Only Child by Rhiannon Navin

This was one of the hardest books I have ever read for the emotional content. I openly sobbed while reading the first few chapters and forced myself to see the book through to the end. We hear on the news about school shootings and the devastating loss of children's lives, but Navin really brings it to the readers attention on the after affect of a family dealing with a child's loss.

Amazon Summary

First grader Zach Taylor is in his classroom when a gunman enters the school auditorium and the unthinkable happens, irrevocably changing the very fabric of this close-knit community. 

While Zach's mother pursues a quest for justice, and Zach’s father retreats into his work, Zach finds solace in the healing world of books and art. Armed with his new insights, and the optimism and stubbornness only a child could have, Zach becomes determined to help the adults in his life rediscover the universal truths of love and compassion they need to pull them through their darkest hour.

A dazzling, tenderhearted debut about healing, family, and the exquisite wisdom of children, narrated by a six-year-old boy who reminds us that sometimes the littlest bodies hold the biggest hearts, and the quietest voices speak the loudest.