This booklet is written for physicians, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other health care professionals who must deal with children with a life-threatening illness. It is for health care professionals who seek to help the child live as normal a life as possible in spite of a difficult situation. In five sections, the writings and research of health care professionals who have written on this topic are reviewed and shared with the reader. Part A: Laying the Groundwork for Communication with a Child with a Life-Threatening Illness, contains discussions of parents' philosophical and emotional stance on death, and the concept of death among children in general and among seriously ill children in particular. Part B: Communication with Family Members, includes material on the family as a support system, siblings and spouses. Part C: Communication between Health Care Professionals and the School, provides guides for preparing the teacher and explores specific issues relative to school. Part D: Objections to Talking to a Seriously-Ill Child About Death, lists eight objections and provides answers to the objections. Part E: How to Talk to a Seriously-Ill Child about Death, suggests 11 highly subjective points to be discussed with a child, in an age-appropriate manner, at the child's own level of readiness. (Author/RH)