Suggested Reading
There is an abundance of great books available to adoptive parents and adopted children that offer guidance, advice on common questions and issues, and provide unique, helpful insight into the lives of families on similar journeys. The following list of recommendations touch on a number of topics relating to adoption and helping children come to terms with and embrace their individual stories.
Adults:
TELLING THE TRUTH TO YOUR ADOPTED OR FOSTER CHILD:
Making Sense of the Past : Betsy Keefer and Jayne E.Schooler
“Assists adoptive and foster parents in unraveling the mysteries that can cause so much pain for adopted persons and their families.”
ADOPTING THE HURT CHILD: Hope For Families with Special-Needs Kids
By Gregory C. Keck, PhD and Regina M. Kupecky, LSW
“Brings to life grim truths, but also real hope that children who have been hurt-and often hurt others-can be healed and brought back into life by the adoptive and foster parents, therapists, teachers, social workers, and other whose lives intersect with theirs.”
PARENTING SOMEONE ELSE’S CHILD byAnn Stressman
“The author offers insights of great value for everyone involved in the world of foster care and adoption and she does it through humor and grace.”
THE HEALING POWER OF PLAY: Working with Abused Children by Eliana Gil
“Combining theory with a practical ‘how-to’ approach, this volume reviews traditional techniques of play therapy and describes therapeutic aids to enhance children’s capacity to communicate”
STRENGTHENING EMOTIONAL TIES THROUGH PARENT-CHILD-DYAD ART THERAPY: Interventions with infants and Preschoolers by Lucille Proulx
“Parent-child-dyad art therapy is a new and innovative art therapy, in which parent and child share the production of an artwork. This book aims to reinforce or re-establish bonds between children and parents, providing a space where parents’ early unresolved conflicts and children’s developmental abilities can be expressed.”
ATTACHING IN ADOPTION: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents by Deborah G. Gray
“Provides adoptive parents with specific information that applies to children like theirs. It matches children’s emotional needs and stages with parenting strategies designed to enhance their children’s happiness and emotional health.”
NEW FAMILES OLD SCRIPTS: A Guide to the Language of Trauma and Attachment in Adoptive Families by Caroline Archer and Christine Gordon
“This is an invaluable guide to understanding the troubling behavior of many adopted children: exploring the lasting effects of early maltreatment, separations and losses on children’s development and on subsequent family, school, and peer interactions.”
REAL PARENTS, REAL CHILDREN: Parenting the Adopted Child by Holly Van Gulden and Lisa M. Bartels-Rabb
”This book offers advice for parents on how to talk with their children about adoption and how to help them through the rougher times of growing up adopted.
Children: Books for Ages 0 to 2
THE DAY WE MET YOU by Phoebe Koehler
adoption
A MOTHER'S PROMISE by Lisa Humphrey
family, adoption, poetry
SANDRA CLAUS; A Tiny Gift to Santa Brings a New Tradition to Christmas by Douglas Clark Hollmann
holiday, adoption
YOU WILL BE MY BABY EVEN WHEN by Christie Becker
picture book, poetry, family
I LOVE YOU SO … by Marianne Richmond
family, picture book
ON THE NIGHT YOU WERE BORN by Nancy Tillman
picture book, poetry, animal stories, family, adoption
Books for Ages 2 to 4
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT: ADOPTION by Fred Rogers
adoption
LITTLE WHISTLE by Cynthia Rylant
animal stories, adventure, mouse, china doll, sailor, boat, train, bear
LITTLE WHISTLE'S CHRISTMAS by Cynthia Rylant
animal stories, holidays
HORACE by Holly Keller
adoption
TELL ME AGAIN ABOUT THE NIGHT I WAS BORN by Jamie Lee Curtis
adoption
THE DAY WE MET YOU by Phoebe Koehler
adoption
THE SEA CHEST by Toni Buzzeo
folklore
LITTLE MISS SPIDER by David Kirk
animal stories
OVER THE MOON: AN ADOPTION TALE by Karen Katz
adoption, family
YOU'RE NOT MY REAL MOTHER! by Molly Friedrich
family, adoption
OUR TWITCHY by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan
family, adoption
WISHES FOR YOU by Tobi Tobias
family
OLIVER: A STORY ABOUT ADOPTION by Lois Wickstrom
adoption, family
A MOTHER'S PROMISE by Lisa Humphrey
family, adoption, poetry
SANDRA CLAUS; A Tiny Gift to Santa Brings a New Tradition to Christmas by Douglas Clark Hollmann
holiday, adoption
YOU WILL BE MY BABY EVEN WHEN by Christie Becker
picture book, poetry, family
I LOVE YOU SO … by Marianne Richmond
family, picture book
WHEN I MET YOU; A STORY OF RUSSIAN ADOPTION by Adrienne Ehlert Bashista
adoption, family, picture book
SAM'S SISTER by Juliet C Bond
adoption, family
TWO BIRTHDAYS FOR BETH by Gay Lynn Cronin
adoption, family
THE JOURNEY OF THE LITTLE RED BOAT: A STORY FROM THE COAST OF MAINE by George Smith
transportation, sports
ON THE NIGHT YOU WERE BORN by Nancy Tillman
picture book, poetry, animal stories, family, adoption
FLUFFY'S STORY PART 1: FLUFFY'S JOURNEY by Samantha Joyce with Caroline Joyce
picture book, animal stories, series book
FAMILIES ARE FOREVER by Craig Shemin
family, cultures and tradition, adoption
JEROME'S JAM by Rainey
picture book, family, adoption
GROWING UP GRIZZLY; THE TRUE STORY OF BAYLEE AND HER CUBS by Douglas H Chadwick
picture book, nature, animal stories, natural history
WELCOME HOME, FOREVER CHILD by Christine Mitchell
adoption, family, picture book
THE ADVENTURES OF LADY; THE BIG STORM by Iris Pearson & Mike Merrill
picture book, animal stories
Books for Ages 5 to 8
ADOPTION IS FOR ALWAYS by Linda Walvoord Girard
adoption
BEGINNINGS, HOW FAMILIES COME TO BE by Virginia Kroll
adoption, family
LET'S TALK ABOUT IT: ADOPTION by Fred Rogers
adoption
LITTLE WHISTLE by Cynthia Rylant
animal stories, adventure, mouse, china doll, sailor, boat, train, bear
LITTLE WHISTLE'S CHRISTMAS by Cynthia Rylant
animal stories, holidays
HORACE by Holly Keller
adoption
TELL ME AGAIN ABOUT THE NIGHT I WAS BORN by Jamie Lee Curtis
adoption
THE SEA CHEST by Toni Buzzeo
folklore
LITTLE MISS SPIDER by David Kirk
animal stories
OVER THE MOON: AN ADOPTION TALE by Karen Katz
adoption, family
YOU'RE NOT MY REAL MOTHER! by Molly Friedrich
family, adoption
I LOVE YOU LIKE CRAZY CAKES by Rose Lewis
family, adoption
OUR TWITCHY by Kes Gray and Mary McQuillan
family, adoption
WISHES FOR YOU by Tobi Tobias
family
OLIVER: A STORY ABOUT ADOPTION by Lois Wickstrom
adoption, family
A MOTHER'S PROMISE by Lisa Humphrey
family, adoption, poetry
I LOVE YOU SO … by Marianne Richmond
family, picture book
WHEN I MET YOU; A STORY OF RUSSIAN ADOPTION by Adrienne Ehlert Bashista
adoption, family, picture book
THE MULBERRY BIRD (AN ADOPTION STORY REVISED) by Anne Braff Brodzinsky, PhD
adoption, family
BORYA AND THE BURPS; AN EASTERN EUROPEAN ADOPTION STORY by Joan McNamara
adoption, family
SAM'S SISTER by Juliet C Bond
adoption, family
TWO BIRTHDAYS FOR BETH by Gay Lynn Cronin
adoption, family
THE JOURNEY OF THE LITTLE RED BOAT: A STORY FROM THE COAST OF MAINE by George Smith
transportation, sports
PAPA PICCOLO by Carol Talley
animal stories, picture book, travel, geography, adoption
ON THE NIGHT YOU WERE BORN by Nancy Tillman
picture book, poetry, animal stories, family, adoption
FLUFFY'S STORY PART 1: FLUFFY'S JOURNEY by Samantha Joyce with Caroline Joyce
picture book, animal stories, series book
FAMILIES ARE FOREVER by Craig Shemin
family, cultures and tradition, adoption
JEROME'S JAM by Rainey
picture book, family, adoption
GROWING UP GRIZZLY; THE TRUE STORY OF BAYLEE AND HER CUBS by Douglas H Chadwick
picture book, nature, animal stories, natural history
WELCOME HOME, FOREVER CHILD by Christine Mitchell
adoption, family, picture book
THE ADVENTURES OF LADY; THE BIG STORM by Iris Pearson & Mike Merrill
picture book, animal stories
THE HURT by Teddi Doleski
coping with feelings of hurt and anger
Books for Ages 6 to 9
BEGINNINGS, HOW FAMILIES COME TO BE by Virginia Kroll
adoption, family
FINDING THE RIGHT SPOT: WHEN KIDS CAN'T LIVE WITH THEIR PARENTS by Janice Levy
adoption, family, young adult
THE MULBERRY BIRD (AN ADOPTION STORY REVISED) by Anne Braff Brodzinsky, PhD
adoption, family
BORYA AND THE BURPS; AN EASTERN EUROPEAN ADOPTION STORY by Joan McNamara
adoption, family
THE BLACKSMITH'S GIFT by Dan T Davis
holiday, myths and legends
RANCHER DICK AND THE LITTLE GRAY CALF by Jack Shabel
animal stories, biology
CHIPS A HOMETOWN HERO by Nancy M West
history, animal stories
NACHO AND LOLITA by Pam Munoz Ryan
picture book, foreign language, animal stories, myths and legends, adoption
FLUFFY'S STORY PART 1: FLUFFY'S JOURNEY by Samantha Joyce with Caroline Joyce
picture book, animal stories, series book
GROWING UP GRIZZLY; THE TRUE STORY OF BAYLEE AND HER CUBS by Douglas H Chadwick
picture book, nature, animal stories, natural history
WELCOME HOME, FOREVER CHILD by Christine Mitchell
adoption, family, picture book
THE ADVENTURES OF LADY; THE BIG STORM by Iris Pearson & Mike Merrill
picture book, animal stories
Books for Ages Over 10
FINDING THE RIGHT SPOT: WHEN KIDS CAN'T LIVE WITH THEIR PARENTS by Janice Levy
adoption, family, young adult
A MOTHER'S PROMISE by Lisa Humphrey
family, adoption, poetry
THE BLACKSMITH'S GIFT by Dan T Davis
holiday, myths and legends
CHIPS A HOMETOWN HERO by Nancy M West
history, animal stories
NACHO AND LOLITA by Pam Munoz Ryan
picture book, foreign language, animal stories, myths and legends, adoption
