Summer 2025      Volume 53, Number 3

Empowering Readers with Books: Love and Loss
By Kathleen A. Paciga and Melanie D. Koss

Document: Column  

Introductory Paragraph:  Love and loss are deeply intertwined, shaping our human experience in powerful ways. These themes are so relevant that children’s media icons took up the themes in the 1970s and have continued to do so for decades. Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood reminded us that love makes us vulnerable to loss, teaching us that loss is central to life. He often said, “Love is at the root of everything,” showing that even in the sadness of losing a pet, love offers hope, and that those we love never truly leave us. Sesame Street also explored these themes, particularly through Big Bird’s grief over Mr. Hooper’s death, teaching that it is okay to feel sad or angry when someone important is gone. Both shows emphasized that love endures even after loss, and memories stay with us. The books reviewed in this column reflect similar themes, demonstrating how characters, in age-appropriate ways, navigate loss—whether of home, family, freedoms, or identity—while continuing to live in a world that needs our love.

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.33600/IRCJ.53.3.2025.36

Page Numbers:   36-43