SHOULD THE CHILDREN KNOW?

by Marguerita Rudolph ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1978

Encounters with Death in the Lives of Children For teachers and parents, a sensitive book on a most difficult subject: telling children about death. Not a formal study, it takes as a starting point the death of a child in Rudolph's nursery school class and reflects on the children's responses to the information, their cautious questions and gradual coming-to-terms, and then moves on to related facets. She contends that children must be told the truth rather than protected from it and should be included in the family's mourning process: ""Even the 'saddest day' can be endured by children when the experience and suffering are shared,"" Besides describing several families' approaches, both appropriate and less satisfactory, she synthesizes the findings of contemporary authorities (Kubler-Ross, Wolfenstein and Kliman) and disagrees with others (Chukovsky), summarizes several children's books which parents or teachers can introduce, and suggests a few classroom or bedroom projects (especially pet care) which can further understanding. A conscientious, finely tuned reference.

Pub Date: April 1, 1978

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Schocken

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1978

Categories: NONFICTION