Project Info
Project Description
This section is dedicated to book which Dr Shelley Gilbert MBE has written in part or endorsed as a thought leader in the field of childhood bereavement.
Chocolate Chipped tells the unique story of a young boy named Charlie and his grieving over his Dad’s death. Using real smells and Scratch&Sniff in the pages to help evoke memories, this book explores the sensitive subject of grief in an honest, engaging – and sometimes even humorous – way. Chocolate Chipped can help adults to talk openly to children about the loss of a loved one. It can be read by bereaved children to help them understand their own feelings and also by other children to help them appreciate what a friend’s going through. Teachers, educational specialists as well as Bereavement Counsellors would also gain from using this book.
A practical guide to navigating grief and everything that comes with loss.
Ben Brooks-Dutton’s wife – the great love of his life – was knocked down and killed by a car as he walked beside her, pushing their two-year-old son in his buggy. Life changed forever. Suddenly Ben was a widower deep in shock, left to raise their bewildered child alone.
In the aftermath Ben searched for guidance from men in similar situations, but it appeared that young widowed fathers don’t talk. Well meaning loved ones admired his strength. The unwritten rule seemed to be to ‘shut up, man up and hide your pain’.
Lost, broken and afraid of the future, two months after his wife Desreen’s death, Ben started a blog with the aim of rejecting outdated conventions of grief and instead opening up about his experiences. Within months Life as a Widower, had received a million hits and had started an all-too-often hushed conversation about the reality of loss and grief.
This is the story of a man and a child who lost the woman they so dearly love and what happened in the year that followed. Ben describes the conflicting emotions that come from facing grief head on. He rages against the clichés used around loss and shows the strange and cruel ways in which grief can take hold.
He also charts what it means to become a sole parent to a child who has lost their mother and cannot yet understand the meaning of death. Through the shock and sadness shine moments of hope and insight. So much of what Ben learns comes from watching his son struggle, survive and live, as children do, from moment to moment where hurt can turn to happiness and anger can turn to joy.
This is a story of loss, heartbreak and courage. At its heart is the funny, infuriating and life affirming relationship between a father and son and their ongoing love for an extraordinary woman.
Some tragedies become part of our national history. On August 4, 2002 Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman disappeared. For the next thirteen days their families, the police, and the local community searched for them, while the nation watched in horrific suspense. Almost two weeks after Holly and Jessica went missing, their bodies were found. Two days later Ian Huntley was charged with their murders. In the terrible weeks that followed Kevin started to make notes, fearful that he might forget important details. GOODBYE, DEAREST HOLLY tells the story of the nightmare that began on August 4th, from the moment it became clear that Holly and Jessica were missing, through the long investigation and its aftermath. An unflinching tale of surviving tragedy, Kevin’s diaries tell of battles with the media, police bureaucracy and the legal system. The book also includes a gripping account of the trial and convictions of Huntley and Maxine Carr. Above all, GOODBYE, DEAREST HOLLY is a loving act of fatherhood.
On St David’s Day 1981, Helen receives a phone call out of the blue in St Louis from her distraught father in Yorkshire, leading her to a heart-searing path of discovery.
Her brother David’s shocking death at only twenty years old in a remote country mansion triggers a lifelong quest to unravel truths long shrouded in secrets, buried in silence. Vividly evocative, Helen’s debut memoir No Place to Lie takes the reader on an extraordinary journey through suicide, trauma and shame to shine a light on what really happened to her younger brother and the startling secret her mother took to her grave.
Helen’s courageous and uplifting book brings powerful messages about hope and survival, the healing power of talking, stepping towards recovery and connection to lead a life filled with humour, joy and love.
When Harmony’s mummy dies, the pain is worse than any Ouchy she has ever had and it won’t go away. Then she stumbles on something special of mummy’s and its comfort helps her navigate the difficult journey through grief.
This heart-warming story helps children understand the grieving process in an open and gentle way.
A girl learns that her grandmother has died and suddenly feels like a piece inside her is missing. It’s a feeling she’s never experienced before. Her mother knows the feeling and explains why this little piece of her heart is missing. She also teaches her daughter an important strategy to help her cope with the grief she is experiencing.
Even adults can find it difficult to cope with loss and grief. The feeling that there is a missing piece inside you, as much as it hurts, can also serve as an eternal reminder that you loved and were loved in return.
This is the story of the unbreakable bond that holds a family together – forever. It is intended to bring comfort and support to anyone who has experienced loss, no matter how old they are.
