Acres of Hope: The Miraculous Story of One Family’s Gift of Love to Children Without Hope. Patty Anglin, with Joe Musser. Foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada. 1999. 288p. Barbour Publishing, Inc. Patty and Harold Anglin have an extraordinary story to tell. They have adopted eight children with special needs, adding to their already large family of seven biological children. The adopted children range in age from six months to fifteen years, and come from all over the world—from as far away as Nigeria and India. They are kids who would have had no hope in this world if Patty and Harold had not welcomed them into a home bursting with love and acceptance. When asked why they have adopted so many children with special needs, the Anglins’ answer is simple, “There is a need!” Theirs is a story of daily dependence on God’s goodness and faithfulness. A story of God’s miraculous provision and healing touch. A story of hope and love. Theirs is a story that will change your life forever.

Adopt the Baby You Want. Michael R Sullivan & Susan Shultz. 1990. 272p. Simon & Schuster. From Publishers Weekly: Timely and comprehensive, this step-by-step guide for prospective adoptive parents, written with freelancer Shultz, distills the experience and expertise of Sullivan, an adoption lawyer who is also a cofounder of several full-service adoption agencies. A variety of options, such as independent adoption and adoption of foreign children, are explored in light of the increasing complexity in adoption practices as well as the reality that there are “fewer healthy babies available than ever before.” It is a search, often lengthy, expensive and frustrating, of paramount importance to the more than two million Americans eager to adopt. The wealth of information in this upbeat primer includes self-assessments, state directories and advice regarding recent developments in adoptees’ rights. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Adopted Family, The: The Family That Grew. Florence Rondell & Ruth Michaels. 1951. 30p. Crown Publishers, Inc. Second volume of a two-volume set. The second volume is designed as a children’s book.

Adopted Family, The: You & Your Child: A Guide for Adoptive Parents. Florence Rondell & Ruth Michaels. Illustratd by Judith Epstein. 1951. 64p. Crown Publishers Inc. First Volume of a two-volume set. The first volume is aimed at adoptive parents, including a foreword by Viola W. Bernard, M.D.

Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches. Russell D Moore. 2009. 232p. Crossway Books. A stirring call to Christian families and churches to be a people who care for orphans, not just in word, but in deed. The gospel of Jesus Christ—the good news that through Jesus we have been adopted as sons and daughters into God’s family—means that Christians ought to be at the forefront of the adoption of orphans in North America and around the world. Russell D. Moore does not shy away from this call in Adopted for Life, a popular-level, practical manifesto for Christians to adopt children and to help equip other Christian families to do the same. He shows that adoption is not just about couples who want children—or who want more children. It is about an entire culture within Christianity, a culture that sees adoption as part of the Great Commission mandate and as a sign of the gospel itself. Moore, who adopted two boys from Russia and has spoken widely on the subject, writes for couples considering adoption, families who have adopted children, and pastors who wish to encourage adoption. About the Author: Russell D. Moore is dean of the School of Theology and senior vice president for academic administration at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. He is the author of The Kingdom of Christ and is a senior editor of the journal Touchstone. He and his wife, Maria, have four children.

Adopted Four & Had One More. Helen Louise West. 1968. 94p. Bethany Press. This is the story of Helen West’s personal experiences over the years in finding and raising her adopted family. It is the story of the joys and sorrows that have touched them, of the love, security, and Christian upbringing she and her husband have invested in young lives, and of the happiness all have shared.

Adopter’s Handbook: Information, Resources & Services for Adoptive Parents. Amy Neil Salter, ed. 2006. 3rd Ed. 108p. British Association for Adoption & Fostering. This practical guide helps adopters help themselves through the adoption process and beyond. Easy-to-access information will help users handle the ups and downs of the adoption experience, and prepare them for what is likely to happen along the way. Topics covered include: processes; legal issues; education and health; the needs of the child; the emotional needs of the adoptive parent; and post-adoption support and finances. This new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to take into account new legislation and initiatives, including the Adoption and Children Act 2002. The guide uses a quick reference format and contains a comprehensive listing of resources on health, education and other support services. It will help everyone involved in the adoption process to better help and support adopted children.

Adopters on Adoption: Reflections on Parenthood & Children. David Howe. 1996. 141p. British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering. Absorbing collection of personal stories, based on interviews wiht 120 adoptive families, that give voice to the adopter’s experiences, feelings and observations, from their initial thoughts about adoption through to supporting their adopted child into adulthood.

Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families. Patricia Irwin Johnston. 2008. 543p. Perspectives Press. Some advance readers of Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families offer these comments about this new book by the author of Taking Charge of Infertility, Adopting After Infertility, Launching a Baby’s Adoption and Adoption Is a Family Affair! Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families is a “must-read” for anyone considering adoption. With compassion and candor, it helps sort out the emotional, relational and practical aspects of the journey to family-building through adoption. Pat’s warm and direct style gives readers the courage to face the losses they have experienced so they can continue exploring adoption as a means to parenthood. Specifically, readers will be empowered to: Regain a sense of control over their lives; Decide whether they are honestly open to the idea of adoption; Understand the central issues of attachment and adoptive family life; Feel confident in their decision to pursue—or not—adoption as a viable option; Make informed decisions about the details of the adoption process; Embrace their decision to adopt with practical support and information; and Navigate the first few months after placement with realistic expectations and practical information. About the Author: For over 30 years, Patricia Irwin Johnston, M.S., has worked and volunteered in the fields of infertility and adoption—as an author and educator and trainer, as an advocate and organizational leader. Adopting: Sound Choices, Strong Families is Pat’s eighth book. As publisher and senior editor for 25 years at Perspectives Press, Inc.: The Infertility and Adoption Publisher, she has edited many others. Proud graduates of Butler University, Pat and her husband, Dave, parented three now-grown children. They live in Indianapolis in an empty nest that needs to be downsized!

Adopting: The Tapestry Guide. Laurie S Wallmark. 1996. 56p. Tapestry Books. Demystify the process of adopting a child. Every day, hundreds of people like you make the decision to adopt a child. Finally, there is an easy to read resource that gives you the information you need to successfully adopt the child of your dreams. Adopting: Thr Tapestry Guide provides a concise and easily understandable explanation of all aspects of adoption. This is the book that you need to start you on your successful adoption journey. You’ll want to get extra copies to share with other pre-adoptive families.

Adopting a Child. O’Neil & Brown. 1991. 20p. W Gladden Found.

Adopting a Child: A Guide for People Interested in Adoption. Prue Chennells & Chris Hammond. Revised by Jennifer Lord. 1998. 104p. (8th Rev Ed, 2008, 150p). British Association for Adoption and Fostering. This is a fully revised and updated new edition of BAAF’s best-selling short guide to adoption in the UK, which answers many initial questions, explains how to go about it and whom to approach. With over 55,000 copies already sold, this beginner’s guide is the book for anyone who has ever thought of adopting a child, helping to explain the complicated process involved when finding new families for looked after children, and providing information for people interested in adopting from overseas. Using a question and answer format, it describes in plain English why children need adoption, the kinds of children who are looking for new families, the reasons why people adopt, what sort of people adoption agencies are looking for and why, the legal aspects and the costs of adopting both in the UK and overseas, intercountry adoption and the adoption of stepchildren. The guide also looks at what happens after adoption and the differences between adoption and fostering. It includes a comprehensive list of regional agencies - local authority, as well as voluntary - throughout the UK (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) and how to apply to them, plus other useful addresses and suggestions for further reading.

Adopting a Child in Britain: Advice for Prospective Adopters. Roger Fenton. 2000. 246p. Adoptionmedia.com. Adopting a Child in Britain is an insider’s guide adopting by a man with experience of adopting through three different local authorities in England and Wales. The book takes the reader through the whole process, from initial thinking about adoption as a way of creating or expanding your family, through to finding an agency, applying, acceptance or rejection, placement, through to helping your child trace his or her birth family. It also includes sections on alternatives to adoption, good and bad reasons to adopt, questions to ask yourself about why you want to adopt, the kinds of children available, who can adopt, what qualities agencies look for in applicants, how to spot an incompetent agency, overseas and trans-racial adoption, major difficulties that can arise after placement, legal matters, naming your child, and telling your child about adoption; and it has an extensive section on further resources, including the Internet. It is enlivened by many examples of situations from real-life adoptive families. Roger Fenton is an experienced adopter with no affiliation to an agency, who doesn’t pull any punches about the flaws in the system, but he recognizes that British adoption is still one of the best systems in the world.

Adopting a Child Today. Rael Jean Isaac, with Joseph Spencer, legal consultant. 1965. 300p. Harper & Row.

Adopting for Good: A Guide for People Considering Adoption. Jorie Kincaid. 1997. 144p. Interversity Press. Jorie Kincaid has written a book to show you how to find the child who needs you—whether you are infertile, single, medically prohibited from having a child or just looking for the boy or girl you’ve always wanted.

Adopting in America: How to Adopt Within One Year. Randall B Hicks. 1993. WordSlinger. (Second Edition. 1999. 344p. SCB Distributors; Fourth Revised Edition. 2004. 352p. Wordslinger.) Filled with unique strategies for creating a family, this book shatters the negative myths of the adoption process and tells couples everything they need to know to adopt successfully within a year.

Adopting in California: How to Adopt Within One Year. Randall Hicks & Linda Nuñez. 1992. WordSlinger. The one and only how to adoption book specifically geared to California, it’s like having one of the best adoption attorneys on your team. with it in hand, any California couple can achieve their dream of creating a family.

Adopting is Different. Sandra Oddo. 1924. HarperCollins Publishers.

Adopting Lasting Treasure. Jackie Johnson. 1995. 176p. Impact Christian.

Adopting Your Child: Options, Answers & Actions. Nancy T Reynolds. 1993. 288p. Self-Counsel Press.

Adoptingonline.com: Your #1 Guide to Adoption!. Mardie Caldwell. 2004. 512p. American Carriage House Publishing. AdoptingOnline.com offers practical, easy-to-follow guidelines for anyone interested in adopting a child. Whether you’re adopting domestically or internationally, or adopting an older child or infant, this amazing book tells you everything you need to know to complete a safe and secure adoption.

Adoption: A Father’s Journey of Faith. David Finz. 2006. 130p. Infinity Publishing. Adoption: A Father’s Journey of Faith is the true story of how one couple’s quest to bring children into their lives led them not only to faraway places, but also to the foot of the Cross. On his 32nd birthday, author David Finz, a recent convert to Christianity, learned that he and his wife Carol faced serious fertility issues. The challenges that followed grew the young Believer spiritually, brought him closer to his wife, and prepared him for parenthood. David’s testimony will resonate not only with adoptive parents, but with anyone searching for God’s direction in their lives. Proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit Christian World Foundation’s ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in overseas orphanages. About the Author: David Finz is a servant of God, husband, father, brother, uncle, attorney, insurance professional, songwriter and now, author. He has written several “white papers” on business law, professional ethics and risk management that are available over the Internet and in scholarly publications. David’s articles on various church ministries have also been featured in community newspapers around his native Long Island, where he resides with his wife Carol and daughters Julia and Rachel. In his spare time, David enjoys jogging, playing piano, traveling and adding to his collection of frog-related merchandise.

Adoption: A Legal Guide for Birth & Adoptive Parents. Kelly Allen Sifferman & Richard L Strohm, ed. 1994. 117p. Career Press. (2nd Ed; 1997; 128p. Chelsea House). Adoption is an area of law that is riddled with emotional and financial land mines. Where can you turn to get the basic legal information you need to know before adopting a child or making a placement plan? Adoption: A Legal Guide for Birth and Adoptive Parents provides a clear and concise explanation of the often complicated procedures involved in the adoption process.

Adoption: Charms & Rituals for Healing. Randolph Severson. Sharon Watson, ed. 1991. 140p. House of Tomorrow.

Adoption: Choosing It, Living It, Loving It: Straight Answers to Heartfelt Questions. Dr. Ray Guarendi. 2009. 182p. Servant Books. Dr. Ray Guarendi is a psychologist, husband, and father of ten adopted children. In this book, he answers the most commonly asked adoption questions and dispels unsettling misperceptions about adoption with insight, humor, and a heart for the adoptive family. It is a must-have resource for those considering adoption, those who have already adopted, and friends and family of adoptive parents. About the Author: Ray Guardeni a clinical psychologist, public speaker, host of the national radio show, “The Doctor is In,” and the author of several books, including Discipline That Lasts a Lifetime, You’re a Better Parent Than You Think!, Back to the Family, and Good Discipline, Great Teens.

Adoption: From Hell to Heaven. William Cristo, Jr, MD. 2007. 64p. E-BookTime, LLC. From the Author: After the devastation of a miscarriage wore off, we decided to pursue the possibility of adopting a child. We subsequently adopted two lovely children. The process was so complicated, cumbersome and costly that I decided to write a book on it to help others through the process and minimize the complications, cost and cumbersome paperwork. Helpful bullet points are at the end of each chapter.

Adoption: Insights, Inspiration & Information. Mary Fitzpatrick. 1999. 162p. New Horizons Press. This is an adoption resource book that also offers the reader a personal account of the authors own successful and inspirational open adoption experience. It provides essential information about the adoption process, the choices available, a summary of legal terms and processes, attorney responses from all 50 states regarding adoption law from their state, internet sites relating to adoption, information on financial help available to adoptive parents, and several appendices with additional resource information. About the Author: Mary Fitzpatrick is a paralegal with a Masters degree in Education. After years of unsuccessfully trying to start a family on their own, she and her husband began to explore the world of adoption. Starting from ground zero, they had a beautiful newborn baby girl in less than 4 months. Now, nine years later Mary, her husband and daughter, complete with golden retiever, 5 cats and assorted guppies live in rural Vermont. Current job as full time Mom includes additional duties as Girl Scout troop leader, 4-H volunteer, Women’s Investment Club president and Boys & Girl Club volunteer.

Adoption: Parenthood Without Pregnancy. Charlene Canape. 1986. 256p. Henry Holt & Co. Charlene Canape explains that the often complicated and time-consuming process of adoption need not be as frustrating as it seems, covering the emotional and procedural aspects of adoption, including accepting infertility, getting in the front door of an adoption agency, handling foreign and independent adoptions while avoding the black market, adopting children with special needs, deciding to become a single parent, and rasing the adopted child. The book includes directories of international and domestic, public and private agencies, as well as support groups for adoptive parents.

Adoption: Stories of Lives Transformed. Dr. Dixie van de Flier Davis. 2007. 248p. Pie in the Sky Publishing, LLC. In Adoption: Stories of Lives Transformed, Dr. Dixie van de Flier Davis, President and Executive Director of The Adoption Exchange, recounts stories of how, since the agency’s inception, she has seen love impact the future in extraordinarily powerful ways. Van de Flier Davis collected stories from over 75 families that have been touched by adoption. Each family shares, in their own words, some of the joys and heartbreaks they have experienced through adoption. About the Author: Dr. Dixie van de Flier Davis was part of a group of dedicated child welfare advocates who founded The Adoption Exchange in 1983 with a $20,000 challenge grant. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, today the agency maintains offices in Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, and Missouri. In the past twenty-five years, under the leadership of Dr. van de Flier Davis, The Adoption Exchange has facilitated over 5,000 adoptions for children living in the care of the child welfare system. Dr. van de Flier Davis was the recipient of the 2007 Child Advocate of the Year Award from the North American Council on Adoptable Children.

Adoption: The Essential Guide to Adopting Quickly & Safely. Randall Hicks. 2007. 400p. Perigee. A top adoption attorney reveals the insider secrets of successful adoptions. Renowned adoption attorney Randall Hicks demystifies the legal system with this essential resource for adopting a child-domestically and internationally-within one year or less. With practical information and insightful wisdom, Adoption offers advice from a leading industry insider who knows exactly what people can expect as expecting adoptive parents. About the Author: Randall Hicks is a leading adoption attorney with more than 20 years of experience completing more than 900 domestic and international adoptions.

Adoption: Your Step-By-Step Guide: Using Technology & Time-Tested Techniques to Expedite a Safe, Successful Adoption. Mardie Caldwell. 2005. 419p. American Carriage House. Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide is packed with information on adoption you won’t find anywhere else. Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P has done an outstanding job of sharing her 17 years of adoption experience with the public. If you want to find the child of your dreams, this is the book to buy today! About the Author: Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P. and author of AdoptingOnline.com, is a nationally recognized authority on open adoption and an expert on Internet adoption resources. A Certified Open Adoption Practitioner, Caldwell is founder of the nationwide adoption organization, Lifetime Adoption Center, LLC, established in 1986, is the founder of A Lifetime Foundation and is the host of the popular Internet talk radio show, Let’s Talk Adoption…with Mardie Caldwell. As an adoptive parent who has experienced many of the challenges prospective adoptive parents face, Caldwell knows the sorrow of infertility and the joys of parenthood through adoption. She also understands and wants to communicate to all, the important steps that must be taken to complete a safe and secure adoption. Caldwell’s life work has been dedicated to educating and helping adoptive parents and birth parents find each other. Caldwell has been the guest on numerous television and radio talk shows and is regularly interviewed by family and parenting magazines. She frequently contributes articles to magazines and websites about the challenges and joys of adoption. She and her husband Greg reside with their four children in Nevada City, CA.

Adoption Adviser, The. Joan McNamara. 1975. 256p. NAL-Dutton. From the Preface: This book grew out of a handbook idea for the Citizens Coalition for Children, [and] expanded and grew into something more. ... Along the way [my husband and I] became more deeply involved in many different aspects of adoption, joining others in helping waiting children and families to find each other. Sometimes the information gathered about adoption from various sources was confusing, contradictory or out of date. At other times an unexpected encounter would bring insights. As information and insights accumulated, ... [a]nd so started the task of assembling and organizing the bits and pieces into a simple, cohesive form.

Adoption & After. Louise Raymond. 1955. 238p. Harper. Ms. Raymond embodies the contemporary values and norms in place during the mid 1950s which affected parents’ attitudes and behavior at that time. Here is a warm, reassuring book for the parents of adopted children of all ages. The author has drawn on her own experience and on interviews with other adoptive mothers. Ms. Raymond never shirks from considering the worst that could happen—not only with the adoption process, but with the development of the child after everything appears to have settled down. Such specialized problems as those which follow the adoption of an older child or a handicapped one are also considered.

Adoption & Financial Assistance: Tools for Navigating the Bureauracy. Rita Laws & Tim O’Hanlon. 1999. 296p. Bergin & Garvey. Parents, child advocates, and family attorneys need to understand how to put the federal adoption assistance law to work for their children and clients in order to create adoptions, keep them intact and healthy, and encourage future special needs adoptive placements as well. This guide through the state adoption bureaucracies shows how to navigate the adoption assistance process, negotiate an adoption assistance contract, and plan effective administrative hearings and adoption subsidy appeals. About the Authors: Rita Laws is the co-author of Adopting & Advocating for the Special Needs Child (Bergin & Garvey, 1997) and has written hundreds of articles on adopting and parenting. Tim O’Hanlon is a former adoption assistance policy specialist and is the author of Accessing Federal Adoption Subsidies After Legalization (1995). Dr. O’Hanlon maintains an adoption advocacy Web site called the “Adoption Policy Resource Center.”

Adoption & the Jewish Family. Shelley Kapnek Rosenberg. 1998. 256p. Jewish Publication Society. Three percent of today’s Jewish families are created by adoption. Adoption and the Jewish Family focuses on the primary issues that confront these families, issues that until now have never been addressed in a Jewish context. Beginning with a chapter on Jewish laws concerning adoption, the book examines the latest medical, psychological, social, and religious wisdom on raising an adopted child in the Jewish community. The author conducted over 100 interviews with those involved in the adoption process, talking to birth parents, adoptive parents, rabbis, social workers, psychologists, and of course, the adoptees themselves. Adoption and the Jewish Family is an invaluable resource to those families affected by adoption or considering it, and the book includes an up-to-date listing of resources and organizations that can guide the Jewish adoptive family.

Adoption & the Schools: Resources for Parents & Teachers. Lansing Wood & Nancy Ng. 2001. 269p. From tots to teens, school can often be a challenge for the adopted child. Sometimes it’s “simply” a matter of educating the educators about adoption, diversity, inclusion, language, and special educational needs. Sometimes you need to go further and tackle deeply-held traditional practices and policies. Either way, Adoption & the Schools will help you and your child’s teachers make school a better place for your adopted child.

Adoption Answer Book, The. Brette McWhorter Sember. 2007. 256p. Sphinx Publishing. Building a family is filled with many questions, especially when you choose to build yours through adoption. Finding answers that really work for you is key to finding the success you have been looking for. The Adoption Answer Book explores all the options available to you and gives you the confidence to make it happen. It addresses all your concerns when wanting to build a family using adoption and all types of adoptions are covered. Learn everything you need to know about: Finding the right agency; Going international; Seeking second-parent adoption; Overcoming challenges faced by same-sex couples; Following a private adoption path; and Raising an adopted child. With sample letters of inquiry, sample agreements and extensive resources including support organizations, adoption agencies, attorneys, relevant laws and international adoption contracts, The Adoption Answer Book is your complete guide to a starting your family. About the Author: Brette McWhorter Sember received her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo and practiced in New York state before retiring to become a writer. She is the author of more than thirty books, including How to Parent with Your Ex: Working Together for Your Child’s Best Interest, The Infertility Answer Book, Gay & Lesbian Parenting Choices, Your Plus-Size Pregnancy, Your Practical Pregnancy, The Divorce Organizer & Planner, No-Fight Divorce, and many more. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the Association of Health Care Journalists. She is the recipient of the 1999 Media Award from Family and Home Network (formerly Mothers at Home). Sember has extensive training in cases involving children and was on the Law Guardian panel in three counties. Her practice included adoptions, which she found to be the happiest cases to take place in Family Court. She is also a trained family mediator and is experienced in a wide variety of family issues. Children have always been her main focus throughout her career. Sember currently provides services as a custody coach, providing support, information, and assistance to parents going through custody cases. Sember writes and speaks often about children and family. Her work has appeared in over 170 magazines including Conceive, Pregnancy, ePregnancy, Fit Pregnancy, American Baby, Single Mother Magazine, and many others. She is the mother of two children.

Adoption As a Ministry, Adoption As a Blessing. Michelle Gardner. 2003. 164p. WinePress Publishing. About the Author: Michelle Gardner, the Director of Kingdom Kids Adoption Ministries, is a graduate of Multnomah Bible College. She and her husband Steve were missionaries with CBInternational for several years. Steve is now Pastor to Children and Families at Fourth Memorial Church in Spokane, Washington. They have six children, three of whom are adopted.

Adoption Beginning to End: A Guide for Christian Parents. Donald Felker & Evelyn Donald. 1987. 160p. Baker Books.

Adoption Bibliography & Multi-Ethnic Sourcebook. Elizabeth Wharton Van Why. 1977. Open Door Society.

Adoption Book, The. Sheila MacManus. 1984. 131p. Paulist Press.

Adoption Choices: A Guidebook to National & International Adoption Resources. Ellen Paul. 1991. 590p. Visible Ink Press. Helps clear away the obstacles between prospective adoptive parents & waiting children by guiding you through the bureaucratic maze, eliminating dead ends, unnecessary expenses & delays & helping you chart the best course for success. In a detailed, state-by-state & country-by-country format, this guidebook provides comparative profiles of public, private & independent adoption agencies & support organizations worldwide, & answers many of the most-asked questions about the adoption process. Gives you insight on the adoption process. Exhaustive!

Adoption Decision, The: 15 Things You Want to Know Before Adopting. Laura Christianson. 2007. 256p. Harvest House Publishers. In North America, more and more families are adding members through adoption. And there are more ways to adopt—and kinds of adoption—than ever. This quick–start resource will help prospective parents consider key emotional and spiritual issues up front...before they plunge into the near–overwhelming mass of details and start to run into roadblocks, even dead ends. Laura Christianson—an adoption educator and mentor, and an adoptive mom herself—brings her experience and knowledge to address unspoken but crucial questions about...
     • loving an adopted child
     • extended family’s reaction
     • expenses
     • openness in adoption
     • the role of birth parents
     • physical disabilities
     • emotional/behavioral challenges
     • racial and cultural prejudices
Recounting real-life miracles and mishaps of adoptive families, the author will help prospective parents—and their friends and family members—think through adoption’s challenges and joys, and confidently move forward from a firm emotional and spiritual footing.

Adoption Directory, The. Marcy Oliver-Rehorn. 1998. 136 pages. Cherub Publishing Co. Adoption can be a joy-filled, loving experience or a tragedy. The most important step in the adoption process is choosing the right professionals to guide you through the complex adoption maze. This directory offers suggestions and guidelines for making this very important decision. These guidelines have been broken down into an easy-to-follow, step-by-step plan to help guide you in making this monumental decision. The adoption professional listings in the directory include detailed contact information, fees, placement statistics, business philosophy, and more! An unique and invaluable adoption resource. About the Author: In March of 1962, Marcy Oliver-Rehorn was placed in the arms of her adoptive parents. Having already given birth to three sons, and unable to carry another baby to term, they had chosen the path of adoption to fulfill their dream of parenting a girl. Thirty-three years later, almost to the day, Marcy herself became an adoptive parent. After many disappointments and heartaches while searching for a child, the long wait was finally over. Marcy’s son was placed in her arms on March 9, 1995, and her daughter arrived four months later. Two miraculous events that changed her life forever. The dream of parenting children, that she had been envisioning and longing for, had finally come true. From that point on, having come full circle from being adopted to being an adoptive parent, she know her life’s work. From these experiences, her passion and dedication is directed towards those individuals who choose the path of adoption. The Adoption Directory is one of the many manifestations in her labor of love. Marcy and her two children live on the central coast of California.

Adoption Directory: The Most Comprehensive Guide to Family-Building Options, Including State Statutes on Adoption, Public & Private Adoption Agencies, Adoption Exchanges, Foreign Requirements & Adoption Agencies, Independent Adoption Services, Foster Parenting, Biological Alternatives, & Support Groups. Ellen Paul, ed. 1989. 515p. Gale. The Adoption Directory is about options in parenthood. It is not an adoption handbook or manual, of which there are many providing invaluable how-to information, nor is it meant to take their place. Rather The Adoption Directory supplements them by providing a source of specific information about adoption agencies, private facilitators, support groups and laws on adoption for all fifty states, the District of Columbia and six foreign countries.

Adoption Dream... Nightmare?: A Story of Public Adoption. Jean K Douglas & Alexander H Douglas. 2007. 220p. Fortuity Press. Hundreds of children have vanished from the Florida foster care system. One boy, Wesley, was recovered after five years of neglect in an unfit, unlicensed foster home. This is the story of Wesley, the couple who saved him, and their wild ride to adoption. Based on the real experiences of Alex and Jean Douglas, Adoption Dream...Nightmare? exposes the twists, turns, and intricacies of the public adoption process. Unique in its approach, Adoption Dream ...Nightmare? is written from three distinct insider perspectives and describes the first year with their foster son, Wesley, a troubled and abused little boy. Love finally triumphs over turmoil and the Douglas family ultimately prevails, giving one deeply troubled little boy a chance at a normal and successful childhood. Adoption Dream... Nightmare? is a 2007 Indie Excellence Book Award Finalist. About the Author: Jean K. Douglas is 1st Place Winner! 2006 Royal Palm Literary Award for Why I Left the Church, Why I Came Back, and Why I Just Might Leave Again: Memories of Growing Up African American and Catholic.

Adoption Eclipse, The: Choices Count. Ines Arnsberger Hatch. 2003. 132p. Penman Publishing, Inc. The Adoption Eclipse winds through the psychological and emotional aspects of adoption. How does one cope? What could happen along your road to adoption? What are obsticles that could jeopardize ever holding your son or daughter? Questions to consider. Steps to minimize disappointment. Are you immune to emotions inherent to this feverish experience?

Adoption Experience, The: Families Who Give Children a Second Chance. Ann Morris. 1999. 223p. Jessica Kingsley Publishers (UK). A collection of real-life stories of adopters which takes the reader through every stage of the adoption process starting with the moment when they decide that adoption is the right option for them to the stories of adoptees brought up by adoptive parents. In between, the book looks at all the different types of adoption that are carried out by all sorts of families from all sorts of children of every race and age, and with every kind of problem. They range from babies who are only days old when they are taken into an adoptive family to teenagers with a multitude of psychological and physical problems. It looks at both the success and failure of these adoptions. Its aim is to inform and enlighten professionals, adopters, potential adopters and all those whose lives have in some way been touched by adoption or want to know more about it.

Adoption for Dummies. Tracy Barr & Katrina Carlisle. 2003. 358p. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Get the facts on adoption fees and legal issues. What to expect every step of the way when adopting a child. Are you ready to adopt? This reassuring guide walks you through the process, from choosing the right form of adoption and finding an agency to filling out forms, meeting with birth parents, and getting through the waiting period. You get tips on surviving the home study, dealing with family members, and sharing the adoption story with your child. The Dummies Way: Explanations in plain English; “Get in, get out” information; Icons and other navigational aids; Tear-out cheat sheet; Top-ten lists; A dash of humor and fun. About the Authors: Tracy Barr is the coauthor of Latin For Dummies and contributor to World War II For Dummies and Religion For Dummies. Katrina Carlisle, BSW, LSW, is a social worker with 14 years experience in adoption and child welfare agencies.

Adoption Guide: Practical Information for Successful Adoption. Published Annually by the Editors Adoptive Families Magazine. Whether you’re just beginning to adopt or considering a second adoption, this up-to-date source of national listings for adoption attorneys, adoption agency programs, and parent support groups is the place to start. The 2004-2005 Adoption Guide, from the publishers of Adoptive Families Magazine, contains useful information, including a review of recent trends in adoption law, helpful tips for making decisions, real-life stories from those who have successfully adopted, and much more.

Adoption Handbook, The: Stress During the Adoption Period. Geeri Bakker. 2006. 208p. Aspekt Uitgeverij BV. Each adoption is a unique event for the people who are personally involved, or for those who feel connected to the parents-to-be. The adoption period takes you to a new world and can wear you down emotionally if you are not prepared for what can be expected. It is not the regular pregnancy with which some people like to compare it. It is a pregnancy between cold bureaucracy on one side and the daily feelings of vulnerable tenderness on the other. Many books have been written about the ins and outs of pregnancies but there was never a book to prepare oneself for that very special time we call adoption. Geeri Bakker takes you there with her positive attitude and her sense of humor. She takes you along the unpredictable, uncomfortable and sometimes seemingly endless path that is the adoption procedure. The Adoption Hanbook teaches adoptive parents-to-be how to face stress in its many appearances during the sometimes dark and winding road that leads to their adoptive child. To illustrate the book, Geeri Bakker shares her own story of the procedures that she and her husband endured when adopting their two children. It is not the (Dutch) procedure that makes this story so touching and at times breathtaking. It is the way that stress burrows into hearts that desperately wish to adopt a child; something that anyone going through an adoption procedure will recognize. The Adoption Hanbook helps adoptive parents acknowledge their feelings of stress during their long-term “pregnancy” and deal with them: facing the main goal, and feeling energetically able, both physically and mentally, to “conceive” their child when the time is right. It is only normal that pregnant couples gather information to prepare themselves. So now it is time that adoptive parents prepare themselves, as well. For the well-being of this special child, given to you to have, hold, love, cherish, and to let it grow and grow up in your family.

Adoption Help for Military Families. Mardie Caldwell. 2008. Audio CD. American Carriage House. Are you in the military? Do you want to adopt and don’t know where to begin? Learn how to use the resources provided to you by the military. Listen and learn through the plethora of military adoption information. The more information you have, the more successful you will be in your adoption. There are programs available for military families seeking to adopt, programs available to reimburse families for adoption expenses, assist with special needs situations, and medical care programs for adoptees. Military families seeking to adopt have advantages over civilian families, including their acceptance of interracial adoptions, the ability to travel, and special medical care available to them.

Adoption is a Family Affair! What Relatives & Friends Must Know. Patricia Irwin Johnston. 2001. 152p. Perspectives Press. A child is coming—whether you approve or not! It’s time to got with the program! If someone you care about—a family member, co-worker, or close friend—has recently announced that their family will be growing through adoption, you may have questions. After all, beyond what you’ve read in the paper or seen on television (most of which is so atypical that it paints a frightening picture), unless you’ve personally experienced adoption, you may know very little about how adoption works and what it means. Are you thinking this might not be a good idea? Are you wondering about open adoption in the face of stories you’ve heard? Are you questioning the legality and permanence of adoption after reading about those “Internet twins,” Baby Jessica, and Baby Richard? What does it mean to “search?” Just what are the privacy boundaries that families built by adoption should expect from those around them? What is it okay to ask about? Adoption Is a Family Affair! will answer all of these questions and more, offering you information about who can adopt, why they consider adopting, how they adopt, how kids understand adoption as they grow up, and more.  As its subtitle makes clear, this short bok is crammed ful of “what relatives and friends must know” in order to welcome a new member of the clan with enthusiasm. — From the Back Cover

Adoption is Another Word for Love. Nancy McGuire Roche, ed. Designed by Heather Zschock. 2000. 80p. Peter Pauper Press. Quotes from adoptive parents and adopted children like Jesse Jackson, Nicole Kidman, and others illustrate beyond a doubt that adoption is love. Attached is a silver-plated heart charm that can be used as a bookmark or on a bracelet.

Adoption is Forever: Two Perspectives on the Love, Heartache & Hope of the Journey Toward Choice, Family & Fulfillment. Rhonda Pollero & Traci Hall. Edited by Bonnie Crisalli. 2009. 160p. Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing. Adoption doesn’t end when the papers are signed—not for the birth mother, not for the adoptive mother and not for the adopted child. It is a decision with consequences that last a lifetime. While there are many wonderful books on how to adopt, when to adopt, making an adoption plan, and the like, ADOPTION IS FOREVER is at times humorous, sometimes gut-wrenching, but always honest.

Adoption Journeys: Parents Tell Their Stories. Carole S. Turner. 1999. 256p. McBooks Press. “Carole Turner’s well-written, well-documented book provides a collection of soulful insights into the reality of adoption, which will help us all-parents, professionals, extended family and friends-understand what is really meant by adoption. This is a book for all those who care to be sensitive to the intimate nature of adoption.” — Frederick Mandell, M.D., Senior Associate in Medicine at Children’s Hospital, Boston; “This book is alive with the voices of couples who have chosen to build their families through adoption. It is a valuable asset for those who are themselves considering adopting a child, as it vividly portrays the course of becoming an adoptive parent. I am happy to have this as a resource for my clients who are making the transition from infertility to adoption.” — Geri M. Ferber, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist at The Center for Fertility and Reproductive Health, Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates; “Turner sensitively explores thought-provoking issues inherent in the evolving field of adoption-the pros and cons of open adoption, the challenges facing people who adopt transracially and transculturally, the additional hurdles for gay couples and single people-through personal accounts from adoptive parents. Presenting the parents in their own words lends an immediacy to the bitter frustrations and elated joys of the process. A realistic, and ultimately positive, look at adoption, offering expanded definitions of parent and family.” — Sarah Saffian, author of Ithaka: A Daughter’s Memoir of Being Found; “As parents of an adopted daughter from the Philippines, my wife and I know what a glorious gift that adoption can be. But we also know how much frustration and anguish there can be in the process of adoption. With a marvelous mix of stories about some disparate families who have adopted, Carole S. Turner has told the story that the Defords know so well-about parents and children coming together, despite all the pain, all the obstacles. She shows so beautifully how sometimes it is but the hope of love that conquers all.” — Frank Deford, Senior Contributing Writer at Sports Illustrated, weekly commentator on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, author of several books including Alex: The Life of a Child

Adoption Lifebook: A Bridge to Your Child’s Beginnings. Cindy Probst. 2002. 88p. Boston Adoption Press. Adoption Lifebook: A Bridge to Your Child’s Beginnings is a new, easy-to-read workbook for international adoptive parents and waiting parents who wish to document their children’s early lives for them, in the form of a lifebook. Through exercises and text, readers become more comfortable telling children the truth about their beginnings while emphasizing their strengths and resilience. Adoption specialist Cindy Probst guides parents through such topics as talking with children about their birth parents and orphanage or foster care experience, answering “why was I adopted?” questions, and using empowering adoption language. Adoption Lifebook: A Bridge to Your Child’s Beginnings is an invaluable resource for helping children feel good about who they are. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Adoption Lifebook: A Bridge to Your Child’s Beginnings will be donated to international orphanage projects.

Adoption Made Easy. Manuel Ortiz Braschi, Ed. 2009. 75p. (Kindle Edition). Unique Enterprises. Adoption Made Easy covers nearly everything you need to know about what to expect from adoption agencies, cost of the application process, all the questions you MUST ask adoption agencies, the questions you need to ask yourself, what the Homestudy involves and how to prepare yourself for it and how to answer questions about your personal life. Buy a Kindle.

Adoption Network, The: Your Guide to Starting a Support System. Laura Christianson. 2007. 112p. WinePress Publishing. Laura Christianson shares her passion for adoption with a worldwide audience through her awardwinning Exploring Adoption blog. An adoptive mom Laura founded Heartbeat Ministries a Christian support network for adoptive families. She is a popular speaker at adoption events and writers conferences. Laura lives in Snohomish Washington with her husband Robert and their two sons.

Adoption Option, The. Angela Hunt. Foreword by Jerry Falwell. 1989. 152p. Victor Books. The book is packed full of resource information on adoption. If you’re a parent to be, concerned relative, infertile couple, or interested Christian who wants to discover more about the topic, the The Adoption Option is for you.

Adoption Option, The: Complete Handbook, 2000-2001. Christine A Adamec. 1999. 616p. Prima Publishers. For the over one million prospective parents and current parents of adopted children, finding up-to-date, reliable information on adoption is a constant challenge. This comprehensive guide provides adoptive parents—as well as professionals in the field—with everything they need to know about this often difficult, heart-wrenching, yet ultimately rewarding, process. Author Christine Adamec details all of the adoption resources available in the U.S., Canada, and abroad, including complete listings and in-depth descriptions of adoption organizations, agencies, and attorneys. The Adoption Option also includes essays tackling such issues as adopting children with special needs, telling children they were adopted, and explaining adoption to others.

Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections. Jean MacLeod & Sheena Macrae, Eds. Foreword by Adam Pertman. 2006. 520p. EMK Press. Finally, a comprehensive parenting book for adoptive families! Over 100 contributors have helped EMK Press to weave a stunning tapestry of advice specifically for adoptive parents. Parenting adopted children requires parenting with an extra layer and this book helps you to understand where that extra layer falls. This over 500 page book is a wealth of information for the newly arrived home family and the experienced family as well. This is a book you won’t read all at once, but come back to again and again as your child’s awareness of who they are develops and your awareness of how to help them increases. Our adopted children come to us from loss–loss of a birth family, culture, and language. There are helpful things that we can do to address these issues, and Adoption Parenting helps you to create an awareness to do just that. We also look at stumbling blocks to good parenting, and standard parenting practices that aren’t right for adopted children. We look at the core issues all members of the adoption triad face, and look at how that affects standard parenting challenges like sleeping through the night, discipline, and attachment. We cover specific challenges families have faced: FASD, Trauma and PTSD, Sensory Integration, Speech and Language delays, and at ways to effectively parent a post-institutionalized child or a child who has experienced trauma in their journey to you.

Adoption Resource Book, The: All the Things You Need to Know & Ought to Know About Creating an Adoptive Family. Lois Gilman. 1984. 240p. Borgo Press. (Fourth Edition. 1998. 576p. Harperreference.) This practical, wise, and encouraging book contains all the information a couple or an individual needs to investigate adoption alternatives and arrange for and complete a successful adoption. Beginning with a broad overview of options for both domestic and foreign adoptions, the author provides details about agencies, home studies, paperwork, and legal issues. She ... cover[s] procedures for agency and independent adoptions as well as concerns about intercountry adoption, special-needs children, preparing for a child’s arrival, and longer term questions about raising an adoptive family.

Adoption Sourcebook, The: A Complete Guide to the Complex Legal, Financial, and Emotional Maze of Adoption. Bruce M Rappaport & Cheryl Jones. 1998. 240p. Lowell House.

Adoption, the Birth of a Real Mom: My Journal. Karen Ivano. 2002. 157p. Xlibris Corporation. These are the pages of a heart, exposed and bare—the desperate plea to be a mother, the pain of loss, the delight of motherhood, the loneliness of grief, the fatigue of illness, and the hope of life. This is the journal of a woman, a mom.

Adoption Today: Options & Outcomes. Cynthia VN Peck. 1997. 96p. Roots & Wings. This book collects the experiences and advice of families who learned about adoption, successfully added a child to their family, and are now willing to teach us by sharing their experiences, reflecting the great variety of choices open to those seeking to adopt and the outcomes of those choices. Each family’s story starts with factual information about the child, the adoptive family, type of adoption and financial and timing information . The adoptive parents also wrote several paragraphs about their adoption experiences.

Adoption Undone. Karen Carr. 2007. 132p. British Association for Adoption & Fostering. This is the true story of an adoption and an adoption breakdown, bravely told by the adoptive mother. From the final court hearing, when Lucy returned to local authority care, Karen Carr looks back over the four years Lucy was with them and, without apportioning blame, describes what went wrong and why. She doesn’t spare herself, her family or the social workers, and she paints a touching picture of Lucy at the centre of events which she triggers but cannot understand. Not every relationship is built to last. But when adopters are totally committed to offering the permanence that adopted children so desperately seek, a severance of relationships between an adopted child and their adoptive parents and siblings is particularly harrowing. However, this is not only a tale of loss and regret but also courage, generosity and self-discovery.

Adoption With Love. Shirley Budd Pusey. 2000. 138p. Author’s Publishing of North America. The stories in this book will lift the spirit, comfort the soul, draw a tear to the eye or even provide a chuckle for anyone who has had a personal connection with adoption. For others, the stories will create a broader understanding of the great emotional investment made by birth parents, adoptive parents and adoptees in this loving, life-long commitment that can bring joy, satisfaction and fulfillment into their lives. About the Author: Shirley Budd Pusey was awarded a B.S. in Sociology and a Graduate Certificate in Social Work by the University of Utah. Prior to joining the staff of Family Service Agency of Phoenix as an adoption counselor, she was with the Denver Department of Child Welfare. She remained in that position for over 32 years until retirement. She was one of the first certified members of the Arizona Supreme Court’s Confidential Intermediary Program established in 1993 to facilitate reunions of consenting adult members of the adoption triad and continues to serve in that capacity. Shirley is a wife, mother of two daughters and grandmother of five. By the Same Author: Adoption Reunion Stories.

Adoptions: An Attorney’s Guide to Helping Adoptive Parents. H Joseph Gitlin. 1987. 209p. Callaghan.

Adoptions Take Time. 1947. NJ State Bd of Child Welfare.

Adoptor’s Advocate, An. Patricia Irwin Johnston. 1984. 84p. Prespectives Press.

After the Dream Comes True. Michelle Gardner. 2004.  204p. Pleasant Word. You’ve done it! After months or even years of prayers, dreams and effort your child is finally home. Now it’s time for happily ever after. And yet the days and months ahead will quite likely stretch you in ways you weren’t expecting. Using Scripture and stories of her own adopted children, Michelle Gardner helps you anticipate these challenges and gives you tools to help you cope. In your adoption journey, how can the Lord be most glorified? It may be through a path you would never have chosen. Michelle asks you to consider what God can do to work in your life, your child’s life, and the lives of everyone watching to bring glory to Himself. After the Dream Comes True explores: Emotions that might surprise you; Why you got involved with adoption; First days at home; Setting boundaries and establishing routines; Birthparent issues; Spiritual issues; If the dream turns into a nightmare; Ready to adopt again?; and many other important topics. As families lovingly and obediently welcome adopted children into their hearts and homes, there are many issues with which they need to deal. After the Dream Comes True helps families consider these issues from a scriptural perspective and challenges families to see adoption as an opportunity to learn to trust and obey.

Alive & Kicking!. Rolf Benirschke & Mike Yorkey. 1996. 280p. Firefly. Alive & Kicking is the autobiography of one of the best place kickers in NFL history. ... In September 1978, at a Monday Night Football cookout at the home of the San Diego Chargers’ equipment manager, Rolf experienced his first pangs of the ulcerative colitis which would bring him near death. Assailed by severe cramps and a fever, believing he just had the flu, Rolf took the field the following Sunday against the Raiders. But when his symptoms persisted and tests were conducted, it was concluded that the young kicker was suffering from Crohn’s disease. ... He went public with his disorder, thus bringing about a greater understanding and acceptance of the disease with which he was afflicted. And he set the example for other ostomy patients, playing seven more seasons in the NFL and becoming one of the best and most respected kickers in NFL history. ... Well known for his generosity of spirit, Rolf began the Kicks for Critters program to support the San Diego Zoo’s Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species, he has worked tirelessly for the United Way, and he is a great supporter of the annual San Diego Chargers Blood Drive begun originally in support of him. Marriage, the birth of his daughter, adoption of two brothers from Russia, and a successful business career followed Rolf’s years with the NFL. He created the Great Comebacks program which each year honors a person who has faced down inflamatory bowel disease and gone on to make a difference. And finally, he has written this book.

All Inclusive Handbook to Adopting a Child, The. KMS Publishing.com. 2009. 122p. CreateSpace. This all-inclusive guide will take you throughout the entire adoption process, from beginning to the end. This book will give you information significant for helping you decide if adoption is right for you, how to prepare for it, how to speed up the adoption process, what to expect during the adoption process, how to handle drawbacks you might encounter, and how to handle sensitive situations concerning your adopted child. There is also information given out for several reputable adoption agencies that can tirelessly assist you in finding a suitable child for you to adopt.

American Family Story, An. Cecil Eugene Reinke. 2006. 174p. Trafford Publishing Co (Canada). This is the story of one family, one of the many families that compose the character of America. For typical Americans, the experiences of our family reflect the experiences of their own, and those of their neighbors. It is the story of two people who met in college, fell in love, and married. It is a story about education, about how the college experience was once much different than it is today. It is a story about racial discrimination, of how despicable things were, of our experiences related to the integration of Little Rock Central High school, of my refusal to accept an offered job as personal secretary to the infamous Governor Orville Faubus. It is a telling of our difficulties in raising a gifted child—a child that failed the seventh grade, was skipped into high school, left high school early to attend and graduate from college. It is celebration of the joys associated with the adoption of a child. It is the story of a family dog, of a little poodle we thought to be the world’s best and most amusing pet. It is a story about neighbors, about the many good, honest, charitable citizens of this great country. It relates one of the many tragedies of the Vietnam War; the story of a little brother, one of the great kids in America, who grew in front of our eyes, from grade school to high school, as a college student, as a cadet in Navy flight school, and died a hero killed in Vietnam. It tells of the untimely death of a wife, mother, and grandmother. Ultimately, it is a story of faith, of one family’s faith in the Creator that gives direction to every American story. About the Author: Cecil Eugene Reinke served forty years as a lawyer with the United States Army. He is now retired, working as a writer. He attended North Dakota State University from September 1952 to June 1955. He graduated from the University of North Dakota, School of Arts and Sciences, in 1956, and from the University of North Dakota School of Law, awarded the degree Juris Doctor, “with distinction,” in 1959. He served as an Associate Editor of the North Dakota Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. He earned a Master of Science in Environmental Management, 1977, from the University of Houston at Clear Lake City, meriting election to Phi Kappa Phi. He served as a Senior Executive Fellow, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 1986. He earned a Ph.D. at Portland State University, Portland, OR, School of Urban and Public Affairs, 1991.

And Now We Are Four. Pat Bilow. 1980. 163p. Haven Books.

And With the Gift Came Laughter. Ann Kiemel Anderson. 1987. 165p. Tyndale House Publications. People need to know and adopted children need to be taught that for most birth mothers giving up a baby is not an act of rejection. It is the most selfless, courageous, brave deeds they can do. It is laying aside their own desires and longings, to bestow on that baby something greater and better than they can provide. Author adopted two boys, just eleven months apart.

And You Thought Orange Roughy Was a Fish. Kimberly Lawson-Reynolds. 2006. 38p. Booksurge. This book takes a rather old fashioned and conservative approach to child rearing. About the Author: Kimberly Lawson-Reynolds was born on July 8, 1954 in Columbus, Ohio but takes great pride in being practically a native Floridian. Kim attended the University of South Florida where she was a foreign language major and has worked for a local school system for the past twenty-eight years. Kimberly is a member of the National Taxidermist Association and has practiced taxidermy—the true love of her life—since 1991. She is the wife of a doctor as well as a mother and grandmother. The author believes you can get everything in this life that you want by helping other people. It is her hope that THE TWIN FLAME will serve as a guide and a comfort to anyone that has ever struggled with their spirituality, known the devastation of the loss of a child, or encountered any of life’s adversities.

Andrew, You Died Too Soon: A Family Experience of Grieving & Living Again. E Corinne Chilstrom. 1993. 112p. Augsburg Fortress. In the most simple, straightforward language, this mother tells the heart’s story: the love for her son which had to continue without that son; the embrace of speechless grief and of a murmuring, speaking community; the deep, spiritual events that occurred for her and her family when one son took his life. It is the author’s intent that reading this will be an experience which enhances life; one which will help make the encounter with grief not only more bearable, but actually growth-producing. Readers will find here therapy, catharsis, understanding, and even fresh grounding for faith, hope, and love--hope, being at such times and momentarily, “the greatest of these.” About the Author: Corinne Chilstrom is the associate pastor of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Park Ridge, IL. A registered nurse, she has been active in hospice work, and over the past several years, she has spoken frequently and conducted many grief-related workshops.

Angels Without Wings: A Courageous Family’s Triumph Over Tragedy. Jane Vonnegut Yarmolinsky. 1987. 174p. Houghton Mifflin Co. Through the summer of 1958, the author lived a relatively calm life on Cape Cod with her husband and three children. Then disaster struck their relatives, and they decided to take in all four orphaned boys. How they adjusted as a family is described in this book.

Anna: A Daughter’s Life. William Loizeaux. Illustratedby the author. 1993. 213p. Arcade Publishing. From Publishers Weekly: Loizeaux began this intimate, harrowing journal weeks after the death of his five-and-a-half-month-old daughter Anna from VATER syndrome, a rare condition involving congenital deformities of the heart, kidneys and esophagus. Anna, who died on July 4, 1989, underwent surgery and intensive care, and was able to spend her last four months at home as “a normal kid” despite a colostomy bag and a need for intravenous antibiotics. Written with luminous clarity and heartbreaking candor, this journal is an exorcism of grief, an outpouring of a father’s fiercely tender love and an agnostic’s attempt to come to terms with what seems a senseless, devastating tragedy. As Loizeaux and his wife, Beth, cope with their daughter’s death, they endure painful, empty holidays and attend adoption classes while trying to have another baby. In a postscript the author, a Maryland teacher, reports the birth of his second daughter, a healthy girl named Emma. Those coping with the loss of a loved one will find this resonant book a source of strength. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Another Mother: Co-Parenting with the Foster Care System. Sarah Gerstenzang. 2007. 224p. Vanderbilt University Press. One night after midnight social workers brought a baby girl to the author’s home, and her life as a foster mother began. A social worker herself, Gerstenzang discovered that raising Cecilia, deespite all the personal joys, would be a complex and frustrating process of “co-parenting” with the foster care system in New York City. Foster parents are in great demand, but they are not necessarily treated well. We follow the author through the home visits, the Early Intervention evaluation, the WIC program that (with much bureaucratic hassle) provides free formula and cereal, and the mandatory parenting training sessions. She comments, “When Michael and I became foster parents, we learned how stigmatizing, demoralizing, and just plain inconvenient and time consuming being part of the ‘unentitled’ population can be. With the exception of Early Intervention, we often felt that the programs were more concerned with regulating our behavior than with providing services.” Regular meetings with the birth family were also part of the process. Not only were they awkward for all concerned, but each visit involved a commute of several hours. One social worker admitted that she preferred a foster parent who didn’t work because that person could more easily comply with the time-consuming regulations. Sarah and her husband Michael also agonize over complying with special regulations about hiring babysitters or traveling (“anytime we left New York State we needed to ask the agency’s permission, which in turn had to get the signed consent from the birth mother”). Central to Another Mother is the issue of transracial placement. Sarah remembers, “That first day the contrast between my pale skin and Cecilia’s brown skin seemed glaring. Not only did I feel that I had someone else’s child, I felt that I had a child from another culture. Would I owe someone an explanation?” (Gerstenzang is recalling the 1972 opposition of the National Association of Black Social Workers.) Her account is full of anecdotes and reflections about race: acceptance and prejudice from others; the feelings of her two children about having a sibling of a different race; and culture keeping, beginning with skin and hair care. About the Author: Sarah Gerstenzang is an Assistant Project Director of the Adoption Exchange Association, an organization dedicated to finding adoptive families for the 119,000 children who wait in foster care. She was formerly a Senior Policy Analyst at Children’s Rights and holds a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. She and her husband live with their three children in Brooklyn, NY.

Another Place at the Table. Kathy Harrison. 2003. 224p. Jeremy P Tarcher. For more than a decade, Kathy Harrison has sheltered a shifting cast of troubled youngsters—the offspring of prostitutes and addicts; the sons and daughters of abusers; and teenage parents who can’t handle parenthood. What would motivate someone to give herself over to constant, largely uncompensated chaos? How does she manage her extraordinary blended family? Why would anyone voluntarily take on her job? Harrison is no saint, but an ordinary woman doing heroic work. In Another Place at the Table, she describes her life at our social services’ front lines—centered around three children who, when they come together in her home, nearly destroy it. Danny, age eight, is borderline mentally retarded and a budding pedophile (a frequent result of sexual abuse in boys). No other family will take him in. Tough, magnetic Sara, age six, is dangerously promiscuous (a typical manifestation of abuse in girls). Karen, six months, shares Danny’s legal advocate, who must represent the interests of both. All three living under the same roof will lead to an inevitable explosion—but for each, Harrison’s care offers the greatest hope of a reinvented childhood. For readers of The Lost Children of Wilder, Expecting Adam, and Somebody Else’s Kids, this is the first-person story of a woman whose compassionate best intentions for a child are sometimes all that stand between violence and redemption.

Approaching Fatherhood: A Guide for Adoptive Dads & Others. Paul May. 2005. 177p. British Association for Adoption & Fostering (UK). The voices of men—adoptive and birth fathers—are rarely heard in adoption debates. This timely and thought provoking book is the first in the UK to combine the experiences and perspectives of adoptive fathers with a guide to the adoption process, from the man’s point of view. Paul May looks at the feelings involved in preparing for a new kind of family life and dealing with the challenges along the way. He explores how men fit into the adoption scene today and looks at adoptive fatherhood as a topic in its own right—speaking as someone who has been there. Against a context in which our understanding of fathers, their roles and their purpose, is vague at the best of times, this readable and challenging exploration of adoptive fatherhood as a topic in its own right, is a welcome addition to the literature. While fathers have been largely silent and unstudied figures, they can be key in their children’s lives and play a crucial role in the success or failure of adoptive placement. While this book will help anyone thinking about adoption as well as those more familiar with it, it is more than a “how to” guide. Paul May’s exploration of masculine thoughts and feelings at each stage of the process gives an added dimension to the roller-coaster journey towards adoptive parenthood. His book fleshes out the adoptive father’s somewhat sketchy place in the contemporary map of adoption and places him firmly in the web of adoptive relationships. About the Author: Paul May is a freelance writer, business consultant and adoptive father of two girls. He has consulted in business strategy with many leading companies and written several books on management issues. His children are slowly training him in fatherhood.

Art of Adoption, The: The “Hows” & “Whys” by an adoption worker responsible for over 900 adoptions. Linda Cannon Burgess. 1976. 156p. Acropolis Books. “The Art of Adoption is written for all persons interested in adoption but especially for the adopted thousands and for their parents, both birth parents and the adopters. Their lives are inexorably bound to one another but they live in different worlds of perception. Caught in the emotional web surrounding adoption the adoptees, their birth parents and their adoptive parents are each largely ignorant of the feelings of others. Unable to understand, they often conjure up distorted pictures warped by suspicion, envy and fear. I trust that this book will help clarify the hidden sensibilities of each participant in the unique institution of adoption” — Linda Cannon Burgess

Aspire to Love. Natalie M Thompson. 2005. 52p. Wasteland Press. A young woman thought of a time in 1895 when she had stood in a rural backwoods area at a stream. Her aurburn hair had blown in a windward direction and brown eyes flickered in a fiery. She felt fleetingly crazy and questioned why so many things had drastically changed at that time. Today, Lucille will retrace what brought her to that desperate point in this riveting saga.

At Sixes & Sevens. Maia Pedersen. 1969. 191p. World Publishing Co. Memoir by adoptive mother of two homeless children.

Baby Chase, The. Tony Kornheiser. 1983. 212p. Atheneum. The story of a 30-something couple struggling with their marriage and childlessness, only to be given the opportunity to adopt a baby for the low low price of $15,000 (early 1980’s dollars, no less) is filled with stress, agony, but ultimately concludes with the renewal of love, commitment & hope. For those who have struggled with childlessness this story will hit a raw nerve. The twelve days in the early 1980’s where Tony & Karril Kornheiser got their taste of the seamy world of Black Market babies, and how they ultimately made their decision, clearly left Tony with some unresolved emotions that probably made writing this book a form of therapy. It is the only book-length nonfiction he has written. It will disturb you, but it is worth reading. About the Author: Tony Kornheiser is known as a hard-hitting sports writer for the Washington Post. A native of Long Island, NY, he graduated from the State University of New York—then known as Harper College—with a degree in English and social sciences in 1970, after which he taught elementary school for a year. Dissatisfied with this experience, he began to work as a feature writer for New York Newsday, covering general-interest stories and writing a weekly column on rock music. In 1976, he left Newsday to join the sports section of The New York Times, and it was there that he cemented his reputation as a fine journalist. In 1979, The Washington Post hired Kornheiser as a sports writer responsible for two columns every week. He has held this job for the past 12 years. Kornheiser, his wife and two young children live in Washington, DC.

Baby Story: Publish Your Memories In Baby’s Very Own Keepsake Book!. 1999. 15p. Creations by You. Publish your memories in baby’s very own keepsake book. This kit makes it easy to turn your memories into a personalized, archival quality book you’ll treasure for a lifetime. Just layout your pictures and write the photo captions or story you want typeset on the pages provided. You can even personalize the pages with the infant-related Mrs. Grossman’s stickers provided, or get creative with your own. Mail in your pages and in just weeks you’ll receive back an archival quality, 7-by-9-inch, laser reproduced 15-page hardback book. Numerous options allow you to create almost any type of book up to 50 pages in length. The kit makes a great shower gift and additional (optional) book copies make terrific gifts for family and friends. You are the author. We merely publish your creation.

Basics of Adoption, The: A Guide for Building Families in the U.S. & Canada. James L Dickerson & Mardi Allen. 2006. 304p. Praeger Publishers. With about 70,000 domestic and international adoptions each year in the United States and Canada, adoption remains a major means of building families in both countries. Its continued success can be inferred not only from the yearly statistics, but from a report issued in 2003 by the U.S. Census Bureau. To the surprise of many, the report announced the existence of 1.6 million adopted children in the U.S. under the age of eighteen. Written by a former social worker who has placed hundreds of children in foster and adoptive homes and a clinical psychologist who has counseled adopted children and parents, this book offers a comprehensive look at the adoption process by merging the best of social work with the best of psychology. About the Authors: James L. Dickerson is a professional writer. He is a former social worker who was in charge of foster care and adoptions. Mardi Allen is a psychologist. She was the 2002-2003 president of the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), an alliance of state, provincial, and territorial agencies responsible for the licensure and discipline of all psychologists throughout the United States and Canada.

Be My Baby: Parents & Children Talk About Adoption. Gail Kinn. Photographs by Ken Shung. 2000. 160p. Artisan. Told through the voices of adoptive parents, their children—young and grown up—and birth mothers, and accompanied by fifty stunning photographs, Be My Baby is a luminous window into the adoptive family. As people who have postponed childbearing, or who have been unable to have children, look for role models and reaal-life stories, the book shows them how well adoptive families work. Indeed, Be My Baby captures, with grace, insight, and emotion, the deeply felt bonds and life-affirming experiences that are at the heart of raising an adoptive family—or any family for that matter. About the Author: Gail Kinn is a writer and an editor who has ghost-written many well-known books on family and personal growth. Be My Baby was inspired by her close relationship with her ten-year-old adopted niece, Sarah. Ken Shung’s photography has appeared in many national magazines, including Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, Mirabella, More, Rolling Stone, and New York.

Beamer: A Story of Adoption. Nancy Stern. 2004. 32p. (gr 3-6). Xlibris Corp. This book is about a dog who was “adopted” into a family, and his wish to have a little boy or girl as part of his family. It has a direct correlation to the baby that his family adopts, and brings home, and to his “adoption” into the family.

Beating the Adoption Game. Cynthia D Martin. 1980. 304p. Oak Tree Publication. Beating the Adoption Game explains in detail the different options available today in adoption. It gives in-depth, practical advice to prospective adoptive parents, especially with regard to agency adoptions. Providing much more than just information, this book offers the specific tricks of the trade that you need to navigate the adoption labyrinth. About the Author: Cynthia D. Martin, Ph.D., founded A Center for Adoption Services in 1991 and was Director until retiring in 2000. She has worked in the field of adoption for more than 28 years, and is the author and co-author of books on adoption. She is currently Executive Director of Parenting Matters Foundation, a nonprofit organization that grew out of a volunteer effort in 1990 and is now a national model for low-cost programs designed to help parents become better parents. Dr. Martin is a registered counselor in the State of Washington, and a licensed clinical psychologist and marriage, family and child therapist in the State of California. She has taught at the University of California and spoken extensively on the subjects of adoption, pregnancy counseling and family issues. She has had extensive training in the placement of special needs and mixed-race children.

Beating the Adoption Odds: Using Your Head & Heart to Adopt. Cynthia D Martin & Dru Martin Groves. 1998. Harcourt Brace. We live at a time in history when infertility is at its highest and fewer babies are available for adoption—a climate in which prospective parents post pleas on the Internet, and people who are not young, straight, healthy, and thin face tremendous odds if seeking to adopt. Just in time, it seems, comes the newly revised edition of Beating the Adoption Odds, a creative and resourceful book designed to help all wannabe adopters find their baby. Mother and adoptive daughter team Cynthia D. Martin and Dru Martin Groves (both professionals in the adoption field) offer the calm, reassuring voices of experience and encouragement as they explain the prospects and pitfalls of working with agencies, independent adoptions, international adoptions, special-needs children, medical risks, and birth-family rights. Martin and Groves feel strongly that the question for prospective parents is not, “Can I find a child to adopt?” (yes, you can!) but “Can I do my adoption right?” This comprehensive manual gives you the tools and strategies you’ll need. — Ericka Lutz

Becoming a Family: Promoting Healthy Attachments with Your Adopted Child. Lark Eshleman, PhD. 2003. 208p. Taylor Publishing Company. Becoming a Family helps adoptive parents recognize and respond to the signs of broken attachment. This practical guide offers clear and effective strategies for parents to help their children overcome their uncertain past and embrace the love of their new parents.

Before You Finalize the Adoption: The Pre-Adoption Workbook. Joyce Vrooman. 2009. 296p. iUniverse.com. Adopting a child can be an exciting and anxious time in prospective parents’ lives. There are rooms to decorate and clothes and toys to buy. There are many preparations to make before welcoming the new arrival. In Before You Finalize the Adoption: The Pre-Adoption Workbook, author Joyce Vrooman provides advice and information for parents who are thinking about adopting a child. Based on personal experience, Vrooman developed this workbook to guide parents through the adoption process to ensure they are knowledgeable and informed. In addition, Vrooman discusses information that parents need to know so the child will receive the proper counseling, therapy, medical treatments, or educational assistance. Loaded with an array of helpful details, Before You Finalize the Adoption: The Pre-Adoption Workbook contains forms, checklists, worksheets, and questionnaires to help adoptive parents learn everything about their new child prior to the finalization of the adoption. All information pertaining to this child and their adoption is contained in one book.

Belonging: A True Story of Adoption. Ana Osborn. 2006. 132p. Holy Fire Publishing. Who needs to Belong? Who needs Adoption? Ana’s story is like a parable, while although it is her true story, it relates aspects of adoption that may allow those who have never experienced it to gain new insights as pertaining to God’s love and care for us. This book was created to give help and support to the adoptive parents and children of the world, but also to a larger family, the human Race, for we all can be God’s adopted kids and find our place in belonging. Help us share this message of Belonging and Adoption to all.

Bette, Rita, & the Rest of My Life. Gary Merrill. 1988. 273p. Lance Tapley. Gary Merrill was born August 2, 1915 in Hartford, Connecticut. He began his career acting in summer stock plays. He married Barbara Leeds, an actress, and then served a brief stint in the army. After the army, he landed in New York where he was chosen to join the already popular play Born Yesterday. In 1950 he was chosen to play the part of Bill Sampson in the movie All About Eve. It would be his first time meeting Bette Davis and they became an instant couple. After their respective divorces, they were married in Mexico. She was forty-two and he was thirty-five. During their marriage they adopted two children, Margot and Michael and after ten years of fighting and financial problems they divorced. Merrill did not marry again, though he was involved with Rita Hayward for a time. Later in his career, Merrill made a lucrative living doing voice-overs for radion and television comercials. He died of lung cancer at the age of seventy-four.

Between You & Me: Making A Loving Choice Adoption. Lori A Hogg. Illustrated by Mary Ann C Piazza. 2007. 24p. Bezalel Books. For all those desperately seeking simplicity in a book about the beauty of adoption and God’s supreme plan for the sacredness of each uniquely created life, Between You and Me will be treasured as a one-of-a-kind Christian resource. It is an easy read that affirms the message to respect all life; born, unborn, and adopted. The book also includes a resource section featuring a glossary, numerous website and pro-life organization information, and a flowchart that aids in the understanding of the adoption process.

Big Steps for Little People: Parenting Your Adopted Child. Celia Foster. Forewords by David Howe & Daniel A Hughes. 2008. 216p. Jessica Kingsley Publishers (UK). This book is full of the techniques that we have used successfully over the years. Many we have adapted to suit their needs and many we have made up ourselves. What we have become particularly good at is not giving up! A mother of two adopted children, Celia Foster has written Big Steps for Little People as a personal “insider’s guide” to parenting adopted children. Drawing on the hard-won wisdom gained in her own family life, Celia offers a thoughtful account of life with adopted children and examines the issues that many adoptive families encounter, including the development of children with attachment problems and how to tackle behavioural difficulties. She combines real-life anecdotes with suggestions and strategies that other parents can put to use. This book will be a great comfort and help to all adoptive families and offers insights for the professionals who work with them. About the Author: Celia Foster lives in the UK and is mother of two adopted sons.

Birds of Uncertain Passage. Frances Cade. 2006. 248p. WritersPrintshop. The author sold the family house and moved across the valley to a rambling Victorian mansion after she read these words in Isaiah, “Enlarge the limits of your home. Spread wide the curtains of your tent. Let out its ropes to the full and drive the pegs home.” It took four months furnishing with cast-offs from relatives and friends. The followed the mortifying experience of being vetted as foster parents with all faults and frailties on view. This is the story of what happend next.

Birth of an Angel, The: Adoption Is There a Future. Marie Reitsma. 2003. 156p. AuthorHouse. A true story, of an adoption and the love for a child. When you love a child no matter where they come from. We will always love them as our own. Every once and a while, a child comes into our lives with a profound impact. A reader can’t help to become absorbed with the many characters in this story of adoption and its laws. One law should be with all the courts and judges and not different laws from state to state or from county to county in one state. About the Author: I’m a thirty six-year-old woman, who just wants a family. My husband had two surgeries so we might get pregnant. But this never happened for us. So when we were approached on adoption we thought this might be the way for us to have a family. I live in New Hampshire in a big house that we love and hope to fill with children some day. We also have forty acres of land to go with our lovely home. During the weekdays, I run a daycare out of my home. This is my passion. I love children. I would do anything for any one of my daycare kids. These children are our future. So I do what I can for them to help stay on the right road. The only other thing we need is a family to love and give all we can. I think we have a lot to offer a child. Like a good home and all the love we have inside us. And maybe the best education we can afford.

Bones That Float: A Story of Adopting Cambodia. Kari Grady Grossman. 2007. 251p. Wild Heaven Press. On March 24, 2001, American writer Kari Grady Grossman entered a crowded orphanage outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and met her 8-month-old son. One of the first questions Kari asked was “How did he get here?” The complex and at times heart-wrenching answer is told in this magnificent book encompasses Kari’s personal journey to adoption, Cambodia’s gruesome history of war and genocide, and the stories of two Cambodians—one who escaped the Khmer Rouge’s bloody reign and one who did not. The interweaving stories grab your heartstrings and do not let go. From the moment Kari realizes that she will never be an “earth momma” practicing prenatal yoga to years later as Kari wends her way on the back of a moto-taxi through Phnom Penh’s smog-chocked streets trying to make a difference in her son’s birth nation, you can t read impassively. Bones That Float takes you into the Khmer Rouge jungle where boy soldiers force starving families to labor all day at gunpoint, and it brings you to modern-day Phnom Penh streets where foreign pedophiles purchase the innocence of preteen Cambodian girls. But ultimately Bones That Float—a Cambodian phrase for the sacred that rises above the suffering—is a tale of hope. Kari reminds us that our world is “one big family” and that we cannot—or dare not—turn our backs on people who suffer in part because of our country’s own foreign policy missteps. To read Bones That Float is to open your heart to caring.

Born in Our Hearts: Stories of Adoption. Filis & Marisa Catalina Casey. 2004. 216p. HCI. A heartwarming collection of true stories that weave a rich tapestry of the adoption experience from many different perspectives: birth mothers, adoptive parents and grandparents, and adopted children and adults. These inspiring stories reveal the challenges and joys of the lifelong adoption journey including: the pain of letting go of a child; the wonderment of meeting “your” perfect child halfway around the world; the challenges of adopting an older child already set in his ways; watching a child’s potential flourish in a loving environment; sibling rivalry and eventual bonding; integrating a child’s culture into a new multiracial family; finding peace in the search for identity, roots and unanswered questions; and feeling the happiness and love that comes from forming a family. While each story is unique, the emotions conveyed are universal: love, loss, hope and joy. The collection will appeal to everyone affected by adoption, regardless of their phase in the journey.

Both Ends Burning: My Story of Adopting Three Children from Haiti. Craig Juntunen. 2009. 236p. Outskirts Press. Craig Juntunen appeared to have it all. He sold his company at the age of 40, and set out to live the good life of retirement. But he soon began to feel something was lacking. When a friend told him the story of adopting two girls from Haiti, Craig’s emptiness gave way to a sense of adventure. On a trip to the desperate Third World nation, a country wracked by poverty, corruption and kidnappings, his self-serving lifestyle began a very profound transformation. At an orphanage outside of Port-Au-Prince Craig encountered Espie, Amelec and Quinn. Even after decades of table-pounding declarations he would never have children, at 51 Craig became a dad. This inspirational story of an unexpected journey and personal transformation will say many things to different people. But for all it delivers a powerful reminder of our responsibility to reach out and be there for kids.

Boy & the Dog are Sleeping, The. Nasdijj. 2003. 336p. Random House Publishing Group. Nasdijj’s critically acclaimed, award-winning memoir, The Blood Runs Like a River Through My Dreams, took the literary world by storm. “An authentic, important book,” raved Esquire. “Unfailingly honest and very nearly perfect.” Now this celebrated Native American* writer has given readers a powerful, brave, and deeply moving memoir of the unconditional love between a father and a son. Eleven-year-old Awee came to live with Nasdijj carrying a brown paper bag containing all his belongings, a legacy of abuse, and AIDS. But this beautiful, loving, and intelligent little boy also had enormous hope for his new life. The Boy and the Dog Are Sleeping is the heartrending but also joyous story of this untraditional family, filled with love and laughter, but also with great pain, as Awee becomes progressively more ill. Nasdijj writes about their motorcycle trip to see the ocean for the first time, about baths and baseball, about Awee’s “big brother” Crow Dog, and his dog, Navajo, but also about the brutal realities of reservation life and the challenges of dealing with a sometimes hostile medical establishment that often lacks the knowledge to treat pediatric AIDS. In the end, Nasdijj must find his own way of alleviating Awee’s suffering—and of helping him maintain his dignity in the face of a disease that gradually robs him of himself. By turns searing and searching, lyrical and raw, The Boy and the Dog Are Sleeping is ultimately transcendent—for in the end Awee got what he wanted most in his short life: a real dad.
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* Compiler’s Note (January 2006): See also, “Navahoax,” a recent article about the author’s alleged Native American heritage published in LA Weekly

Boy Who Adopted Me. Don Weldon. 1994. Larksdale.

Bracha Means Blessing: Scenes from a Bi-Cultural Adoption. Bracha Stock. 2007. 102p. iUniverse. When I read Bracha Stock’s delightful diary and afterthoughts, the prose had a poetic ring to it: distilled memories written by a native Israeli, married to an American, who writes in English in a voice that is uniquely hers. At the heart of this enchanting and provocative read, there are two absorbing themes—the joys and fears involved in raising an adopted child, coupled with the experience of rearing one who is bi-lingual from the earliest age—at home in two languages. Within this structure there are other nuggets of interest-ranging from insights into the parenting process in general to glimpses of life as lived in the sixties in Tel Aviv in Israel and New York. Over and above all, every word resonates with heartwarming truth. This is definitely a book to be enjoyed and savored and not just by adoptive parents. — Ruth Seligman, American-Israeli author and journalist. About the Author: Bracha Stock has been a teacher, journalist, and interior designer. In the 1950’s in New York, she worked for the Voice of America, taught Hebrew and studied interior design. In Israel, she was on the staff of the Haaretz daily, practiced interior design and taught at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Breastfeeding an Adopted Baby & Relactation. Elizabeth Hormann. Translated from the German by the Author. 2007. 66p. La Leche League International. La Leche League of Germany originally published this book to support the desire of adoptive mothers and mothers relactating to breastfeed their babies. We do not believe that the success of a breastfeeding relationship should be judged by the amount of milk produced, but rather by the mutual trust that develops between a mother and her child as a result of the closeness involved in breastfeeding. What we know about relactation and induced lactation is a work in progress and you are a part of it. Our fervent wish is that you and your baby have a breastfeeding relationship that is satisfying for both of you, regardless of how you achieve that goal. This book is primarily for adoptive parents and relactating mothers, but it was also written for all those who work with these parents and are involved in breastfeeding counseling. La Leche League is an internationally recognized not-for-profit organization that is active in more than 63 countries with about 7000 volunteer LLL Leaders. It was founded to provide encouragement and information to mothers who want to breastfeed their babies. An LLL Leader is specially trained by La Leche League to support mothers through regular Group meetings and through telephone counseling. She is available to parents during the entire breastfeeding period and offers both emotional support and practical help when there are difficulties. You can get in touch with an LLL Leader via the national La Leche League addresses, through the international hotline, or via the Internet at www.llli.org.

Breastfeeding the Adopted Baby. Debra Stewart Peterson. 1995. 141p.; 1999 (revised edition; 144p). Corona Publications. Nursing a baby is a natural process and the first choice for many mothers. It is not a prerequisite, though, for a mother to experience a pregnancy in order to be able to breastfeed her baby. But without a pregnancy, you do need to do a little more preparation. Breastfeeding the Adopted Baby gives you all the practical information and emotional support that you need. After reading this book, you will feel informed and confident with your decision to breastfeed your baby. Other Books on the Same Subject: Nursing Your Adopted Baby.

Busted! Avoiding Scams & Fraud in Adoption. Mardie Caldwell. 2008. Audio CD. American Carriage House. The adoption of your child can be one of the happiest moments of your life. To make it so, certain precautions must be taken to ensure that you and your family remain safe, secure, and protected from frauds and scams. Learn valuable information to help you save heartbreak, time, and money in your adoption journey. There are warning signs to look for when dealing with a potential birthmother, to avoid being scammed either financially or emotionally. There are also frauds that occur on the professional level. You need to feel comfortable with the adoption professional you work with to build your family.

But I Trusted You & Other True Cases: Ann Rule’s Crime Files #14. Ann Rule. 2009. 464p. Pocket. The most fatal mistake? Trust. It’s the foundation of any enduring relationship between friends, lovers, spouses, and families. But when trust is placed in those who are not what they seem, the results can be deadly. Ann Rule, who famously chronicled her own shocking experience of unknowingly befriending a sociopath in The Stranger Beside Me, offers a riveting, all-new collection from her true-crime files, with the lethally shattered bonds of trust at the core of each bloodsoaked account. Whether driven to extreme violence by greed or jealousy, passion or rage, these calculating sociopaths targeted those closest to them -- unwitting victims whose last disbelieving words could well have been "but I trusted you...." Headlining this page-turning anthology is the case of middle-school counselor Chuck Leonard, found shot to death outside his Washington State home on an icy February morning. A complicated mix of family man and wild man, Chuck played hard and loved many...but who crossed the line by murdering him in cold blood? And why? The revelation is as stunning as the shattering crime itself, powerfully illuminating how those we think we know can ingeniously hide their destructive and homicidal designs. Along with other shattering cases, immaculately detailed and sharply analyzed by America’s #1 true-crime writer, this fourteenth Crime Files volume is essential reading for getting inside the mind of the hidden killers among us. About the Author: Ann Rule is the author of more than two dozen New York Times bestsellers, all of them still in print. A former Seattle police officer, she knows the crime scene firsthand. She is a certified instructor for police training seminars and lectures frequently to law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and forensic science organizations, including the FBI. For more than two decades, she has been a powerful advocate for victims of violent crime. She has testified before U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittees on serial murder and victims’ rights, and was a civilian adviser to the VI-CAP (Violent Criminal Apprehension Program). A graduate of the University of Washington, she holds a Ph.D. in Humane Letters from Willamette University. She lives near Seattle and can be contacted through her Web page at www.annrules.com.