Description

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"Grief is a tricky subject to explain to kids, but this book is a wonderful go-to expert toolkit!" Dr Ranj Singh

The death of a parent, sibling or friend is one of the most traumatic experiences for a child or young person and it can be hard to know how to talk to them about it. In this honest, comforting and strength-building guide Julie Stokes, a clinical psychologist and founder of childhood bereavement charity Winston's Wish, provides readers with the tools they need to navigate this tough and turbulent time.

Readers will discover the stories of other people who have been through grief themselves. They will learn how to flex their 'grief muscles' in order to develop confidence, trust, grit, a resilient mindset and flexible feelings ­- the ability to notice, accept and talk about emotions when they choose to. And packed with practical exercises, such as creating memory boxes and managing different kinds of memories using 'memory stones', this guide will give readers helpful ways to manage their grief so they can begin to move forward with life.

Because there is no right or wrong way to grieve, you just need to find your own way.

"The book I wish someone had read with me when I was young"Kristin Scott Thomas

About the Author

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Julie Stokes, founder of Winston's Wish was born in 1961 and educated at St. Michael's Convent Grammar School in London. Julie received a 1st class honours degree in Psychology and in 1987 went on to receive a Masters in Clinical Psychology.

Julie started her career with the NHS in 1984 and was instrumental in establishing one of the first hospital-based teams focusing on palliative care. Her desire to involve children before and after a parent's death and to support parents led her to apply to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. In 1992 she was awarded a Fellowship and travelled to America and Canada to better understand the services provided in these countries for bereaved children. Inspired by what she had experienced, Julie founded Winston's Wish in September of that year. After just 3 years the grief support programme was well established and Julie won the BT/Childline award 'for providing outstanding services to children'

Julie continues to lecture both nationally and internationally, is an established author and has contributed to 11 documentaries including the ground breaking Mummy Diaries series in 2007.


In December 2006, Julie received an OBE for services to children and families. She is the former Vice Chair of The Childhood Bereavement Network. She now works as an Executive Coach.

Praise For…

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"The book I wish someone had read with me when I was young." - Kristin Scott Thomas

"Grief is a tricky subject to explain to kids, but this book is a wonderful go-to expert toolkit!"

—Dr Ranj Singh, Instagram

"Julie has had a wealth of experience working with children who have been through the most challenging of times. She can guide children through the most tender stages of grief and help them build resilience and move forward with their lives."

—Emily Eavis

"I wish this book had been around when I was younger, but reading it now has still been so helpful! It really breaks grief down and normalises all of the feelings, making it much more manageable. I can see the visuals and the activities being very useful for teachers in the classroom. Accessible and inclusive for all ages."

—Lydia, primary school teacher, whose mother died when she was 11