grief

Ricky and John Ryries are devastated when their infant son dies shortly after birth, and in the aftermath of the tragedy, as their family begins to fall apart and their other two children--ten-year-old Biscuit and thirteen-year-old Paul--begin to act out, they find long-suppressed uncertainties and problems in their marriage coming to the surface, causing them to question if they can overcome their sadness and find their way back to one another.

In response to his grief over the loss of his wife and son to a drunk driver, Wyatt Blaine decides to start up an equine therapy program for troubled teens at his family's ranch and is solicited by the widow of the man responsible for his family's death, who wants Wyatt to welcome her son into his program, which leads all three individuals onto an unexpected path toward love and forgiveness.

Sisters Zen and Xander Vogel are each dealing with the death of their mother in different ways, with Xander risking her future by experimenting with late-night parties, men, and dangerous drugs and Zen struggling to protect her sister and discover what she wants out of life.

In a small East Texas town largely ruled by prejudices and bullies, fourteen-year-old Austin sets out to win a ride in the next parade and, in the process, grows in her understanding of friendship and helps her widowed mother through her mourning.

Devastated when her beautiful, older sister dies from anorexia, twelve-year-old Jane recovers slowly from the tragedy, with help from unexpected sources.

Sixteen-year-old Willow, who was driving the car that killed both of her parents, copes with the pain and guilt by cutting herself, until she meets a smart and sensitive boy who is determined to help her stop.

Explains the stages of grieving and how to cope with loss and death, including where to go for help.

Provides information and guidance for dealing with the death of a friend, discussing such topics as grief, coping, and reconnecting.

Sixteen-year-old Ted, orphaned when his parents are killed in a car crash, identifies more with animals than people--especially strays whose situation Ted equates with his own, but as he starts to settle in to his new foster home and school, he forms bonds with his two foster brothers and gradually comes back in touch with the human race.