Cabbage Patch Kids: One Special Child. M Jan Carr. Illustrated by Christina Ong. 1992. (Cabbage Patch Kids Series). (gr ps-3). Scholastic. Welcome to the wonderful world of the Cabbage Patch Kids. Each one is different. Each one is special. And they’re all waiting for you to come and play with them. All Emma Ann wants is one special child—one special child to love her and adopt her. Will her wish ever come true?

Cabbage Patch Kids: The Just-Right Family. Larry Callan. Illustrated by Judy Gailen. 1984. Parker Bros. In The Just-Right Family, Laura Sue, a Cabbage Patch Kid who thought that no one would ever adopt her, finds a new family in a most surprising way.

Cabbage Patch Kids: The Shyest ’Kid in the ’Patch. Mark Taylor. Illustrated by Lynn Lace. 1984. Parker Brothers. In The Shyest ’Kid in the ’Patch, the other ’Kids wonder if the shy one among them really likes the rest. She shows in her own special way how much the other Cabbage Patch Kids mean to her.

Cabbage Patch Kids: Xavier’s Fantastic Discovery. Mark Taylor. Illustrated by Lucinda McQueen. 1984. Parker Brothers. The world of the Cabbage Patch Kids is filled with both the loving relationships between,and the adventures of the Cabbage Patch Kids as they try to outwit the nasty Lavendar McDade and her gang. In Xavier’s Fantastic Discovery, a boy named Xavier discovers the Cabbage Patch and learns all about the Cabbage Patch Kids and their world.

Cairo Hughes. Millie Murray. 1996. 224p. (gr 6-8). Women’s Press Ltd (UK). Cairo Hughes’s parents always told her that when they first picked her up, they knew they loved her and wanted her as their daughter. The fact that she was a different color didn’t matter when she was young, but now that she is 16, Cairo feels uneasy in the world of whites, even within her own family. Then she meets Diane, a beautiful, friendly, and confident black teen, and she and her family begin to teach Cairo in the ways of being proud of one’s heritage. Cairo learns many wonderful new things, but one concern is always with herthe reason her birth mother gave her up. She must find out to be truly free. This British import incorporates positive images of a young black girl’s determination to find out who she is. The overall feeling is upbeat, not only with the family portrayed, but also within her circle of friends and acquaintances. However, there aren’t enough dramatic highs and lows to capture effectively the main character’s dilemma. Also, teens will have a hard time understanding the literal dialect of the Jamaican grandmother, as well as some of the British phrases. There aren’t many novels that deal with finding one’s heritage and birth parents. Jean Davies Okimoto’s Molly by Any Other Name, e.g., explores an Asian girl’s search for her heritagebut this one is more purpose-oriented than skillful told. — Jana R. Fine, Clearwater Public Library System, FL, Library Journal.

Call Me the Canyon. Ann Howard Creel. 2006. 205p. (YA). Brown Barn Books. Madolen yearns to see life in the world outside the red walls of her canyon. Leaving her reclusive gold-panning father, she is adopted by a kind Mormon family, but the unexpected death of a member of that family forces her to leave them. Now on her own, she finds work as a canyon guide for a handsome young Easterner and falls in love with him. But will life with him replace her canyon? In the background, the lure of gold and the dangerous beauty of the West’s great canyons and mountains always call Madolen, along with the voices of her ancestors—the Navajo Old ones—and the song of Madolen’s own canyon.

Carmine Gets Adopted! Robyn Scheina Brown. Illustrated by Russell Rigo. 2000. (gr ps-3). Great Quotations.

Carnivorous Carnival, The. Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2002. 304p. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #9). (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. From School Library Journal: This installment in the woeful tale of the unlucky Baudelaire orphans takes them (via the trunk of Count Olaf’s car, unbeknownst to him) to the Caligari Carnival in the middle of the hinterlands. Madame Lulu has used her crystal ball in the past to help him find the children after their narrow escapes, but this time he also wants her to discern the truth about whether or not either of their parents is still alive. Violet, Klaus, and Sunny disguise themselves as freaks so that they can stay at the carnival and hopefully get to the crystal ball before the Count does. They suffer the indignation of performing in their new roles, face off a bloodthirsty mob, and escape from a pit of hungry lions. New and deviously entertaining characters are added to the cast, including Kevin the ambidextrous man, Colette the contortionist, and Hugo the hunchback. The humor is as sharp as ever, the suspense will keep readers at the edge of their seats, and the cliff-hanger ending will make them eagerly await the next episode. — Heather Dieffenbach, Lexington Public Library, KY; © 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Cat Morgan, Working Girl. Marilyn Kaye. 1991. 135p. (gr 4-7). (Three of a Kind No 5). Harper.

Cat That Was Left Behind, The. Carol S Adler. 1982. 146p. (gr 3-6). Clarion Books. Thirteen-year-old Chad doesn’t think his new foster family will be any better than the others, but after getting to know them during a summer at the Cape and after meeting a stray cat, he begins to change his mind.

Caught in the Act. Joan Lowery Nixon. 1988. 150p. Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers. In this second novel in the “Orphan Train Quartet,” eleven-year-old Michael Patrick Kelly from New York City is sent to a foster home in Missouri, a farm with a sadistic owner, a bullying son, and a number of secrets, one of which may be murder. The “Orphan Train Quartet” was inspired by true stories of children sent from New York to new homes in the West between 1854 and 1929.

Changeover, The: A Supernatural Romance. Margaret Mahy. 1984. 214p. (gr 7 up). JM Dent & Sons (UK). The face in the mirror. When she saw it, Laura knew that something dreadful was going to happen. It had happened before. The only way to save those she loves from evil is to change over—to join with the extraordinary Sorenson Carlisle and release her own supernatural powers. About the Author: Margaret Mahy is a New Zealander who also wrote The Haunting for which she won the 1982 Carnegie Medal. [Pictured: Fist American Edition]

Charmed Life. Diana Wynne Jones. 1977. (gr 5-10). Macmillan London Ltd (UK). Everybody says that Gwendolyn Chant is a gifted witch with astonishing powers, so it suits her enormously when she is taken to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Her brother Eric (better known as Cat) is not so keen. However, life with the great enchanter is no Grade A. Cat doesn’t mind living in the shadow of his sister, Gwendolen, the most promising young witch ever seen on Coven Street. But trouble starts brewing the moment the two orphans are summoned to live in Chrestomanci Castle. Frustrated that the witches of the castle refuse to acknowledge her talents, Gwendolen conjures up a scheme that could throw whole worlds out of whack. A bewitching comic fantasy by a master of the supernatural.

Cheetah Girls, The: Who’s ’Bout to Bounce?. Deborah Gregory. 1999. 96p. (gr 4-7). Jump At The Sun. Dorinda’s dance teacher tells her that she’s got what it takes to audition as a back-up dancer for the singing sensation Money Monique. This is Dorinda’s chance to really make But since Dorinda has always been the best dancer in Cheetah Girlz, she’s been the one to make up the group’s “phat” dance moves. If she gets chosen to tour with Money Monique, she’ll have to leave The Cheetah Girlz Mrs. Bosco, her foster mother, behind.

Chicken Cat, The. Stephanie Simpson McLellan. Illustrated by Sean Cassidy. 2000. 36p. (gr ps-3). Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd. Merlin is an abandoned kitten who comes to live in the barn. Guinevere the hen takes him under her wing. The start of this story, as hen and cat bond, is both funny and sweet. When Merlin is eventually adopted by a little girl, the story gets more convoluted. Merlin likes his new home, but he misses Guinevere, so he decides to learn the one thing she has always wanted to do—fly—which he does with remarkable ease. He takes his chicken-mom on a flight, but he returns to his new owner. Some listeners may be confused by this ending, especially because “Guinevere knows she had been born for Merlin, and Merlin had been born for her,” a phrase repeated several times. What children will respond to are the affection the two feel for each other and Merlin’s determined desire to fulfill Guinevere’s dreams of flying. The sunny artwork, which veers between the realistic (the African American girl and her mother) and the slightly cartoonish (the hen) makes up for what the story lacks. — Ilene Cooper; © American Library Association. All rights reserved.

Child is a Child, A. Brigitte Weninger. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. 2004. 32p. (gr ps-3). Putnam Publishing Group. When Mama Frog and Father Frog disappear, two little frog children are left all alone. Blackbird, Mole and Hedgehog would all like to help, but no one knows how. When Mama Mouse shows up and agrees to take them in, she simply says, “A child is a child, and all children need a place to live and play, good food, and someone who loves them.” So all the animals pitch in to help, doing what each does best. Hedgehog gathers worms to eat, Mole digs a bedroom, and Blackbird fetches a water pail for their bath. Everyone gets into the act, and Mama Mouse proves that if at first glance we may seem to be very different, in the end we’re not so different at all! Perfect for preschools and kindergartens, this charming tale has a universal message, expertly brough to life by the team that produced the popular Davy books (see also, Davy in the Middle). About the Authors: Bridgett Weminger liveswith her son in Kaufstein, Austria, where she is a kindergarden teacher. Eve Tharlet was bor in France and spent most of her childhood in Germany. She studied art in Strasbourg, France.

Chill in the Lane, A. Mabel Esther Allan. 1968. 157p. Harcourt, Brace & World. While vacationing with her family in Cornwall, a sixteen-year-old adopted girl finds herself strangely and frighteningly involved with the past. 

Choice Summer. Shirley Brinkerhoff. 1996. 182p. (Nikki Sheridan Series #1). (gr 4-7). Focus on the Family Publishing. Life for 16-year-old Nikki Sheridan has always been the same no surprises, no scrapes, no crises, no escapes. This summer will change all that. Her worst fears confirmed, Nikki’s plans come to a screeching halt when she realizes that, for the first time in her life, the choice is hers to make. What will she decide? And can she follow through with it? About the Author: Shirley Brinkerhoff is the author of the Nikki Sheridan Series, as well as Missionary at Home. She holds a master’s degree from Western Michigan University, a bachelor’s from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, and received the Alpha Award at the 1994 Sandy Cove Writer’s Conference. She has three children and lives in Maryland. By the Same Author: Mysterious Love (1996); Narrow Walk (1997); Balancing Act (1998); Tangled Web (2000); and Second Choices (2000).

Chosen Baby, The. Valentina P Wasson. Illustrated by Hildegard Woodward. 1939. 48p. Carrick & Evans; Foreword By Sophie Van S Theis. 1950 (1st revised edition). (For the new edition, “the changes of over a decade, ranging from fashions in dress to methods of child care, have led the author and illustrator to prepare a new edition of the book.”); 1977. Illustrated by Glo Coalson. 46p. (gr k-3). Lippincott. The Chosen Baby is a simple storybook, written for the author’s own son, that starts with the familiar refrain, “Once upon a time...” First published in 1939, it has been revised and newly illustrated. Although to some extent dated, it can still provide a springboard to the process of telling a child about adoption. Read the 1950 edition online.

Christmas For Holly. Dorothy Hamilton. Illustrated by Esther Rose Graber. 1971. 110p. Herald Press. The story of a girl without a family who, having gone from foster home to foster home, is apprehensive when she is sent to live with a family after the closing of the children’s home. But this Christmas promises to be a surprise.

Christmas Chanukah Wish, A. Irene Buggy. Illustrated by Ileana Nadal. 2009. 30p. (gr ps-3). CEI. Katie’s family celebrates Christmas and Chanukah every year. Each holiday season, Katie wishes for a baby brother or sister. After several years, Katie’s wish comes true in a surprising and wonderful way.

Cindy’s Glory. Joanna Campbell. 1995. (YA). (Thoroughbred #14). HarperCollins. When Cindy is adopted, life couldn’t possibly get better! She is happy living at Whitebrook Farm and riding Glory, the stolen colt that she rescued from abuse. But suddenly Cindy’s worst nightmares begin to come true when her adoption is not approved and the colt’s real owner puts him on the auction block.

Circle of Love. Joan Lowery Nixon. 1997. 176p. (The Orphan Train Adventures Series #7). (YA). Random House Children’s Books. The Civil War has officially ended and Frances Mary Kelly’s true love, Johnny, is back from the war. But to Frances’s dismay, Johnny is hesitant to marry her. Attempting to ease her aching heart, Frances accepts an offer to go to New York City and escort a group of orphans out West to new homes. Along the way, she must deal with a flood of painful memories and a threatening stranger. Will Frances be able to complete her mission... and return home to find out what her future will be?

Clara’s Road. Sarah Perry. 2005. 64p. Epic Press. Eleven-year-old Clara Reid’s life changed in an instant the night her parents’ car slid off an icy road, killing them both. She thought she would be able to stay in Tilson and live with Aunt Nini, but her parents had made other plans for her. They’d left instructions in their will that Clara was to go live with Matthew and Rosa Brightman, people Clara had never met. So now, still heavy with grief, Clara must leave Tilson, Aunt Nini, her friends and her beloved dog Riley. Alone in a strange town with strangers, Clara must find her way. Can Clara learn to accept the Brightmans as her new parents? Can she get past her grief and anger and find happiness? About the Author: Sarah Perry grew up in Kingston, Ontario. She makes Kingston her home with her husband, Cliff, and their three children, Ashley, Shyann and Tristan. She is the author of Viola’s Violin, a junior/intermediate novel, and a children’s Christmas book entitled The Best Birthday Ever, as well as short stories and newspaper articles.

Clara’s Test. Sarah Perry. 2006. 64p. Epic Press. Clara Reid is having a really bad year. First, her parents are killed in a car crash and she has to leave her home and go live in a new town with new parents. She has to leave her friends, Aunt Nini and her dog, Riley, and start all over. At first things were okay, all things considered. Her new parents, the Brightman’s, were really nice to her: they cooked her favourite meals, didn’t bug her about her homework and pretty much let her have her own way. Then things began to change. The Brightman’s started acting like real parents. They’d even grounded her! Her new best friend was mad at her, there was a big track meet coming up that she wasn’t nearly ready for and Clara was in such a bad mood all the time that even her dog would tuck tail and run when he saw her. Could things possibly get any worse? Is Clara strong enough to carry on? About the Author: Sarah Perry grew up in Kingston, Ontario. She makes Kingston her home with her husband, Cliff, and their three children, Ashley, Shyann and Tristan. She is the author of Viola’s Violin, a junior/intermediate novel, and a children’s Christmas book entitled The Best Birthday Ever, as well as short stories and newspaper articles.

Claudia & the Great Search. Ann M Martin. (Babysitter’s Club #33). (gr 4-6). 1990. 192p. Scholastic. To figure out why she and her sister, Janine, are so different, thirteen-year-old Claudia begins a search through the family photo albums and comes up with the only solution: she must have been adopted!

Clockwork Twin, The. Walter Brooks. Illustrated by Kurt Wiese. 1937. 242p. Alfred A Knopf. In The Clockwork Twin, Freddy the Pig reprises his most famous role—as detective!—and Walter Brooks’s talking animals rollick through amazing adventures. They talk, dance, sing, joke, and work out intricate problems. When a mechanical double is rigged up by Mr. Bean’s brother, Uncle Ben (who is an eccentric inventor), as a friend and playmate for the Beans’ adopted boy, Adoniram, a comedy of errors ensues. The Bean Farm animals then decide to look for Adoniram’s real-life brother—it’s a job for Freddy the detective.

Cloud Forest. Joan North. 1965. 192p. (gr 5-10). Rupert Hart-Davis (UK). Andrew Badger’s life has not been happy. Taken from an orphanage and adopted by a woman teacher, twelve-year-old Andrew lives uneasily as the only boy in a girls’ boarding school in England. He himself attends a school for local boys and girls in a nearby town, but his free time is spent at Searly House, where is “Aunt Badger” teaches and where he is expected to make himself very scarce indeed. Marion Badger shows no fondness for her adopted son, who grows more and more unhappy and withdrawn. He is especially reluctant to go to Annerlie Hall, on old manor house on the edge of the school grounds, where Sir Edward Annerlie lives with his invalid brother. The headmistress of the school, Miss Spencer, often sends Andrew to deliver a message to Sir Edward. In Annerlie Hall, Andrew senses a strangeness—an evil presence, almost—which makes him feel uncomfortable. Andrew’s life changes for the better when, by chance, he meets Ronnie Peters, a student at Searly House, a girl who is quite content to be what Miss Spencer calls “an odd child.” Ronnie takes an immediate interest in Andrew and his problems. Together they become involved in a strange search for Andrew’s identity and for the meaning of experiences beyond their comprehension—a search in which they are guided by some who wish them well and hindered by others who wish them ill. About the Author: Joan North lives in England, is the wife of a professor of mathematics and the mother of two small daughters. She served in the WAAF during World War II. The Cloud Forest is her first book.

Clue of the Broken Locket, The. Carolyn Keene (pseudonym). 1934. 219p. (A Nancy Drew Mystery). Grosset & Dunlap. A broken locket provides the important clue in leading Nancy to the real parents of the twins who were adopted by pushy singer Kitty Blair and her dominated husband Johnny. The first of 15 novels by ghostwriter Mildred Wirt (Mildred Wirt wrote the manuscript based upon an outline by Edna Squire; Harriet S. Adam edited the book). About “Carolyn Keene”: Carolyn Keene is a pen name that was used by many different people—both men and women—over the years. The company that was the creator of the Nancy Drew series, the Stratemeyer Syndicate, hired a variety of writers. For Nancy Drew, the writers used the pseudonym to assure anonymity of the creator. Edna and Harriet Stratemeyer inherited the company from their father Edward Stratemeyer. Edna contributed 10 plot outlines before passing the reins to her sister. While Harriet is often credited as Carolyn Keene, several other authors assumed the pseudonym of Caroyn Keene. Starting in 1953, Harriet authored 24 volumes. In 1959, Harriet, along with several writers, began a 25-year project to revise the earlier novels. The Nancy Drew books were condensed, racial stereotypes were removed, and the language was updated. In a few cases, outdated plots were completely rewritten. Other writers of Nancy Drew volumes include Mildred Wirt Benson, who created 23 novels, including the first three Nancy Drew novels. The role of writing under the Carolyn Keene pseudonym passed temporarily to Walter Karig, who wrote three novels during the Great Depression. Also contributing to Nancy Drew’s prolific existence were Leslie McFarlane, James Duncan Lawrence, Nancy Axelrod, Priscilla Doll, Charles Strong, Alma Sasse, Wilhelmina Rankin, George Waller Jr., and Margaret Scherf.

Cora & the Elephants. Lissa Rovetch. Illustrated by Martha Weston & Lissa Rovestch. 1995. 32p. (gr ps-3). Viking Press. Cora, a castaway child who was adopted and raised by African elephants, persuades her elephant mother and father to travel with her to San Francisco in search of her roots.

Coven, The. Cate Tiernan. Lisa Moore, ed. 2001. 192p. (YA). Puffin. Morgan’s powers are stronger than she ever imagined. She has visions, she lights fires with her mind, and her spells work miracles. When her boyfriend Cal, a member of the same coven, insists that witchcraft is in her blood, Morgan is confused. Her parents definitely aren’t witches. They do seem to be keeping something secret, though-something about Morgan’s past. . By the Same Author: Book of Shadows and Full Circle.

Crackerjack Halfback. Matt Christopher. Illustrated by Foster Cadell. 1962. 136p. (gr 4-7). Little Brown. Freddie Chase is a good football player with one major flaw: He’s afraid to tackle. He tries hard to cover up his fear, but soon Coach Sears and the other Sandpipers know all about it. The team is fighting to finish the season at the top of the league, but how can they hope to succeed when one of their players lets the opposition run right by him? Coach Sears has no choice but to take Freddie out of the lineup. Now it’s up to Freddie to earn his way back onto the starting team. But can he overcome his fear?

Crane Maiden, The. Miyoko Matsutani. Illustrated by Chihiro Iwasaki. English version by Alvin Tresselt. 1968. (gr k-3). Parents Magazine Press. To reward the Japanese man who saved its life, a crane brings the old man and his wife a daughter, happiness, and wealth until their curiosity spoils their good fortune.

Crow & Hawk: A Traditional Pueblo Indian Story. Retold by Michael Rosen. Illustrated by John Clementson. 1995. 32p. (gr ps-3). Harcourt, Brace & Co. Crow lays a clutch of eggs and sits on them. She soon tires of sitting on them and flies away. Hawk comes by, hatches and rears the baby crows as her own. Crow returns and wants to claim the chicks. Crow and Hawk ask Eagle, king of the birds, to decide who keeps the chicks.

Crowstarver, The. Dick King-Smith.1998. 188p. (gr 4-7). Doubleday. When Tom the shepherd comes across a wailing little bundle in the lambing pens, it changes his life. He and his wife are childless and are delighted to adopt the baby, but soon realize that “Spider” is no ordinary child. He has a strange special gift, for he can communicate with animals.

Crying Rocks, The. Janet Taylor Lisle. 2003. 199p. (gr 7-9). Simon & Schuster Children’s. About Joelle’s life before she was found—brought in from the railway depot, a scrawny five-year-old child—there isn’t a lot known for sure. “And don’t ask me! I can’t remember anything,” she snaps at anyone who pries, including the weird kid named Carlos who sits in the back row in Spanish class. But when Carlos, collector of arrowheads and Native American lore, tells her she looks like a girl in an old painting of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Indians, Joelle can’t help sneaking a look. She’s surprised by a flicker of recognition. It’s Carlos who leads her through the forest to the ancient Crying Rocks, where howls on windy days are thought to be the spirit voices of children long ago, flung from the boulders to early death. The terrible story draws Joelle into the downdraft of her own memory, to a window, a shadowy mother, a freight train escape from Chicago. It also leads her toward the history of a lost American people, and the discovery of a rare kind of courage that runs deep in her family.

Curse of the Spider King. Wayne Thomas Batson & Christopher Hopper. 2009. 384p. (The Berinfell Prophecies Series Book One). (gr 4-7). Thomas Nelson. The Seven succeeding Elven Lords of Allyra were dead, lost in the Siege of Berinfell as babes. At least that’s what everyone thought until tremors from a distant world known as Earth, revealed strange signs that Elven blood lived among its peoples. With a glimmer of hope in their hearts, sentinels are sent to see if the signs are true. But theirs is not a lone errand. The ruling warlord of Allyra, the Spider King, has sent his own scouts to hunt down the Seven and finish the job they failed to complete many ages ago. Now 13-year-olds on the brink of the Age of Reckoning when their Elven gifts will be manifest, discover the unthinkable truth that their adoptive families are not their only kin. With mysterious Sentinels revealing breathtaking secrets of the past, and dark strangers haunting their every move, will the young Elf Lords find the way back to the home of their birth? Worlds and races collide as the forces of good and evil battle. Will anyone escape the Curse of the Spider King?

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Daddy-Long-Legs. Jean Webster. 1912. 304p. (YA). The Century Co. Daddy-Long-Legs is the tale of Jerusha (Judy) Abbott, the oldest, smartest and cutest girl in the orphanage from hell, and her mysterious benefactor, Jervis Pendleton, whom she calls Daddy-Long-Legs, who rescues her and sends her to school. A surprisingly modern heroine for a turn-of-the-century novel. (The story was adapted for the stage; and then for the movies in 1919, starring Mary Pickford; 1931, starring Janet Gaynor and Warren Baxter; and 1955, starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron.)

Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn. April Lurie. 2002. 208p. (gr 4-7). Delacorte Books for Young Readers. For thirteen-year-old Judy Strand, summers in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, bustle with games of stickball played in the street, fun-filled outings to neighboring Coney Island, and her family’s yearly trip to the Catskill Mountains. But in July 1944, Judy’s carefree days and her innocence are shaken by a discovery: The man she’s always called Pa isn’t her real father. Even more shocking, Judy learns that the father she doesn’t remember was an alcoholic who abandoned his family. That’s why Judy’s mother emigrated to America from Norway. Now Judy feels jumbled inside: She’s angry at her mother for keeping the truth from her—and she’s suddenly awkward around Pa. Nothing her parents say soothes the hurt. At first, even the attentions of Jacob Jacobsen don’t make her feel any better. Judy likes Jacob; it’s just that his dad’s drinking binges hit too close to home. Ashamed, Judy doesn’t want anyone to find out her secret. But as misfortune befalls Jacob, Judy’s close friends, and her own family, Judy rallies to their side, and in the process recognizes that growing up encompasses forgiveness—of others and of herself.

Dancing Naked. Shelley Hrdlitschka. 2001. 249p. (YA). Orca Book Publishers. Kia, the 16-year-old lead character in Dancing Naked, gets pregnant, having properly used a condom during her first and only tryst. The father of her child is not a mature, responsible or even particularly likeable guy. Maybe it is a mistake to sleep with someone for their looks, but that’s hardly an error made only by adolescents. At the hospital for her baby’s birth, Kia visits an 80-year-old woman named Grace who is dying of cancer. They first met when Kia had volunteered at a senior’s “home.” Confined to a wheelchair, Grace tells Kia a story from her own youth. “Our heads are often at odds with our bodies,” Grace tells Kia, “and it doesn’t change in old age. I still feel young at heart. I’d like to jump out of this wheelchair and dance naked in the moonlight, but, obviously I can’t. When I was young and lithe, I didn’t, because my head told my body not to. Now it’s the other way around.” After becoming pregnant, Kia almost has an abortion. She jumps off the medical table at the last moment, crying out for them to stop. Dancing Naked follows Hrdlitschka’s Beans on Toast, about a teenage girl coping with her parents’ divorce, and two novels about twin teenage boys who were separated at birth, Disconnected and Tangled Web. About the Author: Shelley discovered her love for children’s literature while teaching elementary school in the eighties. So, while on a parenting leave, she began writing children’s stories. It took ten years, but she eventually decided to focus on juvenile and young adult fiction and published her first two books in the same year. She plans to continue writing young adult fiction and hopes to address many of the same issues that young people face today.  Visit the Author’s Website. By the Same Author: Disconnected and Tangled Web.

Dancing Shoes. Noel Streatfeild. Illustrated by Richard Floethe. 1958. 273p. (gr 4-9). Random House. Aunt Cora is determined to turn two orphans, perky Hilary and sullen Rachel, into members of her dance troupe. But Rachel wants to keep Hilary from being one of Wintle’s Little Wonders—is it selfishness or something else? Misunderstandings and a spoiled cousin come together for a tale full of high drama. Originally published in 1957 by Collins (UK) as Wintle’s Wonders.

Dancing With Elvis. Lynda Stephenson. 2005. 323p. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. It’s 1956, and ever since she and her mother rescued Angel Musseldorf from her abusive parents, Frankilee Baxter has been miserable. In addition to being more pretty, popular, and talented than Frankilee, Angel moves in, steals Frankilee’s clothing, and begins dating the boy Frankilee likes. At the same time, Frankilee’s community is struggling with the issue of school integration. What keeps Frankilee going is her fantasy about Elvis Presley rescuing her from life in Clover, TX. But this restless teenager is a realist and doesn’t wait around for things to get worse. She devises a plan to get rid of Angel, begins a local Elvis fan club, and works to promote integration. What Frankilee doesn’t bargain for is becoming involved in a burglary, an elaborate kidnapping scheme, and a shooting. With humor and heart, Dancing with Elvis tells of one young woman’s coming of age in the South during a time of change in America’s history. About the Author: Lynda Stephenson grew up in a small town in Texas and now lives with her husband and her cat, Elvis, in Edmond, Oklahoma. Dancing with Elvis began as a short story, but Lynda decided to “stick with Frankilee and see her through her troubles.” The result is her first published novel.

Dangerous Promise, A. Joan Lowery Nixon. 1994. 148p. (The Orphan Train Adventures Series #5). (YA). Delacorte. From School Library Journal: The Civil War is raging and Mike Kelly, 12, who came to the Midwest on an orphan train, runs away from home with his friend Todd to join the Union Army. As musicians in the Second Kansas Infantry, they make a long and difficult march into Missouri, where they encounter General McCulloch’s Missouri Guard at the arduous Battle of Wilson’s Creek. Mike is wounded and left for dead; Todd is brutally killed. Mike looks on in agony while a man takes an heirloom pocket watch from his friend’s body-he’d promised Todd he’d return it to his sister if anything ever happened to him. He is rescued by a Confederate soldier-someone he’d known on the orphan train-and eventually rejoins his regiment and has several adventures and close calls with Confederate sympathizers along the way. His overriding mission, however, is to retrieve Todd’s watch. Nixon writes energetically and maintains an aura of adventure and danger. She clearly portrays the horrors of war, and the particular agony of this war. Her characters are finely drawn and multifaceted, the plot is lively, and the details are well chosen. This is history come to life. — Joyce Adams Burner, formerly at Spring Hill Middle School, KS; © 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Dangerous Relations. Carolyn Keene. 1993. 160p. (The Nancy Drew Files Series, No 82). (gr 4-7). Pocket Books. Nancy’s in Sarasota, Florida, winter site of the Grand Royal Circus, to help trapeze artist Natalia Petronov look into her heritage. Adopted as an infant, Natalia is now determined to find her real father. But as Nancy searches for clues in a shadowy past, one thing becomes instantly clear in the present: Natalia’s life is at risk! Natalia flies through the air with the greatest of ease—until someone messes with her trapeze. And whoever’s playing tricks is definitely not clowning around. The circus of danger is about to begin, and in the center ring lies a deadly secret. The search for the truth could lead Natalia—or Nancy—to take a hard fall ... without a net!

Danielle, Where Are You?. Cindy Roberts. Illustrated by Kristina Paquette. 2003. 35p. (gr ps-3). Xlibris Corporation. Danielle, Where Are You? is an adoption story written for young children ages three to eight years old. It is a true story told in fairy tale form, with colorful, imaginative illustrations and lively text. Enjoy visiting many foreign lands while searching for Danielle. This book was specially written to help explain adoption to young children. About the Author: Cindy Roberts lives in Southern California with her husband and six kids. Three of her kids were adopted internationally as older children. This is when Cindy’s writing career came alive. As a way to explain adoption to her children, she created their own adoption story as fairy tales in a picture book. Then, on the kids’ special “Happy Adoption Day” at school, she would share these stories in the kids’ classrooms. Other books the author has written are Chinese New Year For Kids, an educational arts and crafts book, and Dear Sam & Dani: An Adoption Journal. Cindy enjoys lecturing at adoption lectures.

Dark Shade. Jane Louise Curry. 1998. 168p. (gr 6-9). Margaret K McElderry Books. Sixteen-year-old Maggie attempts to save recently orphaned Kip from permanently going back in time to 1758 as an adopted Lenape in the primeval forests of western Pennsylvania.

Dasher Gets Adopted: A Story of Love, Trust & Family. Julie Hatley. Illustrated by Shay Jones. 2000. 32p. (gr k-3). Shine Publications. Dasher Gets Adopted is ideal for parents introducing a new family member to the household. Dasher is a beautiful greyhound who loves to feel the wind swishing past her face and the sand spraying behind her feet as she sprints around the race track. She is confident because she knows where she lives and what is expected of her. One day, all this changes. Dasher learns she is being adopted and meets her new family for the first time. Suddenly, everything and everyone around her is different. John, Georgia, and their son Bobby, love Dasher and want her to be happy. But Dasher is confused and scared. Dasher’s hope that everything will work out is crushed as she makes mistake after mistake. Frightened and unsure, she flees, but soon finds herself lost and in danger from cars and traffic. John, Georgia, and Bobby find Dasher, and are relieved that she is safe and unharmed. They bring her home, where they begin again to be a family. Time, patience, and bonding through shared activites, helps Dasher learn to love and trust her family. She realizes that adoption is a good thing and that she is very lucky.

David’s Father. Robert N Munsch. 1983. 32p. (gr ps-3). Firefly (Canada). David’s Father was a made-to-order bedtime story for my daughter Julie. She was 5-1/2. We had just adopted her and she wanted a story about an adopted child who didn’t look like her parents. David, who was adopted by giants, fit nicely. Most people just think it is a funny story; but it is quite meaningful to me. — Robert Munsch

David’s Search. Joan Lowery Nixon. 1998. 144p. (Orphan Train Children). (gr 4-7). Delacorte Books for Young Readers. David Howard has been living on the streets of New York City so long he can barely remember his parents. Through the Children’s Aid Society, he finds a new home with the Bauer family in Missouri. But farm life isn’t easy, especially for a boy who’s never seen a cow before. Luckily, the Bauers’ hired hand, Amos, an ex-slave, comes to David’s rescue. When an unexpected danger threatens Amos, David wants to help his friend. But how can an 11-year-old boy help a grown man? About the Author: Joan Lowery Nixon is the author of more than 100 books for young people, including the award-winning Orphan Train Adventures, the Ellis Island novels, and four Edgar Award-winning young adult mysteries.

Davy in the Middle. Brigitte Weninger. Illustrated by Eve Tharlet. 2004. 32p. (gr ps-3). North South Books. Poor Davy is stuck in the middle. He’s too little to go hiking on the mountain with big brother Dan and he’s too big to play hop-on-pop with Donny, Daisy, and Dinah. But he’s just right whenever the rest of the Rabbit family needs him to do something for them—like babysit. One day Davy has had enough! He storms out of the burrow and runs to his special hideout to sulk. “No one loves me!” he wails. Davy is wrong, though. His family loves him a lot, and they come up with a wonderful surprise to show him just how much. As in the other books in the popular Davy series, this new story explores common childhood concerns sweetly and sympathetically, capturing middle-child blues with humor and insight. About the Authors: Bridgett Weminger liveswith her son in Kaufstein, Austria, where she is a kindergarden teacher. Eve Tharlet was bor in France and spent most of her childhood in Germany. She studied art in Strasbourg, France. By the Same Authors: A Child is a Child.

Day We Met You, The. Phoebe Koehler. 1990. 40p. Simon & Schuster. Gathering bottles, formula, diapers, a cradle, a car seat, and clothing, a mother and a father share the joy and excitement of the preparations they make for the adopted child for whom they have been waiting eagerly.

Decoding of Lana Morris, The. Laura McNeal & Tom McNeal. 2007. 304p. (gr 7 up). Random House. Sixteen-year-old Lana Morris wishes her life were different, that she were somewhere else, someone else. Her foster mother wants her gone, she’s stuck taking care of the other kids in the house, she longs to become closer to her foster father, and the only cool people around refuse to acknowledge her. Then Lana stumbles into Miss Hekkity’s mysterious shop, and she begins to realize that she might actually have the power to change things—to make some of her wishes come true. But wishing isn’t always as harmless as it seems. Award-winning authors Laura and Tom McNeal weave a warmhearted and suspenseful story about the power—and danger—of a wish.

Defect. Will Weaver. 2007. 208p. (YA). Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Maybe it was bad karma. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the reason, fifteen-year-old David was born defective. His bug eyes, pinched face, and hearing aids are obvious, but there is a secret David keeps from everyone, even his foster parents. Because of a thin layer of skin hidden under each arm, David can fly—well, glide is more like it. Terrified of doctors, wary of letting down his guard, David is determined to hide his secret at any cost. But then David meets Cheetah, a girl whose own defect doesn’t diminish her spirit, and suddenly his life begins to take wing. In this arresting new novel, Will Weaver creates an unforgettable character on the path to discovering that some blessings can be a curse—and some curses a blessing. About the Author: Will Weaver is the author of numerous books for young adults. His most recent novel, Full Service, was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and Kirkus Reviews, in a starred review, hailed it as “pitch perfect” and “superb.” He lives in Bemidji, MN.

Demon in the Teahouse, The. Dorothy Hoobler. Illustrated by Thomas Hoobler. 2001. 181p. (gr 6-8). Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. The authors of Ghost in the Tokaido Inn (1999) return to the Japan of nearly 300 years ago for another whodunit solidly clad in accurate historical and cultural detail. Barely has young Seikei, newly adopted son of Edo’s chief magistrate Judge Ooka, begun his samurai training when he’s called upon to help the Judge investigate a rash of fires and murders. That investigation takes Seikei into Yoshiwara, the “Floating World” district of geishas and tea houses where, thanks to sharp eyes, careful questions, and a few well-timed revelations, he tracks down the culprit—though not before being tricked, framed, threatened with torture, drugged, and, in a rousing climax, nearly burned to death, while battling the deranged wife of a samurai who had killed himself for love of a geisha. The expertly unraveled mystery, as well as the vivid, exotic setting and fast-moving plot, will delight fans of Lensey Namioka’s historical thrillers. According to the afterword, Judge Ooka was a real, and renowned, detective. — From Kirkus Reviews

Dennis Duckling. Paul Sambrooks & Barbara Orritt. Illustrated by Claire Boyce. 1989. (gr ps-k). The Children’s Society. An illustrated story for very young children who are leaving their birth families for the first time to be looked after by foster carers. Through the story of Dennis and his sister, the book explains to young children what is happening to them and helps them to express some of the emotions they may be feeling about upsetting and confusing events. The simple, open story makes this a flexible resource that can be used with young children in a range of circumstances. Both the text and the illustrations have been revised and updated for this new edition to reflect current best practice.

Desert Blood 10pm/9c. Ronald Cree. 2006. 320p. (YA). Simon Pulse. When Gus González is adopted by TV star Nicholas Hernandez, he’s swept into a glamorous world of fast cars, expensive toys, and hot celebrities. With Nick playing the real-life role of his new dad, Gus has got it made. But life in the limelight is hard—the tabloids harass Nick and Gus, questioning their relationship, and the two start to receive threats. When Gus narrowly escapes an attacker and people start disappearing, the race is on to figure out who has it in for Nick and Gus. And why.

Devil’s Den. Susan Beth Pfeffer. 1998. 144p. (gr. 4-7). Walker & Co. Pfeffer (Justice for Emily, 1997, e.g.) takes a stab at the perennial theme of a child’s search for an idealized parent. Joey loves his stepfather, Ben, but can’t stop wondering about his long-absent biological father, Greg. He makes up intricate scenarios about what Greg is doing, and what their reunion will be like. When the family “adopts” a Civil War veteran and agrees to care for his grave and honor his memory, Ben and Joey take a trip to Gettysburg, to see the place where Joshua Gibbs fought for the UnionDevil’s Den. Both enjoy the trip, but on the ride home Ben tells a horrified Joey that he’s set events in motion to adopt him legally. Joey decides to find Greg, and after some sleuthing, phones him. To his disappointment, he realizes that Greg is not much of a prize and, further, that he has no intention of seeing Joey. His eyes opened at last, Joey comes to term with his imminent adoption. There isn’t a reader who won’t know that good-guy Ben will win over his son-to-be; the entire story is slight and predictable. Despite that, Joey’s acceptance of the facts of his life is believable and often touching. — Copyright © 1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Did My First Mother Love Me?: A Story for an Adopted Child. Kathryn M Miller. Illustrated by Jami Moffett. 1994. 47p. (gr ps-3). Morning Glory. Morgan’s adoptive mother reassures her that she is loved by reading a letter written by her birth mother. Includes a section: “Talking with your child about adoption.”

Dillon Dillon. Kate Banks. 2002. 160p. (gr 4-7). Farrar, Straus & Giroux. For his tenth birthday, Dillon’s parents give him a red rowboat with his name painted on the stern: Dillon Dillon. Why did his parents give him a name like that? To Dillon, it seems like the right time to find out. The truth alters everything Dillon has ever known or felt about himself and his family. (Dillon learns he is adopted; his birth mother was Dillon’s father’s sister [it was she who named him Dillon], and she, along with his birth father, died when he was 18 months old.) But with the rowboat Dillon finds a new freedom as he embarks on a journey that takes him back to his beginnings. His discovery of an island and his memorable encounters with a pair of nesting loons bring him face-to-face with the magic and wonder of life. And though he cannot decipher all its mysteries, Dillon acquires, through these legendary birds, an understanding and acceptance of the world and his place in it. In a powerful story full of questions, Kate Banks creates a character full of hope and courage. He lets us know what he is thinking—and it’s this inner dialogue that we respond to, his constant bewilderment at the way things are that makes us love Dillon Dillon, from his crazy name to his tenacious spirit.

Dinner at Aunt Connie’s House. Faith Ringgold. Illustrated by the Author. 1993. 32p. (gr K-4). Hyperion. Harlem-born, Caldecott Medalist Ringgold’s story about Melody’s summertime visits to Aunt Connie’s house and one special summer in which there were two great surprises. The first was a newly adopted son that was about Melody’s age and had bright red hair and green eyes. The second was a group of 12 portraits of famous African-American that her aunt had painted and were hidden in the attic. Even more remarkable was that the paintings could speak. Another appealing book by author of Tar Beach.

Disconnected. Shelley Hrdlitschka. 1998. 160p. (gr 4-7). Orca Book Publishers. From Booklist: Consistent with her title and theme, Hrdlitschka presents two seemingly unrelated stories that alternately weave through each chapter. Fourteen-year-old Tanner, who has never been to the ocean, is haunted by a recurring dream of struggling to swim away from an undersea attacker. Alex, on the other hand, lives in a small coastal community until his father’s violent abuse forces him to run away. Hungry and homeless, Alex unwittingly becomes involved in a drug deal in the very town where Tanner has arrived to play in a hockey tournament. Some intriguing mix-ups and new revelations concerning Tanner’s dream and Alex’s home life eventually connect the two boys—and, finally, their disparate stories. Instead of working to convey a strong theme, Hrdlitschka simply presents believable characters in a well-paced, solidly told story that readers should find tremendously appealing. — Roger Leslie; © American Library Association. All rights reserved. Visit the Author’s Website. By the Same Author: Dancing Naked and Tangled Web.

Don’t Call Me Marda. Writtn & illustrated by Sheila Kelly Welch. 1990. 138p. (gr 4-7). Our Child Press. Eleven-year-old Marsha is an only child, so she’s excited when she learns that her parents are planning to adopt a little girl. But when Wendy arrives as a foster child, she proves to be very different from the sister Marsha imagined. Wendy is developmentally delayed and acts much younger than her eight years. From a screaming tantrum in a restaurant to wild behavior on the school bus, Wendy creates havoc in Marsha’s life. When it comes time to make a decision about whether Wendy will remain in their family, forever, Marsha has to face her own feelings head on.

Don’t Look & It Won’t Hurt. Richard Peck. 1972. 173p. (gr 7 up). Holt, Reinhart & Winston. “Out at the city limits there’s this sign that says WELCOME TO CLAYPITTS, PEARL OF THE PRAIRIE, and if you’d believe that, you’d believe anything.” Sixteen-year-old Carol Patterson is a girl in the middle: in the middle of her sisters, in the middle of her adolescence, in the middle of her family’s problems. It is the early ’70s and the world is in turmoil, but hardly anything from the outside ever seems to creep in to effect the Pattersons, who live in half a house at the wrong end of town. But there is turmoil enough in Carol’s own life. The family is barely getting by on her mother’s waitress salary. Carol’s bookishness and shabby clothes make her an outcast. Then Carol’s older sister gets pregnant. Still, in the midst of it all there is hope: Carol’s first fledgling romance; her unexpected friendship with the preacher’s daughter. And suddenly a door opens, providing Carol with a glimpse of the world outside Claypitts and a glimpse of her own inner strength. Originally published in 1972, Don’t Look and It Won’t Hurt was Richard Peck’s first novel. It was adapted for the movie Gas/Food/Lodging in 1992. About the Author: Richard Peck is the author of over 20 highly acclaimed novels for young readers, spanning nearly three decades. He was awarded a Newbery Honor in 1999 for A Long Way from Chicago. Born and raised in Decatur, IL, Mr. Peck now lives in New York City.

Don’t Think Twice. Ruth Pennebaker. 1996. 262p. (gr 7-12). Henry Holt & Co. Seventeen years old and pregnant, Anne lives with other unwed mothers in a group home in rural Texas where she learns to be herself before giving her child up for adoption.

Double Dip Feelings: Stories to Help Children Understand Emotions. Barbara S Cain. Illustrated by Anne Patterson. 1990. 32p. (gr ps-3). Magination Press. Sometimes it’s difficult for a child to understand the many emotions that he or she may be experiencing from time-to-time. Double Dip Feelings helps children to understand that the feelings that he or she may have at one time are normal. A great book for a special needs adoption or any child who has past emotional traumas and frustrations.

Double Play at Short. Matt Cristopher. Illustrated by Karen Meyer. 1995. 151p. (gr 6 up). Little, Brown. Twelve-year-old shortstop Danny Walker feels he is a sure bet for the all-star team, until he meets Tammy Aiken, the new shortstop for the opposition. Like Danny, Tammy is a great player, but other similarities (both have red hair, a similar stance, and field right-handed but bat left-handed) make Danny uneasy. When further investigation reveals that both are adopted and share the same birthday, Danny becomes convinced that the two are twins, separated at birth. While the long-lost-twins subplot offers few surprises, the outcome of the baseball series will hold the reader’s interest, and Christopher’s unusual ending (in which both twins are able to walk away as winners) will satisfy sports fans. The inclusion of so many female players is a bonus. — Kay Weisman. © 1995, American Library Association. All rights reserved.

Downey, Pistachio & Fanny. Ann-Marie Chapouton. Illustrated by Penny Ives. 1992. (French edition, 1990, Bayard Presse). 47p. (gr ps-1). Child’s World. Fanny Rabbit is sad. Her house is empty. She wanted to have a baby, but never did. Then one day, Pistachio, her husband, has a great idea, “What if we go get a little bunny, one of the babies left by their parents at an orphanage?”

Dragon’s Gate. Laurence Yep. 1993. 288p. (gr 6-9). Harpercollins Childrens Books. From Kirkus Reviews: Yep illuminates the Chinese immigrant experience here and abroad in a follow-up to The Serpent’s Children (1984) and Mountain Light (1985). After accidentally killing one of the hated Manchu soldiers, Otter (14) flees Kwangtung for the “Golden Mountain”; he finds his adoptive father Squeaky and Uncle Foxfire in the Sierra Nevada, where thousands of “Guests” are laboriously carving a path for the railroad. Brutal cold, dangerous work, and a harsh overseer take their toll as Squeaky is blinded in a tunnel accident, Foxfire is lost in a storm, and other workers are frozen or half-starved. By the end, toughened in body and spirit, Otter resolves never to forget them or their sacrifices. Foxfire and Otter consider themselves only temporary residents here, preparing for the more important work of modernizing their own country while ridding it of Manchu, Europeans, and, especially, the scourge of opium. America is a dreamlike place; English dialogue is printed in italics as a tongue foreign to most of the characters; and though Otter befriends the overseer’s troubled son, such social contact is discouraged on both sides. In a story enlivened with humor and heroism, Yep pays tribute to the immigrants who played such a vital role in our country’s history. © 1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Dragon’s Milk. Susan Fletcher. 1989. 242p. (gr 4-7). Atheneum. Kaeldra, an outsider adopted by an Elythian family as a baby, possesses the power to understand dragons and uses this power to try to save her younger sister, who needs dragon’s milk to recover from an illness. Other Books in “The Dragon Chronicles” series: Flight of the Dragon Kyn and Sign of the Dove.

Drowned Maiden’s Hair, A: A Melodrama. Laura Amy Schlitz. 2006. 400p. (gr 7 up). Candlewick Press. Maud Flynn is known at the orphanage for her impertinence, so when the charming Miss Hyacinth and her sister choose Maud to take home with them, the girl is as baffled as anyone. It seems the sisters need Maud to help stage elaborate séances for bereaved, wealthy patrons. As Maud is drawn deeper into the deception, playing her role as a “secret child,” she is torn between her need to please and her growing conscience—until a shocking betrayal makes clear just how heartless her so-called guardians are. Filled with tantalizing details of turn-of-the-century spiritualism and page-turning suspense, this lively historical novel features a winning heroine whom readers will not soon forget. About the Author: Laura Amy Schlitz, the author of The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug For Troy, has spent most of her life working as a librarian and professional storyteller. She has also written plays for young people that have been performed in professional theaters all over the country. She lives in Baltimore, MD.

Duck Wedding, The. N Patricia Yarborough. Illustrated by Rolando Diaz. 2002. 24p. Donning Company Publishers. Colette, a young girl who lives on a farm, plans a wedding for Ms. Ferdy Duck. When no baby ducks arrive, Dad brings home some ducklings for Mrs. Duck to adopt. Colorful, fun illustrations help children learn about families and adoption.