Welcome to Ask Dr. Jami

The purpose of Ask Dr. Jami is to promote resiliency in teens. Librarians and media specialists build resiliency in teens by making connections and mentoring, promoting reading, and teaching problem-solving and information skills.

I was always interested in bibliotherapy. However, the death of a young woman in June 2001 caused me to seriously reconsider the role of books and librarians to help teens cope with their issues and challenges. This website, The Amanda Award and Helping Teens Cope are my professional and personal contributions to ensure that adults, communities, and this society embrace the African proverb, It takes a village to raise a child.

In Focus | Grief and Bereavement

One day I happened upon a student in the media center who was slumped over a table. She looked as if she were sleeping. When I quietly approached to ask her if she was alright, it was obvious she had been crying. Clutched in her hand was a picture of a friend who had died over the weekend. For half an hour she talked about her friend while I listened. As she cried, I wished I had a magic wand that could make everything better. But I don' t. Grief is a process that each person must move through their own way.

Teens experience much heartache. It could be the breakup of a romance, the divorce of his or her parents, or the death of a pet. Whatever the situation that causes grief, teens need support. The resources listed below can be used by media specialists and other youth workers to help teens cope with grief.

• Death: Dealing with Crisis at School
• The Good Grief Program at Boston Medical Center
• Grief and Bereavement
• Hospice Net: Helping Teens Cope with Grief

• Healing a Teen's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas for Families, Friends and Caregivers by Alan D. Wolfelt Fort Collins, CO: Compassion. 2001.
• Using Literature to Help Troubled Teens Cope with End-of-Life Issues by Janet Allen Westport, CT: Greenwood. 2002.
• Talking With Children about Loss: Words, Strategies, and Wisdom to Help Children Cope With Death, Divorce, and Other Difficult Times by Kathy Trozzi and Kathy Massimini. New York: Perigee. 1999.
• Teens Together Grief Support Group Curriculum. Adolescence Edition by Linda Lehman, Shane R. Jimerson, and Ann Gaash. Philadelphia: Brunner-Routledge. 2001.

• Green Angel by Alice Hoffman. New York: Scholastic. 2003. A Hundred Days from Home by Randall Wright. New York: Henry Holt. 2002. Surviving Sam by Karen Rivers. Vancouver: Polestar Books. 2001.
• Tears of a Tiger by Sharon M. Draper. New York: Atheneum. 1994.

Inquiries? Please contact Dr. Jami Jones