Books About Sadness & Grief for Ages 12–18

Sadness in adolescence can shade into something heavier: isolation, numbness, the feeling that things won't get better. These 3,631 books don't minimize any of it. They meet teenagers where they are and, mostly, show that the heaviness does eventually shift.

3,631 books

Soldier Doll

Jennifer Gold

For the teen processing the weight of world history and how stories of the past connect us through shared humanity and i

Ages 12–18

The Girl in the Park

Mariah Fredericks

For the teenager navigating the complicated social hierarchies of high school while processing the sudden, shocking loss

Ages 14–18

Ten Thousand Tries

Amy Makechnie

Golden tries to reach his big soccer goals while learning to accept the things he cannot control, like a friend moving a

Ages 8–12