Which children's books make you really sad?

[CactusPair]

Last night I got brave and read Tomie de Paola's Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs to my dc. What a beautiful book!

 

I had to stop several times and sob. Later, dh and I read it together and again I cried my eyes out.

 

Dh said, "Wow, that's even sadder than Love You Forever".

 

I don't know about that. They both wrench my heart out.

 

Which kid books (picture or chapter) send you for the tissues?

[Liza Q]

The Door in the Wall- not because it is sad, but because it is beautiful.

 

I am tearing up thinking about it right now!

[TN Mama]

Which kid books (picture or chapter) send you for the tissues?

 

Not because it is sad, but because of the message: Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant.

[Closeacademy]

The Velveteen Rabbit

 

I'm not even going to read it to my dc. Just describing the story had my dd hiding under a table for the day. It is a horrible depressing book.:001_smile:

[Tarheel Heather]

Not because it is sad, but because of the message: Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant.

 

:iagree: My mom got my dc that, I told her she needs to read before she buys! Great book!

[jail warden]

I'm a sap, I cried like crazy the first time I read, I'll Love You Forever!

[jail warden]

I forgot about chapter books, that one would be hands down, Where the Red Fern Grows.

[Testimony]

I was in a co-op and I was reading the book, The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills. Well, as I was reading the book, I started wailing in front of the little children. I tried my hardest not to cry. I read the book three times before I read the story in order to not cry while I was reading. I broke down and wailed in front of them. The children were all quiet. It is an awesome book.

 

Blessings to all!

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony:auto:

[Doran]

I could have a pretty big list. But, the ones that come to mind right off (along with some already mentioned) are:

 

The Giving Tree

 

The Littlest Angel

 

The Country Bunny

 

April's Kittens

 

A lesser known book called Family Farm

 

 

 

Parts of these get me everytime!

[Melinda in VT]

Much to my horror, I seem to have developed my mom's tendency to cry easily and often at books.

 

I've cried at many books. Some I remember: The Velveteen Rabbit, The Giver, The Best Christmas Pagent Ever.

 

I refuse to read Where the Red Fern Grows aloud. I know that would end badly.

[Lolly]

I cry every time I read Little Women. It was my favorite book in elementary. Dd owns it now, though it barely is held together by tape. She thinks it's funny that it has tear stains on the pages. For Christmas one year, I read Bridge to Terabithia onto tape for my grandmother. I am sobbing as I read at one point. (She loved it.) I cry in many, many books. Last year while reading The Book Thief at a swim meet, I was just bawling in the stands. My kids laughed their heads off at me from across the pool! I came out all red eyed and puffy faced. I pretended it was the chlorine!

[King Alfred Academy]

Charlotte's Web...I had never read it, but saw it on our book shelf last year and decided to pic it up. I cried my eyes out! I know it is a children's classic and I understand the message behind it, but that is one story my children will not read. My ds7 is way to sensitive to things like that.

[laughing lioness]

Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes.

Heidi

[JFSinIL]

Aside from I'll Love You Forever? Probably the end of Peter Pan (I feel sorry for Wendy, all grown-up and can't fly anymore), and parts of Harry Potter #7 get to me the most. I'd add Charlotte's Web except that the three baby spiders staying with Wilbur save the book for me.

[crazycoffeechic]

I was in Walmart looking at the books for kids and I found "Love You Forever", I started reading it, ending up crying my eyes out. I bought the book and gave it to my mom. She ended up having to read it to my kids, I couldn't ever get through reading it without crying.

 

When I was in school, we read "Where the Fern Grows" and after we got through reading the book, most of the time we ended up watching the movie, I dreaded watching the movie, I cried my eyes out in the classroom. I ended up having to go to the bathroom after the movie was over.

[Marie in Oh]

Stone Fox was bad for me.

[percytruffle]

Oh man, so many of them make me tear up and have to stop reading, even if I'm only reading it to myself in my head. Sheesh. Just call me "flood gates". I can't even own some of them.

 

When your kids get a little older, don't under any circumstances attempt to read the book The Cay aloud to them. For heaven's sake, save yourselves, don't go there. I made a blubbering fool of myself over that one and we did a lot of read alouds.

[Old Dominion Heather]

The worst for me is the last chapter of The House at Pooh Corner when Christopher Robin tells Pooh that he has to start school and won't be able to play as much anymore. Every time I read it, I feel like telling my kids that we will all become unschoolers.

 

Most of the books that make me cry are because of their beauty, not because they are maudlin.

 

I find I'll Love You Forever to be profoundly creepy.

[EndsWell]

So many...but the worst for me is "I'll Love You Forever." I can't read it.

Many of Patricia Mclachlan's books make me emotional, although not exactly sad.

[elegantlion]

Bridge to Terabithia Cried as a child reading it, cried reading it to ds last year. It's one of my favorite books.

 

Where the Red Ferns Grow our 4th grade teacher read it to us. I refuse to read it to ds, I would never make it through that book.

 

Because of Winn-Dixie I cried when the dog got lost.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I'll Love You Forever

 

Where the Red Fern Grows

 

The Velveteen Rabbit

[Kathleen in VA]

I cry while reading books a LOT so my list would be a mile long. I do remember specifically not being able to get through the end of Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, Little House in the Big Woods (yes, I even cried at that one - the ending is particularly sweet) and Treasure in an Oatmeal Box. These were books I had to hand off to someone else to finish reading aloud because I could not gain my composure.

[Diann]

Old Yeller gets me every time.

 

Diann

[Tatt2mama]

The Giving Tree always gets me. And my son always looks at me like "what is wrong with you?" when I cry over it.

 

Not really a children's book but, The Gift of the Magi. I love that story.

[ChrisN in NY]

Leah's Pony.

 

It's a short picture book. But very touching, imo!

[Erica in PA]

LOL, about handing the books off to someone else.... I'm finding that I can't always do that anymore, because my dc are starting to cry at books too!! When we read Owls in the Family, I tried to hand it off to my then 9 yos to finish.. he laughed, "silly old mom," then started reading it aloud himself, and when he realized what was happening, he started crying!! We were both laughing and crying, trying to hand the book back and forth because neither of us could read it. Dh came in the room... "What on earth is going on in here?!?!" LOL Dh ended up having to finish reading it to us while we sniffled.

 

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was reading the kids a **nonfiction book about caring for your kitten,** and I started crying at the last page!!! LOL It talked about how someday your kitten will die, but you will have lots of good memories of the special times you had together. I couldn't read it, so I handed it off to my laughing 7 yos to finish the last couple of lines... but again, he started reading it, and started crying!! LOL

 

We're a wreck around here. :tongue_smilie:

 

Erica

[Kathleen in VA]

Oh, and since we are talking about books that make you cry I have to recommend the picture book, Mandy Sue Day. Absolutely beautiful...

[Jeannie in NJ]

I tend not to cry when reading books. Except I did cry while reading Sadako and the 1000 Paper Cranes and also Stone Fox. It took me several tries to finish reading aloud the endings to those books. My dc were amazed that I cried as I have read them 100's of books with no crying. I just told them that I loved the books but found them very sad.

[Michelle in GA]

Stone Fox was bad for me.

 

When my middle ds was around 8, I left him home with Dad while he was reading that book. When I came home, he was sobbing!! It took forever to calm him down. I had given him the book beacuse it shows up on so many "must read" book lists. I had no idea!

[swellmomma]

I can not read "I'll love you forever" by Robert Munsch without bawling like a baby. It was bad before but then a few years ago I attended the funeral of 2 kids killed in a car crash(their mom was the only survivor), and she read that story to them at the funeral and now I start crying from page 1

 

I also cry when reading the Outsiders everytime

[newbie]

I can't read anything where children get sick or die. For that matter I cant watch movies with same content.

 

Too sad,

Jet

[FriedClams]

I was in a co-op and I was reading the book, The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills. Well, as I was reading the book, I started wailing in front of the little children. I tried my hardest not to cry. I read the book three times before I read the story in order to not cry while I was reading. I broke down and wailed in front of them. The children were all quiet. It is an awesome book.

 

Blessings to all!

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony:auto:

 

 

 

That is a beautiful book!!! LOVE IT!!!

[FriedClams]

Let Me Hold You Longer by Karen Kingsbury. I bawl. And I am an unemotional Yankee.

[TXMomof4]

I was in a co-op and I was reading the book, The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills. Well, as I was reading the book, I started wailing in front of the little children. I tried my hardest not to cry. I read the book three times before I read the story in order to not cry while I was reading. I broke down and wailed in front of them. The children were all quiet. It is an awesome book.

 

 

That one and Who Owns the Sun, both of those make me bawl like a baby. Of course, Legend of the Bluebonnet really gets to me too.

[TXMomof4]

LOL, about handing the books off to someone else.... I'm finding that I can't always do that anymore, because my dc are starting to cry at books too!! When we read Owls in the Family, I tried to hand it off to my then 9 yos to finish.. he laughed, "silly old mom," then started reading it aloud himself, and when he realized what was happening, he started crying!! We were both laughing and crying, trying to hand the book back and forth because neither of us could read it. Dh came in the room... "What on earth is going on in here?!?!" LOL Dh ended up having to finish reading it to us while we sniffled.

 

 

DH wasn't prepared for that response at all. My 5 yo is very sensitive and he was reading something....I don't remember what it was. She started crying and he could NOT figure out what was wrong with her. He's not an overly emotional guy though. He's toast in this family!

[laylamcb]

If you have happy, warm, nostalgic memories of a special place from your childhood, DON'T read Roxaboxen. Now that my kids know that the last page makes me cry like a baby, they request this book nearly every day. Sadists! :tongue_smilie:

 

Layla McB

[CactusPair]

I love hearing all your favorites. I forgot about some of them. The Selfish Giant and The Rag Coat get me, too. There's a book by Cynthia Rylant about an old woman who names her car, house and furniture and then in spite of herself gets attached to a stray dog. I can't remember the name of it, but it was so wonderful it made me cry.

 

I don't think I'll ever be able to read Ol' Yeller. I did as a kid, but I'm not that tough now. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn got me good, too.

 

Glad to hear my kids aren't the only ones who laugh at their teary mom. When I was reading last night ds was cackling at me. "I guess you won't read this one again bec. you won't want to relive your misery," he said. Mean little thing.:001_smile:

 

But I *will* want to relive my misery! I can't help myself.

 

My dc were bewildered that I was bawling so much when "even a six year old (dd) isn't crying".

 

I tried to explain that sometimes grown-ups cry more than kids, but they just laughed and looked at me like the nut I am:)

 

Someday they'll get it. When they're big:angelsad2:

 

Thanks for sharing all your stories.

[Jenny in Atl]

The Run Away Bunny

Sophie's Masterpiece: A Spider's Tale

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

The Little Match Girl and The Red Shoes (that man about killed me!)

Charlotte's Web

The Penderwicks

The Book Thief

The Garden of Eve

 

Many more as well. My two are used to me crying at many a good bk.

[Julie Herbster]

Stone Fox was bad for me.

Just a few months ago, my ds was reading this book privately at his sister's violin lesson in another room. I didn't know he had brought it along. All of a sudden, I felt a tug at my elbow (during the lesson) and was faced with a teary-eyed 7yo who whispered, as he broke down, "Mommy, Searchlight DIED!" So, I had to cry a little too; hopefully the violin teacher didn't notice. Ds said he'd never read that book again, but I've seen him rereading it several times. I think what makes that book extra hard is that you don't see it coming.

 

Whoever said The Giving Tree--oh, yeah! I cannot make it through that book. Same with (OK, I know this is stupid) The Runaway Bunny and Guess How Much I Love You. Also any of Max Lucado's children's books...I'm thinking right now of You Are Special--waaaaahhhhhh!!!!! And there are more that I'm not thinking of right now....I'm a really soppy person, I guess. And I'm a true animal lover, too--even if they're "just" stuffed animals! Oh, dear.

[Nestof3]

Bridge to Terabithia

 

Mountain Born

 

One Hundred Dresses

[Chris in VA]

I can't read the part in Charlotte's Web where she dies without bawling.

 

I also love this, from Betsy-Tacy--Bee, Tacy's baby sister, has died. Betsy goes over early in the morning to Tacy's house, and they climb a tree and talk.

 

From Ch. 8 "Easter Eggs"

 

After a while Tacy said, "It smelled like Easter in the church. Bee looked awful pretty. She had candles all around her."

"Did she?" asked Betsy.

"But my mamma felt awful bad," said Tacy.

Betsy said nothing.

"Of course," said Tacy, "you know that Bee has only gone to Heaven."

"Oh, of course," said Betsy.

But Tacy's lip was shaking. That made Betsy feel queer. So she said quickly, "Heaven's awful nice."

"Is it? asked Tacy, looking toward her. Her eyes were big and full of trouble.

"Yes," said Betsy. "It's like that sunrise. In fact," she added, "that's it. We can't see it during the day, but early in the morning they let us have a peek."

"It's pretty," said Tacy, staring.

"THose gold sticks you see, those are candles," said Betsy. "There's a gold-colored light all the time. And there are harps to play on; they're something like pianos. But you don't need to take any lessons. Yu just know how to play. Bee's having a good time up there," said Betsy, looking up into the sky.

Tacy looked, too. "Can she see us?"

"Of course she can see us. She's looking down right now. And I'll tell you what tickles Bee. She knows all about Heaven, and we don't. She's younger than we are, but she knows something we don't know. Isn't that funny? She's just a baby, and she knows more than we do."

" And more than Julia and Katie do," said Tacy.

"Even more than our fathers and mothers do," said Betsy. "It's funny when you come to think of it."

"She's a long way from home though," said Tacy.

"But she gets all the news," said Betsy. "Do you know how she gets it? Why, from the birds. They fly up there and tell her how you are and what you're all doing down at your house."

"Do they?" asked Tacy.

And just at that moment, the little up and down song stopped, and there flew past them, going right up the hill, a robin red breast. He was the first robin they had seen that spring, and he was as red as a red Easter egg. He flew up the hill fast, as though he knew where he was going.

"He's going to see Bee, of course," Betsy said. "He'll be back in a minute."

 

They go on to leave an Easter egg for Bee in the robin's nest.

 

I've never seen death in a children's book handled so beautifully and simply.

[Mamagistra]

Just a couple of weeks ago, I was reading the kids a **nonfiction book about caring for your kitten,** and I started crying at the last page!!!

 

Oh, good...I'm not the only one then. ;):D

[CactusPair]

that *is* beautiful and so sad. Yes, the author handled it with simplicity & elegance. Thanks for including that passage.

 

We haven't read Betsy-Tacy yet. Thanks for the heads up.

[laylamcb]

Oh YEAH! I was a babbling idiot when Baby Bee died! Little Pilgrim's Progress and The Hundred Dresses also made me weep. And Heidi. I'm a spigot.

 

Layla McB

[HRAAB]

Beautiful Joe - never did finish it because my dd sobbed so hard. I was trying to be tough...

 

Where the Red Fern Grows

 

There's a picture book by Patricia Pollaco that always makes me cry. A father and his son help re-unite a Jewish couple who were separated during WWII. Still have to read it every Christmas. Can't recall the name.

 

It seems the older I get, the easier I cry.

 

Janet

[Debbie in OR]

Where the Red Fern Grows and Little Britches when his father dies. Couldn't finish reading it out-loud to my kiddoes. They kept looking up at me to finish and I could.not. get any words to come out.

[Kathleen in VA]

I can't read the part in Charlotte's Web where she dies without bawling.

 

I also love this, from Betsy-Tacy--Bee, Tacy's baby sister, has died. Betsy goes over early in the morning to Tacy's house, and they climb a tree and talk.

 

From Ch. 8 "Easter Eggs"

 

After a while Tacy said, "It smelled like Easter in the church. Bee looked awful pretty. She had candles all around her."

"Did she?" asked Betsy.

"But my mamma felt awful bad," said Tacy.

Betsy said nothing.

"Of course," said Tacy, "you know that Bee has only gone to Heaven."

"Oh, of course," said Betsy.

But Tacy's lip was shaking. That made Betsy feel queer. So she said quickly, "Heaven's awful nice."

"Is it? asked Tacy, looking toward her. Her eyes were big and full of trouble.

"Yes," said Betsy. "It's like that sunrise. In fact," she added, "that's it. We can't see it during the day, but early in the morning they let us have a peek."

"It's pretty," said Tacy, staring.

"THose gold sticks you see, those are candles," said Betsy. "There's a gold-colored light all the time. And there are harps to play on; they're something like pianos. But you don't need to take any lessons. Yu just know how to play. Bee's having a good time up there," said Betsy, looking up into the sky.

Tacy looked, too. "Can she see us?"

"Of course she can see us. She's looking down right now. And I'll tell you what tickles Bee. She knows all about Heaven, and we don't. She's younger than we are, but she knows something we don't know. Isn't that funny? She's just a baby, and she knows more than we do."

" And more than Julia and Katie do," said Tacy.

"Even more than our fathers and mothers do," said Betsy. "It's funny when you come to think of it."

"She's a long way from home though," said Tacy.

"But she gets all the news," said Betsy. "Do you know how she gets it? Why, from the birds. They fly up there and tell her how you are and what you're all doing down at your house."

"Do they?" asked Tacy.

And just at that moment, the little up and down song stopped, and there flew past them, going right up the hill, a robin red breast. He was the first robin they had seen that spring, and he was as red as a red Easter egg. He flew up the hill fast, as though he knew where he was going.

"He's going to see Bee, of course," Betsy said. "He'll be back in a minute."

 

They go on to leave an Easter egg for Bee in the robin's nest.

 

I've never seen death in a children's book handled so beautifully and simply.

 

Now you've got me crying.:( That was sweet.

[waxwing]

Many people have mentioned Where the Red Fern Grows and Old Yeller...I put these in the category of "books where the dog dies," and after having suffered through several in school for educational purposes, I refuse to subject my child to them!

 

The one that always gets me is not very well-known, but it's SO beautiful: Mary's First Christmas by Walter Wangerin, Jr. It's the story of Jesus's birth but told in a different way - by Mary, telling the story to Jesus when he's a little boy. (The illustrations are wonderful, too - it's one of the rare books that actually shows Jesus and his friends and family looking like Middle Eastern Jews, not like Nordic blonds.) There's a foreshadowing of his future life at the very end, which undoes me completely, but I'm choked up basically from page one. As soon as J. could read, I quit even trying to read it aloud. He has another called Peter's First Easter that I haven't even attempted!

 

-Anne

[Jennifer in SC]

I was in a co-op and I was reading the book, The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills. Well, as I was reading the book, I started wailing in front of the little children. I tried my hardest not to cry. I read the book three times before I read the story in order to not cry while I was reading. I broke down and wailed in front of them. The children were all quiet. It is an awesome book.

 

Blessings to all!

Karen

www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony:auto:

 

I love that book, and I absolutely cannot read it without crying. Sobbing even.

[Frontier Mom]

That's what I was going to say. Maybe its just me, but when I even get 75% through the book I start crying uncontrollably. It's a pitiful site, my dc's don't even know what I'm crying about.