Eagle, The. Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Preston McDaniels. 2004. 64p. (gr 2-4). (The Lighthouse Family). Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. A mysterious forest stands near the lighthouse where Lila and her brother Whistler live. When these mouse children become curious about the forest and ask permission to go exploring, they discover enchantment, adventure and, best of all, a new friend. Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant and illustrator Preston McDaniels bring us the beauty of both the forest and the sea in this new story about a wonderful family: The Lighthouse Family.

Edgar Allan. John Neufeld. 1968. 95p. (gr 7-up). SG Phillips. When the Ficketts decide to adopt Edgar Allan, they are sure they are doing a good thing—or so Reverend and Mrs. Fickett think. They don’t see the small boy as a ticking time bomb. But he is—because he is black, they are white, and their neighbors are determined to stop them. 12-year-old Michael Fickett is a witness to the town’s racism...and his life is changed forever.

Education of Little Tree, The. Forrest Carter (pseud. of Asa Earl Carter). 1976. 216p. (gr 9-12). Delacorte Press. This story has entranced readers of all ages since it was first published twenty-five years ago. The Education of Little Tree tells of a boy orphaned very young, who is adopted by his Cherokee grandmother and half-Cherokee grandfather in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee during the Great Depression. “Little Tree,” as his grandparents call him, is shown how to hunt and survive in the mountains and to respect nature in the Cherokee Way—taking only what is needed, leaving the rest for nature to run its course. Little Tree also learns the often callous ways of the white businessmen and tax collectors, and how Granpa, in hilarious vignettes, scares them away from his illegal attempts to enter the cash economy. Granma teaches Little Tree the joys of reading and education. But when Little Tree is sent to an Indian boarding school run by whites, we learn of the cruelty meted out to Indian children in an attempt to assimilate them, and of Little Tree’s perception of the Anglo world and how it differs from the Cherokee Way.

Electric Kid, The. Garry Kilworth. 1995. 144p. (gr 6-9). Orchard Books. In a grungy, post-apocalyptic world filled with “skidders,” “wazzoo-trucks,” junk food, and neon, Hotwire and Blindboy make their way as best they can, teaming up to find and fix gadgets thrown away in the dump where they live. The apocalypse was economic, not nuclear, and now the world is clearly separated into haves and have-nots, with Hotwire and her pal on the negative side of the economic divide. Hotwire is an orphan of indeterminate age who got her name from her ability to fix anything electronic; Blindboy’s ability to hear electronic signals beyond the level of normal human hearing more than makes up for his lack of sight. The pair’s unusual talents allow them to scrape by, until they come to the attention of an underworld kingpin who forces them to turn their skills to his own evil ends. During their time of service to the mobster, Hotwire discovers his plot to bring the city to its knees and, with the help of a kindly policeman, thwarts the plan. In the end, she and Blindboy find a job, a home, and something close to a family. This action-filled tale, dripping with atmosphere, will please fans of sci-fi and detective stories alike. — From Horn Book

Elf: A Junior Novel. Adapted by Ellen Weiss. Illustrated by Rusty Smith. 2003. 152p. (gr 3-7). Price Stern Sloan. This full-length retelling brings Buddy’s adventures in New York City to life. Follow Buddy, his father Walter, and even Santa Claus, as Buddy injects the spirit of Christmas back into his father and everyone he comes in contact with. Buddy shows them what’s important in life through a series of actions and mishaps. And in the end, Buddy actually save Christmas! Contains an eight-page insert of full-color images from the film, this is an ideal choice for older fans!

Elf & the City. Adapted by Leslie Goldman. 2003. 64p. (gr 2-5). Price Stern Sloan. This chapter book based on the movie Elf tells the story of the 6-foot-two-inch-tall elf Buddy and his adventures in the big city! When Buddy leaves the North Pole in search of his biological father, a disillusioned children’s book publisher in Manhattan, goofy mishaps abound! With the help of some new friends, Buddy injects the spirit of Christmas back into his father! Illustrated with full- color captured images and featuring action-packed short chapters and simple text, this story is just right for newly-independent readers not quite ready for a full novelization of the movie. Related Items: Buddy’s Little (S)ELF Help Book.

Elizabeth Gail & the Terrifying News. Hilda Stahl. 1980. (Elizabeth Gail Series #7). Tyndale House Publishers. Foster child Elizabeth Gail finds love and acceptance with the Johnsons, but now that Libby was about to realize her dream of studying to become a concert pianist, how could God let this happen to her?

Ellen Fremedon. Joan Givner. 2004. 219p. (gr 4-7). Groundwood Books Ltd (Canada). With a long hot summer ahead, Ellen Fremedon decides that she is going to write a book—a long one, with chapters. She doesn’t need to look far to find characters. The tiny village of Partridge Cove is full of interesting personalities. The budding novelist has characters galore, but what about a plot? With the help of her best friend, Jenny, Ellen soon realizes that there’s plenty of mystery and intrigue in Partridge Cove as well. Why have the loathsome new neighbours bought the big house next door? And who will benefit from the housing development that’s to be built right on top of the town’s aquifer? Then, just as Ellen’s story gets going, her novel must take a back seat to real life, when the twins disappear, and things suddenly become very complicated, and very personal. About the Author: Joan Givner is an established author and book reviewer who has written ten books of biography, autobiography, short and full-length fiction, including Katherine Anne Porter: A Life, Thirty-four Ways of Looking at Jane Eyre and Half Known Lives. She is a retired university professor who now lives on Vancouver Island, where she writes full time.

Ellen Fremedon, Journalist. Joan Givner. 2005. 192p. (gr 4-7). Groundwood Books Ltd (Canada). It’s the start of another summer holiday, and Ellen decides that editing a newspaper has to be more profitable than writing books. After all, everyone buys newspapers. But after promising her subscribers a paper that is truthful and free of mistakes, Ellen finds that journalism is not so easy. Obituary notices for pets annoy their owners. An incorrect muffin recipe is a disaster. The village librarian finds several spelling and grammar mistakes. To say nothing of the difficulties of managing cash flow. But Ellen is intrepid, particularly when she finds an opportunity for some investigative reporting on the secretive stranger who has moved next door. It turns out that the neighbor is not quite the sinister person village gossip suspects. But then neither is the Fremedons’ new housekeeper the upright member of the community she appears to be, and even members of Ellen’s own family turn out to be not quite what they seem. A smart, droll sequel to the immensely popular Ellen Fremedon, filled with the eccentric denizens of Partridge Cove, both familiar and new -- Ellen’s philosopher dad, her best friend, Jenny, the impossible twins, the Bible-quoting Mrs. T., Larry the librarian and Nerissa, the glamorous and mysterious neighbor.

Ellen Fremedon, Volunteer. Joan Givner. 2007. 184p. (gr 4-7). Groundwood Books Ltd (Canada). Blessed — or cursed, depending on her mood — with an active mind, incessant curiosity, and uncontrollable nosiness, Ellen Fremedon is not looking forward to another summer. Her best friend, Jenny, is going away to art school, and none of their usual projects seem like much fun anymore. Plus, Ellen, now 13 years old, has developed a bit of an attitude, and she isn’t thrilled at being left behind with the boring folks in Partridge Cove. The possibilities are far from enticing: Spend time with her obnoxious little twin brothers? Read to brats in the summer reading program at the library? Take on more chores at home now that their housekeeper has left and multiple sclerosis confines Mrs. Fremedon to a wheelchair? To add insult to injury, Ellen is corralled into visiting a bunch of seniors at Peacehaven, the local retirement home, where she meets her match in Mr. Martin — a blind, rude, old man who is even crankier than Ellen. Can it get any worse? In this lively novel, award-winning author Joan Givner explores serious issues — including family dysfunction, single parenthood, and disability — through humor, surprise, and one of the most appealing main characters in contemporary young adult fiction.

Ellen’s Book of Life. Joan Givner. 2008. 144p. (gr 4-7). Groundwood Books Ltd (Canada). Ellen is excited. She’s just won a provincial public speaking contest, and her new friends Dimsie and Catriona have invited her to visit them in Toronto for a month. She can’t wait to sample all the fun of the big city, but she vows to write her mother, now bed-bound with MS, every day. Then, while she’s away, the unthinkable happens: her mom dies. As a traumatized Ellen shuts out her best friend, Jenny, her father, brothers, and grandmother all try to cope with their grief and loss — sometimes in infuriating ways. Then she finds a letter her mother has left her, which piques her natural curiosity and sets her on a new mission. Ellen knew that she was adopted, but now she’s received the tools she needs to find her birth mother. And she does, though the results are surprising. In Ellen’s Book of Life, Joan Givner creates a moving and optimistic story about tolerance, compassion, and the power of family ties. And, as always, Ellen’s cheeky twin brothers lighten the mood whenever discussions at the family dining table start getting a little too serious.

Elvis Hornbill, International Business Bird. Steve Shepard. 1991. 32p. (gr 1-3). Henry Holt & Co. A father pushes his adopted son, a hornbill, toward a musical career, even though the bird’s interest and talent lie in the field of finance.

Emma’s Strange Pet. Jean Little. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. 2003. 64p. (gr k-3).  HarperCollins. Emma’s adopted brother, Max, wants a dog. But he can’t have one because Emma is allergic to furry animals. With her birthday just a few days away, Emma decides that she would like a pet for a present. After a trip to the store, Emma finds the perfect non-furry animal. Will Max like his sister’s strange pet too? Jean Little’s heartening and subtly insightful tale about the ever-evolving relationship between siblings is underscored by Jennifer Plecas’s captivating artwork.

Emma’s Yucky Brother. Jean Little. Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas. 2001. 64p. (gr ps-3). HarperCollins. Emma has always wanted a little brother. Now her family is adopting Max, and Emma is sure he will be the best brother ever. But Max has his own ideas. He thinks sisters are yucky, and that Emma is the yuckiest! Is this really what having a brother is all about? In Jean Little’s warmhearted, perceptive story about adoption, Emma learns that there is more to having a little brother than she had ever guessed—and that in order to get the brother she wants, she must first learn to be the sister he needs.

Emmeline. Judith Rossner. 1980. 331p. (YA). Simon & Schuster. This is the true story of Emmeline Mosher, who at the age of fourteen was packed off to work in the cotton mills in Lowell, Massachusetts. Her mother, at 31, had nine children and the family ran a farm in Maine, which was already in financial trouble before being crippled by the severe frosts of June 1839. The story was passed down to the author via a 94-year-old woman who knew Emmeline, and here she recounts Emmeline’s dreadful days at the mill, as she struggles to cope with her working life and lack of friendship.

End, The. Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2006. 368p. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #13). (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. The only thing more depressing than this lamentable series is the realization that it is ending. Like the vague pain of an untreated toothache, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events had come to be a familiar part of our daily existence. We had even grown to relish the discomforts of the Baudelaire orphans as they coped, often inadequately, with the devious machinations of Count Olaf. It is true that we should have been better prepared for the series’ terminus: The author himself had suggested repeatedly that we seek more pleasurable avenues of reading. But no, we plodded on, soaking up the sorrow and pity of the series like large, sodden sponges. And now it is over. What other misery can life offer?

Enid & the Homecoming (Our Neighborhood). Cynthia G Williams. Illustrated by Betty Harper. 2000. 32p. (gr ps-3). Broadman & Holman Publishers. Enid helps her friend Ment adjust to the idea that his parents are adopting a baby.

Escape from Fear. Gloria Skurzynski & Alane Ferguson. 2002. 160p. (Mysteries in Our National Parks #9). (gr 4-7). National Geographic Society. The Landons are in Virgin Islands National Park to help figure out what is destroying the coral reefs and causing the hawksbill sea turtle to disappear. Jack and Ashley become involved with Forrest Winthrop IV, the adopted son of a U.S. diplomat. Why is he so anxious to save an island woman named Cimmaron, and what secret do they share? The action builds to a dramatic climax at Jumbie Bay, where a full moon finally reveals all.

Ersatz Elevator, The. Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2001. 272p. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #6). (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. Fans of Lemony Snicket’s wonderful Series of Unfortunate Events won’t be surprised to find that in the sixth installment the three Baudelaire orphans’ new home proves to be something of a mixed bag. As our ever sad but helpful narrator states, “Although ‘a mixed bag’ sometimes refers to a plastic bag that has been stirred in a bowl, more often it is used to describe a situation that has both good parts and bad parts. An afternoon at the movie theater, for instance, would be a mixed bag if your favorite movie were showing, but if you had to eat gravel instead of popcorn. A trip to the zoo would be a very mixed bag if the weather were beautiful, but all of the man- and woman-eating lions were running around loose.” And so it is for the bad-luck Baudelaires. Their fancy new 71-bedroom home on 667 Dark Avenue is inhabited by Esmé Gigi Geniveve Squalor (the city’s sixth most important financial advisor), and her kindly husband, Jerome, who doesn’t like to argue. Esmé is obsessed by the trends du jour (orphans are “in”), and because elevators are “out,” Sunny, Violet, and Klaus have to trudge up 66 flights of stairs to reach the Squalors’ penthouse apartment. (Other unfortunate trends include pinstripe suits, aqueous martinis—water with a faint olive-y taste—parsley soda, and ocean decorations.) As the book begins, the Baudelaires are not only frightened in anticipation of their next (inevitable) encounter with the evil, moneygrubbing Count Olaf but they are also mourning the disappearance of their dear new friends from The Austere Academy, the Quagmires. It doesn’t take long for Olaf to show up in another of his horrific disguises ... but if he is on Dark Avenue, what has he done with the Quagmires? Once again, the resourceful orphans use their unique talents (Violet’s inventions, Klaus’s research skills, and the infant Sunny’s strong teeth) in a fruitless attempt to escape from terrible tragedy. Is there a gleam of hope for the orphans and their new friends? Most certainly not. The only thing we can really count on are more gloriously gloomy adventures in the seventh book, The Vile Village. — Karin Snelson

Escape From Fear: A Mystery in Virgin Islands National Park. Alane Ferguson & Gloria Skurzynski. 2008. 160p. (gr 5-12). National Geographic Society. The Landons are in the Caribbean, in Virgin Islands National Park, to figure out what is destroying the coral reefs and causing the hawksbill sea turtle to disappear. Jack and Ashley find themselves hopelessly entangled in the mysterious life of Forrest Winthrop IV, the adopted son of a U.S. diplomat. Why is he so anxious to save an island woman named Cimmaron? What secret do they share? Follow the action to Jumbie Bay and see what the full moon reveals.

Eugenio. Marianne Cockenpot. Illustrated by Lorenzo Mattotti. 1993. (gr 1-5). Little Brown. Eugenio is a very loved child born to a very poor mother and father who abandoned him at the big top because they cannot care for him. Adopted by the circus magician, Eugenio grows up to be the most popular clown in the circus, making other people happy. But one day, he becomes sad. Seeking a remedy for his pain, Eugenio goes from tent to tent asking each of his friends for what is missing from his life. Each responds characteristically: The tightrope walkers say, “Life is a balancing act” the strongman says, “You must be strong.” Still overcome by a deep sadness, he visits the fortune-teller, who gives him extraordinary advice. Mattotti’s paintings of these encounters are wild displays of color and composition, but nonetheless, his surrealistic circus is a real home. The circus people are big and bold, and they care about Eugenio. Mattotti matches the strong emotions in the story with his grand characterizations, and his sad clown seems so very sad in such a setting. In the end, his friends help Eugenio, and he makes himself and others happy again. — Kathryn Broderick (Booklist)

Every Time You Call Me Mommy: An Adoption Blessing. Kimberly Brougham Kane. 2007. 32p. (gr 4-7). Kimberly Brougham Kane. Read along as a wonderful addition comes to a waiting family through adoption. The author shares her family’s story of such a journey. Through simple rhyming verse and beautiful illustrations, this little book can be a tool in sharing adoption with a child. It will also serve as a reminder to all believers that through our own adoption into the family of God, we can call Him, “Father.” Suitable for open adoptions or just to introduce the concept of adoption to your little ones.

Exclusively Chloe. JA Yang. 2009. 224p. (YA). Speak. Chloe-Grace can’t help it—she’s spectacular. How could she not be with celebrity parents who have been the queen and king of Hollywood for years? And Chloe is a celebrity all unto herself as well—she’s the first celebrity-adopted kid in Hollywood. But now Chloe’s sixteen, and she is tired of every undesired moment of the world’s attention. She wonders what it would be like to be a “normal” kid in a regular school. To really understand it, though, she would need to go undercover. So after getting a “make-under” at the hands of her mother’s fabulous stylist, she enters the “real” world. But she soon finds out that there is just as much drama there as there is in Hollywood. About the Author: J.A. Yang lives in San Diego, CA.

Extra Innings. Robert Newton Peck. 2001. 176p. (gr 6-8). HarperCollins. Sixteen-year-old Tate Stonemason survives the crash of a small plane that killed his parents and sister. Injuries from the crash also destroy his dream of playing baseball in the major leagues one day. Bitter and lonely, Tate is comforted by his Great-Granddad Abbott Bristol Stonemason and the man’s adopted African-American daughter, Vidalia. She tells Tate of her early childhood spent with Ethiopia’s Clowns, a Depression-era, all-black baseball team that barnstormed its way through the South, before she was adopted by the white Stonemason family. The long story within a story of her childhood is her legacy to the teen. After her death, he finds a reason to go on with his life, as he begins to write Vidalia’s oral history. The account of the barnstorming team, getting by on a shoestring and finding kindness and hatred in the deep South, is the best part of this book. Many readers, however, will find it difficult to plow through the elaborate dialogue that can best be described as baroque. Unfortunately, Tate and his relatives seem rather remote and artificial creations. At the novel’s end, readers may find it difficult to care much about the boy because they haven’t gotten to know him very well. — Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL; Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Face in My Mirror, The. Maureen Wartski. 1994. 192p. (YA). Fawcett. As an infant, Mai was adopted straight off a boat from Hong Kong by Leo and Vivian Houston in Serena, Iowa. Now, at fifteen, she yearns to find out more about her Vietnamese roots, especially after a painful racial incident.

Facts & Fictions of Minna Pratt, The. Patricia MacLachlan. 1988. 144p. HarperCollins Children’s Books. Facts and fictions are different truths. Minna Pratt stares at this message above her mother’s typewriter every day and tries to understand it. But how can she, when her mind is already so full? She wishes her mother would ask her normal questions like How was your day? instead of What is the quality of beauty? She wishes her brother, McGrew, could catch a baseball. She wishes she had a vibrato and could play Mozart on her cello the way he deserves to be played. Then she meets Lucas Ellerby. Minna thinks Lucas has the perfect life. His home runs smoothly and evenly. Dinner conversation is full of facts, and everyone always has matching socks to wear. So why is he so intrigued by her family? Minna doesn’t know, but as her friendship with Lucas grows, she discovers some important truths about herself and her family. In Patricia MacLachlan’s hope-filled coming-of-age story Minna learns to value her family because of their eccentricities, and to value herself because of her own.

Family Apart, A. Joan Lowery Nixon. 1987. 162p. (The Orphan Train Adventures Series #1). (YA). Bantam Books. From Publishers Weekly: This first book of the Orphan Train Quartet tells the story of Frances Mary, 13, eldest of the six Kelly children. Life in New York’s grim 19th century slums consists of hardship for the poor but honest Kelly clan. When widowed Mrs. Kelly feels that she is no longer capable of providing for her children, she sends them west on the Orphan Train, to be adopted by farm families. Frances masquerades as a boy in order to be adopted with Petey, the brother she promised her mother she would protect. The practical difficulties Frances faces in maintaining this disguise are handled in an amusing and thoughtful manner. Since Frances and Petey are adopted by a couple with strong abolitionist sympathies, it should come as no surprise that Frances, just days after her arrival on the farm, finds herself helping two runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. Though the plot is predictable and sometimes overly sentimental, and the Kelly family lapses into stilted Irish syntax, the rapid succession of high-spirited adventures make for lively reading. — © 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Family Day: Celebrating Ethan’s Adoption Anniversary. Christine Mitchell. Illustrated by the Author. 2009. 32p. (gr ps-3). AuthorHouse. As 5-year-old Ethan and his family commemorate the first anniversary of his adoption, they reminisce about the joy and excitement of that special event. As the day progresses they pause to think about Ethan’s birth family and to look through his Lifebook. Along the way, Ethan’s curiosity leads to discussions which help him conclude that adoption is a wonderful way to build families. About the Author: Christine Mitchell lives in California with her husband and two children: one through the miracle of birth, one through the miracle of adoption. By the Same Author: Welcome Home, Forever Child (2007). Visit the Author’s website.

Family for a While. Miriam Kosman. 1993. 175p. (gr 4-7). CIA Communications. Bewildered, lonely and mature beyond her years, Tallie Delmark is an embattled young orphan, the product of an endless stream of foster homes, many of them cruel and uncaring. When she is separated from her brother Eitan, her only ally in a world full of strangers, Tallie is resentful and wary, convinced that happiness will never be within her grasp. In her new surroundings, the young orphan resolutely closes her heart to any gestures of warmth and endeavors to keep her distance from the Kramers, her “family for a while.” Beneath her tough exterior, Tallie is just an ordinary four teen-year-old, desperate for the affection and stability of a loving family environment. Slowly realizing how much the Kramers care for her, Tallie is hesitant to return their affections, knowing in her heart that she could never abandon her brother. It is an uphill struggle for the lonely teenager as she learns to overcome the obstacles that stand in between her and the family she so wants to be a part of.

Family for Leanne, A. Shelby Griffin-Timberlake. Illustrated by Jess Timberlake. 2007. 36p. (gr 4-7). AuthorHouse. A Family for Leanne tells the story of a little girl and her two brothers, who were taken from their biological family and placed in the foster care system. This story takes you through the emotions and ups and downs that Leanne experiences during her foster care and adoption process. At the end of the story is a series of questions for parents to review with their children. This book will help open the door for better communication between foster and adoptive parents and their children.

Family for Madison, A. Melanie Shimokawa. 2008. 53p. (gr 4-7). PublishAmerica. Madison is up for adoption, again. She can talk with her best friend, Emily in her mind. When she and Emily find out that they are twins, separated at birth, they find a way to be together again, forever.

Family Secrets. Barbara Corcoran. 1992. 164p. (gr 3-7). Atheneum. When Tracy Stewart and her family move to a tiny town, her parents reveal a shocking secret—that Tracy is adopted and that she bears a strong resemblance to her biological mother, who left the same town just before Tracy’s birth.

Family Secrets. Gail Jones. 2008. 156p. (YA). YouWriteOn.com. When 15-year-old Rachel moves, she has no idea how much her whole life will change. Within weeks, she discovers she is adopted and her parents are keeping other secrets from her. Can Rachel find out the truth? Will her relationship with her parentsever be the same again? About the Author: Gail Jones lives in South Yorkshire. She works part time for her local council diagnosing and fixing computer faults. She has voluntarily worked with children and young people for over twenty years and writes stories for teenagers and children in her spare time.

Family Secrets (Dear Diary). Cheryl Zach. 1996. (YA). Berkeley Pub Grp. Sarah Davenport’s only hope for life is a bone marrow transplant from a family member. But Sarah is adopted and does not even know her biological family’s name. In the fight to save her life—and learn more about her roots—Sarah travels across the country looking for her birth mother and a miracle.

Family Tree. Pierre Coran. Illustrated by Marie-Jose Sacre. 1999. Carolrhoda Books. From Publishers Weekly: A Belgian team explores the question of where an adoptee fits on the family tree. Vibrant, exaggerated portraits, one per spread, bubble with affection and humor, but overall the execution is bumpy. The text facing each portrait feels flat and utilitarian, serving primarily as a brief resume for each relative: “Aunt Alice is an artist. When she isn’t painting, she does yoga—that’s all kinds of stretchy exercises.” A family tree, pictured on both opening and closing spreads, is meant to help keep the many relatives straight, but since there’s no plot or character development, readers will likely forget them; and the instruction on every spread, “If you’re having trouble following me, take a look at the family tree,” quickly grows tiresome. The adoption itself is handled cavalierly. The narrator, introduced as an infant in the final two spreads, states simply that she “no longer had a family” in her native land, and though she is darker-skinned than her adoptive parents, the text never addresses the interracial nature of the adoption. Readers will be better off with a host of other titles that handle both adoption and interracial families in greater depth. © 1999 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Faraway Dream. Jane Flory. Illustrated by the author. 1968. 219p. Houghton Mifflin. Maggie Mulligan was an orphan. But she did not much resemble the other meek, obedient children who lived at Seafarer’s Safe Harbor, home for seamen’s orphans.

Faraway Home, A: An Orphan Train Story. Janie Lynn Panagopoulos. Illustrated by Carolyn R. Stich. 2006. 198p. (YA). Edco Publishing Inc. This heartfelt story begins on the streets of New York City in 1854 where thousands of homeless children, immigrants and natives are fighting to survive “just one more day.” Charles Loring Brace, founder of the Children’s Aid Society, made a plan to rescue the children by getting them out of the city to loving rural homes in America’s growing Midwest. The first location to accept these homeless children is Dowagiac, Michigan, a railroad whistle-stop on the track-line to Chicago. You will experience the hope, fear and exciement as you travel with Jack, Sarah, little George and 42 other orphans on their way to new faraway homes and better lives. Traveling by train across New York state, crossing Lake Erie by steamship and then on to Detroit to board another train, these children cling to one another for safety and survival trying hard to keep themselves together and clean in their filthy flea-ridden travel conditions.

Fast Forward to Normal. Jane Vogel & Lissa Halls Johnson. 2001. 192p. (YA). Bethany House. Real Faith Meets Real Life for Today’s Teen Girls! Becca is counting the days till her life returns to normal—when her family sends the little boy they’ve been caring for back to his home in Guatemala, and when Hannah finds her own group of friends and leaves Becca’s alone. But Becca’s parents are considering adopting Alvaro, and there are signs that Hannah is moving into the group to stay. To her horror, Becca realizes that without personal sacrifice, all her actions for God mean nothing. Will she do what she knows God is asking of her?

Father Figure. Richard Peck. 1978. 192p. (YA). The Viking Press. Seventeen-year-old Jim Atwater has played father to his kid brother Byron since their parents divorced eight years before. But Jim and Byron’s world falls apart when their mother dies and their father—who is a virtual stranger to the boys—shows up, wanting to be part of their lives.

Feeling Safe: Tina’s Story. Sheila Byrne & Leigh Chambers. Illustrated by Sarah Rawlings. 1998. 24p. British Agencies for Adoption & Fostering (UK). When children are separated from their birth families, part of their very self is in jeopardy. They need help to make sense of their experiences and individual history. This book is part of a unique series for use with separated children. As a whole the series will cover a broad range of scenarios and backgrounds. The four individual titles already published each have their own unique story. Each book can be used flexibly and creatively with children to help them explore feelings, come to terms with their pasts, and prepare for the future. This particular title tells a story about a girl who is sexually abused at home and has to go into foster care. Other Books in the Series: Living With a New Family: Nadia & Rashid’s Story (1998); Hoping for the Best: Jack’s Story (1998); Belonging Doesn’t Mean Forgetting: Nathan’s Story (1998); Joining Together: Jo’s Story (1999); and Waiting for the Right Home: Daniel’s Story (2001).

Felicia’s Favorite Story. Leslea Newman. Illustrated by Adriana Romo. 2002. 24p. (gr ps-3). Two Lives Publishing. It’s bedtime, but before Felicia goes to sleep she wants to hear her favorite story, the story of how she was adopted by Mama Nessa and Mama Linda. And so Felicia’s parents tell her how they flew off in a big silver airplane to meet the baby girl who was waiting for them, and how they loved her from the very first moment they saw her.

Find a Stranger, Say Good-Bye. Lois Lowry. 1978. 187p. (gr 5 up). Houghton Mifflin. Natalie Armstrong has all a girl could want: beauty and intelligence, a loving family and a great boyfriend. But something is missing; the answer to a most important question: “Who is my mother?” To find that answer, 17-year-old Natalie begins a journey that she hopes will lead to the identity of her biological mother. And what if Natalie finds her? What will happen when they meet face-to-face?

Finders. Jan Dean. 1995. 151p. (gr 4-7). MK McElderry Books. When her grandfather dies on their way to his home in a small English village where she had hoped to learn about her birth mother, 16-year-old Helen begins to have disturbing visions and is asked to use her “second sight” to help a mysterious stranger.

Finding the Right Spot: When Kids Can’t Live With Their Parents. Janice Levy, et al. 2004. 48p. (gr ps-3). American Psychological Association. Consumer text for children is a story for all children who can’t live with their parents, regardless of the circumstances. Emphasizes loyalty, hope, disappointment, love, sadness, and anger. Richly illustrated. Concludes with material written by a child psychologist for caregivers on dealing with the emotional needs of these children.

Fires Burning. Julie Lawson. 1995. 268p. Stoddart (Canada). While spending the summer with her cousins on Vancouver Island, sixteen-year-old Chelsea, driven to acts of pyromania in reaction to her parents’ divorce and years of sexual abuse, finally gains the confidence to break her silence and confront her abuser. About the Author: Julie Lawson was born and raised in Victoria, B.C. A former elementary school teacher, she has written over twenty books for young people. Her ideas come from memory and experience, found objects, historical events, a love of language, and a potent imagination.

First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover. Mitali Perkins. 2007. 192p. (gr 4-7). Dutton. Adopted from Pakistan when she was three, Sameera “Sparrow” Righton is not your typical all-American girl. None of this used to matter, but that was before her father decided to run for president of the United States. Now some of her father’s campaign staffers think that maybe a dark-skinned, adopted daughter could hurt his chances. They begin to pressure Sameera to change her name to Sammy and to be more “American.” Sameera is torn between molding herself into the perfect daughter and being true to herself. Who will win out? Sparrow? Or Sammy? Read the Author’s Blog.

First Daughter: White House Rules. Mitali Perkins. 2008. 224p. (gr 4-7). Dutton. In First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover, Sameera showed the United States it was ready for a Pakistani-born First Daughter. With her brains and bravado, White House. Fabulous! Right? Actually, it’s no fairy tale. The Secret Service and the paparazzi follow Sameera everywhere. She misses her friends—and even her school—back home. So Sameera decides to escape. Will she be able to pull it off, or will her plan backfire on the entire First Family? This smart and funny novel continues the adventures of a Pakistani-American teen in the spotlight. About the Author: Mitali Perkins is the author of several novels for young readers, including the “First Daughter” books, Monsoon Summer, and Rickshaw Girl. She studied political science at Stanford University and public policy at U.C. Berkeley, and blogs regularly at mitaliblog.com.

First Escape, The. GP Taylor. 2008. 288p. (The Dopple Ganger Chronicles #1). (gr 4-7). Tyndale House Publishers. At Isambard Dunstan’s School for Wayward Children, life is trouble for 14-year-old identical twins Sadie and Saskia Dopple and their friend, former thief Erik Morrisey Ganger. But what starts out as a perfectly normal day of food fights, rioting classmates, fires, and (yawn) threats of expulsion goes suddenly and horribly wrong when a mysterious, wealthy woman appears at the school and adopts Saskia ... without her sister. On her own in a mansion full of dark secrets, Saskia stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens her very life. Meanwhile, in a desperate attempt to find her, Sadie and Erik escape from the orphanage with a gang of enemies in hot pursuit. Faced with madmen, wild dogs, treasure seekers, and an otherworldly visitor with a secret message, the trio must decide who to trust—and what to believe—if they are to survive long enough to find each other again.

First Snow, Magic Snow. John Cech. Illustrated by Sharon McGinley-Nally. 1992. Simon & Schuster. A woodsman and his wife, unable to have children of their own, wish upon the first snow and find themselves parents of an elusive snow child. In the spring, Snowflake disappears, and her parents search for her at the home of Grandfather Frost. For their dedication, they are rewarded, and their daughter is returned to them every winter. The lively retelling of the Russian tale is illustrated with stylized paintings. — Copyright © 1993 The Horn Book, Inc. All rights reserved.

Fish Princess, The. Irene N Watts. Illustrated by Steve Mennie. 1996. 24p. (gr. 4-8). Tundra Books. The sea is full of mysteries. One day, a small wooden boat washes up on the shore by a fishing village. Inside the boat is a smiling baby. Her survival alone on the fierce ocean cannot be explained, and because it seems unnatural, it frightens the villagers. Only a lonely old man takes pity on her, and carries her into his home. Although the people in the village do not accept her, she thrives under the old man’s care. He teaches her about the water, and boats, and fishing, but it seems that his lessons are already familiar to her. And although she is happy in the home the two share, she is always in the thrall of the ocean’s song. Finally, she must choose: Where does she really belong, on the land or in the sea? Steve Mennie’s superlative artwork is a perfect complement to Irene Watts’ imaginative storytelling talents. — Midwest Book Review

Flight of the Sparrow. Julia Cunningham. 1980. 130p. Pantheon. After stealing a valuable painting for the band of street urchins who have adopted her, a ten-year-old orphan must flee Paris. The hardships she faces along the way, and the extraordinary people she meets, make this a poignant and inspiring story.

Flora’s Family: Understanding Adoption. Annette Aubrey. Illustrated by Patrice Barton. 2008. 24p. (gr ps-3). QED Publishing (UK). Explore the issue of adoption as Flora’s mum and dad explain to her how she became part of their family.

Fly Like an Eagle. Barbara Beasley Murphy. 1994. 180p. (YA). Delacorte Press. After learning that his father was adopted, Ace Hobart, joins him in a journey from New York to New Mexico, during which they meet Ace’s great-grandmother, a circus performer, his grandfather, a Tewa Indian, and other relatives he never knew existed.

Forever Child, The: A Tale of Lies & Love. Fairy Tale by Nancy A Clark, MFT; Parenting Guide by B Bryan Post, PhD. 2002. 22p. B Post & N Clark. This is a story about a little girl called Ruby Rose who was abandoned in the forest and left for dead. Luckily, she was found by seven fairy godsisters who took her home and nurtured her back to good health. A childless king and queen, hearing of the abandoned child, eagerly bring her to live with them. The new parents, amazed by their good fortune, are surprised to find that their beautiful princess has a rather surprising habit of stretching the truth. In fact she tells the most outrageous lies. But why? The tale reflects the joys and pitfalls of adopting or fostering a child with a history of early trauma. It is accompanied by a parenting guide which provides practical step-by-step help in assisting families work through their child’s negative behaviors to achieve more positive ones.

Forever Fingerprints: An Amazing Discovery for Adopted Children. Sherrie Eldridge. Illustrated by Rob Williams. 2007. 32p. (gr ps-3). EMK Press. For adopted children, learning about their beginnings and how they understand what that means to them is a process. It doesn’t happen at one point in time, but rather throughout the experiences of life. In this heartwarming children’s book, Forever Fingerprints uses a common occurrence a relative’s pregnancy as a springboard for discussions on birth parents, where adopted children are before they are born, and how that makes one little girl feel about it. Lucie is excited to feel a baby moving in her Aunt Grace’s tummy but it makes her think of how she understands her adoption story in a different way. The tools offered in this book help her to create a unique connection to her birth parents, allow how she is feeling to surface and to be discussed, and give Lucie’s parents the chance to reinforce their love for her, to empathize with her feelings and to honor her past. This book book resonates with seven-year-olds and adults who have discovered that the feelings and emotions are shared by so many. While it looks like a simple children’s book, this book helps parents and children create a family connection and strong foundation for discussing adoption questions. It’s a veritable toolbox for adoptive families with a parent guide at the end of the book on how to open adoption discussion and a wonderful connection to birth parents for every adopted person, regardless of their age, with their fingerprints. About the Author: Sherrie Eldridge’s adoptive grandmother, the social worker on her case, placed her in the loving arms of her mom and dad at ten days of age. Never in her wildest dreams did Sherrie imagine carrying her own granddaughter by adoption, Megan Grace, in her arms. Affectionately known as “Mimi” to all her grandchildren, she is more convinced than ever that adoptees share a special bond, no matter the age span. Just as her highly acclaimed book Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wished Their Adoptive Parents Knew blends authenticity and tenderhearted compassion for parents and the children they have adopted, so does this book, written just for you.

Forever Friends Club, The. Sue Gainor & Sarah P Gibson. Illustrated by Miranda R Mueller. 2010. 48p. (gr ps-3). DRT Press. Sam is the only kid on his street...until Madison, Nick, and Isabel move in! Madison’s creative, Nick is full of energy, and Isabel gets them all organized. Everything’s perfect until the friends decide to form a club for kids who are adopted: The Forever Friends Club. Only problem is that Sam isn’t adopted! He feels left out. Will Sam be invited to join the club? Will the four friends play together again? How will they solve their problem? The Forever Friends Club is a story about adoption, belonging, and what it means to be a friend.

Forget Me Not. Jodi Lynn. 2003. 176p. (Glory Series #4). (gr 4-7). Puffin. It’s been nearly a year since Glory was cast out of Dogwood, sent away from her family and the only home she’s ever known. With the deadly poison running through her veins, she never thought she would make it this far. But through sheer determination—and devotion to the memory of her best friend, Katie—she has somehow found the strength to persevere. But now her time is running out, and there’s one last thing that she needs to do. Somehow, she has to get back to Dogwood. She’s got to make sure that once gone, she won’t be forgotten.

Foster. Sharene M Folmsbee. 2005. 98p. PublishAmerica. Foster is the story of nine-year-old Marie, who is in foster care with a psychologically abusive care giver. Marie is able to escape and become part of a real family. All is wonderful until a stranger comes to town who wants to change her life forever. Marie shows extraordinary intelligence, courage and loyalty.

Foster Mary. Celia Strang. 1979. 162p. (gr 5-7). McGraw Hill. Mary’s dreams for her foster children include a warm house, regular meals and no more traveling. Wallace was 15, born on the road; Amiella was 5; and Benny was 8, the children of migrant farm workers abandoned or separated from their parents, who were taken in by Aunt Mary and shown a home and love.

Found. Margaret Peterson Haddix. 2008. 320p. (Missing Series #1). (gr 4-7). Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he’s never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who’s also adoped, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, “You are one of the missing.” The second one says, “Beware! They’re coming back to get you.” Jonah, Chip, and Jonah’s sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere—and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip’s lives. Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying? About the Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix is the author of many critically and popularly acclaimed teen and middle-grade novels, all published by S&S. She lives in Powell, OH, with her husband and two children. A graduate of Miami University (of Ohio), she worked for several years as a reporter for The Indianapolis News. She also taught at the Danville (Illinois) Area Community College. By the Same Author: Sent (Missing Series #2) (2009).

Foundling & Other Tales of Prydain, The. Lloyd Alexander. 1973. 87p. (gr 5-7). Holt Rinehart & Winston. Since The Book of Three was first published in 1964, young readers have been enthralled by the adventures of Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper and his quest to become a hero. Taran is joined by an engaging cast of characters that includes Eilonwy, the strong-willed and sharp-tongued princess; Fflewddur Fflam, the hyperbole-prone bard; the ever-faithful Gurgi; and the curmudgeonly Doli — all of whom become involved in an epic struggle between good and evil that shapes the fate of the legendary land of Prydain. [See also, The Book of Three (1964), The Black Cauldron (1965), The Castle of Llyr (1966), Taran Wanderer (1967), & The High King (1968).] [Pictured at Right: 1982 Dell Paperback Edition]

Foundling Fox, The: How the Little Fox Got a Mother. Irina Korschunow. Illustrated by Irina & Reinhard Michl. Translated from the German by James Skofield. 1982. 48p. Harper & Row. A vixen fox with three little foxes of her own hears the cries of a little orphan fox and decides to take him home with her.

Fox & Fluff. Shutta Crum. Illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello 2002. 32p. (gr ps-3). Albert Whitman & Co. Fox is a tough guy. He’s big. He’s bad. He eats chickens. Fluff is little. Fluff is round and soft. Fluff’s a chick. And he knows his papa when he sees him—Fox. So what’s Fox to do when Fluff comes into his life, pecks him on the cheek, calls him “Papa,” and won’t leave? With his reputation on the line, Fox takes on the challenge of fatherhood—and finds out how much he has to offer.

Fox Farm. Eileen Dunlop. 1978. 149p. Oxford University Press (UK). Adam, who has been adopted into the Darke family, hs held himself aloof, taking as little part as possible in the life of his new family. One night, however, Mr. Darke shot the vixen which had been raiding his hen-house, and the next day a cub—promptly christened “Foxy”—was found by the side of the road. Adam knows he has to take care of Foxy, but doing that means that he will have to be hidden from the adults—which means that, for the first time, Adam needs help from his foster brother Richard. The story tells how the two care for Foxy, and in doing so, how the two, quite different in their natures, and not natural friends, become first friends, then brothers. Its a lovely story of a boy and a family coming to accept each other.

Freeman. Lillie D Chaffin. 1972. 152p. (YA). MacMillan. After living with his grandparents all his life in the coal-mining area of eastern Kentucky, twelve-year-old Freeman is shocked to learn that his parents are not dead, but returning home now that his father is out of prison.

Full Circle. Cate Tiernan. 2002. 192p. (Sweep Series #14). (YA). Puffin. Seventeen-year-old blood witch Morgan is being tormented by nightmares which become reality when she starts sleep-walking into life-threatening situations. In these visions, her dead ex-boyfriend, Cal is trying to kill her. In desperation Morgan turns to her boyfriend Hunter and to other blood witches for help. They plot to trap Cal’s spirit but it is in fact the spirit of Cal’s mother Selene, who has returned to kill Morgan, the last member of the Belwicket coven so that Selene’s coven, the Woodbanes, can rule supreme. Selene’s spirit is disguised as a hawk but Morgan also shape-shifts into a hawk and kills Selene in a terrifying mid-air fight. Morgan is now free of the past and can devote herself to developing her powers. By the Same Author: Book of Shadows and The Coven .

Gabriel & the Remarkable Pebbles: A Fable. Carol Hovin. 1996. 74p. (gr 4-7). Sunstar Publishing Ltd. Gabriel’s early years in a French orphanage contradict his glorious outcome. He struggles in his interactions with adults because of his exceptional ways of knowing what others do not. At the age of nine, Gabriel is at last adopted by a warm, loving couple, Nicole and Jean-Pierre Honors, and shares their boat home on the river Seine. The Honores, professionally trained geologists, assist Gabriel in the interpretation of his precious pebble dreams. In a series of adventures, pebbles corresponding to those of Gabriel’s dream are found at uncommon location throughout the world. It is discovered that the pebbles contain unique properties and are capable of creating heat, without burning, and purifying polluted waters. As a result of Gabriel’s dream, and the trust given to him by his parents, all nations are equally benefited with a clean inexhaustible energy source.

Gateway. Sharon Shinn. 2009. 288p. Viking Juvenile. As a Chinese adoptee in St. Louis, teenage Daiyu often feels out of place. When an elderly Asian jewelry seller at a street fair shows her a black jade ring—and tells her that “black jade” translates to “Daiyu”—she buys it as a talisman of her heritage. But it’s more than that; it’s magic. It takes Daiyu through a gateway into a version of St. Louis much like 19th century China. Almost immediately she is recruited as a spy, which means hours of training in manners and niceties and sleight of hand. It also means stealing time to be with handsome Kalen, who is in on the plan. There’s only one problem. Once her task is done, she must go back to St. Louis and leave him behind forever.

Gemini Hearts. Nancy Weber. 1995. 208p. (Double Solitaire). HarperCollins. Separated at birth and raised by different adoptive families, twins Julia Putnam and Catherine Angelos have a first chance at finding and meeting each other when they coincidentally win dates with the twin-brother stars of their favorite rock band.

Get Real. Betty Hicks. 2006. 192p. Roaring Brook Press. Dez is unusually neat. Her mom and dad are unusually messy. They like Cheez Whiz and swamps. Dez likes elegant food and grand pianos. How can she even be related to them? And how can Dez help her best friend, Jil, who’s adopted and who will stop at nothing in order to meet her birth mom? What is it, exactly, that makes a parent “real,” anyway? Get Real is about wanting a parent who is very different from the one you have. It’s about discovering, “Who am I?” About the Author: Betty Hicks says, “I’m adopted, but I’ve never wanted to search for my birth parents. I did want to explore the different ways of affirming your own identity, adopted or not.” She lives in Greensboro, NC, and is the author of Out of Order.

Ghosts of Mercy Manor, The. Betty Ren Wright. 1993. 160p. (gr 4-7). Scholastic. Gwen is determined not to like her new foster family. But surprisingly, she quicky feels at home with the warm, comfortable Mercys. Yet as Gwen begins to feel part of the family, she realizes that a terrifying secret lurks in the Mercy home. It is haunted by ghosts: a sad young girl named Rose beckons to her—and a pair of desperate men frighten her. What is the secret of Mercy Manor?

Ghost of Windy Hill, The. Clyde Robert Bulla. Illustrated by Don Bolognese. 1968. 84p. Thomas Y Crowell. A professor and his family live in the city in a horribly cramped rooms above a candle shop. The professor does not believe in ghosts. A wealthy man and his wife ask the professor to prove that their house is not haunted so they can go back and live there. The professor and his family go to the country house to live for a couple of weeks only. See how they solve the mystery of the ghost and save an adopted boy from a life of begging forced on him by his cruel adopted father.

Giant Jack. Birte Muller. Illustrated by J Alison James. 2002. 32p. (gr ps-3). Michael Neugebauer Verlag. From the beginning, Jack was different—much bigger than his sisters and far too clumsy to join in their games. His sisters are always laughing at him. But when Mother Mouse explains to Jack that his difference is what makes him so special to her, Jack is transformed. Happy and confident, he loves being big and strong, and his sisters discover just how great it is to have a brother like Giant Jack. Comical pictures illustrate this comforting story that will reassure adopted children and any youngster who has ever felt “different.”

Gib & the Gray Ghost. Zilpha Keatley Snyder. 2000. 240p. (gr 4-7). Delacorte. Gib’s fate as orphan and “farmed-out” hired hand versus adopted family member is again tested in the sequel to Gib Rides Home (1998) (see below). The death of the harsh Mr. Thornton lands Gib back among his would-be ranch family, away from the home for orphaned and abandoned boys once and for all. Readers unfamiliar with the first novel will not remember the abuse and neglect suffered at the hands of the cruel headmistress at the orphanage, and may initially find Gib a less sympathetic character this time around, e.g., he spends the early third of the story repeatedly ruminating over his prospects for adoption. Just as this begins to wear thin, a mysterious dapple gray horse appears in a snowstorm before light of morning. Its arrival, witnessed by Gib, transforms the story from turn-of-the-century orphan saga to horse-lover’s mystery. The strange, spooked horse has been beaten, and Gib immediately takes it upon himself to befriend and tame the wild creature, as well as solve the unanswered questions surrounding it. Snyder, despite her slow start, knows how to satisfy and does not disappoint readers seeking a solid story in which kindness is rewarded and evil punished. She deftly depicts the quiet triumph of the underdog, conveys that home will be what Gib makes of it, and allows readers to realize that family is more than what is written on a piece of paper. — © 1999 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gib Rides Home. Zilpha Keatley Snyder. 1998. 256p. (gr 4-7). Delacorte Press. Snyder (The Gypsy Game, 1997, etc.) recreates life in a boy’s orphanage at the dawn of this century in a sobering and poignant novel. There is little to distinguish Gibson Whittaker, 11, from his fellows at the Lovell House Orphanage, where poor food, severe whippings, and staff ambivalence are everyday facts of life. When Gib is adopted by the affluent Thornton family, he dares to dream that he’s found a loving home at last, only to realize that he has been “farmed out”—a routine practice of the era, where older orphans were adopted but expected to work as field hands. Gib is disheartened, although the workers and owners of the Rocking M Ranch feed him well and treat him kindly. A soap-opera plot twist thrusts Gib back into the orphanage one more time before he takes his place with the Thorntons for keeps. A good look at the period, with moments that are searing, and a heartfelt author’s note that readers are sure to find particularly compelling. — © 1997 Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gift From Valentine, A. Therese, M Sullivan, MS, LCPC, and Pamela Bitner, BA. Illustrated by Alex Poppen. 2007. 24p. (gr ps-3). Virtualbookworm.com Publishing. It is very, very early in the morning, but Jason jumps out of bed ready to play. He is excited as he looks through his trading cards and smiles as he thinks about the upcoming tournament. As he steps off the porch, he is greeted by his social worker, Ms. Mary Cleary. She says, “Jason, I am sorry you can no longer stay with your parents. Although all families have problems, we feel your mom and dad cannot provide the care you need right now. Parenting is a very hard job. So while we give them time to get help, you will be staying with the Garcia Family.” About the Authors: Therese Sullivan is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. She obtained a B.S. from Rockford College and her M.S. from Northern Illinois University. She has been employed for Children’s Home + Aid, a non-profit child welfare agency, since 1994 and has dedicated her career to improving the lives of children and families. Pamela Bitner has spent the past 18 years working as a clinical case manager in a prevention program at Children’s Home + Aid with 5- to 12-year-old children. She graduated with a B.A. in English from Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland and worked for the Williams & Wilkins Company editing medical manuscripts before beginning her career with the welfare department in Ohio and then as a therapist at Family, Life Center in Rockford, IL. She is married to the Rev. Dr. Denver Bitner and together they have three grown children and two grandchildren. Alex Poppen is fourteen years old and is a freshman at Harlem High School. He has always enjoyed drawing. In addition to art, he enjoys sports and music. He lives at home with his mom, dad, younger brother, and Eddy, his puppy.

Girl Like Cathy, A. Dorothy Clewes. 1971. 159p. Collins (UK).

Girl Who Saw Lions, The. Berlie Doherty. 2008. 256p. (gr 7 up). Roaring Brook Press. When Abela’s mother dies of AIDS in their African village, she is left to face the lions of the world. Lions like her Uncle Thomas who has plans to sell her in Europe. Lions like his bitter white wife, whom he abandons with Abela. Abela is forced to stay indoors in a sunless London apartment, cooking and cleaning, and hopelessly dreaming of her African homeland. Meanwhile, in a London suburb, Rosa is distraught when her mother tells her she wants to adopt a child. Rosa doesn’t want a sister or brother. Things were so good, why did they have to change? Berlie Doherty tells parallel stories, each separate and compelling in their own right, but stories that eventually tangle together bringing a message of hope and what it means to be a family. About the Author: Berlie Doherty, twice-winner of the Carnegie Medal lives in England. Her books have sold over 700,000 copies and been translated into 21 languages.

God Bless Me, God Bless You. Lois Rock. Illustrated by John Bendall-Brunello. 2001. 32p. (gr ps). Baker Book House. What better way to teach young children to pray and ease those nighttime fears than with a bedtime prayer of blessing? Young children ages three to six will love to follow along with the rhyming prayer in God Bless Me, God Bless You. The book teaches children to pray for people in their family and in other countries, reassures them that God takes care of animals and creation, and ends in confidence that God will bless both me and you. It also reminds children that God created all things and that we should appreciate His gifts. Colorful illustrations by John Bendall-Brunello portray animals and children in charming, fun ways that adults will love, too. God Bless Me, God Bless You will appeal to parents, grandparents, caregivers, teachers, and anyone looking for a gift for a small child. About the Author: Lois Rock is the author of a number of prayer books for children, including three retellings of the Lord’s Prayer for children of different ages that together have sold more than a quarter of a million copies. John Bendall-Brunello is a highly experienced illustrator who, in recent years, has concentrated mainly on picture books for children.

God Found Us You. Lisa Tawn Bergren. Illustrated by Laura J. Bryant. 2009. 40p. (gr ps-1). HarperCollins. From School Library Journal: In this story about adoption, a little white fox asks his rust-colored mama, “tell me again about the day I came home.” She begins by describing how she dreamed of holding him in her arms. Seeing other mothers with their babies, she explains, made her lonely, so she prayed and waited patiently for God to answer her prayers. Little Fox wonders why he couldn’t stay with the mother who had him, and Mama assures him that “she must have had very big reasons to give you up.” Little Fox’s mother promises to be his “forever mama,” and tells him she will always celebrate “the day that God found us you.” After she tucks him in, Little Fox says his prayers and falls into a contented sleep to dream about the day he came to his cozy home in the big woods. Bryant’s delicate illustrations in pastel shades augment the heartfelt message of Bergren’s simple story. Scenic paintings portray the loving relationship between Mama Fox and her child, and are framed with decorative flowers, vines, and stars. This woodland tale answers many questions adopted children may ask their parents. — Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA; About the Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren is the author of the children’s books God Gave us You and its sequel God Gave us Two, as well as several adult novels. She lives in Colorado Springs, CO, with her children and husband.

Golden Egg, The: A Story About Adoption. Jenny & Phil Thrasher. 2006. 28p. Outskirts Press. Jenny and Phil Thrasher adopted their children, Trey and Mackenzie, from Kazakhstan in 2004. They wrote The Golden Egg to help explain the miracle of adoption to Trey and Mackenzie. Jenny and Phil hope The Golden Egg will help children and adults everywhere understand the beauty of adoption.

Good-bye Gemma. Noel Streatfield. 1969. Armada Books (UK). The final book in the Gemma series is eventful for all members of the family. Gemma is invited to play the part of Juliet in the Headstone University production of Romeo and Juliet, with a very exciting Romeo. Then her mother telephones to say she has been offered a television role in England, and she wants Gemma to come and live in London with her. This would mean giving up the play, which Gemma refuses to do. Lydia is distraught when she learns that Miss Arrowhead will be going away for four months. When in London with the family, she manages to see Monsieur de Clara, one of the best teachers in the world, who tells her that one day he will send for her for an audition. However, her punishment for slipping away without telling the family—leaving them terrified that she may have been lost or kidnapped—is far worse than she could have imagined: she is not to perform in Gemma and Sisters over Christmas. Robin and Nigs are excited when there is an offer to make a Gemma and Sisters record. However, the plans suddenly change, and the record becomes a solo work for Ann. Robin, who had dreamed of the record being a hit, and swirled music becoming the latest craze, suffers the first serious disappointment of his life. Good-bye Gemma is the fourth in a four-book series: Gemma (1968), Gemma and Sisters (1968) and Gemma Alone (1969).

Goose. Molly Garrett Bang. 1996. (gr ps-3). The Blue Sky Press. A hand-sized book holds a humorous tale of a goose raised by woodchucks. Bang begins: “On a dreadfully dark and stormy night, an egg was blown right out of its nest.” The goose egg rolls into a deep dark hole and lands in a den of woodchucks where it hatches. The woodchucks raise the goose as one of their own and try to teach it what a woodchuck should know, with some success. The still-earthbound goose, however, sets off into the world to find out what more there is, falls off a cliff, and discovers she can fly. Bang makes intriguing use of perspective, multiple images, frames, and borders. In the first pages, white, gray, and aqua images are painted across black backgrounds, with rain pelting down in and out of the frame; the trunk of a wind-bent tree is in the border, with its branches the focus of the picture. Elsewhere, the egg rolls right out of the frame and lands on the next page. Other pictures look like snapshots from the woodchuck family album, with a formal portrait as well as tiny, candid shots of the goose and siblings digging, moving logs, grazing, and swimming. Children will scrutinize every illustration carefully, taking pleasure from the innumerable discoveries therein. — From Kirkus Reviews. ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Goose Who Went Off in a Huff, The. Paul Brett Johnson. 2001. 40p. (gr ps-3). Orchard Books. Magnolia the goose, who made a cameo appearance in Johnson’s The Pig Who Ran a Red Light, becomes an adoptive mother in this third book about an unconventional farm. Amid a rural vista of steep blue hillsides, wood-frame barns and a dusty dirt path, Magnolia plays with a rubber ducky. Later, she sits on a basket of Easter eggs. “Magnolia wants to be a mama,” realizes Miss Rosemary, a white-haired, spinsterly farmer. “Well, quit your fretting, dear. That sort of thing happens in its own good time.” When Magnolia gets offended and gives this book its title, her barnyard friends fear that she has run off to join the Ding-a-Ling Circus, conspicuously advertised on the endpapers and on a poster that adorns a ramshackle shed. Johnson piques interest in the circus, then avoids doing the expected. Magnolia is not interested in show-biz, and a placard touting the “world’s cutest baby elephant” offers the real key to the outcome. Johnson plays to his fans with bit parts for Gertrude the cow and George the pig (who don baby bonnets and “gosling” beaks to assuage Magnolia’s maternal instincts), and provides his trademark, light-speckled Appalachian settings. With the addition of the elephant, he sacrifices a modicum of rustic charm, but sets up a sequel to this tall tale: the Ding-a-Ling Circus promises to return “same time next year.” — From Publisher’s Weekly. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gotcha, Louie!. HM Ehrlich. Illustrated by Emily Bolam. 2002. 32p. (gr ps-3). Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books.

Louie and his mother had a favorite game.
He would run away . . .
And she would catch him!
Then she would say, “Gotcha, Louie” And give him a squeeze and a tickle.

One day, while Grandma and Grandpa are visiting, Louie tires of listening to the grownups talk. He wants to play “gotcha” instead. So he runs outside with his goose, Rosie, calling, “Catch us, Mommy!” When the grownups realize Louie is missing, everyone looks high and low for him, but he’s nowhere to be found. Luckily, his mother figures out just the right way to make Louie come out of hiding.

Grand & Humble. Brent Hartinger. 2006. 224p. (YA). HarperTeen. From Publishers Weekly: Two 17-year-olds with very different lives both begin experiencing strange phenomena in Hartinger’s (Geography Club) suspenseful novel. Rich, popular Harlan, the son of a senator, begins having premonitions of his own death (one of which almost comes true when a bus narrowly misses him on the corner of Grand and Humble Streets). Meanwhile, theater “geek” Manny has terrible nightmares, which make him question his own past-questions that his usually sensitive father does not want to answer. Readers will be curious about the connection between these two opposite protagonists, whose stories unfold in alternating chapters. But they may find that some of the plot points stretch credibility. It’s hard to believe, for instance, that Manny did not previously question his missing baby pictures, and Harlan’s mother seems overly cruel (she began blackmailing him back when he was in the Boy Scouts) and micromanages his life, using guilt trips and threats. Still, despite the contrivances, readers will likely be impressed when they finally discover the link between Manny and Harlan (and they will have something to think about when the book ends). © 2006 Reed Business Information. About the Author: Brent Hartinger has been a full-time author for many years, writing novels, plays, and screenplays. He lives in Washington State. Among his books are Geography Club and its sequel, The Order of the Poison Oak, as well as The Last Chance Texaco and Split Screen. Like Dave and his friends, as a teenager he resisted getting a job for as long as possible but finally was forced by his parents to go to work as a lifeguard at age sixteen. He still smells like coconut sunblock.

Grandma’s Little Darling. Stephen R George. 1990. Zebra. Twelve-year-old Nora didn’t want to mess up her chances of getting adopted by her newest foster family. So she didn’t tell anyone about the strange feeling she got whenevershe went near Grandma. The old lady made her feel creepy—like she could read Nora’s thoughts, like she wanted to get right inside Nora’s head.

Grateful Crane, The. Ann Herring. Illustrated by K Shimizu. 1971. Gakken Co, Ltd (Tokyo). Classic Japanese folk tale from snow-cover mountain villages of the ancient past. An old farmer frees a crane caught in a trap. That evening a beautifyl young women seeks shelter from the freezing, winter night. The old man and his wife take her in. In due time she asks the childless couple to take her for their adopted child. They do. Life is good with the oddity of the daughter withdrawing to her room periodically and emerge with armfuls of exquisite bolts of cloth. One day the old couple discovers their daughter to be the incarnation of the grateful crane. The young woman assumes her true form and flies away. A lovely story of ancient mores of discharging debts-of-kindness embellished with color photos of still-life arrangements of one-dimensional dolls and props placed in three-dimensional settings. The art form is exquisite, conveying tranquility and timelessness in a truer-than-life spirit. See also, The Crane Maiden by Miyoko Matsutani.

Great Gilly Hopkins, The. Katherine Paterson. 1978. 148p. (gr 4-8). Crowell. Eleven-year-old Gilly hopkins arrives at Mrs. Trotter’s home in Thompson Park, Maryland, sure that she will hate it and determined to create trouble and make everyone hate her. She feels she can stand anything as long as she is in charge. In her tiny room, she takes out a picture of her mother, Courtney, and dreams about being with her. Unlike other foster homes Gilly has been in, Mrs. Trotter’s is rundown and dusty. Mrs. Trotter is huge and friendly and very protective of William Ernest (W.E.), age 7, who also lives with her. Every night at suppertime, this unlikely foster family is joined by their blind neighbor Mr. Randolph. At school, Gilly is put in Miss Harris’s sixth grade and is outraged that the class is ahead of her in most subjects; Gilly prides herself on being smart. She is also upset because Miss Harris is black and seemingly unperturbed by Gilly’s behavior. Gilly gets off to what she thinks is a a great start by fighting on her first day. The only student who wants to befriend her is a shy girl named Agnes Stokes. One night while looking for a book of poems at Mr. Randolph’s, Gilly finds and keeps ten dollars. She plans to return to Mr. Randolph’s to find more money so she can join her mother in California. to do this, Gilly decides to Use Agnes and W.E as unwitting accomplices. She starts being nice to him, and he soon looks up to her. About the Author: Katherine Paterson, winner of the 1978 Newbery Medal for Bridge to Terabithia and of the 1977 National Book Award for The Master Puppeteer, again reaches across boundaries with her wit, compassion, and love, and here creates an immensely engaging story about a child’s desperate search for a place to call home.

Great Gilly Hopkins, The: Literature Guide. Linda Ward Beech. 1998. 20p. (gr 4-8). Scholastic. This guide includes an author biography, background information, thought-provoking discussion questions, summaries, as well as creative, cross-curricular activities and reproducibles that motivate students.

Great Gilly Hopkins, The: Scholastic Book Guide. 2003. (gr 3-5). Scholastic. Time Saving tools for reading success: book summary and author information; vacabulary builders; comprehension/discussion questions; graphic organizers and writing activitiesand effective management ideas.

Green Willow. Eileen Dunlop. 1993. 159p. (gr 5-9). Holiday House. From the author of The House on the Hill (1987), a well-crafted ghost story. When they move into Maddimoss, an uncomfortable old house full of Japanese artifacts in rural Scotland, Kit and her adoptive mother are still deeply depressed by the aftershocks of Kit’s sister Juliet’s accidental death a year ago. Her father, who favored his “real” sickly older daughter, is in Australia, apparently for good; Kit, who concealed her jealousy of Juliet, feels unloved and estranged from both parents, and guilty because her distress is misread as grief. When she discovers a Japanese garden on the property—and sees the evanescent image of its gardener in an old photo—her interest is awakened. “Kojima’s” story, it is gradually revealed, was intertwined with that of old Miss Sorley, their upstairs landlady, and that of Daniel, a 16-year-old rebel staying with them while he sorts out his need to be an artist and his father’s conflicting demands. There’s a great deal going on here—prejudice between servant and master, the compelling role of art in an artist’s life, issues of adoption and belonging, etc.—but Dunlop knits it all cleverly together with nary a loose end, reuniting families, making peace, getting careers on track, settling the ghost. Too neat, perhaps, but it makes an entertaining yarn, with convincing characters and plenty of mystery and suspenseful incidents along the way. — From Kirkus Reviews; ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Greetings from Nowhere. Barbara O’Connor. 2008. 208p. (gr 4-7). Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Aggie isn’t expecting visitors at the Sleepy Time Motel in the Great Smoky Mountains. Since her husband died, she is all alone with her cat, Ugly, and keeping up with the bills and repairs has become next to impossible. The pool is empty, the garden is overgrown, and not a soul has come to stay in nearly three months. When she reluctantly places a For Sale ad in the newspaper, Aggie doesn’t know that Kirby and his mom will need a room when their car breaks down on the way to Kirby’s new reform school. Or that Loretta and her parents will arrive in her dad’s plumbing company van on a trip meant to honor the memory of Loretta’s birth mother. Or that Clyde Dover will answer the For Sale ad in such a hurry and move in with his daughter, Willow, looking for a brand-new life to replace the one that was fractured when Willow’s mom left. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that Aggie and her guests find just the friends they need at the shabby motel in the middle of nowhere. From an author long recognized for her true Southern voice and heartfelt characters, Greetings from Nowhere, with its four intertwining stories, brings Barbara O’Connor’s work to a new level of sophistication.

Grim Grotto, The. Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2004. 352p. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #11). (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. It’s tough when the things that stand between you and your desired sugar bowl are a host of deadly mushrooms and an uncomfortable diving suit. The unlucky Baudelaire orphans find themselves in deep (once again) in this eleventh book in Lemony Snicket’s odd-and-full-of-woe-but-quite-funny Series of Unfortunate Events. In The Grim Grotto, the siblings find themselves headed down Stricken Stream on a broken toboggan when they are spotted by the submarine Queequeg, carrying Captain Widdershins, his somewhat volatile stepdaughter Fiona, and optimistic Phil from Lucky Smells Lumbermill. The adventures that follow as the crew tries to get to the aforementioned sugar bowl before Count Olaf are so horrible that the narrator inserts factual information about the water cycle so that readers will get bored and stop reading the book. It doesn’t work. As usual, readers will want to soak up every awful detail and follow the Baudelaires all the way back to the place we first met them—Briny Beach. — Karin Snelson

Grover G Graham & Me. Mary Quattlebaum. 2003. 192p. (gr 4-7). Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers. Ben Watson has been shuffled from foster home to foster home since he was 5 years old. Seven homes in six years. He’s gotten used to blanking folks out, leaving them behind, and waiting for the day when he can leave foster care forever. Now, at the age of 11, Ben’s just arrived at home number eight. But he’s finding it hard to blank out the Torgles, his new foster parents, and their house full of strays: the 7-year-old twins, Kate and Jango, and the baby, Grover G. Graham. Grover’s just over a year old and always getting into trouble, but Ben can’t help liking the little guy—especially since Grover was abandoned by his teenage mother, just like Ben was. The only difference is that Grover’s mother, Tracey, is still trying to get custody of her child. But Ben is convinced Tracey will abandon Grover again. So when he gets the chance to escape from the system, Ben takes it. And he takes Grover with him.

Guardian, The. Joyce Sweney. 2009. 192p. (YA). Henry Holt & Co. Hunter has never had anyone to look out for him. His mother gave him away when he was young, he’s never known his father, and his foster mother leaves a lot to be desired in the mothering department. So when a mysterious, benevolent force suddenly starts coming to his aid, Hunter doesn’t know what to believe. Could he really have a guardian angel? Hunter so badly wants someone to care that he’s willing to take a leap of faith, and more. But when he finally learns the truth about his angel, he’ll have to decide whether it’s the best thing that ever happened to him or the worst. his masterful pairing of suspenseful, fast-paced storytelling with genuine compassion and heart is Joyce Sweeney at her best. About the Author: Joyce Sweeney is the author of more than a dozen novels for young adults, including the highly praised Headlock. She lives in Coral Springs, FL, with her husband, Jay, and her cat, Phantom.