Description
Why do we die? Why can't we live forever? What happens to us after death?
Moving between science and culture, After Life: Ways We Think About Death takes a straightforward look at these and other questions long taboo in our society. By showing the fascinating, diverse ways in which we understand death, both today and throughout our history, the book also shines a light on what it is to be human. Each chapter includes a brief telling of a death legend, myth or history from a different culture or tradition, from Adam and Eve to Wolf and Coyote, and ends with a section on a common theme in our thinking about death, such as rivers and birds in the afterlife, the colors that different cultures use to symbolize death, and, of course, ghosts. The final chapter is about grief, which is both a universal human experience and unique to each person. The text offers suggestions for ways to think about our grief, when to ask for help and how to talk to friends who are grieving.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
Author Bio
Merrie-Ellen Wilcox is a writer and editor in Victoria, British Columbia. She is the author of What's the Buzz? and Nature Out of Balance in the Orca Footprints series. When she’s not at her desk or reading books, she’s usually working in her garden, watching bees and birds, and planting even more native plants. She studied ecological restoration at the University of Victoria.
Prizes
- Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-FictionShort-listed 2019
- Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) TD Canadian Children’s Literature AwardShort-listed 2019
- CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selectionCommended 2019
- Children’s Book Council & National Council for Social Studies Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young PeopleCommended 2019
- United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Outstanding International Books List (OIB)Commended 2019
- Ontario Library Association (OLA) Best BetsCommended 2018
Table of contents
Chapter One: We Are Stardust
- The afterlife
- Recycling souls
- Life in another realm
- Rivers
- It’s all about oxygen
- How long do we live?
- A hard life for babies
- Gimme shelter—and food and water
- Limbo
- Turning off the machines
- Drawing the line
- Passing life on
- Caring for people who are dying
- Helping people die
- Birds
- Burial
- Mummification
- Embalming
- Cremation
- Sky burial
- Burial at sea
- Green burial
- Coffins
- Washing and dressing
- Prayers and parties
- Processions
- Ceremonies
- Mourning
- Colors
- Grief is a process
- The 8 of grief
- Just get over it?
- Time: The great healer?
- When someone dies by suicide
- When pets die
- When you are grieving
- When someone else is grieving
- Festivals
Acknowledgments
Resources
Glossary
Index
Review Quotes
"Chapters are packed with information…Kids will love the sidebars…Teachers can use After Life for interventions when death and grieving arise in a classroom and can use it as a comprehensive introduction to the topics for study."
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials"Young people need death education! After Life: Ways We Think About Death opens the door and welcomes them to learn about this important life event. Merrie-Ellen Wilcox successfully marries culture and the natural world in an attractive and engaging format for readers. This book will be an excellent resource for teachers, parents, libraries and hospices wanting to support young people to learn about dying and death."
"Readers curious or needing solace after a personal tragedy will find this insightful book very helpful…A welcome selection for most collections, especially those in need of bibliotherapy titles for middle schoolers."
— School Library Journal (SLJ)