Recommended Adoption Products

Mommy, Did I Grow in Your Tummy?: Where Some Babies Come From

Summary:

Meant to be read to or by children, this book discusses various unconventional ways that families can start or grow, including in vitro fertilization, egg or sperm donation, surrogacy, and adoption, and then shows them the final product: a new child for the family.

A Koala for Katie

Annotation:

As four-year-old Katie and her parents visit the zoo, Katie wonders aloud where babies come from. She knows that she is adopted and wonders if the baby koala could be happy with a new mommy. This simple, warm story and charming full-color illustrations combine to make the perfect adoption story for young children.

From Jeanne K. Pettenati - Children's Literature:

The special relationship that Katie has with her Koala bear brings home the nature and permanence of adoption. Katie is at the age when she thinks a lot about babies. Her parents provide simple, honest answers to Katie's questions about adoption. A unique insight dawns when she adopts a stuffed animal that her parents buy for her at the zoo. Katie imagines that Mama Koala loved her baby but couldn't take care of her. So Katie adopts the koala, and feeds nurtures, and protects it. Their love is lasting and mutual, just like the love between Katie and her parents. This is an excellent addition to any family adoption library. The appealing illustrations are soft and soothing and perfectly match the text.

Just Add One Chinese Sister

From Booklist:

PreS-Gr. 2. Similar to Molly Friedrich's You're Not My Real Mother [BKL N 15 04], this lively picture book, based on a true story, is about an American family's adoption of a little Chinese girl. The story is told partly from the perspective of the girl's older American brother, Conor. As the book begins, Mommy and toddler Claire are having fun making a scrapbook about Claire, with photos, papers, and bits and pieces that show how the family went to China to get to know a little girl named Guan Yu and how they brought her home with them and, at Conor's suggestion, added Claire to her name (Claire Guan Yu). Enlivening the family's stories are Conor's journal entries, beginning with his anxiety and jealousy, and then gradually revealing the siblings' bond. The story is in the details, which are honest about Claire's initial fear and, later, her mischief and the joyful family love. Expressive watercolor artwork, in bright hues, depicts the warm and intense feelings. Adoptive families will welcome this.

Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Families are Different

Annotation:

An adopted Korean girl discovers that her classmates have different types of families.

From School Library Journal:

(K-Gr 1) -- Although Korean-born Nico doesn't like looking different from her adoptive parents, her mother assures her that, indeed, there are all kinds of families, "glued together with a special kind of glue called love .'' Thus follows some of the many variations of modern-day families, featuring a multiracial mix of both traditional and nontraditional groupings. Single and adoptive parents, grandparent guardians, and steprelatives all receive equal attention. While neither the watercolor illustrations nor the text are particularly inspiring, both convey a clear message of the need for accepting differences among lifestyles and stress that "family'' is a bond created more by love and concern among its members than by biological relationships. A definite discussion-starter and an acceptable choice for those wishing to address the issue of the changing family group. --Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, Wheeler School, Providence, RI

We're Different, We're the Same

Annotation:

Who better to teach young children about racial harmony than the colorful crew from Sesame Street? Rhyming text celebrates the racial rainbow, without which the world would be so much less interesting and wonderful. Full-color illustrations.

When You Were Born in China: A Memory Book for Children Adopted from China

Synopsis (from bn.com):

When You Were Born in China is a moving photo-essay that provides a child's eye look at Chinese adoptions, helping to explain some of the whys and hows that have brought these children to their new families.

With sensitive text and touching photography, When You Were Born in China brings the whole process of Chinese International Adoption to a personal scale. The book speaks directly to the adopted child, assuring her that hers is a special story, one that started in an ancient and amazing country. The text then suggests that maybe the reader has a few questions about her story, how she was born in China, who might have known her then, and how she came to be adopted. It then provides a brief overview of some of the factors that may have contributed to her story, such as China's population control policies, and the cultural desire to have a son. It goes on to tell the story of what might have happened to the reader: life in an orphanage or a foster home, perhaps, and then the formal adoption process leading up to meeting her new mom or dad for the first time, and finally the flight home.

This book will be invaluable to adoptive parents who are looking for just the right words to help their child understand some of the factors that brought them together. It sensitively addresses the difficult issue of why birthparents felt they could not care for their child, and it provides some context for the whole process. The book will be enjoyed by school-agers and adults, and can be read or paraphrased to younger children as an excellent way to integrate these topics into their daily lives.

There are many families who are awaiting their adoption referrals who will be interested in this book as well, for the insight it provides into the life of their soon-to-be child.

About the Author (bn.com):

At the time of writing this book, Sara Dorow was an International Adoption Specialist for a major adoption agency. She is fluent in Chinese and Korean, and has a special focus on matching Special Needs children with families. Ms. Dorow has lived in Asia for over twenty years. She is now in graduate school pursuing a Ph.D. in Sociology.

A China Adoption Story: Mama, Why Do We Look Different?

Annotation:

While looking through the family photo album, four-year-old Laura Shu Mei notices that she looks different from her parents, and asks her mother why.

Our Baby from China: An Adoption Story

Synopsis (from bn.com):

In this book about an international adoption, the author relates "her experiences as she and her husband traveled to China, met {Ariela} Xiangwei and her caregivers, signed official papers, celebrated with other American parents and their adopted babies, and journeyed home to meet the rest of the child's 'forever family.' . . . Preschool to grade three." (SLJ)

From School Library Journal:

(PreS-Gr 3) -- A moving photo-essay about an international adoption. Addressing the text to her daughter, D'Antonio uses simple, straightforward language to relate her experiences as she and her husband traveled to China, met Xiangwei and her caregivers, signed official papers, celebrated with other American parents and their adopted babies, and journeyed home to meet the rest of the child's "forever family." Designed to look like a photo album and set against an embroidered silk background, the book has a warm, intimate feel. Beginning with a smiling, older Ariela Xiangwei on the cover, the clear, full-color photos express the feelings and events described in the text. Like Phoebe Koehler's The Day We Met You (Bradbury, 1990), this story serves as a warm welcome to a new family member. Nicely written and filled with honest emotions, this book will also appeal to those interested in nontraditional families. --Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal

Kids Like Me in China

Book Description (from amazon.com):

In this first view of China adoption from a child's perspective, eight-year-old Ying Ying Fry returns to her orphanage to remember what it is like and to write a story so that other adopted children will understand where they came from. Kids Like Me in China combines real-life photos with the forthright observations and complex feelings of an adopted child as she meets caregivers and befriends children in the city where her life began. This book will inspire all adopted children to take charge of their own life stories.

Eight-year-old Ying Ying Fry is a Chinese American girl growing up in San Francisco. But her story didn't begin there. Like lots of kids she knows, Ying Ying spent her first months in China--in a birth family she cannot remember and an orphanage in Changsha, Hunan province, where her American parents adopted her when she was a tiny baby.

When Ying Ying goes back to visit Changsha, she can't wait to see her orphanage caregiver--someone who knew her and loved her when she lived in China. Meeting Li Ayi is just the beginning, as Ying Ying discovers points of connection with all the orphanage children--babies, toddlers and school-age kids. Outside the orphanage she visits children at home, at playgrounds and at school, and these friendships too help her see her life story in a new light. A child of two countries, Ying Ying is determined to claim both as her own.

Kids Like Me in China combines real-life photos with the forthright observations and complex feelings of an adopted child as she ponders what her early life might have been like. The first view of China adoption from a child's perspective, Kids Like Me will inspire all adopted children to take charge of their own life stories.

Seeds of Love: For Brothers and Sisters of International Adoption

From the Publisher:

When my husband and I were preparing to travel internationally to adopt our daughter Anna, I worried about how our four-year-old daughter Carly would handle our extended separation. I looked for, but could not find, a book like Seeds of Love. As a professional writer and editor, I naturally felt compelled to address this void in the children's adoption literature -- and Seeds of Love was born!

Seeds of Love has been honored with several awards and critical recommendations -- which pleases the professional writer in me. But I feel the most gratified by the wonderful comments that I have received from parents who have said that Seeds of Love has become a very special "friend" to their children during the family's international adoption journey.

I hope our family's story comforts your family's hearts as well.

Awards:

1998 Benjamin Franklin Award Finalist
Publishers Marketing Association

Are Those Kids Yours?: American Families with Children Adopted from Other Countries

Annotation:

Cheri Register draws on her experience as the mother of two Korean-born daughters and interviews with adoptive families to illustrated the special challenges multicultural families face.

From Publishers Weekly:

Drawing from her own experiences and those of others who have adopted children from outside the United States, the author here addresses a range of issues arising from the controversial practice. As the single parent of two Korean-born daughters, Register ( Living with Chronic Illness ) is often faced with the query posed in the book's title. How she and other parents help their foreign-born children ease into American society is examined and evaluated. Larger questions, such as the ethics of uprooting children from their heritage, the global issue of wealthy versus poor countries, the racism often encountered by these children, the wrenching issue of the rights of birth parents, are presented in very personal terms. Internationally adoptive parents will find this an empathetic guide. (Nov.)

Cultural Atlas of China

From the Publisher:

China is the world's oldest continuous civilization and one of the great international powers of today. A sharply focused understanding of its past is essential for making sense of its complex present, and archaic China is visible now with a clarity that would hardly have been thinkable a lifetime ago. The purpose of this atlas - now revised to encompass fundamental changes in the country since 1983 - is to make this fascinating, much-mythologized country accessible to the general reader.

Raising Adopted Children: Practical, Reassuring Advice for Every Adoptive Parent (Revised)

From the Publisher:

In this completely revised and updated edition of Raising Adopted Children, Lois Melina, editor of Adopted Children newsletter and the mother of two children by adoption, draws on the latest research in psychology, sociology, and medicine to guide parents through all stages of their child's development. Melina addresses the pressing adoption issues of today, such as open adoption, international adoption, and transracial adoption, and answers parents' most frequently asked questions, such as:

How will my child "bond" or form attachments to me?

When and how should I tell my child that he was adopted?

What should schools be told about my child?

Will adoption make adolescent upheavals more complicated?

Up-to-date, sensitive, and clear, Raising Adopted Children is the definitive resource for all adoptive parents and concerned professionals.

"Raising Adopted Children is a comprehensive source of practical, reassuring advice and intelligent support for the adoptive parent. [It is also an] excellent professional resource for social workers, physicians, teachers, therapists, and others working with adopted children and their parents."
—North American Council on Adoptable Children

"Melina, an adoptive parent, writes both sensibly and sensitively on many critical issues faced by parents and their adopted children from infancy through adolescence."
—Booklist

Author Biography:

Lois Melina is the editor of Adopted Child newsletter and serves on the board of directors of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of information about adoption and providing guidance for practice and policy change in the field. Melina speaks frequently about adoption to professional organizations and adoptive parents throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. She is the author of Making Sense of Adoption and coauthor of The Open Adoption Experience.

Children of Intercountry Adoptions in School: A Primer for Parents and Professionals

Synopsis (from bn.com):

Offers practical guidelines and suggestions for parents and school personnel to better understand and meet the educational needs of the children of intercountry adoption.

From the Publisher:

Children of intercountry adoption have complex histories that place them at high risk for difficulty or failure in school. Teachers and other school professionals rarely know how to test them, teach them, or meet their needs. This volume explains those needs and offers guidelines and suggestions for maximizing the educational performance of these children and helping them to meet their potential.

Beyond Good Intentions: A Mother Reflects on Raising Internationally Adopted Children

From the Publisher:

Beyond Good Intentions is a book of essays about the joys and risks of raising children adopted internationally. Cheri Register examines ten pitfalls that well-meaning parents like herself can easily slip into:

• Wiping Away Our Children's Past
• Hovering Over Our "Troubled" Children
• Holding the Lid on Sorrow and Anger
• Parenting on the Defensive
• Believing Race Doesn't Matter
• Keeping Our Children Exotic
• Raising Our Children in Isolation
• Judging Our Country Superior
• Believing Adoption Saves Souls
• Appropriating Our Children's Heritage

Each essay opens with an exaggerated version—a caricature—of something an adoptive parent might say. The caricature is used to prompt a fresh, intense look at practices so familiar they are seldom questioned, even though they may not serve the children’s and the family’s best interests. Register urges readers to bring their own experiences to bear in a candid conversation about internationally adoptive family life.

Talking to Your Child About Adoption

Our Summary:

A guide on how to comfortably talk to your child about their adoption, and how to sustain ongoing communication with your child about the issue from their infancy through their teen years.

Talking with Young Children About Adoption

From the Publisher:

Current wisdom holds that adoptive parents should talk with their child about adoption as early as possible. But no guidelines exist to prepare parents for the various ways their children might respond when these conversations take place. In this wise and sympathetic book, a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist, both adoptive mothers, discuss how young children make sense of the fact that they are adopted, how it might appear in their play, and what worries they and their parents may have. Accounts by twenty adoptive parents of conversations about adoption with their children, from ages two to ten, graphically convey what the process of sharing about adoption is like.

From Publishers Weekly:

This book, designed to help adoptive parents, as well as professional counselors and therapists, deal with questions youngsters ask about their adoption, contains revealing conversations between parents and their children, aged two to 10, from 20 families of all kinds--single, lesbian and interracial, among them. Psychologist Watkins ( Waking Dream ) and psychoanalyst Fisher (coauthor of To Do No Harm ) are themselves adoptive mothers. Stressing that "the adoptive family integrates diversity,'' and that "children come into families in different ways,'' the authors seek to prepare parents to acquaint children with their origins through frank talk, stories and play. The children's contribution in the book shows them ready to face reality, for the most part; their comments are probing, humorous and touching. (Sept.)

Intercountry Adoption from China: Examining Cultural Heritage and Other Postadoption Issues

From the Publisher:

Starting with questions about how to incorporate Chinese culture and custom into the lives of their adopted daughters Emily and Claire, the authors began a year-long search for answers. The result is a detailed examination of the post-adoptive views, actions, and experiences of a national sample of families with children from China toward acknowledging their adopted child's Chinese cultural-heritage and the issues they face together as a multicultural family. Historical and present-day issues affecting intercountry adoptees and their families, such as arguments used to support or oppose intercountry and transracial adoption, developmental delay and the effects of institutionalization on Chinese adoptees, parent-child attachment, discrimination and racial prejudice, and identity development, are detailed. Parents' beliefs and experiences on these issues are supplemented by a multi-disciplined, comprehensive review of available literature.

From Booknews:

The authors (occupational studies, U. of Georgia and teacher of special education at a middle school and parents of adopted Chinese children) discuss the many issues involved in raising adoptive Chinese children in the US, focusing on intercultural issues. The authors synthesize current literature on inter-country adoption, drawing on findings from anthropology, sociology, psychology, and education, discussing philosophical concerns; attachment and adjustment issues; racial, ethnic, and cultural identity development; and other topics. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

West Meets East: Americans Adopt Chinese Children

From the Publisher:

Who are the new families that are appearing on city streets, in suburban malls, and at Fourth of July celebrations? The parents, in their 40s and 50s, are obviously Caucasian, and their very young daughters are obviously Chinese. This book is about these new "American & Chinese" families that are being formed through the mechanism of international adoption.

From Booknews:

Documents some of the issues confronting Americans who adopt children from China, drawing on a 1996 survey of 526 parents, as well as first- person stories, relevant historical accounts, and an unusual key informant perspective on Chinese culture and values. Issues discussed include socialization, the socio-political context that leads Chinese girls to be available for adoption, and implications of the age gap for the parent-child relationship. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Childrearing Values in the United States and China: A Comparison of Belief Systems and Social Structure

From the Publisher:

Hong Xiao examines the linkage between social structure and child-rearing values in the United States and China in light of class-value, gender-value, and culture-value theory. Her findings challenge a number of common assumptions and popular beliefs and shed light on how class, gender, and culture shape belief systems.

From Booknews:

Child-rearing, as a basic function of society, provides an opportunity for comparative study of two very different societies in this work, a revision of Xiao`s (sociology, Central Washington U.) doctoral thesis. Following an examination of the literature, Xiao defines her theoretical foundation<-->she has used value theory, gender-value theory, and culture- value theory. Deriving her data from the World Values Survey, Xiao constructs value scales for each country, then examines the US and China separately and together based on these scales. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

International Adoption Travel Journal

From the Publisher:

International adoption travel is a time of excitement, wonder and unpredictable experiences. You know that your record of this trip will one day become a cherished link to your child's heritage. But as many parents who have been there know, chronicling your trip in a traditional blank notebook becomes next to impossible--particularly once your child arrives. The new International Adoption Travel Journal was designed with your special trip in mind. With six separate sections organized in meaningful categories, and a fill-in-the blank format, parents find this unique journal an invaluable keepsake to record their trip of a lifetime.

What parents who have used the Adoption Travel Journal are saying:

''The Travel Journal was fun and easy to complete. The daily sections were the best. I am an anthropologist, so I am always interested in things that might make travel notes and observations easier and more convenient.'' - Suzanne, Somerville MA

''It actually inspired me to record much more than I had planned. In many moments, the routine of filling out the journal helped keep me sane and provided me with a bigger picture perspective. It also helped me feel a closer connection to my wife who could not accompany me. I would certainly recommend your journal as essential equipment for anyone forced to travel alone without their partner.'' - Jackson, Portland OR

''It was very thorough and seemed to have a place for most things. I loved the place for writing everyone in your travel group's name and address. It's great to have that forever.'' - Karen, Hendersonville TN

This is Me - U.S.: Memories to Gather and Keep

Our Summary:

A baby book with removable pages tailored for adopted children; includes pages for the birth family tree, firsts with my family, birth parent health information, places I lived, and more. Also an international edition with information about the country, citizenship ceremony, and more.

Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft

From bn.com Customers:

Ginger McCauley (mccauley@mwt.net), a happily married mother of 5., September 7, 1999:

Hopkins-Best Helped us prepare for the adventure of our lives.

Toddler Adoption, the Weaver's Craft is a must read for anyone considering adoption of a 'non-infant'. Through the experiences she and her husband shared in their adoption of 18-month old Gustavo, and then through her research of other adoptive families, she writes compelling, sometimes frightening, and always eye-opening accounts of what toddler adoption involves. Focusing heavily on attachment issues and related behavioral problems, Ms. Hopkins-Best educates the reader on what to prepare for, or deal with in their own adoption circumstances. She offers insight into what the child may be protecting themselves from and why the child may not welcome his new parents with open arms at the start of their relationship. Through it all, she relates her own story of success with Gustavo and how they overcame difficulties in their family. This book empowered our family to set out on our own adoption journey which took us to two Russian orphanages where we met out three year old daughter, and our 8-month old son in Dec. of 1997. We owe Ms. Hopkins-Best a great debt of gratitude for her insights!

Adopting the Older Child

From bn.com Customers:

Linda Wise, a prospective adoptive mom, March 14, 2002:

Compassionate and Informative.

This book is a godsend to couples who are considering older child adoption but aren't sure they are up to the challenge. It paints a clear picture of waiting children, adoptive parents, and adoption professionals, giving you a good idea of what to expect. It also has some very good, practical suggestions and I love the way it is written in case study format. After reading this book, I have been encouraged that although parenting children who have been abused or neglected can be difficult at times, the situations are far from impossible and usually turn out OK. We're ready to go forward now with our adoption of an older child!

Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents

From Publishers Weekly:

Gray, a clinical social worker specializing in attachment, grief and trauma, has penned a comprehensive guidebook for adoptive parents, taking an in-depth look at how children and families adjust. The author notes that many of today's adoptions involve older children who may have been abused or neglected, or who may have spent years in institutions or various foster situations; due to their past experiences these children may have difficulty attaching to their adoptive parents. Explaining that attachment forms the template for future adult relationships, Gray stresses how important it is for adoptive parents to be patient in forging this new bond. She advises creating a high structure/ high nurture environment for the child, and instructs parents to find out about their child's background. The book covers many issues, including cross-cultural and interracial adoption, religious concerns and other complications for attaching, such as ADHD and learning disabilities. Gray also includes a detailed exploration of developmental delays common in kids who have been adopted later in life. While the book is densely written, it will nevertheless be invaluable for adoptive parents. Gray compassionately helps readers form realistic expectations, while offering a myriad of suggestions for families and children striving to form lasting, loving relationships. (May) -- Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

The Challenge of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Overcoming Secondary Disabilities

From the Publisher:

In the first book of its kind, experts describe how to help people with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. A summary of recent findings and recommendations is presented by the team who conducted the largest study ever done on people of all ages with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects. Twenty-two experts from the fields of human services, education, and criminal justice respond by describing their solutions to this problem of a birth defect that targets the brain and has lifelong consequences.

Handbook of International Adoption Medicine: A Guide for Physicians, Parents, and Providers

From Cindy Ptasnik:

I am an RN, director of an international adoption agency, and adoptive parent. I wish this book had been available when my family was in the adoption process. The information is clearly presented, covers genetic defects, communicable diseases, environmental hazards, and impacts of institutionalization. It even provides country specific information for all common adoption destinations. There are plenty of pictures (only B&W, unfortunately) to help you really understand the appearance of different conditions. Simple enough for any adoptive parent, but still thorough enough to really help an adoption or health care professional, we plan to recommend this book to all of our client families.

Clinical Atlas of Chinese Infants

From Booknews:

Continues the series' practice of providing a range of topics in each volume rather than focusing on a single theme. The 11 papers explore the microbial component of soil quality, soil structure and biological activity, soil as a catalytic system, microbial processes in boreal forest soils as affected by forest management practices and atmospheric stress, soil suppressiveness to disease induced by soilborne plant pathogens, fractals in general soil science and soil biology and biochemistry, physico-chemical and biological factors of in situ bioremediation, and other topics. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Family Garden

From bn.com Customers:

A listener (pdstults@aol.com):

Great for kids & adults.

These songs are enchanting. We've adopted a little girl and absolutely love the song "Happy Adoption Day."" "Little White Star" is about the tooth fairy and is just precious.

Sound and Spirit: Welcoming Children into the World

From bn.com:

The world music on this child-focused album is the most requested material from Ellen Kushner's NPR radio show, "Sound and Spirit." This start-to-finish heartwarmer begins with a gigglefest on the Baka Forest People's "Nursery Rhyme," followed by the special charm and innocence of Malcolm Dalglish's "Little Potato." Some tunes -- such as Libana's vocal "¡O! Que Mueve Mezes" and "On Children" by Sweet Honey in the Rock -- will be over the heads of the little tykes, and John McCutcheon's "Happy Adoption Day" serves a highly specific purpose. There are, however, many lullabies and songs to sing with your children, including the gospel-inspired "Circle of Sun" by Sally Rogers and the rhythmic and raw rendition of "Hey Pretty Baby" by Woody Guthrie. The album ends with the zesty "Mangina Zaza" by Rossa -- perfect music for the kids to turn their beds into trampolines. Carol Wright

Eastern Energy

From bn.com:

Already a sensation in their native China and Japan, the Twelve Girls Band is the first major Chinese musical export since the Peking Opera. A dozen young instrumental masters present alluringly exotic renditions of pop classics, Japanese film songs, jazz standards, and, on their first U.S. release, a version of Coldplay's Grammy-winning "Clocks." The young women perform on a battery of traditional Chinese instruments such as the er-hu and pipa, the lutes and fiddles most commonly heard in court music. Today, the Twelve Girls Band has reintroduced these ancient sounds in advertisements for chocolate bars and cell phones. Purists won't find much to sink their teeth into here; the Girls and their music director Liang Jianfeng offer unfailingly sweet, essentially Asian-oriented easy listening. But those who want to hear the pulse of Asia's huge pop market will want to give this dainty dozen a try. Mark Schwartz