I Gave God Time. Ann Kiemel Anderson. 1983. 163p. Tyndale House Publishers. Christian author/public speaker meets her destiny—Idaho potato farmer Will Anderson, who’s “full of suspense, humor, deep spiritual warmth, and romance.” Infertility, miscarriage, joyful adoption lay further down the track.

Ideal Adoption: A Comprehensive Guide to Forming an Adoptive Family. Shirley C Samuels. 1989. 270p. Plenum Publishing Co. A comprehensive guide to forming an adoptive family. Drawing on interviews, hands-on clinical experience, and writings in the field, the author brings a wealth of current information to prospective adoptive parents, adults adoptees, birth parents, attorneys, judges, and lawmakers.

If I Love My Kid Enough: The Reality of Raising an Adopted Child. Sara-Jane Hardman & Jean Roe Mauro, LCSW. 2007. 176p. iUniverse, Inc. If I Love My Kid Enough: The Reality of Raising an Adopted Child is based on the true story of Bethany. Adopted in infancy, she showed the promise of the perfect child. But early on there were indications that hers might not be a “happily ever after story.” The book traces Bethany’s erratic development and her family’s attempts to find answers for her troublesome behavior. Parents of all children can benefit from studying the lessons of Bethany’s life. In telling this one story, the authors provide both the parents’ and therapist’s points of view while probing the latest research on the early critical stages of development. This emphasis helps families focus on strengthening attachment so that they can provide the structure their children need to become mature and responsible adults. Also included are valuable strategies and resources for finding help when concerns arise. About the Authors: Sara-Jane Hardman, a former teacher and school administrator, and Jean Roe Mauro, LCSW met shortly after they adopted their children and became involved in the adoption self-help movement. As the years unfolded, adoption became a central theme in their lives. Jean’s practice expanded to helping adoptive families and the pair ran conferences and workshops on adoption related issues. The authors’ work can be viewed online at adoptionarticles/directory.com and in Adoptalk magazine, a publication of the Adoptive Parents Committee. They are currently preparing an online parenting course for adoptive parents for BGCenter.com. The authors live in New York.

If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name: Big News from Small-Town Alaska. Heather Lende. 2005. 288p. Algonquin Books. From Kirkus Reviews: Dispatches from small-town U.S.A. (pop: 2,400, traffic lights: 0, avg. temp: cold) by the local writer of obits and other matters of social interest. Hailing originally from the East Coast of the lower 48, Lende has spent his last two decades at home in the village of Haines, in the Chilkat Valley of the southeast tail of our northernmost state. There, she tends to husband Chip, proprietor of the lumberyard, their five children, and assorted neighbors and animals. Travel out of Haines, which folks are loath to do, is possible only by intermittent ferry or frightening flights in small aircraft. People die young there, whether flying, fishing at sea or hunting. Or they live to be funny old characters. At the end, whether young or old, whether they led good lives or not, all are accorded Lende’s respectful death notices. In addition to writing for the local paper of choice, she provides commentary for public radio, runs for the school board, attends fund-raising events and auctions to benefit townsfolk, takes a weekend trip to Vancouver and travels to Bulgaria to adopt a daughter. She participates in community theater, spots a possible spaceship and dances to a Cajun band from Juneau. There’s also hunting above the tree line and flying above the glaciers. Interspersed throughout the text are extracts from “Duly Noted,” Lende’s journalistic reports of the quotidian events of Haines. Mostly, though, she concerns herself with family and community in the Last Frontier State-and, one might say, everywhere else, too. Written with ease and empathy, this is both about maintaining a household in Alaska and about being at home in the world. Regarding nature, life and death, it’s an agreeable workabout living in a pretty place, likely to increase tourism, if not emigration, to Haines, Alaska. Homespun warmth in a cold climate.

If Nights Could Talk: A Family Memoir. Marsha Recknagel. 2001. 272p. Thomas Dunne Books. From Publishers Weekly: In her brave and gripping yet convoluted memoir a simultaneous act of familial retribution, self-preservation and redemption Recknagel has the last word on her gothic family history. When her 16-year-old nephew James appears at her Houston home, seeking refuge from his lunatic chimera of a mother and neglectful father, Recknagel must confront the family history of sibling rivalries and betrayals, alcoholism, mental illness and sordid circumstances. Ten years earlier, the death of the workaholic patriarch of this Shreveport, LA, family a successful wildcatter who left a $10 million fortune in a trust that favored his grandchildren precipitated a protracted custody battle over James, who was then living with the author’s sister. It was a vicious feud pitting Recknagel’s brother, his wife (they met in a mental hospital when still teenagers) and her parents against the rest of the Recknagel family. A writing teacher at Rice University, Recknagel rambles on about her need to “outrun their influence” in a personal narrative that overlaps with and coils into the wreckage of James’s youth. After Recknagel hastens to find lawyers for James, to adopt him and emancipate him, the last third of the book charts their harrowing six-year journey toward healing. Recknagel’s tale of how James perseveres in his battle with undiagnosed sleep apnea, post-traumatic stress disorder and extreme dissociation, and ultimately recovers in her care, is nothing short of miraculous. © Cahners Business Information, Inc.

If Only the Hands That Reach Could Touch: Adoption Stories From the Hearts of the Touched. Tom Velie and New Beginnings International Children’s Services. 2005. New Beginnings International Children’s Services.

In a Child’s Name: The Legacy of a Mother’s Murder. Peter Maas. 1990. 378p. Simon & Shuster. From Publishers Weekly: In 1984 Ken Taylor, a dentist in Marion, Ind., cracked open the skull of his third wife, Teresa, with a dumbbell. Driving her body halfway across the country, he dumped it along a Pennsylvania road, then went to visit an ex-wife in Pittsburgh. Apprehended, Taylor, a calm, eerily confident wife-beater, philanderer and heavy user of marijuana and amphetamines, pleaded self-defense. He put forth a bizarre story that Teresa had been a drug addict and that he had caught her performing oral sex on their five-month-old son, Philip. In a taut, chilling voyage into the mind of a sociopath, Maas highlights the regional, religious and ethnic passions unleashed by a case that extended from the Midwestern Bible Belt to New Jersey, from Mexico to Staten Island, NY. As dramatic as the trial itself was the custody battle over Philip; his paternal grandparents temporarily adopted him after snatching him away from Teresa’s sister, who had won custody. The grandparents’ scheme, according to Maas, was directed by the convicted murderer from his cell. Photos. $100,000 ad/promo; author tour. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In a House Overlooking the Sea: A Life. John Graham. 2009. 264p. CreateSpace. This is the autobiography of John Graham ... a nuclear scientist, a world traveler, a multi-marathon runner, a writer with over twenty books, and an art lover, and, more than all of these, a family man who has been blessed with two families, forty years apart. This part of John’s life takes place during a period (1933-2009) when the world was changing: the status of women took a step forward; the electronic world took over our lives; publication and communication changed; war moved from set battlefield enemies to terrorists; global warming became a rallying cry by activists for all manner of purposes; and more. 5 days after John was born, Adolf Hitler came to power as Chancellor of the Third Reich, while, as the book is published, Barrack Obama completes his first 100-days as American President. The world has changed. It is no wonder that John’s autobiography encompasses strong opinions and makes no apology for strong likes and dislikes.

In Remembrance of Jodi. JC Keller. 2006. 112p. AuthorHouse. This is the heartbreaking life story of Jodi Marie Clark. Jodi was a sweet baby girl born to an unwed mother who would have loved to keep her. That was impossible and Jodi was given up for adoption. That was the first of many good byes as little Jodi was passed from house to house like an unwanted gift until, in desperation, her father drove seven hundred miles to his sister Judy’s farm. He dropped Jodi off, turned around, and drove out of her life for eight years. Those eight years were a blessing to Jodi and to the Keller family who loved her dearly. Their lives were forever after intertwined. At fourteen Jodi rejoined her father and her life spiraled downward and out of control. Through God’s grace and some remarkable people, Jodi was able to pull her life from the ashes. She lived a “normal” young adult life until she received devastating news. From that point on, tragedy was always just a step behind her until God, in His infinite wisdom, brought this angel home to Heaven. About the Author: J.C. Keller, a.k.a. Judy Clark Keller, is a native Wisconsinite. She married her high school sweetheart, Chuck Keller, forty-eight years ago. They are the proud parents of five terrific daughters and their husbands, nine delightful grandchildren, and one sweet little black dog named Molly. Judy loves her church, family, and Molly. Along with writing; music, and cheering for the Packers, Badgers and Brewers are some of her favorite activities.

Ins & Outs of Adopting a Child, The. Pamela Norton. 2009. JK Publishing. Congratulations on considering adoption as a way to start or grow your family. Both domestically and internationally, there are millions of children who are looking for a home with their ‘forever family.’ Whether you are turning to adoption because of infertility issues, or simply because of a desire to provide for children who are parentless rather than creating your own, deciding to adopt is a lifelong, fulfilling, and challenging commitment—just as having a biological child would be. It’s natural to feel excitement and joy when you imagine the child that you will bring into your family through adoption. Just as parents who are waiting nine months for a pregnancy to come to fruition, prospective adoptive parents will have many months of contemplating, worrying, and dreaming about their precious future child. But because adopting a child can often be unpredictable in the exact time that it takes, it’s important that you acquaint yourself with the adoption process, the possible pitfalls, and other challenges that you might face along the way. For many adoptive couples or singles, the dream of the end result is what will keep them motivated through the process—which is how it should be. But if they are not prepared for the ways in which adoption works, those dreams could become tainted with frustration and disappointment. None of the information here should dissuade you from pursuing your goal of adoption. But it should help to inform you so that you can maintain the positive attitude and forward motion that will eventually bring you the child or children that are right for you and your family.

Intentional Family, The: Celebrating Adoption. Kimberley Raunikar Taylor. 2007. 192p. Beacon Hill Press. Adoption brings new life to everyone involved. An abandoned and disconnected child is given a home and a place to belong and an incomplete family receives the gift of a new member to nurture and love. In The Intentional Family, Kimberley Raunikar Taylor reaches into her own experience of adopting a child to give hope and encouragement to those considering the possibility of adoption. With gentle wisdom, she examines the thoughts and emotions many experience before embracing this option then discusses all the joys and challenges one may face on the journey through the adoption process. The Intentional Family helps women: Examine the condition of their own hearts and discover what motivates their desire for a child; Find blessings in a season of childlessness; Respond to God’s desire to place the lonely and homeless in families; Prepare for the changes and challenges of adoption; Assimilate a new child into an existing family. About the Author: Kimberley Raunikar Taylor is a 45-year-old mother of an internationally adopted child. She and her husband live in Fort Worth, TX, with their son, Jonathan Valentin, who was born in Romania in 2000. Kim has served as a guest speaker for orientation meetings at Buckner International Adoption Agency in Dallas and often speaks to women’s groups concerning adoption issues.

Into the Arms of Love: Adoption Stories to Touch Your Heart. Jean A Veckruise. 1999. 346p. Wine Press Publishing. This book of true, positive, and very exciting adoption stories will: * Interest anyone who has ever been touched by adoption * Magnify God and show His answers to specific prayers * Give birth mothers and birth fathers assurance and help in moving forward with their lives * Give hope to infertile couples * Dispel myths about birth mothers * Give many examples that adoption, not abortion, is a loving option * Help in understanding that God’s timing is perfect * Show positive aspects and happy endings of adoption. About the Author: Jean A. Veckruise, Ph.D., cofounder and director of Christian Family Services, Inc.; formerly director of Tender Loving Care adoption agency, SC; assistant dean in schools of medicine: Medical College of Virginia and Louisiana State University, with a joint appointment in the pediatric department; assistant professor, Houghton College, New York, Trinity College, Illinois, and SUNY, Buffalo, New York; cofounder and counselor, Niagara Frontier Christian Counseling Center, New York; and teacher of special education in New York, Illinois, and Minnesota.

Is Adoption For You?: The Information You Need to Make the Right Choice. Christine A Adamec. 1988. 224p. 2nd ed. Zondervan. This essential resource for anyone considering adoption answers a host of the complex questions asked by potential parents. What are the issues concerning adopting a child of a different race? How is adoptive parenting different from parenting a biological child? What are the implications of adopting an older child or a child with a disability? Christine Adamec, an adoptive mother and nationally recognized adoption expert, answers these questions and more.

Jane Russell: My Path & My Detours: An Autobiography. Jane Russell. 1985. 336p. Franklin Watts, Inc. This is the candid autobiography of this sex-symbol of the cinema. As well as describing her succession of rises and falls in the film industry, it reveals the warm, down-to-earth humanitarian whose love for her children set her apart. Jane Russell WAS the girl-next-door. Destined to marry her own high school sweetheart, football legend Robert Waterfield, and become the mother of three adopted children, she founded WAIF, a national adoption organization.

Jazz Cleopatra: Josephine Baker in Her Time. Phyllis Rose. 1989. 321p. Doubleday. In this stunning biography of Josephine Baker, Phyllis Rose brings us into the glitter of Paris in the ’20s, through Europe transformed by the rise of Hitler, to the last thirty-five years of Baker’s life when she became a civil rights activist and adopted twelve children from around the world, whom she called her ’Rainbow Tribe’. At the heart of the book is Baker’s struggle to overcome the limita tions imposed by the color of her skin. But beyond the difficult questions of race and culture, Jazz Cleopatra is, above all, the compelling sory of a St. Louis girl with a toothy grin who palayed her charm, vivacity, and gift for clowning into international stardom. By the author of Parallel Lives.

Jenny: A Father’s Story. Gerald R Lishka. 1997. 244p. Galde Press. Losing a child is the worst pain a parent can ever feel. Gerald Lishka recounts in the poignant story of a father’s loss of his child as well as the transformation and triumph of life over death, of spirit over body. Painfully powerful, Jenny is rich with love, understanding, and inspiration destined to change lives. This story will touch your heart and warm your spirit. About the Author: Trained as a concert pianist, Gerald R. Lishka has worked as a classical musician, dance accompanist, composer, and recording artist. He also has professional experience in real estate, drafting, and commercial interior design. Since 1985, he has resided in Los Angeles, where he has been an administrative and contracts manager for a number of prestigious planning, design, and construction firms. His Galde Press books include Darkness is Light Enough, Jenny: A Father’s Story, and Kaleidoscope.

Journal From an Obscure Place: Thoughts on Abortion ... From an Unborn Child. Judith Miles. 1978. 144p. Bethany House.

Journal of a Happy Woman. June Kimball Strong. 1973. 160p. Southern Publishing Association. This should have been my birthday month. To arrive in the world with the air so winy, the skies so blue, and the land sleeping under its late summer haze would have been a royal beginning indeed. But I was fated to be a March child, and, of course, there is something to be said for daffodils after all. At any rate, now that I have made the decision to gather up some fragments of my life and enclose them within a book, it shall know the joy of a September birth. Thus begins The Journal of a Happy Woman, With the awareness of Stillmeadow Calendar, and perception of Gift From the Sea, and the laughter of Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, Mrs. Strong shares her family (six children, four of them adopted), her joys, her frustrations, and her victories—a year from her life. Favorite recipes, poetry, a tour of Elm Valley Farm—including the special delight of a hidden prayer corner created from a weed patch—all weave together to format book few woman will be able to resist. Down to earth, practical, and spiritual, yet whimsical and funny, June Strong’s book clamors to be read, cherished, and brought out again to reread when you need laughter or encouragement. The Journal of a Happy Woman is a unique and special event in Seventh-day Adventist publishing. It is a book for women—all women.

Journeying Through State Adoption: Working with the System—One Day at a Time. Daphine L Reeves. 2006. 176p. iUniverse, Inc. Journeying Through State Adoption is a practical guide for anyone who desires to adopt a child and who needs information to begin. It gives you a complete roadmap for navigating the state foster care system. You will walk through the touching story of a family who pursued their desire to share love with a child in need. Additionally, Journeying Through State Adoption is for those who want to learn more about the state foster care system, professionals who work within the system, and people who serve as advocates for foster and adopted children. This guide helps readers answer some vital questions regarding adoption: What are the requirements to become an adoptive parent? How do I get started? What kind of children are waiting to be adopted? Is there a child right for my family? Journeying Through State Adoption includes helpful resources such as contact information for the child welfare agency in every state, listings for many nation-wide adoption support groups, help in identifying and obtaining subsidies for adoptive families, and a state-by-state definition of children with special needs. Join one family as they discover the answers to these and many other questions during their step-by-step journey! About the Author: Daphine L. Reeves is Vice President of Sharing Adoption Family Experience Through Networking, a foster/adoptive support group, and the spokesperson regarding adoption subsidies in Texas for the North American Council on Adoptable Children. She lives in Texas with her husband, Dirk, and their daughters, Morgan and Jaelyn.

Just For Awhile. Virginia Connelly. 2007. 100p. iUniverse, Inc. This is the story of a boy placed in foster care while his mother was in prison. It is also the story of his foster mother and family, and the impact he was to have on their lives. During the first months in his new foster home, Billy’s angry and erratic behavior made even this experienced mother and teacher question her decision to open her home to a child in need. However, as the child began to bond with his new family, they discovered in themselves a deeper caring than they could have ever imagined. At times hilarious, at times sad and deeply moving, this story is a must for anyone who has ever considered fostering or adopting a child. About the Author: Virginia Connelly has worked as a teacher, a Parent Educator, and as a migrant child advocate. She currently works with at-risk youth. Virginia lives in Carmel, California.

Keys to Adopting a Child. Kathy Lancaster. 1994. 208p. Barron. Lancaster handles a deeply controversial subjectsee also, for example, Robby DeBoer’s Losing Jessica and Betty Jean Lifton’s Journey of the Adopted Self with thoughtful common sense. Her contribution to Barron’s Parenting Keys series leads readers through the many issues that affect adoption without choosing sides. Instead, Lancaster provides solid information and helpful advice about the decision to adopt, potential problems, alternative styles of adoption, legal procedures involved, and appropriate steps before and after adoption. The volume’s glossary, questions and answers, and suggested readings are especially useful, as are the appendixes, which list addresses and phone numbers of adoption organizations and state adoption agencies. — Mary Carroll (Booklist, July 19, 1994). Copyright © 1994, American Library Association. All rights reserved.

2nd Edition, 2009

Keys to Parenting an Adopted Child. Kathy Lancaster. 1994. 208p. (2009. 2nd Ed.) Barron. Here’s help for parents who must cope with the details of raising children in the often-demanding contemporary environment. Bringing up children today is different—and in many ways more difficult—than it was in past generations. Barron’s Parenting Keys speaks to today’s parents, with answers to today’s problems. If you have just adopted a child, you need special advice—the kind that will help you raise a happy child. In an encouraging tone, this book offers that advice as it guides parents through the practical methods of raising an adopted child. The author discusses special considerations such as transracial adoptions, adopting older children, and adopting children with physical and emotional disadvantages. A special question-and-answer section, a glossary and informative appendices complete this valuable reference.

Labor of the Heart: A Parent’s Guide to the Decisions & Emotions in Adoption. Kathleen Whitten, PhD. 2008. 240p. M Evans & Co, Inc. Adoptive parents often experience the double trial of emotional responses to infertility and to the process of adoption itself, called “excruciating labor with no end in sight,” by one adoptive mother. Would-be adoptive parents cycle through grief, anger, fear, anxiety, frustration, and guilt—and back again. All of these emotions cloud decision-making, at exactly the time that adoptive parents are making life-altering, irrevocable decisions: whether to adopt at all, to adopt an older child or an infant, or to parent a child with developmental delays, as well as other pressing questions. New empirical research by Kathleen Whitten, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist and adoptive mother, and other experts in the field contradicts many of the outdated myths presented to parents and written about in widely used adoption guides. Whitten separates fact from fiction and leads parents by the hand through the many emotional impacts the process involves. Written in a reassuring, conversational tone, the author tells parents when they should listen to their heart—and when practical considerations are too important to ignore. Each chapter features workbook section with constructive exercises and stimulating questions. Adoptive parents do not need yet another book promising a “fast track” to a child or explaining how to collect documents. Instead, they need Labor of the Heart to help them through the difficult emotions and decisions about adoption. About the Author: Kathleen L. Whitten, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist and widely published journalist. She works in psychiatric medicine at the University of Virginia where her clients are primarily foster and adoptive families. She and her husband were one of the first two American couples to adopt a child from Vinh Long, Vietnam, in 1997. She lives in Virginia.

Labours of Love: Canadians Talk About Adoption. Deborah A Brennan. 2008. 224p. Dundurn Press (Canada). Adoption is not for the faint of heart. Labours of Love chronicles the journeys of Canadians who have overcome heartbreaking obstacles to become parents. Their stories are as diverse as our country, and span the borders of our world. While each account is unique in its own way, the stories are connected by the overwhelmingly commonality of the power of human connection. About the Author: Deborah Brennan is among women whose career interfered with having a family. The challenges she faced as a design project manager for The Bay did little to prepare her for the rigors of her daughter’s adoption. She lives in Oakville, Ontario.

Launching a Baby’s Adoption: Practical Strategies for Parents & Professionals. Patricia Johnston. 1997. 256p. Perspectives Press. Launching A Baby’s Adoption incorporates anecdotal material solicited from adoptive parents and professionals throughout North America. Launching a Baby’s Adoption fills the need of single and coupled parents seeking to adopt for information that can assist them in practical ways to bring a baby into their families and into their lives. Launching A Baby’s Adoption is a valuable addition to the parenting collections of community libraries and is “must” reading for anyone seeking adoption as a means to enhancing their family life. — Midwest Library Review

Laura Z: A Life: Years of Fulfillment. Laura Z Hobson. 1986. 331p. Donald I Fine, Inc. The second half of Laura Hobson’s autobiography picks up where the first, Laura Z: A Life, left off—immediately following the success of Gentleman’s Agreement—and brings this world-famous author’s life to its close—she died on February 28, 1986 at the age of 85—through an Afterword by her (biological) son, Christopher (whose homosexuality inspired one of Ms. Hobson’s better-known books, Consenting Adult). Ms. Hobson was also the adoptive mother of another son, Michael, whom she adopted as a single parent in the late 1930s. Ms. Hobson also wrote Untold Millions and The Tenth Month, among other books.

Legal Adoption Guide, The: Safely Navigating the System. Colleen Alexander-Roberts. 1996. 208p. Taylor Publishing Co. This book will answer many legal questions about independent adoptions and help to protect your new family by walking you through every aspect of an independent adoption?!51;from locating a qualified attorney to interviewing potential birth mothers. This handbook covers the difference between open, semi-open, and confidential adoption; the kinds of advertising available to locate a birth mother and what is legal; the rights of a birth father; evaluating a possible adoption situation; how long a brith mother has to withdraw her consent to the adoption, etc.

Let’s Talk About Adoption. Susan & Elton Klibanoff. 1973. 263p. Little, Brown.

Letters & Reflections to My Adopted Daughters. John Newton. Compiled by Jody Moreen. 2004. 128p. Pleasant Word. Amazing Grace transformed John Newton from a wretched sea captain of slave ships to a passionate pastor and hymn writer. Grace further equipped Newton, who was childless, to become a tender, loving, and compassionate father. He adopted his two orphaned nieces, Elizabeth and Eliza. Newton took no courses in parenting, nor did he have the opportunity to read the countless volumes of self help books on child rearing that grace bookstore shelves today. He wholly relied on the guidance of his heavenly Father. Through prayer and the reading of the Bible, he discipled his daughters in the love and counsel of the Lord. It is clearly evident in the compilation of these letters and memoirs to his daughters that he embraced the words of 3 John:4 “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” Newton’s godly mother faithfully instructed him in the truth through prayer and the reading of the Scriptures. She died when he was only six years of age and left him to be raised by his irreligious father. What joy and thanksgiving would fill her heart to know that the seeds of truth that she sewed in the life of her young son grew and blossomed. Newton accepted God’s gift of salvation as an adult and further shared this gift with his own children. About the Author: Jody Moreen, adoptee, is the editor of Adoption Blessings Journal, a Christian publication and facilitator of Adoptees, Birth Parents & Adoptive Parents Together, a Chicago area adoption support group. She is a freelance writer, speaker, and mentor celebrating adoption and the sanctity of life. Jody has been a volunteer for over a decade in the adoption community locally and online. She resides in Naperville, IL, with her husband Scott and three sons.

British First Edition

Life Lines. Jill Ireland. 1989. 358p. Warner Books. A dancer from age 12, British performer Jill Ireland became an audience favorite in her teens thanks to her many engagements at the London Palladium. Signed to a Rank Organization contract in 1955, Ireland made her first screen appearance as a ballerina in Oh, Rosalind. In 1957, Ireland married actor David McCallum, with whom she would later appear in several Man From U.N.C.L.E. TV episodes. Her second husband was action star Charles Bronson, whom she married in 1967. From 1970 onward, Ireland seldom appeared onscreen without her husband; their best collaborative efforts include Hard Times (1975) and From Noon Til Three. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1984, Ireland underwent a mastectomy, gaining the respect of friends and fans alike for her courage in the face of death: she wrote a book on her recovery, Life Wish, in 1987, and served as chairperson of the National Cancer Society. Ireland then devoted herself to rehabilitating her adopted son Jason McCallum, who had become a drug addict. ... Life Lines, [is the story of] her struggle to bring her son back to health. His death from an overdose in 1989 weakened Ireland’s already precarious physical state. Refusing to surrender to despair, Ireland was busy at work on her third book of reminiscences, Life Times, when she died in 1990. One year later, a TV biopic, Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story, was telecast, with Jill Clayburgh as Ireland and Lance Henriksen as Charles Bronson (though not so named, as Bronson was dead-set against the film and refused to allow his name to be mentioned on-screen). — Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Life Story Books for Adopted Children: A Family Friendly Approach. Joy Rees. 2009. 93p. Jessica Kingsley Publishers (UK). Through words, pictures, photographs, certificates and other “little treasures,” a Life Story Book provides a detailed account of the child’s early history and a chronology of their life. This clear and concise book shows a new family-friendly way to compile a Life Story Book that promotes a sense of permanency for the child, and encourages attachments within the adoptive family. Joy Rees’ improved model works chronologically backwards rather than forwards, aiming to reinforce the child’s sense of belonging and security within the adoptive family before addressing the child’s past and early trauma. The book contains simple explanations of complex concepts, practical examples and helpful suggestions. Perfect for busy social workers in local authority children and adoption teams, approved adoption agencies and adoptive parents, Life Story Books for Adopted Children is a refreshing, innovative and commonsense guide. About the Author: Joy Rees is an adoption-support worker in a local authority adoption and permanence team in the London borough of Merton, and a Family Futures Associate. She has 30 years’ experience as a social worker specialising in children and family work.

Life With Titina: Six Years of Uninterrupted Domestic Bliss. Noel Barber. 1961. 160p. Hodder & Stoughton (UK). Noel Barber was a famous adventurer and journalist: the first Briton to reach the South Pole since Scott in 1912; it was he who first told the world about the 1956 Battle of Budapest (he was shot in the head by a Russian sentry); he was stabbed by a terrorist in N. Africa; he was first with the story of the flight of the Dalai Lama and the invasion of Tibet by Red China. This book, however, is about his private life, his true love story, covering six years of uninterrupted domestic bliss; how he changed from a blissfully contented bachelor of 43 years, living on the Left bank in Paris, to a married man living with his beautiful Italian wife Titina (+ baby son, a Rumanian mother-in -law, a French stepson, an adopted Italian daughter, a Danish nanny & a German-speaking Swiss help) in a farmhouse that he could not really afford on the banks of Lake Geneva.

Life Worth Living, A: The Autobiography of Lady Colin Campbell. Lady Colin Campbell. 1998. 432p. Time Warner Books. The autobiography of a woman brought up as a boy until the age of 21. The author tells of her early years in Jamaica and New York, her love affairs, her short marriage to Lord Colin Campbell, her connections with the royal family, her charity work and her adopted Russian children. She writes of her life-long struggle to be accepted as a woman.

Lifebooks: Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child. Beth O’Malley Margaret Sanford. 2000. 55p. Adoption-Works. An easy-to-follow guide for adoptive parents, social workers,and foster parents who want to write a lifebook for an adopted child. The book is filled with actual page examples and suggestions for difficult subject matter. It includes creative ways to deal with “getting stuck” when approaching LifeBooks. Dr. Joyce Maguire Pavao’s comments are especially helpful. Suitable for international, domestic, and foster care situations.

Little David. Jacqueline Klinger. 1999. 250p. First Page Publications. A young couple changes the life of a small boy with cigarette burns, broken bones, and evidence of vicious beatings over his body from one of abuse and starvation to one of love, tenderness and caring. About the Author: Jacqueline Klinger is a former music teacher, wife, mother, grandmother. Mrs. Klinger has traveled extensively and has written four other books, all unpublished.

Losing Jessica. Robby DeBoer. 1994. 288p. Doubleday. Beyond the headlines, Losing Jessica is Robby DeBoer’s personal and very moving account of the battle to keep her baby daughter. On August 2, 1993, Robby and Jan DeBoer were forced to give up the little girl that they had raised, since infancy, for two and a half years. In a decision that shocked the entire country, the courts ruled that Jessi DeBoer was to be taken from the only parents and the only home she had ever known and given back to the biological parents who were virtual strangers to her. How do you say goodbye to your daughter? Losing Jessica is more than the story of a court battle. This is Robby’s own story—of the hopes and dreams with which she and Jan began their marriage, and of the tremendous struggles that followed. Robby eloquently describes what it was like to meet her daughter for the first time, after years of trying to adopt. We feel her elation at the moment when she and Jan are awarded custody of the baby at the termination hearing, and we feel her pain and distress when she learns that the man who had signed the adoption papers might not be Jessi’s biological father after all. Robby’s story highlights the complications and inequities of a legal system that places the biological rights of birth parents above those of the adoptive parents—and makes decisions without regard to the best interests of the child. Above all, Losing Jessica is the story of a mother’s unequivocal love for her child, the strongest, most compelling, and most unbreakable human bond of all.

Love in the Driest Season. Neely Tucker. 2004. 256p. Crown. Foreign correspondent Neely Tucker and his wife, Vita, arrived in Zimbabwe in 1997. After witnessing firsthand the devastating consequences of AIDS on the population, especially the children, the couple started volunteering at an orphanage that was desperately underfunded and short-staffed. One afternoon, a critically ill infant was brought to the orphanage from a village outside the city. She’d been left to die in a field on the day she was born, abandoned in the tall brown grass that covers the highlands of Zimbabwe in the dry season. After a near-death hospital stay, and under strict doctor’s orders, the ailing child was entrusted to the care of Tucker and Vita. Within weeks Chipo, the girl-child whose name means gift, would come to mean everything to them. Still an active correspondent, Tucker crisscrossed the continent, filing stories about the uprisings in the Congo, the civil war in Sierra Leone, and the postgenocidal conflict in Rwanda. He witnessed heartbreaking scenes of devastation and violence, steeling him further to take a personal role in helping anywhere he could. At home in Harare, Vita was nursing Chipo back to health. Soon she and Tucker decided to alter their lives forever—they would adopt Chipo. That decision challenged an unspoken social norm—that foreigners should never adopt Zimbabwean children. Raised in rural Mississippi in the sixties and seventies, Tucker was familiar with the mores associated with and dictated by race. His wife, a savvy black woman whose father escaped the Jim Crow South for a new life in the industrial North, would not be deterred in her resolve to welcome Chipo into their loving family. As if their situation wasn’t tenuous enough, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was stirring up national fervor against foreigners, especially journalists, abroad and at home. At its peak, his antagonizing branded all foreign journalists personae non grata. For Tucker, the only full-time American correspondent in Zimbabwe, the declaration was a direct threat to his life and his wife’s safety, and an ultimatum to their decision to adopt the child who had already become their only daughter. Against a background of war, terrorism, disease, and unbearable uncertainty about the future, Chipo’s story emerges as an inspiring testament to the miracles that love—and dogged determination—can sometimes achieve. Gripping, heartbreaking, and triumphant, this family memoir will resonate throughout the ages. About the Author: Neely Tucker is a staff writer for the Washington Post. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Vita, and his daughter, Chipo.

Love Like No Other, A. Pamela Kruger & Jill Smolowe, eds. 2005. 272p. Riverhead Hardcover. Adoption now affects more American families than ever before—1.5 million adopted children live in the United States today, and 60 percent of Americans report some kind of personal connection to adoption. Happily, this surge has coincided with an increasing mainstream acceptance of adoption as just another way to form a family, complete with its own frustrations and joys that deserve to be discussed and celebrated. A Love Like No Other does just that. It features twenty leading writers, all of whom are adoptive parents, discussing their personal experiences. They include adoptive parents of children of other races, like Emily Prager, who grapples with how to best keep her daughter connected to her Chinese roots; parents whose families blend biological children and adopted children, like bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard; single mothers of only children, like journalist Sheila Stainback; and same-sex adoptive parents like Jesse Green, who wonders how his sons will feel when instructed to make a Mother’s Day card. They live in big cities and small towns, and have adopted domestically and overseas. Some of their stories soberingly address the potential complications of adoptive parenting, while others tell of happily enriched family lives. Impressive for both its breadth and its quality, A Love Like No Other is a timely and heartwarming mosaic of the contemporary lives of adoptive parents and their children. In elegant prose and with refreshing honesty, these essays will introduce you to a group of families you won’t soon forget. About the Editors: Pamela Kruger is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Fast Company, Parenting, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, The International Herald Tribune, and The Wall Street Journal. She is currently a contributing editor at Child magazine. She and her husband have two daughters, Emily, seven, who is their biological child, and Annie, now two, whom they adopted from Kazakhstan when she was six months old. They live in New Jersey. Jill Smolowe is the author of the adoption memoir An Empty Lap: One Couple’s Journey to Parenthood. An award-winning journalist, she is currently on staff at People.

Loved at First Sight: A Mother’s True Story of Eleven Adopted Children. Marilyn Diskerud. 2001. 294p. Father & Son Publishing. This is a heartwarming story of a couple who adopted eleven children. After being told that it would take a miracle for them to conceive, they chose to adopt again and again. They adopted babies, older children, and their siblings too. They proved that a stable, loving home filled with caring, sharing, and a sense of humor was what their children needed. It taught them to love their sisters and brothers. As a family, they enjoyed many trips, vacations, and sports activities with each other and their many friends. There were often difficult times of alcohol and drug abuse, runaways, and legal problems. But with many prayers and a bedrock belief in God to give them strength, they were able to see all their children become adults. Also, miracles happened when there were serious illnesses and terrible accidents. Thank Heavens for all the prayers! Today, as then, there are many children who need loving homes. All they are looking for is someone to unconditionally love them forever. This couple shows with enduring love how they managed during fifty years of marriage and a house-full of children. Those considering adoption need not be wealthy, only to have large hearts. Strange as it may seem, adopting a child or children more often brings as much joy and happiness and rewards to those adopting as it does to those who are adopted. About the Author: Marilyn Diskerud has always loved children and felt blessed that God chose her to be an adoptive mother. She was born in 1929 and married Phil in 1949. They adopted their first child in 1954 when he was three months old and adopted their last set of two older brothers in 1982. She retired after 12 years from her drapery business, “Marilyn’s Draperies,” in Minnesota. Her husband retired from FMC in Minneapolis after working for 35 years. In 1984 they moved to Florida with five of their children still at home. Marilyn Diskerud wants everyone to know that “if my book encourages even one family to adopt a child or two, especially those who are older children, then all my efforts in writing this book will have been rewarded. Everyone needs a loving family.” — From the front and back flaps

Loved by Choice: True Stories That Celebrate Adoption. Susan E Horner & Kelly Fordyce Martindale. 2002. 288p. Revell. Whether it’s the joy-filled decision to welcome a child into your arms or the difficult decision to give your child another home, adoption is making the choice to love unselfishly and unconditionally. Loved by Choice offers a clear and uplifting look at adoption through true stories told from virtually every perspective. Birth parents, adoptive parents, grandparents, adopted children, families working out an overseas adoption, and those creating interracial families are among those who share their joys and difficulties. The collection is a tender celebration of adoption, led by those who understand it best.

Loving Someone Else’s Child. Angela Elwell Hunt. 1992. 236p. Tyndale House. As parents of ten adopted children from Korea, the Philippines, and Romania, we know all about loving someone else’s child. We were greatly encouraged, challenged, and educated by reading this insightful book. — Pat Williams, Manager, Orlando Magic.

Making Sense of Adoption: A Parent’s Guide. Lois Melina. 1989. 256p. Har-Row. At each stage of development, adopted children have questions and concerns. Making Sense of Adoption provides advice on how to help your child deal with these. Each chapter recommends age-specific activities to reinforce the concepts discussed. There are many sample conversations that you can use as a guide for talking with your children. This book should be read by all parents with adopted children. It is a resource that you will continue to consult as your child grows.

Mamadona: Heartbreaking Cry of a Child. Anthony Mary Mofunanya. 2007. 76p. Athena Press (UK). Mamadona: Heartbreaking Cry of a Child is the controversial story of a young boy’s adoption; a story that brings with it many other questions of human nature and social inequality and discrimination. David is adopted from Malawi when he is still only a baby and brought to live in England with a well-known, affluent family [pop-star Madonna and her husband]. When the story catches the attention of the world’s media, he is instantly catapulted into the public eye and, some may say, into the firing line.

Man on the Ceiling, The. Steve Rasnic Tem & Melanie Tem. 2008. 384p. Wizards of the Coast Discoveries. From Booklist: The Tems’ extraordinary autobiographical novella, The Man on the Ceiling, garnered an unprecedented number of major horror and fantasy awards. In this set of loosely connected essays and semifictional discourses, the husband-and-wife horror-writing duo supplements the novella with sober meditations on aging, loss, and the writing process. Except as illustrative digressions from a given autobiographical topic, there are few actual stories in the volume, and, indeed, the Tems repeatedly emphasize that “everything we’re telling you here is true.” Yet certain events and predicaments dance in and out of each chapter, among them the suicidal death of the couple’s eldest adopted son and the penchant for storytelling that afflicts the members of the Tems’ extended family. The titular specter is a recurring metaphor for the dark, fleetingly glimpsed shadows that linger in the background of daily life and quicken fear. The Tems’ assemblage of brooding, often surrealistic prose experiments defies easy categorization but succeeds as compelling, perhaps compulsory, reading for true horror fans. — Carl Hays. About the Authors: Award-winning author, poet, and playwright Melanie Tem is the author of fourteen published novels. Her works have won, among many accolades, the Bram Stoker Award and the British Fantasy Award. Dan Simmons called her “the literary successor to Shirley Jackson,” and readers and reviewers consistently rave about her deeply involved stories of the terrors that haunt families. Steve Rasnic Tem has been called “a school of writing unto himself” (Joe R. Lansdale). His surreal stories have earned him comparisons to Franz Kafka, Dino Buzzati, Ray Bradbury, and Raymond Carver. He has also won the Bram Stoker award and been nominated for British Fantasy and World Fantasy awards for his short stories, novels, and collections. Together, Melanie and Steve won the Bram Stoker award for their multi-media collection Imagination Box, and won a Stoker, International Horror Guild, and World Fantasy award for their novella The Man on the Ceiling (the only work ever to win all three). They live in Denver, CO, with the family they have made for themselves.

UK Edition

Australian Edition

Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P.L. Travers. Valerie Lawson. 2006. 416p. Simon & Schuster. The first full biography of P.L. Travers, the author of various children’s books, including six featuring the well-known character, Mary Poppins, Lawson’s book is a truly compulsive account of a remarkable life that spanned most of the twentieth century, shedding a fascinating light on the writing, and the true essence, of the Mary Poppins books: Mary Poppins herself was above all a kind of guru-figure who floated in and out of the Banks family’s life to show them the possibility of other worlds. Born Helen Lyndon Goff in Queensland, Australia, in 1899, Travers adopted the stage name Pamela (Travers was a family name), and then continued to use it when she turned to writing, using only her initials so that no one would know whether she was a man or a woman (a common subterfuge adopted by female writers of a bygone era).  Although she never married, she apparently had a strong maternal urge and, when in her 30s, adopted one of the twin grandsons of Joseph Hone (a biographer of Yeats) in Dublin. She kept the secret of the boy’s adoption from him until he was 17, when he discovered both that he was adopted and a twin when his brother, Anthony Hone, searched for and found him in London. Anthony Hone died on July 13, 2005, at the age of 65. P.L. Travers died in 1996, aged 96. [Compiler’s Note: The book was originally published in Australia by Hodder & Stoughton in 1999 under the title Out of the Sky She Came; then retitled when published in the UK in 2005 by Aurum Press Ltd.]

Max’s Adoption. Tracy Sanford Pillow. 2000. 103p. iUniverse.com. God has sent us a little angel dressed as a dirty, tiny boy. He has so much to teach us of empathy and pure joy. It is our goal and most important role as his forever mom and dad to love, nurture, and guide this little angel into a confident, caring man. — From the Publisher

Meditations for Adoptive Parents. Vernell K Miller. Illustrated by Esther Graber. 1992. 88p. Herald Press. Meditations for Adoptive Parents contains 30 days of Christian thoughts for those who have built their families by adoption. For each day there is a poem or story, a Bible quotation, an essay on the author’s experiences, a prayer, and a prayer focus. The book is divided into three sections: making the decision to adopt, welcoming the newly adopted child into your home, and family life with your child. This book makes a thoughtful gift.

Memoirs of a Baby Stealer: Lessons I’ve Learned as a Foster Mother. Mary Callahan. 2003. 225p. Pinewoods Press. Mary Callahan never planned on writing a book about her experiences as a foster parent. She had only one goal as a parent, to help the children in her care. But as she learned their stories, it became painfully clear that the Child Welfare System had no sincere regard for the welfare of children. Callahan realized the only way to truly help the children was to tell their stories. Written from the unique perspective of a foster parent, Memoirs of a Baby Stealer chronicles Callahan’s experiences with five foster children, shedding light on the inadequacies of the Child Welfare System in this country. As the author explains, “They are taking kids from places that aren’t that bad, putting them in places that aren’t that good, and completely ignoring the bond that exists between parent and child.” About the Author: Mary Callahan is an emergency room nurse, cardiopulmonary nurse educator, and foster parent. She is the author of Fighting for Tony, an account of her own research that led to a cure of her son’s autism, as well as numerous articles on parenting, nursing, and foster care. The mother of two children, Callahan resides in Maine.

Merry Widow. Grace Nies Fletcher. 1970. 255p. William Morrow & Co. This is a book about the author who lost her husband and decided to do stuff she liked now and then. She tells about her many journeys, and how she adopted two chinese girls from Hong Kong.

Mia Farrow: Flowerchild, Madonna, Muse. Sam Rubin & Richard Taylor. 1989. 163p. St Martin’s Press. Biography of the movie actress, wife, mother and activist for adopted children.

Middle Mom, The: How to Grow Your Heart by Giving It Away: A Foster Mom’s Journey. Christie Erwin. 2009. 156p. Grayson Publications. Every foster parent knows how hard, yet rewarding, it can be to care for a child with a difficult past and an uncertain future. Christie Erwin has been a mom, in the middle, for countless children over nearly two decades. In this poignant and insightful book, she honestly shares the reality of making yourself vulnerable to the pain and indescribable delight of giving your heart away to a child. If you have ever considered foster parenting and just aren’t sure you have what it takes, let Christie’s inspiring, faith-filled story assure you that there is One that can and will equip you with all you need. About the Author: Christie Erwin has cared for over forty children in the past fifteen years, in both the public and private sector. She is currently the co-chairman of the Pulaski County Adoption Coalition and the coordinator of the Pulaski County Heart Gallery as well as a founding member of The C.A.L.L. (Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime). Christie and her husband, Jeff, live in Little Rock, AR, with their five children.

Mihály Munkácsy. András Székely. Translated by Z Beres. 1981. Unpaginated. Control Data Arts. Generally regarded as Hungary’s greatest painter, this book brings together some of his finest works. Munkacsy began his life as an orphan, and was adopted by a family of middle-class intellectuals who encouraged him to persue an artistic career. He studied briefly in Venice and Munich, and later set up a studio in Paris. He hired Jozsef Rippl-Ronai as his assistant, and by the age of 26, had won the medaille d’or from the Salon de Paris for his painting, The Condemned Cell and was well on his way to fame and fortune. Throughout his thirty-year career, he completed over 600 paintings, and his work was acquired by museums worldwide.

Momther I Love You: An Adopting Family’s Journey Toward Wholeness. Veronica Brunner. 2001. 171p. WovenWord Press. Veronica Brunner has written a painfully accurate account of the blessing of adoption, as well as the trials of the care of foster children, the bureaucracies that deal with these children, and the compassion needed to make all of these things work for the best interest of children. Veronica has included an area at the end of each chapter outlining her sources of strength and courage which help focus the reader on the real issues and problems she and her husband faced in adopting three children. She has highlighted the many problems our society faces when trying to make several bureaucracies work efficiently together to help solve the multifaceted issues of dysfunctional families that are unable to raise their children. She gives us hope, information, and most of all a look into the lives of a very committed, compassionate couple who have supported and loved three children to adulthood. — Charlene S. Rinne, R.N., Phd.D, Program Manager, Advocates for Children CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)

Would that all abused, neglected and troubled kids could be rescued by devoted couples like the Brunners. Here Veronica tells why they were willing to dedicate their caring and love, time and worldly goods to rescue three extraordinarily needy children. More importantly to those who may wish to follow their example, she tells where she found information, the help and the strength she needed to cope day by day and how it all worked out. — Charline Mann, Past President, NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill)

This story is a beautiful one, and one that should be of great value to anyone who deals with adoption, therapists, social workers, teachers, and particularly parents who adopt or provide care for children who cannot stay in their own homes. Although Mary, Tommy and Chris are central to the story, and much can be learned from their experiences, their tragedies and their triumphs, it is really a story of parents. — Claire Purcell, Ph.D., Psychology

Money to Burn: The True Story of the Benson Family Murders. Michael Mewshaw. 1987. 406p. Atheneum. In 1985 two pipe bombs planted in the family car killed multimillionairess Margaret Benson and her adopted son Scott, who was to make his debut in the U.S. Open.

Mother’s Adoption Journey, A. Darlene Ryan. 2002. 120p. Second Story Press. An adoption journal, humorous, warm, poignant, and full of anecdotes, essays and practical facts. The author, an adoptive mother herself, details the emotional ups and downs of the process, from the moment of decision to the instant she finally became a mother. The journal also includes information about • domestic versus international adoptions • international laws and processes • dealing with bureaucracies • warnings, dangers, and do’s and don’ts. Prepares the reader for the joys, problems and challenges of adoption.

Mother’s Trial, A. Nancy Wright.1984. 334p. Bantam Books. This is the story of the trial of a child protection social worker who was charged with murdering her adopted Korean child. The book is divided into four sections: The Formula, The Investigation, The Trial, and The Aftermath. The mother was accused of feeding her daughter a formula made up of salt and the child was diagnosed with Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. The mother was found guilty and sentenced to six years at the correctional institution for women in California. Although found guilty, she protested that the prosecutor had brainwashed her into believing she had murdered her own child. The book raises disturbing questions about the number of child abuse cases the mother investigated in her role as a social worker and whether she was really guilty of the offense. The book, while sometimes confusing on details, is very readable. It emphasizes the fact that forcing physicians to be detectives may not be the best use of their skills. No physician is prepared for being given the wrong history by the parents, or the mother tampering with the child’s bottle. The book’s greatest value is in facilitating an understanding of Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy. — LeRoy Schultz, Professor of Social Work

My Soul’s Desire. Meri Richardson. 2007. 112p. Outskirts Press. •   A soulful and heart-filled story that doesn’t shy away from the often harsh, heartbreaking realities of adoption; a must for potential parents in preparation for the adoption process. —Karen H., LSW former adoption counselor and hospice counselor
•   It is an absolutely amazing weave of many facets of the adoption journey—raw, honest, and deeply touching. You truly have reached the “soul” of the adoption triad. I feel so privileged to be a part of your amazing story! —Lori Teeter, BSW, Adoption Counselor
•   This book offers real feelings and thoughts from an adoptee perspective, but it also offers serious feelings, challenges, questions, and the emotional ups and downs that anyone who is thinking about adopting goes through. —Sharon Bumbarger, parent and fellow adopter
About the Author: Meri Richardson is a student of life with a zest and love for children that go unmatched. Meri has spent her 25 year career assisting others in their personal and spiritual growth and has now focused her attention on what life has taught her about adoption. Meri has lived her life by the belief that you honor all relationships with honesty. Now her life, beliefs and book have merged to brought her full circle. My Soul Desire is the first in a series of books that are yet to come and a work that comes directly from the “Soul.”

My Warrior Son. Mary Ann Fitzgerald. 1998. 343p. Michael Joseph. When the author a single mother working as a journalist in kenya, agreed to look after Peter Lekerian, a young Masai boy, he was about to enter his teenage years. She had been told he was an orphan. He knew he was a warrior. The adoption of this older child—bridging race and culture—proved to be both fascinating and frustrating.

National Adoption Directory. National Adoption Information Clearinghouse Staff. 1992. 259p. NAIC.

New Adoption Maze & How to Get Through It, The. Fred Powledge. 1985. 321p. CV Mosby Co. From Library Journal: The adoption process in the United States is changing. Traditionally secretive and dominated by the agency, it is moving toward an openness that more fully recognizes the needs of the child, the birth parents, and the adopters. Powledge, a veteran journalist, has written an informative guide to the traditional adoption process whether private or by agency. His guidelines will be very helpful to prospective parents trying to make their way through the system. In addition his discussion of the elements of “open adoption” promotes the much-needed changes in attitude and procedure. Despite an increase in the adoption literature in recent years, the annotated bibliography attests to how little material is still available on the subject. — Hilma F. Cooper, Cheltenham Township Libraries, PA; © 1985 Reed Business Information, Inc.

97 Pictures of Kids on My Wall. Nancy DiGirolamo. 2008. 336p. Outskirts Press. This is a true account of one woman’s twelve years as a foster mother to ninety seven foster children. It chronicles the experiences of an emergency foster home, the different foster children and the reasons they came into care. Some of the accounts are tragic, some are uplifting and some are funny, but all of them are heartwarming and memorable. Some children spent only one night, some remained for months and some never left.

Obstacles to Interstate Adoption. Roberta Hunt. 1972. 52p. CWLA.

Obtaining Grants to Fund Your Adoption. Mardie Caldwell (Producer). 2009. Audio CD. American Carriage House. Have you ever wondered: Why is adoption so expensive? Whether there are any organizations that can help my family with adoption expenses? What you can do to help fund my adoption? If you thought you couldn’t afford to adopt, then this CD is for you. Many adoptive families wonder where they will get the funds to adopt. There are attorney fees, home study fees and in some cases, birth mother support costs. The pressures of adoption funding can be daunting. But there is hope! Learn everything from adoption fund-raising to available grants for low-to moderate-income adoptive families. You will hear stories of families just like yours who found the funding they needed to continue with the adoption process. If you’ve ever wondered where you can get the money to help fund your adoption; find a way to the child of your dreams.

One Against the Storm: A True Story. Stanley C Mann. 1980. 221p. Quest Publishing, Inc. On December 28, 1978, flight attendant Joan Wheeler was one of eleven peope killed when United Airlines flight 173 crash-landed six miles short of the runway at Portland International Airport. This book chronicles the story of Ms. Wheeler’s life, tragic death and the resulting legal firestorm when her uncle, the author and executor of her estate, tried to fulfill her wishes regarding her adopted son, David.

One Brief Shining Moment. Arlene C Swirsky. 2001. 140p. iUniverse, Inc. This is a mother’s story of survival. It is no more and no less than any mother could have done under similar cirumstances. A child is born with such incredible medical problems and challenges, a whole community is brought to bear to help keep her alive and her family from crumbling under the terrible strain. It speaks of strength, and the illusion of control. One Brief Shining Moment is a testament to one small family, trying its best to stay together, body and soul, and surviving the worst. It is a heart breaking, gut wrenching story to read, but one that demonstrates the depth of love. When one’s alternatives are limited, you gotta go with what you got; and this is going with what you got, at its best. A must read for any parent who has ever faced a medical challenge with a child, as it gives insights only another parent can appreciate. About the Author: Arlene Swirsky lives in Central Massachusetts with her husband Bruce, son Greg, two Yorkshire Terrorists and a cat. She has covered news for the Worcester Telegram and also written for The Exceptional Parent magazine.

125 Most Asked Questions About Adoption (and the Answers), The. Paul Baldwin. 1993. 144p. Morrow. Finally here’s a book all parents can turn to with their questions about adoption. Presented in a straightforward, accessible format are all the answers about this complex subject for prospective parents, and perhaps eventually, for the child they adopt. Drawing on the latest available facts and figures from dozens of organizations and agencies, as well as speaking directly to parents and children from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances, this book covers both the legal and technical aspects of adoption, and the crucial emotional aspects as well. From the moment they begin to consider the process of adoption, prospective parents face a variety of overwhelming issues, choices, and decisions. Now, thanks to this book, they will learn every facet of adoption, from what they can expect from “home studies,” to the red tape they may encounter when adopting a foreign orphan, to the difference between private and public agencies. A thorough discussion of the controversial Surrogate Mother alternative is also included, making The 125 Most Asked Questions About Adoption the most up-to-date primer of its kind. Of course, Paul Baldwin also presents answers to such emotionally fraught questions as the best way to tell children that they are adopted, and when it is best to do so. The concerns of adopted children are also addressed through discussions ranging from the search for a biological parent to what medical information an adopted child can expect to have access to, and the best way to respond to insensitive classmates. The 125 Most Asked Questions About Adoption covers every aspect of the adoption process and will help adoptive parents and children alike understand the unique issues that will face them in the course of their lives.

One Miracle Under God: A Mother’s Adoption Story. Eleanor Estes. 2005. 142p. BookSurge Publishing. The husband beats his young wife, who is pregnant with her second child. This results in the loss of her unborn baby and in the ability to have another child. Years after her divorce, she meets a wonderful man and falls in love and they marry. Although, her life is happy she longs for another child and prays for one. Will God deliver with a miracle for both the birth mother and for her? Though many complications arise, she takes a leap of faith and takes this journey that ultimately leads to her “One Miracle Under God.”

One Tiny Hope: A Journal To My Adopted Child. Kari Gilliam Palmer. 2000. 174p. Wheeler & Holland Publishing Co. An inspirational “must read” for any adoptee, family trying to adopt, or birth mother. In journal style format addressed to her future adopted child. Palmer writes candidly about her experiences and feelings while becoming an unwilling expert on the world of adoption as she searches intently for a child. With raw emotion, and events that read like fiction, this book exposes the heart of every person waiting to become a parent through adoption and touches the heart of every person who reads it. From the Publisher: Palmer makes you want to stand up and cheer her on through every obstacle she had to overcome in order to find her baby she had always longed to have... This is one of the most rewarding books. I promise when you finish, your heart will smile because you have experienced the truth that miracles really can come true. From the Author: This book was written for all adopted children everywhere so they would know how much their adoptive parents wanted and love them. I also wanted all birth mothers to know what a wonderful thing they have done by helping someone like myself who would have never been able to have a family with out them. Also to give other couples trying to adopt hope that their day will come, and their child will be well worth the wait. About the Author: Kari Gilliam Palmer is a member of the Oklahoma Center for Poets and Writers. She enjoys playing tennis, horseback riding, and antiquing. Kari lives on a ranch in Oklahoma with her husband Mark and two daughters. She is donating a portion of this book’s proceeds to RESOLVE, a national nonprofit group that helps those with infertility problems, and to the Adoption Agency.

Orchard Children, The: The Moving True Story of Foster Parents Fighting to Keep Their Children. Rachel Maddux. 1977. 248p. Harper & Row. The Orchard Children is the account of Maddux and Baker’s unsuccessful attempt to adopt two foster children. In emphasizing the importance of childhood, it has affinities with Maddux’s only other autobiographical work, Communication, written in 1941 when she was twenty-eight and published in 1991 by the University of Tennessee Press. Just as one of the central themes of Communication is the need to take children seriously on their own terms—to pay attention to their requirements for honesty and affection—so the message of The Orchard Children is that the legal system,which determines who will raise abused or abandoned children, seems often to ignore the best interests of the children themselves. Maddux’s universalizing of her story resulted, as with A Walk in the Spring Rain, in a wider audience for The Orchard Children. The book inspired a CBS television documentary, titled “Who Will Save the Children?” and starring Shirley Jones and Len Cariou, which aired in December of 1978.

Orwell: Wintry Conscience of a Generation. Jeffrey Meyers. 2000. 320p. WW Norton & Co. A discerning psychological reading of a highly fraught writer’s life.Meyers (Gary Cooper, 1998, etc.) sifts through Orwell’s celebrated adventures, finding strands of anxiety that influenced his great works. To begin with, Orwell’s father was no authority figure: a mid-level civil servant in British India, he made little money overseeing the cultivation of opium and was absent for most of his son’s childhood. In grammar school and at Eton, Orwell suffered from his status as a scholarship boy, succeeding academically but socially never fitting in. Despite his antipathy toward his father and the culture of his public school, however, Orwell went on to join the Burmese Imperial Police-a sign of the grip his background had on him. Meyers argues that this conflict recurred throughout Orwell’s life. He was regularly caught between a sense of duty and his own unique, and often critical, perspective of the institutions that influenced him. Meyers links this analysis with allusions to fiction and essays (like “Shooting an Elephant”) to show how art took its cue from life. Tramping around France and England-dropping out of life, pitching the dilemma entirely-helped resolve this conflict enough for him to work as a schoolmaster and write his first book. Leaving everything behind and taking the big risk (i.e., fighting in the Spanish Civil War) inaugurated the blossoming of his career, however. He overcame his feelings of inadequacy and began actively developing his political theories, asserting that totalitarianism on both the Left and Right were jeopardizing democracy and individualism. The gentler side of Orwell comes out in Meyers’s discussion of his family life. His rather mundane (yet sweet) courting of Eileen O’Shaughnessy, the strain WWII placed on the marriage, and their adoption of a son placed Orwell in a rare role. He seemed wide-eyed and open, a far cry from his usual self-tormented or icily perceptive self.A biography that rounds out a writer whose life has been distorted by the mythic proportions of his experiences. — From Kirkus Reviews; ©2000 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Our Adoption Journey: Keepsake Calendar. How can you make “the wait” pass more quickly? Where can you keep track of the myriad details involved in the adoption process? What can you do to create a personalized keepsake of this special time? Our Adoption Journey is a sixteen-month blank-page calendar containing candid shots of adopted children. Adoption-related stickers and plenty of room allow you to chart your progress and look back on your passage to parenthood.

Our Baby’s First Seven Years. Hermien D Nusbaum. 1928. Mother’s Aid of the Chicago Lying-In Hospital. Published under the auspices of the Mothers’ Aid of the Chicago Lying-In Hospital, University of Chicago Medical Center, Our Baby’s First Seven Years is a record book for children. It serves as a comprehensive and extremely well-organized journal of the many changes that occur during a child’s early years. There is room to record medical, social, developmental, and educational information and milestones. There is ample space for parents to preserve mementos and photos that will be of deep personal interest to the child in the future. There is also a version for adopted children. The original edition of Our Baby’s First Seven Years, inspired by Dr. Joseph Bolivar DeLee and compiled by Mrs. Hermien D. Nusbaum, was published in 1928. Completely new editions involving new design, art, text, and typeface were published in 1941, 1958, 1969, 1982, and 1989. This seventh edition includes the latest medical knowledge related to maternal and child health and the philosophy of child care.

Our Child: Preparation for Parenting in Adoption. Carol Hallenbeck. (Parenting Instructor’s Guide). 1986. 240p. Our Child Press.If you’re lucky, your community offers a course on adoptive parenting. If not, you can still receive the important information that such a course provides. Our Child is the instructor’s manual of a four-week course for expectant adoptive parents. It covers baby care (including the possibility of adoptive nursing), finding a doctor, dealing with family and friends, preparing siblings, and many other topics of interest to new adoptive parents. Since, as pre-adoptive parents, you often don’t know exactly when your child will join your family, it helps to have this book available just in case. It is a unique resource.

Our Chosen Child: How You Came To Us & The Growing Up Years. Judy Pelikan & Judith Levy. 2002. 64p. Andrews McMeel Publishing. Parents record every milestone—from the first smile to the first day at school—in a child’s baby book for posterity. Thanks to best-selling author Judith Levy, adoptive parents can now express their joy and love for a child in a baby book created especially for them. Our Chosen Child omits the traditional space for recording details about the pregnancy, labor, and delivery, highlighting instead the special preparations adoptive parents make and the excitement and anticipation they feel. In Our Chosen Child, adoptive parents can record family history and all the milestones of childhood through high school graduation. Additionally, Our Chosen Child includes the milestones that an adoptive family achieves. A page entitled “Waiting for You” acknowledges the many steps along the journey to becoming an adoptive family, such as completing a home study and getting references. On the page entitled “When We First Saw You,” parents can capture the special moment when they first meet their intended child, whether as a newborn or as a five-year-old. The happy memories of the day the adoption is finalized are recorded on the “Adoption Day” page. Each page features original poetry by Judith Levy, such as this loving dedication: “You had a journey to make, A trip to come through, To parents who were praying, And waiting for you.” Judy Pelikan’s tender illustrations grace every page, making this book a beautiful keepsake. All adoptive parents will want to complete this treasury of memories for their own chosen child. About the Authors: Author Judith Levy and artist Judy Pelikan began their successful collaboration in 1983 with Grandmother Remembers: A Written Heirloom for My Grandchild, which sold over two million copies and was number two on the New York Times best-seller list. Since then, they have had many best-selling books, including Grandfather Remembers (1986), Mom Remembers (1990), and Dad Remembers (1993). A grandmother of four, Judith lives in Boca Raton, FL. Her youngest grandchild is adopted. Judy lives in Sugar Hill, NH.

Our Journey for Jill. Janet Furbeck. 2000. 40p. Dorrance Pub Company. On September 27, 1995, Janet Furbeck read an article about the deplorable conditions endured by the children living in Eastern European orphanages. Shocked and saddened by the story, Janet and her husband, Michael, decided to try to adopt one of those babies. The Furbecks contacted From the Heart Adoption Services and soon found themselves in the middle of an intricate bureaucratic process that frequently left them frustrated and anxious. There were no less than thirty forms that had to be completed and notarized, and the Russian government’s ever-changing policies didn’t help. Then their wait for their fingerprint clearance from the FBI was extended by the shutdown of the U.S. government, which occurred not only because of the lack of a federal budget, but also thanks to the Blizzard of ’96! The Furbecks received photographs and a videotape of a little girl named Natalya. Their growing love for this child, combined with their faith in God and the encouragement and help of the dedicated owners of the adoption agency, kept them determined to see the adoption through. Finally, on April 5, 1996, the Furbecks left for Russia with three other couples who were also adopting children. The trip to the orphanage in Krasnodar was an adventure in itself, but the Furbecks took everything in stride and remained optimistic. When they held Jill Natalya Furbeck, now thirteen months old, for the first time, their hearts soared and they knew this was what they had waited for. Janet and Michael Furbeck have experienced a joy which few can boast. The story of Jill’s adoption is certain to tug at the heart and encourage others who may be considering taking one of these children into their lives and hearts. About the Author: Janet Furbeck is employed by the Mental Health Association of Albany County, New York, and has been for fourteen years. She has a degree in human services/social work and is the program director of a psychosocial club. Mrs. Furbeck has served on the Women of Round Lake Improvement Society and the Social Justice Committee for St. Francis deSales Church. A devoted mother and wife, she enjoys camping, learning about the culture of Russia and Poland, spending time with her family and friends, and celebrating life. After adopting Jill Natalya Furbeck from Kransodar, Russia, in 1996. Mrs. Furbeck and her husband, Michael, also a son, Benjamin Michailovich Furbeck, from Kursk, Russia, on Christmas Day 1997.

Out of Many One Family: How Two Adults Claimed Twelve Children Through Adoption. Bart & Claudia Fletcher. 2009. 230p. Third Degree Parenting. Are they all yours? Do you run a day care? Is this a youth group? Why didn't you want to have any children of your own? These are questions faced often by parents of large families, but especially by adoptive parents. What makes the Fletcher family s story unique is that their twelve children all came home within twelve years. Five children are Hispanic. One is biracial. Two are Asian. Four are Caucasian. Ten are from four state foster care systems from across the United States, two are from a Guatemalan orphanage. At the writing of this book, they range in age from 10 to 22, but they arrived between the ages of 9 months and 12 years. Together the family has confronted (and in some cases resolved) a myriad of challenges. Each is a unique individual with special gifts and contributions to make to the world. This book is the account, with helpful wisdom along the way, of an adoptive family s first twelve years, recounting how each child was claimed. Two Adults. Twelve Children. One Family. About the Authors: Bart, a United Methodist pastor, is an intentional and attentive father. He is the family s nurturer, who continues to learn what it means to be a non-anxious presence in the lives of his children. Claudia, an adoption professional, is the family disciplinarian, using techniques she learned as a college administrator combined with years of practical knowledge gained from parenting in the third degree. Together they share the roller coaster ride of parenting children with special needs who have a history of abuse or neglect. They combine a sense of humor, a strong faith, and unconditional love to face their daily challenges. They are the founders of Third Degree Parenting, LLC, an organization whose mission is to empower the written and spoken work of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to encourage, educate and strengthen parents.

P.S. I Love You. Jane E Mall. 1961. 166p. Concordia. Learn how the Mall family adopted 5 children within 30 months, and why.

Pact’s BookSource. Pact an Adoption Alliance. 1997. Pact Press. Pact’s BookSource is an outstanding reference guide to fiction and non-fiction books addressing and reflecting the issues of race, race relations, family diversity and cultural diversity. The books are wide-ranging, including items of interest to all who live in late-20th century America. This guide to over 1,000 books for children and adults offers synopses, reviews, publication information and ratings. The BookSource is divided into developmental stages, from the youngest among us through school-agers, teen-agers, and adults; within each section, selections are arranged by broad topic: race/culture, adoption and family life, enabling readers to browse through each section and locate a broad range of wonderful books that may either explicitly or implicitly address or reflect these important elements of our lives. There are also three indices at the back, allowing readers to locate books by title, author or theme. Thus, using my own family as an example: to consider some of the social and racial conditions America’s facing, I can find provocative and intriguing books on race relations written by some of our foremose public intellectuals; for my younger son, who is Black and is growing up with white parents, I can find board books reflecting children of all hues, interacting with adults who may or may not share the same skin tones. For my older son, who is white, I can find autobiographical accounts written by middle-school children who have grown up in multiracial families. For myself, I can find specialized accounts, written by well-regarded experts, regarding the psychological and cultural challenges encountered by children adopted transracially. And as a mother who wants to fill my house with the most beautiful and diverse books possible, I can browse through the reviews to find marvelous small-press titles I might not find in chain bookstores. — Anonymous review from Amazon.com, 5/25/98.

Parenting Adopted Adolescents: Understanding & Appreciating Their Journeys. Gregory C Keck, PhD. 2009. 240p. NavPress. From the Back Cover: Your adopted adolescent proclaims, “I can’t wait until I turn eighteen so I can leave!” And you celebrate your future liberation. If this scenario is too familiar, you’re not alone. And you’ve chosen the right resource for parenting strategies, tips, new suggestions, and insights to manage tough situations in your family. Dr. Gregory C. Keck—adoptive parent, psychologist, and adoption expert—helps you understand and appreciate the complicated journey that adopted adolescents face. And once you understand your role in their journey, you will be more effective in your role as a parent. About the Author: Gregory C. Keck, Ph.D., is a psychologist and adoptive parent of two sons who were adopted during adolescence. He founded the Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio, which specializes in treating children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and developmental interruptions. Dr. Keck is also the coauthor of Adopting the Hurt Child and Parenting the Hurt Child.

Parenting With Stories: Creating a Foundation of Attachment For Parenting Your Child. Melissa Nichols, MA, Denise Lacher, MA, & Joanne May, PhD. 2002. 40p. Family Attachment Center of Minnesota. This book presents a gentle, nurturing technique based on narrative therapy to help encourage a secure parent-child attachment relationship. Presented in a step by step workbook format, parents and professionals will find this technique easy to learn and helpful for healing trauma, building character, helping self esteem, relieving anxiety, and a variety of other problems. Based on Family Attachment Narrative Therapy, which was developed to work with children traumatized prior to age 2, Parenting with Stories is a valuable book for all parents and professionals.

Parenting Your Adopted Child: A Complete & Loving Guide. Stephanie Siegel. 1989. 204p. Prentice Hall. From infancy through the teenage years and beyond, Parenting Your Adopted Child is a practical manual for raising adopted children. For each stage of development, it provides advice on how to handle the issues of adoption, special situations, and common questions. In addition, this newest edition expands upon the challenges facing special needs adoptive families. There are even chapters about adult adoptees’ issues. Unique to this book, there is also a chapter for grandparents of adopted children.

Parenting Your Adopted Child: A Positive Approach to Building a Strong Family. Andrew Adesman, with Christine Adamec. 2004. 272p. McGraw-Hill. Parents of adopted children face some unique challenges in addition to all the “regular” issues that come with being a parent. Parenting Your Adopted Child provides helpful tools that enable families to understand and counter common myths about adoption that may be harmful to their children. It also clearly demonstrates how parents can effectively tailor their parenting approach to suit their child’s distinct needs. Written by a renowned pediatrician who specializes in helping adopted children and their families, Parenting Your Adopted Child answers such common concerns as: Why, when, and how do I explain adoption to my child and others? How can I help my child deal with adoption at different stages of life? How do I nurture a strong relationship between siblings? How do I bond with my newborn? About the Authors: Andrew Adesman, M.D. (Roslyn, NY) is chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Schneider Children’s Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Adesman also serves as director of the Adoption Evaluation Center and the neonatal developmental follow-up program at Schneider Children’s Hospital. Christine Adamec (Palm Bay, FL) is the author or coauthor of 16 books, including five on adoption-related topics.

Parents at Last: Celebrating Adoption & the New Pathways to Parenthood. Cynthia Peck & Wendy Wilkinson. Photographs by Helen Kolikow Garber. 1998. 160p. Crown. In the tradition of the bestselling “Sisters” and “Mothers & Daughters,” this touching book of portraits and reflections captures the spirit of those who beat the odds to create a family. In words and photographs, Parents at Last celebrates 32 couples and individuals who persevered in their quest to become parents, often in the face of formidable odds. These parents used any and every means available to them in order to bring a child into their lives, from adoption, both international and domestic, to high-tech medical procedures and even surrogacy. Their first-person narratives, accompanied by Helen Garber’s revealing photographs, share both the highs and the lows they encountered on their journeys.

Parents By Choice: An Insightful Guide Exploring Adoption to Build Your Family. Terese E & Darin J Deblander. 2004. 72p. iUniverse. Parents By Choice is a user-friendly book with easy to digest chapters, terminology, and questions concerning adoption and parenting of an infant and a toddler. Parents By Choice is an invaluable resource for potential parents, explaining the paperwork, financial, and emotional expectations of adoption as a normal, healthy option for creating a family. The authors, adoptive parents, present their story in an honest, engaging dialog full of knowledge and perspectives, which allow for a realistic view of living the process.

Parent’s Guide to Adoption, A. Robert S Lasnik. 1979. Sterling Publishing Co. Never before has the prospect of adopting a child been so confusing or perplexing to the adoptive parent as in contemporary America. Even as the laws are being changed by court decision and legislative action, the birth rate is declining, reducing the number of children available for adoption and so increasing the competition. In an up-to-date explanation of the situation, the author discusses recent changes in the laws and in the procedures affecting who may be adopted under what circumstances, along with the legal proceedings, the agencies involved, and the fees. He also covers pertinent legal side issues, such as conflicts in the right to privacy and black-market babies, and the psychological stresses accompanying adoption.

Patchwork Clan: How the Sweeney Family Grew. Doris Herold Lund. 1982. 178p. Little Brown. Book about a Connecticut family that adopted 17 children from various countries and ethnicities.

Patrick Calls Me Mother. Ann L Barley. Illustrated by Peter Burchard. 1948. 227p. Harper & Bros. Her father was horrified and her friends were appalled when Ann Barley decided that the absence of a husband need not prevent her from fulfilling her desire for motherhood. Deeply moved by the vision of Europe’s post-war orphans, she determined to find her child there and off she went, her baggage bursting with diapers and baby clothes in assorted sizes. For months, the little suits remained packed away as Ann combed Holland, Belgium and France for the one child who was to be her son. She eventually finds a nine-year-old, Patrick, who suits her, in France—and then begins the Battle of the Red Tape to get him back home to America.

Pattillo Higgins & the Search for Texas Oil. Henry C Dethloff; Robert W McDaniel. 1989. (Montague History of Oil Series #5). Texas A & M University Press. Granddaddy of the Texas Wildcatters. Located oil fields all over Texas and Louisiana—as many as 100 independent fields, some still unexplored. Often doubted and scoffed at, he has never yet been proven wrong. A colorful character, he was acquited in the murder trial of a law officer, experienced an intense religious conversion and married his adopted daughter.

Penguin Adoption Handbook, The: A Guide to Creating Your New Family. Edmund Blair Bolles. 1984. 244p. Viking Penguin. Completely updated to reflect changes in state and federal adoption laws and the rise of nontraditional adoption strategies, The Penguin Adoption Handbook takes readers step-by-step through the adoption process. An essential guide to adopting the child you want.

Personal Touch on...Adoption, A. Peter R Berlin & Jerry Stone, eds. 2005. 400p. A Personal Touch Publishing, LLC. Adoption is one of the most emotional and difficult decisions made in one’s lifetime, whether it be a loving couple, a single person, or a birthmother that wants the best for her child. There is so much to consider and so much to learn, and even more to do. That’s where A Personal Touch On...Adoption leads the way. This highly inspirational book has 84 helpful stories by people who have been through the highs and lows of the adoption process, getting the best reward of all: a child to love and love them. A Personal Touch On...Adoption helps makes adoption easier by learning from others’ experiences so you won’t have to say, "I’m sorry I didn’t know that" or "How come nobody told us?" Read about the right things to say and do and the mistakes to avoid to make your adoption go smoother. Read first-hand advice to help you prepare for your home study. Read how couples overcame the frustration and trauma of infertility to be rewarded with a loving baby. Adoption isn’t only about newborns. Read thought-provoking pieces on handling the issues that come up when adopting older children. Get advice from birthmothers on what they are looking for when they read a Dear Birthmother letter and read their suggestions for writing one. Find out how many navigated the maze to successfully bring home a child from a foreign country. The book is cram full of ideas, tips, suggestions and encouraging stories written by regular people like yourselves who have successfully been though the adoption process.

Pipes Are Calling, The: Our Jaunts Through Ireland. Niall Williams & Christine Breen. 1990. 220p. Soho Press. From Library Journal: The continuing annals of County Clare. The first volume (O Come Ye Back to Ireland) chronicled a young couple’s flight from Manhattan skyscraper to Irish cottage; the second (When Summer’s in the Meadow) added baby Deirdre; and this latest installment tells of forays with child across the Emerald Isle. The authors are superb surrogates for armchair tourists amused by an Ireland that is unfailingly charming in an invariably preindustrial sort of way. The latest is irresistible for the now identifiable Williams/Breen prose dialog recounting travel through familiar places (Dublin, Kerry, etc.) in a familiar manner (bed-and-breakfast).

Poppo. Josef Berger. 1962. 192p. Simon & Schuster. This is the true story of an enchanting nine-year-old urchin, Puerto Rico-born Poppo, who decides to adopt a middle-aged Brooklyn couple as his parents. Like a tiny dynamo putting out an alternating current of wild affection and inexhaustible mischief, Poppo bursts into the calm life of his neighbors, Joe and Dottie Berger. They find him irresistible, and a warm friendship develops. But Poppo wants more. He wants to move into their house and become Josef Berger, Jr.

Post-Adoption Blues, The: Overcoming the Unforseen Challenges of Adoption. Karen J Foli & John R. Thompson. 2004. 224p. Rodale Books. Over 150,000 people adopt children each year, and more than 2 million parents are now raising adopted children and grandchildren. While the path to parenting through adoption is rich with rewards and fulfillment, it’s not without its bumps. This compassionate, illuminating, and ultimately uplifting book is the first to openly recognize the very normal feelings of stress that adoptive families encounter as they cope with the challenges and expectations of their new families. Where do parents turn when the waited-for bonding with their adopted child is slow to form? When they find themselves grieving over the birth child they couldn’t have? When the child they so eagerly welcomed into their home arrives with major, unexpected needs? Until now, adoptive parents have had to struggle silently with their feelings, which can range from flutters of anxiety to unbearable sadness. At last, Karen J. Foli, a registered nurse, and her husband, John R. Thompson, a psychiatrist, lift the curtain of secrecy from “Post Adoption Depression Syndrome” (PADS). Drawing on their own experience as adoptive parents as well as interviews with dozens of adoptive families and experts in the field, the couple offers parents the understanding, support, and concrete solutions they need to overcome post-adoption blues and open their hearts to the joy adoption can bring. About the Authors: Karen J. Foli, Ph.D., holds a Doctorate in communications research from the University of Illinois (1990) and a Masters degree in nursing (1985) from Indiana University. She is the author of Like Sound Through Water: A Mother’s Journey Through Auditory Processing Disorder (Atria Books, 2002), a memoir in which she chronicled her birth son’s difficulties in processing sounds correctly. With years of experience in teaching, clinical experience, consulting, and research, Karen is currently a senior medical writer at a pharmaceutical company. John R. Thompson, M.D., is a board-certified psychiatrist and a graduate of Indiana University School of Medicine (1984). Based in Indianapolis, he practices psychiatric medicine across the lifespan, specializing in child and adolescent issues. In his work, he counsels both adoptive and kinship patients who are struggling with post-adoption stress and depression. The married couple resides in Bloomington, Indiana with their three children, three cats, and four dogs. Visit the Authors’ website.

Practical Guide to Adoption Subsidy for Adoptive Families & Advocates, A. Timothy P O’Hanlon, PhD. 2004. 156p. Adoption Subsidy Advocates. The Subsidy Guidebook is written for adoptive parents, attorneys and the friends of adopted children. It attempts to provide readers with a map through each phase of the federal Title IV-E adoption assistance program: Eligibility; The Amount and Types of Assistance; Appealing Agency Decisions and Applying for Assistance After the Adoption is Finalized. No publication can guarantee successful outcomes, of course, but we hope that the book with provide readers with enough practical advice and access to information to enable them to serve as more effective advocates for special needs children. Parents need to know state adoption assistance regulations so they understand what state officials are telling them. Initial administrative hearings will also emphasize state policies and regulations. Federal law also leaves some margin for interpretation, giving rise to disputes over whether a particular state policy is consistent with federal law. By familiarizing themselves with state adoption assistance policies, parents can also better discern if there may be a conflict between state and federal law. The pre-eminence of federal law becomes more important as parents proceed up the appeals ladder. The Guidebook focuses on the federal adoption assistance program, but attempts to provide readers access to state laws and regulations in the Appendix section. In some cases, the reader can visit pertinent state regulations or laws by clicking on a live link to an appropriate web site. In other cases, where the state does not provide free access, the reader is directed to a contact person to request copies of adoption assistance regulations. Live links, to federal policy statements, cases, laws and regulations appear throughout the main body of the text. Available to download as e-Book (PDF format).

Practical Tools for Foster Parents: Based on Girls & Boys Town’s Common Sense Parenting. Lana Temple-Plotz, MS, Ted P Stricklett, MS, Christina R Baker, MSW, & Michael N Sterba, MHD. 2002. 309p. (Foster Care Solutions). Boys Town Press. More than half a million children today live in out-of-home care, and many have special problems. The need for well-trained, loving foster parents has never been greater. With this book, Girls and Boys Town offers these committed people the professional tools they need to not only care for foster children but to actually help them get better. New or experienced foster parents as well as grandparents and other relatives caring for a child forced from home by a crisis will find help and hope in this book. About the Author The editors have years of experience in Girls and Boys Town’s Foster Family Services and other youth care programs.

Private Adoption Handbook, The: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Legal, Emotional & Practical Demands of Adopting a Baby. Stanley B Michelman & Meg Schneider. 1988. 220p. Villard Books. Every year two million couples try to adopt a child, but only 60 thousand succeed. If they manage to meet the stringent requirements of social service agencies, couples will wind up waiting for years to adopt a healthy newborn. Now, leading adoption lawyer Stanley Michelman and adoptive parent Meg Schneider have combined their experience and knowledge in a comprehensive handbook.

Private Adoption In Virginia. Robert H Klima. 2004. 116p. Crown Oak Press. This book explains in detail the process of parental placement adoption in Virginia.