Bibliotherapy for all:

Using childrens literature about loss and grieving to increase awareness, develop coping skills, and build community among elementary school students

Adrienne S. Cleveland, M.A.

Webster University

ABSTRACT
Bibliotherapy is a technique in which books are used to help individuals, including children, cope with problems in their lives. While this process is beneficial to individuals or small groups of children dealing with a common problem, there are also benefits to sharing therapeutic texts with larger groups of children in a whole-class setting. These benefits include increasing awareness, developing coping skills, and building community among elementary school students. The purpose of this thesis is to aid teachers and school counselors in identifying texts that will be useful and effective in individual or small group settings as well as whole-class settings. Two evaluation tools were created for the purpose of identifying quality books to be used in the bibliotherapy process. Two school counselors and two elementary school teachers used the tools to evaluate eight texts pertaining to loss (specifically due to death, divorce, military deployment, and incarceration). It was found that certain texts may be more valuable and effective than others when conducting bibliotherapy. There were significant differences in the ratings of the books on each of the four topics; for dealing with divorce the preferred text was Was it the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids about Divorce, for death it was Everett Andersons Goodbye, for incarceration it was Mama Loves Me From Away and for military deployment it was Love, Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom. While several therapeutic texts were found to be appropriate to use in a whole-class setting, certain texts were found to be more appropriate in an individual or small group setting. The evaluation tools and a list of suggested titles are included to guide professionals in selecting appropriate and effective texts that meet the needs of students.

WHAT IS BIBLIOTHERAPY?

Stamps (2003) defined bibliotherapy as, a strategy that helps students overcome or deal with a current problem or issue in their lives (p.26). The goal of bibliotherapy is to help children work through the stress(es) in their lives and develop coping skills by sharing literature and having a conversation about the book together (Hendrickson, 1988; Pardeck, 1994; Roberts & Crawford, 2008). Bibliotherapy may be conducted in an individual/small group setting or whole-class setting Selecting an appropriate book to use during bibliotherapy is of great importance (Pardeck, 1993).

BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR ALL

Exposes children to realistic situations that may differ from their own life experiences Serves as a preventative tool, preparing students for issues that may arise later on in their lives (Knoth, 2006). Sharing these therapeutic texts in a whole-class setting helps to increase awareness, develop coping skills, and build community among elementary school students.

THE BIBLIOTHERAPY PROCESS

There are four stages in the process of bibliotherapy (Pardeck, 1993). 1) Readiness, in which a childs readiness is determined and needs are identified 2) Selection, when a book is selected that will match a clients needs 3) Introduction to the book, or Presentation, the sharing of the text 4) Follow-up, at which point the therapist and student engage in a discussion about the book

THE BIBLIOTHERAPY PROCESS (CONT.)

There are four stages that the student is believed to experience during bibliotherapy (Stamps, 2003). 1) Identification, when a student identifies with a character 2) Catharsis, in which the student experiences a release of emotions as he/she follows the character 3) Insight, at which point students connect their lives to the lives of the characters in the book 4) Universalization, the stage in which students realize people all over the world face similar life changes

THE EFFECTS OF LOSS ON CHILDREN

When facing the death of a loved one, children may not fully understand the situation and may have difficulty communicating their questions and reactions (Berns, 2004). Children may experience feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, have a high demand for attention, and may struggle academically when a loved one is deployed (Lester, et al., 2010). Children may struggle with how to answer questions about an incarcerated guardian, or feel they cannot speak about the situation, and therefore keep much inside (Clopton & East, 2008). As a result of divorce, children may blame themselves and experience loss as one parent is often absent or less available
(Pardeck & Pardeck, 1987).

METHOD Development of Evaluation Tools

Two evaluation tools were created by the researcher for the purpose of identifying quality books in which students awareness might be increased, coping skills developed, and classroom community built. Criteria for the evaluation tools were determined from various authors and researchers. Some criteria include, but are not limited to:

The book must contain an interesting, well- crafted storyline

(Roberts & Crawford, 2008)

The problem and solution within the story must be relatively realistic and not give a false sense of hope (Pardeck, 1994) The main character must be a positive model, demonstrating good coping skills and problem solving skills (Heath, et al., 2005; Roberts
& Crawford, 2008)

Childre ns Lite rature Evaluatio n To o l for Individuals/Small Groups Crite ria The book is age-appropriate, developmentally-appropriate, and at an appropriate reading level for elementary school children. The book is enjoyable and c ontains an interesting, well-crafted story line. It may also inc lude interesting illustrations. The main charac ter is a positive model, demonstrating good coping skills/problem-solving skills. The problem/solution and plot are realistic. There is no sense of false hope from a child s point of view. There are no factors in the book that would further upset, confuse, or hurt a child . Valid information is shared to help the child gain knowled ge around the subject. The book lends itself to deep and thoughtful discussion. A child c an easily relate to the main charac ter. The book is comforting/reassuring to a child . Rating 3

Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e

Agre e Strongly Agre e

Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e

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1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2

3 3 3 3 3

4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5

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Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e

Childre ns Lite rature Evaluatio n To o l for Who le-Class Crite ria The book is age-appropriate, developmentally-appropriate, and at an appropriate reading level for elementary school children. The book is enjoyable and c ontains an interesting, well-crafted story line. It may also inc lude interesting illustrations. The main character is a positive model, demonstrating good coping skills/problem-solving skills. The problem/solution and plot are realistic. There are no factors in the book that would upset, confuse, or hurt a child . Valid information is shared to help child ren gain knowled ge around a subject. The book lends itself to deep and thoughtful discussion. The book allow students to walk in someone elses shoes, offering s a different perspec tive on life. As a result of reading this book, students may be more sensitive to each others differenc es. The book speaks to a variety of cultures/ethni cities. Rating 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4

5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e Strongly Disagre e Ne utral Disagre e

Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e Agre e Strongly Agre e

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ASKED ON BOTH EVALUATION TOOLS

How could this book increase awareness in children? How could this book develop coping skills in children? How could this book build community? Would you recommen this book to use with an individual/small group/whole-class of students? Explain.

METHOD Identification of Therapeutic Texts

Eight books pertaining to loss and grieving were selected by the researcher to be evaluated by two school counselors and two elementary classroom teachers. In an effort to include a variety of experiences with loss, four subtopics were chosen: death, divorce, incarceration, and military deployment. Two books were chosen on each subtopic. All selected texts were picture books and shared the genre of fiction Titles were chosen based on recommendations from articles, the experiences of the researcher, and general factors that may appeal to teachers when searching for these types of texts (Branch & Brinson, 2007; Heath, et al., 2005; Knoth, 2006; Roberts &
Crawford, 2008)

SELECTED BOOKS
Death Everett Andersons Goodbye by Lucille Clifton (1983) Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs by Tomie dePaola (1973) Divorce Was it the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids about Divorce by Sandra Levins (2006) Mama and Daddy Bears Divorce by Cornelia Maude Spelman Incarceration Visiting Day by Jacqueline Woodson (2002) Mama Loves Me From Away by Pat Brisson (2004) Military Deployment Love Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom by Lisa Tucker McElroy (2005) My Red Balloon by Eve Bunting (2005)

SELECTED BOOKS

RESULTS
Figure 1. Overall Means for Eight Therapeutic Books
5 4.5 4 3.5 3

2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Everett Nana Was it the Anderson's Upstairs & C hocolate Goodbye Nana Pudding? Downstairs Mama and Visiting Day Mama Love Lizzie: Daddy Loves Me Letters to a Bear's From Away Military Divorce Mom Books My Red Balloon

Death Divorce Incarceration Deployment

Mean

CONCLUSION

There were significant differences between all books on the same topics; therefore it was not possible to compare which topics (e.g., death, divorce, incarceration, deployment) would be best addressed through the use of therapeutic books. Instead, individual books can be compared for their value and effectiveness. An Analysis of Variants determined that Mama and Daddy Bears Divorce (p= 0.04) as well as Visiting Day (p= 0.02) would be better used in an individual or small group setting, as opposed to a whole-class setting. It is recommended by the researcher that professionals utilize the evaluation tools when selecting texts to use for the purpose of bibliotherapy, as book selection is of high importance

ANALYSIS OF THE TEXTS

Everett Andersons Goodbye was preferred to Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs. This may be because Everett Andersons Goodbye focuses more on the grieving process and has less potential to confuse a child than Nana Upstairs & Nana Downstairs. Was it the Chocolate Pudding?: A Story for Little Kids about Divorce was more favorable than Mama and Daddy Bears Divorce. This may be because it explains divorce terms in kid-friendly language. It may also be used with a wider range of ages, and focuses on the common situation of children blaming themselves for the divorce.

ANALYSIS OF THE TEXTS (CONT.)

Mama Loves Me From Away was preferred to Visiting Day. It was felt that Mama Loves Me From Away touches upon several realities of having a caretaker in jail and coping skills were clearly demonstrated by the main character. Love Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom was preferred over My Red Balloon. Love Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom had the highest overall mean of all eight books. It was stated by evaluators that this book offers valuable points for discussion. Students may also find it easy to relate to Lizzie, the main character in the book.

REFERENCES
Berns, C. (2003). Bibliotherapy: Using books to help bereaved children. Omega: Journal of Death & Dying, 48(4), 321-326. Branch, M. and Brinson, S. (2007). Gone but not forgotten: Children experiences with attachment, separation, and loss. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 16(3), 41-45. s Brisson, P. (2004). Mama loves me from away. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press. Bunting, E.(2005). My red balloon. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press. Clifton, L. (1983). Everett anderson goodbye. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company. s Clopton, K. and East, K. (2008). Are there other kids like me?Children with a parent in prison. Early dePaola, T. Nana upstairs & nana downstairs. New York: Puffin Books. Heath, M., Sheen, D., Leavy, D., Young, E., & Money, K. (2005). Bibliotherapy: A resource to facilitate emotional healing and growth. School Psychology 26(5), 563-580. Hendrickson, L. (1988). The rghtbook for the child in distress. School Library Journal, 34(8), 40. i Knoth, M. (2006). What ails bibliotherapy?. Horn Book Magazine, 82(3), 273-276. Lester, P., Peterson, K., Reeves, J., Knauss, L., Glover, D., Mogil, C., et al. (2010). The long war and parental combat deployment: Effects on military children and at-home spouses. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(4), 310-320. Levins, S. (2006). Was it the chocolate pudding? A story for little kids about divorce. Washington, D.C.: Magination Press. Pardeck, J. (1994). Using literature to help adolescents cope with probl ems. Adolescence, 29(114), 421. Pardeck, J. and Pardeck, J. (1993). Bibliotherapy: A clinical approach for helping children. USA: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers. Pardeck, J. and Pardeck, J. (1987). Using bibliotherapy to help children cope with the changing fa mily. Social Work in Education, 9(2), 107-116. Roberts, S. and Crawford, P. (2008). Real life calls for real books: Literature to help children cope with fa mily stressors. Young Children, 63(5), 12-17. Spelman, C.M.. (1998). Mama and daddy bear divorce. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company. s Stamps, L. (2003). Bibliotherapy: How books can help students cope with concerns and conflicts. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 70(1), 25-29. Woodson, J. (2002). Visiting day. New York: Scholastic Press. International, Childhood Education Journal, 36(2), 195-198.