helping the people around him in this exquisitely crafted story made up of one hundred chapters of one hundred words each, by award-winning and bestselling author Alison McGhee. Sixteen-year-old Will spends most of his days the same way: Working at the Dollar Only store, trying to replicate his late father’s famous cornbread recipe, and walking the streets of Los Angeles. Will started walking after his father committed suicide, and three years later he hasn’t stopped. But there are some places Will can’t walk by: The blessings store with the chest of 100 Chinese blessings in the back, the bridge on Fourth Street where his father died, and his childhood friend Playa’s house. When Will learns Playa was raped at a party—a party he was at, where he saw Playa, and where he believes he could have stopped the worst from happening if he hadn’t left early—it spurs Will to stop being complacent in his own sadness and do some good in the world. He begins to leave small gifts for everyone in his life, from Superman the homeless guy he passes on his way to work, to the Little Butterfly Dude he walks by on the way home, to Playa herself. And it is through those acts of kindness that Will is finally able to push past his own trauma and truly begin to live his life again. Oh, and discover the truth about that cornbread.

Lottie the Chicken deals with the loss of Aunt Mattie in this gently sad and sweetly funny picture book that explores the death of a loved one, in the tradition of Judith Viorst’s The Tenth Good Thing about Barney. Aunt Mattie has died. But before she went, she got to say good-bye to Lottie. Then she got to follow a light to a bustling gate. (A gate that sounded a lot like a busy airport!) And there she found a crew of friends who were waiting to take off with her on a new journey. Will Lottie and Herbie be able to overcome their sadness? They will, with time, and by taking a journey of their own—a journey filled with a little heartache, a lot of happiness, and a batch of Aunt Mattie’s favorite peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches. (With bananas, of course!)

Kacey and Sara had been best friends since third grade, but Kacey left and Sara had to learn to cope with her life after that moment. Sara's parents and teachers try to convince her that life needs to get back to normal, but how can anything ever be normal again? Kacey chose to end her life, leaving Sara to try to understand what it all meant.

There are two things Tess Crawford knows for sure: 1. She's destined to be a great Trinidadian Carnival costume designer like her renowned uncle, Russel Messina, and will one day inherit leadership of the family's masquerade band, Grandeur. 2. Her classmate, the popular social media influencer, Brandon Richards, is the bane of her existence. Everything about him irks her, from his annoying nickname for Tess ("Boop") to his association with David, her awful ex. But when the future of Grandeur nears the brink of collapse in the face of band rivalry, Tess finds to her chagrin that she must team up with Brandon in a desperate attempt to revive the company. As Tess and Brandon spend more time together, Tess begins to wonder if everything she thought she knew might not be so certain after all....

Filled with humor, raw emotion, a strong voice, and a brilliant dog named Sandy Koufax, When You Were Here explores the two most powerful forces known to man-death and love. Daisy Whitney brings her characters to life with a deft touch and resonating authenticity. Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see. Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore. When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harajuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

In 2019, Guvna B and Emma Borquaye had their first child, Ezra. As they began to navigate the word of parenthood, they soon realised the challenge of having to explain the concept of loss to their young son. After the award-winning rapper Guvna B lost his dad unexpectedly in 2017, Guvna B wanted Ezra to know about his grandad, even though he was no longer with them. Where Grandad Lives answers the call to help parents and children discuss grief and loss together. Featuring characters based on Ezra and his friends, Ezra shares that his Grandad lives somewhere really special. When his friend Zadie is unsure she knows where - and when all her ideas of special homes are exhausted - she has to ask Ezra to show her... And Ezra shares what it's like when someone you love lives in your heart: the good, the bad and the hard to explain. Where Grandad Lives is a powerful and important book about losing someone you love. 'As we do life with our own son Ezra, we hope we can continue to have conversations with him about the loved ones we've lost. Though this can bring sadness, as well as happiness, we believe it's an important part of keeping their legacies alive and can help children understand more about who they are and the special people who came before them. We hope that this book is a helpful tool as you navigate life, grief and raising little ones. We have a firm hope that one day we will see our loved ones again, but in the meantime, cherishing those memories of Grandad helps to keep him "living in our hearts."' - Guvna B and Emma Borquaye

Missy's little brother died on her thirteenth birthday and her family has been struggling with their grief ever since. As her sixteenth birthday approaches, she meets Luke and he helps her begin healing.