When she is surprised and feels guilty about enjoying a friend’s birthday party, her mom wraps reassuring arms around her and says, Don’t you think he’d want you to laugh, even now? She gradually realizes that she can still enjoy the things that they used to do together and that the memories of John continue to make him part of their family.

Always My Brother is a sensitive, realistic story about the process of grief, acceptance, and recovery. Phyllis Pollema-Cahill’s lovely illustrations bring readers right into the heart of Becky’s family as they struggle to move forward.