The Fix-It Friends--Wish You Were Here Read online

  —Claire, age nine, owner of Arnie the rat

  How do you feel now?

  “Now when it comes up, I kind of feel sad but for only a second or two, and then I just go back to what I was doing.”

  —Henry H., age eleven, owner of Arnie the rat

  “I really loved Mr. Black and Mr. White, but I had to say good-bye. Their spirit will always be in my heart, forever.”

  —Stella, age eight, owner of Mr. Black and Mr. White, two fish

  What to Do When Your Pet Dies

  No one likes feeling upset. We all wish sometimes that we could hit fast-forward on the sad feelings and get straight to the part where we’re laughing again. We can’t, of course. Feeling bad when a pet dies is as natural as feeling great when you first bring the pet home.

  Even though there’s no magic cure for your sadness, there are plenty of things you can do that’ll make you feel a whole lot better.

  1.  When you’re ready, talk about how you feel.

  You may not want to talk about your pet’s death right away, and that’s totally fine. When you’re ready, though, you should share your feelings with someone you trust. Sadness works kind of like a certain annoying little cousin—if you completely ignore it, it’ll just keep popping up and giving you trouble. But if you face the feeling by talking about it, it won’t bother you so much. You’ll actually feel a lot better.

  2.  Keep doing the stuff you love.

  You may not be in the mood for soccer practice or school or a friend’s birthday party, and you may be nervous about suddenly getting sad in the middle of it all. But the best way to feel like yourself again is to keep doing all the stuff you normally do. If you get sad, no big deal. Just take a little break until you’re ready to jump back in.

  3.  Know that it’s not your fault.

  Sometimes people can feel guilty or responsible when a pet dies, like maybe if they’d done something differently, the pet might still be alive. But your pet didn’t die because of anything you did or didn’t do; it’s just something that happens.

  4.  Don’t be scared of sadness.

  Feeling sad isn’t fun, but it’s not dangerous and it’s nothing to be scared of. You’ll be okay. Know why? Feelings don’t last forever. In fact, they change pretty darn fast. Most people feel delighted, disappointed, angry, thankful, jealous—all before lunchtime. It’s part of what keeps life interesting.

  5.  Say good-bye.

  Find a way to celebrate your pet’s life, either by yourself or with others. Maybe you want to hold a funeral or a memorial service; maybe you want to place a plaque in the backyard or hang up a photo in your living room. The important thing is to do something special that gives you the chance to remember the good times with your pet, and to say good-bye.

  Want more tips or fixes for other problems? Just want to check out some Fix-It Friends games and activities? Go to fixitfriendsbooks.com!

  Resources for Parents

  If your child is grieving the loss of a pet, these resources might help.

  Books for Kids

  The Day Tiger Rose Said Goodbye by Jane Yolen, Random House, 2011

  Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant, Blue Sky Press, 1995

  The Invisible String by Patrice Karst, Devorss & Co., 2000

  Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas, Little, Brown Books, 2009

  The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, Atheneum Books, 1987

  Books for Parents

  The Loss of a Pet: A Guide to Coping with the Grieving Process When a Pet Dies, 4th edition by Wallace Sife, PhD, Howell Book House, 2014

  Websites

  The American Humane Association Pet Loss Resources

  americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/pet-loss-grief/

  The Association for Pet Loss and Bereavement

  www.aplb.org

  The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

  www.nctsn.org

  Praise for

  The Fix-It Friends: Have No Fear!

  “Fears are scary! But don’t worry: the Fix-It Friends know how to vanquish all kinds of fears, with humor and step-by-step help. Nicole C. Kear has written a funny and helpful series.”

  —Fran Manushkin, author of the Katie Woo series

  “Full of heart and more than a little spunk, this book teaches kids that fear stands no chance against friendship and courage. Where were the Fix-It Friends when I was seven years old?”

  —Kathleen Lane, author of The Best Worst Thing

  “I love the Fix-It Friends as a resource to give to the families I work with. The books help kids see their own power to overcome challenges—and they’re just plain fun to read.”

  —Lauren Knickerbocker, PhD, Co-Director, Early Childhood Service, NYU Child Study Center

  “Hooray for these young friends who work together; this diverse crew will have readers looking forward to more.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  About the Author

  Nicole C. Kear grew up in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, three firecracker kids, and a ridiculously fluffy hamster. She’s written lots of essays and a memoir, Now I See You, for grown-ups, and she’s thrilled to be writing for kids, who make her think hard and laugh harder. She has a bunch of fancy, boring diplomas and one red clown nose from circus school. Seriously.

  Visit her online at nicolekear.com, or sign up for email updates here.

  About the Illustrated

  Tracy Dockray illustrated the paperback cover of Lois Lowry’s Stay, a dog’s tale about his life, and a picture book, Izzy & Oscar (Sourcebooks, 2015) a story about a more unusual kind of pet. Tracy has illustrated numerous other picture books such as The Tushy Book and the prize winning Lost and Found Pony, as well as an edition of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series, Ralph the Mouse series and Henry Huggins series. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  For email updates on Nicole C. Kear, click here.

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  The Fix-It Friends Pledge

  Just for Kids!

  Resources for Parents

  Praise Page

  About the Author and Illustrator

  Copyright

  Text copyright © 2017 by Nicole C. Kear.

  Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Imprint.

  All rights reserved.

  Imprint

  A part of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC

  175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

  mackids.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Kear, Nicole C., author. | Dockray, Tracy, illustrator.

  Title: The Fix-It Friends: wish you were here / Nicole C. Kear; illustrations by Tracy Dockray.

  Other titles: Wish you were here

  Description: First edition. | New York: Imprint, 2017. | Series: The Fix-It Friends; [4] | Summary: The Fix-It Friends are confronted with loss when their friend’s pet passes away. Includes a toolbox about grief and resources for parents.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016056991 (print) | LCCN 2017027701 (ebook) | ISBN
9781250086716 (Ebook) | ISBN 9781250086709 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781250115799 (hardcover)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Grief—Fiction. | Pets—Fiction. | Helpfulness—Fiction. | Brothers and sisters—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.1.K394 (ebook) | LCC PZ7.1.K394 Fkm 2017 (print) | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016056991

  Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at [email protected].

  Illustrations by Tracy Dockray

  Imprint logo designed by Amanda Spielman

  First hardcover edition, 2017

  First paperback edition, 2017

  eBook edition, September 2017

  9781250086716 (ebook)

  If you steal this book, get ready for a hammerhead shark to eat you for dinner, because that’s what will happen.

  Trust me. My name is Little Nicky and I know stuff.