Storybooks can be a helpful tool to introduce communication about dying and death with children. Gaps exist in current children's literature to effectively enable children to reflect on their own dying process. A general summary of available books is provided to assist those caring for children and families facing end-of-life issues.

Introduction There is a growing consensus that patient-centered care is more effective in treating patients than a strictly biomedical model, where there are known challenges to involving the patient in assessments, treatment goals, and determining preferred outcomes. Objectives The current study seeks to integrate patient values and perspectives by exploring how people diagnosed with a life-limiting disease define healing in their own words. Methods As a part of a larger study that included cognitive interviewing, we asked the question “what does the word healing mean to you?” Data were collected during face-to-face interviews with patients from three metropolitan healthcare facilities. Results Thirty participants responded to the question “what does healing mean to you?” Seven themes were identified through the data analysis. These themes include acceptance, feeling better, pain, social support, process, religion/spirituality, and make whole. The feeling better, pain, and process themes have subthemes. Significance of results Probing to understand patient perspectives and how to provide a holistic approach to care is essential to patient treatment. Patients defined healing in a broader way than how it is typically defined in literature. The patients’ definitions provide greater insight into perceptions and expectations regarding the healing process.

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Bibliotherapy utilizes storybook readings to foster expressive therapy for children. Storybooks represent a readily available yet underutilized support tool in pediatric hematology and oncology care settings. Storybooks can help explain a new diagnosis, treatment plan, body changes, and identity adjustment in a relatable way for patients to then have a safe space to process questions and emotions. This paper serves as a "how to" guide for clinicians to consider bibliotherapy for a patient, select suitable book options, and introduce and incorporate bibliotherapy as part of comprehensive care.