Taming of Corky, The. Jane Nixon White, EdD. 2000. 108p. (gr ps-3). AuthorHouse. The Taming of Corky is a story about love, both the love of a young, childless couple reaching out to a lost child, and the fulfillment of love the child might bring to them. Jan and Bert Whittier have yearned for a child for the twelve years of their marriage, hungry to become parents. Nine-year-old Corky is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed both his parents and left him in the wilderness, desperately trying to survive alone. When Jan and Corky stumble across each other in the woods several months after the crash, their story truly begins. Will their chance meeting satisfy both their needs, or will circumstances keep them apart? About the Author: Dr. Jane Nixon White, award-winning poet and essayist, is a veteran teacher whose writing crosses genres. Her first book, Life and Things Like Rocks, is an anthology of poems and prayers for children. Her other published works include history, plays, and her Doctoral Dissertation on student motivation. Born in Columbia, SC, Dr. White has called Florida home for 47 years. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, and holds M.Ed. and Doctoral Degrees from the University of North Florida. She has been recognized by Poetry.com and the International Library of Poetry as a Top Poet of the Year 2000, and has been published in Troll Communications’ groundbreaking e-book, Doughnuts From the Teachers’ Lounge. The Taming of Corky is her first novel.

Tangled Hearts. Patti Bongiorno. 2004. 256p. (YA). Bongiorno Books. One of the hallmarks of the teenage years is the lament, “Why me?” Be it hair, height, weight, or some other issue of the day, the questions is always the same. For a child of adoption, the issue AND the question are always the same—“Why me?” No matter how bright, popular, or attractive a child of adoption may be, he or she is always haunted by that question. Read this story and you just may find a clue to your own entangled heart.

Tangled Web. Shelley Hrdlitschka. 2000. 240p. (gr 4-7). Orca Book Publishers. From Booklist: In this fast-paced sequel to Disconnected (1999), Hrdlitschka maintains plot momentum and adds some satisfying new complications for 15-year-old telepathic twins, Alex and Tanner. This time, three story lines converge. While secretly tracking their birth mother and volunteering for a psychological study on twins separated at birth, the boys once again fall victim to Hap, the kidnapper from the previous book, now out of prison and seeking revenge. Characters are sketchy, but there’s some nice light suspense, and the short, dialogue-driven chapters introduce several unusual people, including Hap’s drug-addicted sidekick and a suspicious research scientist. Although a few intriguing revelations about the twins’ birth bring partial answers to the questions about their past, the final chapter introduces a new twist, suggesting a sequel. — Roger Leslie; © American Library Association. All rights reserved. Visit the Author’s Website. By the Same Author: Dancing Naked and Disconnected.

Teen, Inc. Stefan Petrucha. 2007. 224p. (YA). Walker Books for Young Readers. Legally, a corporation is a person, so why shouldn’t they be able to adopt a child? Fourteen-year-old Jaiden’s family is a corporation and his home is an office building. When his parents are killed in an accident caused by a faulty piece of equipment manufactured by NECorp, the company adopts him and raises him in its headquarters. Now as a teenager, Jaiden, is longing for a normal life—attending high school, living in a house, having a girlfriend—and is starting to rebel in search of it. With the help of his new friend, Jenny, he uncovers some disturbing and scandalous information about NECorp and must make the tough decision to stay loyal to his “family” or to follow his instincts. Jaiden’s funny and fresh voice makes this a quick, enjoyable read and the suspenseful plot will keep readers on the edge of their seats. About the Author: Stefan Prtrucha is the author of over 100 young adult novels, graphic novels, and comic books, including the TimeTripper series (Razorbill), the Nancy Drew graphic novels (Papercutz), and the upcoming Wicked Dead series (Harper). He lives in Amherst, MA, and his Web site is www.petrucha.com.

Tell Me a Real Adoption Story. Betty Jean Lifton. Illustrated by Claire A Nivola. 1993. 32p. (gr ps-3). Knopf. When the young girl in this book asks for an adoption story, her mother tells a fanciful tale, complete with a king and a queen. The girl doesn’t want a make-believe story, though. She demands, Tell Me a Real Adoption Story. She likes it much better when her mother tells the actual story of her own adoption. The author of this book understands that children need to know the truth about themselves and have a strong sense of reality about how they joined their family. This book was the winner of the 1994 Pact Press Award in the category of exploring adoption.

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born. Jamie Lee Curtis. Illustrated by Laura Cornell. 1996. 40p. (gr ps-3). HarperCollins. A young girl asks her parents to tell her again the cherished family story of her birth and adoption.

Tell Me My Name. Mary Carter. 1975. 238p. William Morrow. A 19-year-old adopted girl locates her natural mother and appears without warning at her home. The girl expects to be greeted with affection, but instead her mother’s initial reaction is shock and shame. (Synopsis refers to 1978 film adaptation, starring Valerie Mahaffey & Barbara Barrie).

Tex. Myrelene Ranville. Illustrated by Clive Dobson. 1999. 32p. Firefly Books. I did have a dog named Tex. He was an English foxhound. Tex and I lived on my Indian reservation in the Canadian Province of Manitoba. Tex was indeed adopted from a city dog pound. I loved him very, very much. The idea to write a book about a “reserve” dog came from a telephone conversation between my husband and me. I was working on a very technical policy document in the Canadian province of Ontario. My husband was 1,400 miles away on an Indian reserve in the Province of Manitoba. He was looking out the window at the “reserve” dogs wandering around the reservation homes. He suggested I do some writing that is fun and take a break from the technical writing. He said, “Why don’t you write a book about reserve dogs.” Tex is the result of that conversation. I am an Anishnabay woman. The Anishanaby people are often called Ojibway. I prefer to known as an Anishnabay. My family, my tribe and our land are very important to me. I am fortunate to have been taught to speak my ancient Anishnabay language. Tex has ten Anishnabay words embedded into the English text. I, currently, teach Anishnabay to children of many ethnic backgrounds. The Polish, French and Ukranian children love to speak Anishnabay. My dream for my Tex book is that it will serve as a conduit between cultures. I hope that your reaction will be like a little girl’s reaction at one of my public school readings. — Myrelene Ranville

That’s One Ornery Orphan. Patricia Beatty. 1980. 184p. William Morrow. After the casual adoption practices in 19th-century Texas result in three unsuccessful placements for a 13-year-old girl, she is finally forced to face the placement she has tried so hard to avoid.

Then There Were Five. Elizabeth Enright (1909-1968). Illustrated by the Author. 1944. 241p. (gr 3-7). Farrar & Rinehart. One of a series of stories about the Melendy children (including The Saturdays and The Four-Story Mistake). A summer that promises to be eventful turns into something extra special when the four Melendy children become five after they befriend an orphan.

There’s a Hamster in My Lunchbox. Susan Clymer. Illustrated by Paul Casale. 1994. 120p. Scholastic. The new class pet is full of surprises! Everyone in Elizabeth’s class loves the Halloween gift someone left on the teacher’s desk—a fluffy hamster dressed in a black cape. Who put it there- and why? and What do you do with a frisky hamaster that keeps getting lost and turning up in the strangest places.

There’s No Place Like Home. AG Cascone. 1997. 240p. (gr 7 up). Troll Communications. This book is a real page-turner horror story. We know that tearing a child away from the only parents she’s ever known is traumatic, but judges still say that the child will “get over it.” What happens, then, to a child who doesn’t get over it, who lets her need for her “mommy” rule her life and force her to become a monster, incapable of loving anyone? Mallory Dunne and Kyle Stoddard get pulled into the life of “Baby D” whose adoptive parents died in a terrible fire which she may have caused, and from which she managed to escape. Baby D knows who her mommy is, and she’s determined to kill anyone related to the lawyer or judge who separated them all those years ago. Finally, she’s ready to kill her mommy’s “other” baby, the child who “replaced” her. A contrived happy ending for everyone except Baby D makes this book oddly satisfying. — Judy Silverman, Children’s Literature

They Called Me Bunny. Mary Anderson Parks. 2006. 280p. Livingston Press. When Bunny turned twelve, she dyed her hair so she would look more like her adopted parents. When she turned fourteen, she had to lock her bedroom door to keep her step-father out. At sixteen, Bunny leaves to find her real parents, from whom she is sure she was stolen. Ingenious amatuer sleuthing leads her to a most pleasant reunion.

Things Little Kids Need to Know. Susan Uhlig. Illustrated by Jennifer Heyd Wharton. 2000. 32p. Our Child Press. Penelope Leach, author of Your Baby and Child from Birth to Age Five has written: “Suppose one day your husband comes home and says that he is about to acquire a new wife. She is younger and cuter than you and will require more care and attention. But this does not mean he loves you any less.” Sure! Things Little Kids Need To Know is designed to help children look forward to the arrival of a sibling. — Carol Hallenbeck, September 14, 1999

This Book is Not Good for You. Pseudonymous Bosch. 2009. 400p. (Secret Series #3). (gr 4-7). Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Between the pages of this book lies the secret to the best-tasting chocolate in all the world. I promise, your taste buds will tingle. Your palette will sing! Oh no, have I accidentally tempted you to read this book? I will warn you, however, the most delicious things are never good for you...and this story is particularly scrumptious! In this tooth-rotting adventure, Cass’s mom has been kidnapped by the evil dessert chef and chocolatier, Señor Hugo! The ransom...the legendary tuning fork. Can Cass and Max-Ernest find the magical instrument before it’s too late? Will they discover the evil secret ingredient to Señor Hugo’s chocolate success? If you’re tempted, take a taste, but just remember...this book is not good for you. About the Author: Pseudonymous Bosch is the anonymous pseudonymous author of the Secret Series. Not much is known about him other than that he has a passionate love of chocolate and cheese and an equally passionate hatred of mayonnaise. Rumors of Boschian sightings are just as frequent and about as reliable as reports of alien abductions. If you ever meet anyone claiming to be Pseudonymous himself he is almost certainly an impostor. The real Pseudonymous is said currently to be hiding in a cave in a remote jungle (although there are contrary reports that he is somewhere in Greenland). You may contact him through his website. With the focus of his third book being chocolate, will elusive narrator Pseudonymous Bosch finally reveal his secret identity? You’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, don’t forget to gather clues from his previous books: The Name of This Book is Secret and If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late.

This is How We Became a Family: An Adoption Story. Wayne Willis. Illustrated by the Author. 2000. 32p. Magination Press. An adoption story for children of all ages. It tells of a couple who long for a child, of a pregnant young woman who is not ready to be a mother, and of the events that bring them together for a happy ending. It also invites children to ask questions about their own adoption story.

This is the Day!. Phillis Gershator. Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. 2007. 32p. (gr ps-3). Houghton Mifflin. From Kirkus Reviews: Counting, adding, and the days of the week are introduced in this quirky traditional song about babies and adoption. “Monday’s the day we give babies away with half a pound of tea,” it begins. The mildly nonsensical rhyming text curls around the swirling illustrations as ladies of various races (some seemingly single and some not) visit a Bemelmans-inspired home for infants and adopt consecutively growing numbers of babies. When the final prospective mother declares, “Seven is heaven,” the ladies relax in a circle, lovingly playing with all of their tots. Priceman’s dreamlike watercolors are a joy to behold, and Gershator’s adaptation of the song retains a buoyant musical quality. While adoption itself receives a relatively light treatment here—each set of babies is accompanied by a whimsical gift such as milk and cookies or a bear and a honeybee—young listeners will come away with the idea that each child is very much wanted and all of the new families are filled with warmth and love. Includes an author’s note on the song’s origins. About the Authors: Phillis Gershator was inspired by a traditional song to tell this story about 28 babies and seven happy adoptions. A former children’s librarian, she is also the author of several books for young readers, including Sky Sweeper, The Babysitter Sings, and Rata-Pata-Fata-Scata. Phillis lives with her husband, her frequent coauthor, on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Marjorie Priceman has illustrated many books for children, including the Caldecott Honor-winning books Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin and Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air Balloon Ride. Most recently she illustrated The Bake Shop Ghost by Jacqueline K. Ogburn, which was given a rave review by Daniel Pinkwater on National Public Radio. Marjorie lives in Lewisburg, PA.

Three’s a Crowd. Written by Jamie Suzanne; created by Francine Pascal. 1987. 105p. (Sweet Valley Twins Series #7). Bantam Skylark Books (Canada). For once, identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield agree on something! Their friend, Mary Giaccio, spends too much time at their house. Mary is a foster child in the Altman family, but she’s acting like part of the Wakefield family. If there’s one thing Jessica and Elizabeth don’t need, it’s a third twin! They’re desperate to find some way to discourage Mary. Then Jessica overhears a private talk between her parents about Mary’s future. Now she knows something that could solve the twins’ problem and make Mary happy too. But Elizabeth warns Jessica against spreading her news. Does Jessica have any right to interfere with Mary’s life?

Three’s Company. Terri Griffin. 2009. 24p. (gr ps-3). Tate Publishing. Some say, “Two’s company; three’s a crowd,” but not in this book! Join new author Terri Griffin as she tells the true story of her daughter’s adoption through the eyes of a family of ducks. This tender story will warm hearts and perhaps inspire others to consider fostering children who are in desperate need of being shown God’s love. In this family, Three’s Company. (This is an eLIVE book, meaning each printed copy contains a special code redeemable for the free download of the audio version of the book.)

Thunder from the Sea. Joan Hiatt Harlow. 2004. 256p. (gr 4-7). Margaret K McElderry. Tom buried his face against the dog’s wet fur. This was the beautiful Newfoundland dog he’d dreamed about, and now that he was really here, Tom didn’t want to give him up. It’s 1929 and thirteen-year-old Tom Campbell has always wanted a real family in a real house and a dog of his very own. Since he was three years old, the only home Tom has known is the Mission orphanage on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland. Now he’s being sent far away to live and work with fisherman Enoch Murray and his wife, Fiona, on Back o’ the Moon Island. So, Tom is amazed when, on his first time in the fishing boat and in the middle of a squall, he rescues a Newfoundland dog who seems to have come out of nowhere. Tom names the dog Thunder. With no one to claim him, the dog fast becomes Tom’s loyal and constant companion. When an earthquake strikes the area, Thunder proves himself invaluable to the family and the island, saving lives and warning of imminent danger—and it seems that Tom and Thunder might both have a place with the Murray family. But then Fiona becomes pregnant with her first child, and it looks like Thunder’s owner might be found. Tom’s wonderful, new world is being turned upside down. Will the Murrays still want Tom? And will Tom be forced to give up his beloved Thunder? From the author of the best-selling and award-winning Star in the Storm comes this thrilling adventure tale about family, loyalty, and the special bond between a lonely young boy and a remarkable dog—a story that will leave readers cheering.

Tibor Gergely’s Great Big Book of Bedtime Stories. Florence Rondell. 1967. 384p. Golden Press. Contributors: Peter Archer (Gergely’s Golden Circus), Annie North Bedford (The Jolly Barnyard), Irma Simonton Black (With Jessie Stanton and Lucy Sprague Mitchell—the Taxi That Hurried), Margaret Wise Brown (Wheel on the Chimney), Olga Cabral (The Seven Sneezes), Gertrude Crampton (Scuffy the Tugboat (And His Adventures Down the River)), Gertrude Crampton (Tootle), Kathleen N. Daly (About the Seashore), Kathleen N. Daly (Travel), Georges Duplaix (The Merry Shipwreck), Caroline D. Emerson (May Way for the Thruway), Janet Frank (Daddies), Barbara Shook Hazen (Lion Cub’s Busy Day), Beth Greiner Hoffman (Animal Gym), Alice Hunt (Little Gray Donkey), Thacher Edith Hurd (With Margaret Wise Brown—Seven Little Postmen), Byron and Kathryn Jackson (Christopher and the Columbus), Kathryn and Byron Jackson (Little Yip-Yip and His Bark), Janette Sebring Lowrey (A Day in the Jungle), Carl Memling (Rupert the Rhinoceros), Miryam (The Happy Man and His Dump Truck), Lucy Sprague Mitchell (A Year in Thte City), Kenneth Norris (As Told To Jane Werner Watson—the Happy Little Whale), Ilo Orleans (Animal Orchestra), Peggy Parish (The Golden Year), Bertha Morris Parker (The Deep Blue Sea—with Kathleen N. Daly), Marian Potter (The Little Red Caboose), Edith Thacher (With Margaret Wise Brown—Five Little Firemen), Elsa Jane Werner (Houses), Elsa Jane Werner (Told By Little Red Riding Hood) & Elsa Jane Werner (The Three Bears).

Tides. VM Caldwell. Illustrated by Erica Magnus. 2001. 300p. (gr 4-7). Milkweed Editions. Elizabeth Sheridan, now 12, returns with her extended family to her grandmother’s beach house. Elizabeth has been looking forward to the trip all winter, but almost immediately things begin to go wrong. Adam, the eldest cousin, is withdrawn and moody. His world shattered by the deaths of his two best friends, he refuses to participate in family events—or stay at Grandma’s house. Elizabeth watches how everyone reacts to Adam’s behavior. Even Grandma, whose sense of right and wrong guides them all, is shaken. As the newest member of her adoptive family, Elizabeth becomes the intermediary between Adam and the rest of the clan. One thing is certain: it will take more than the summer to sort things out. As in The Ocean Within, readers will become immersed in how even the strongest families deal with change.

Tillmon County Fire. Pamela Ehrenberg. 2009. 175p. (YA). Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. In tiny Tillmon County, where it seems like nothing ever happens and the most serious crimes are vandalism and bar brawls, a mysterious fire rocks the lives of the teenagers who live there. Who set the fire that night, and more importantly, who owns the reasons behind it? As the story unfolds, the lines between truth and fiction, motive and happenstance, guilt and innocence blur. This novel-in-stories is told in the voices of its disparate cast of characters: a frustrated adoptee, a gay teenager, a pregnant store clerk, and a boy with autism, who is more at the center of events than he imagines. Pamela Ehrenberg’s gift for compelling storytelling makes this a memorable and moving work of fiction for teenage readers.

Time Will Tell. Suzanne Bush & Deb Takes. 2004. 279p. (YA). Imagining Possibilities LLC. Katie Farrell and her friends at Manhattan Prep are not unlike many kids, as they struggle with conflicts: how they look and dress, school bullies, fitting in with the cool crowd, animal rights and justice and mercy. Born in a remote city in Romania, at the height of the revolution, Katie was one of thousands of nameless orphans, some abandoned by parents too poor to care for them, some orphaned by the deaths of their parents. Fate stepped into her life when Charlotte Farrell, the beautiful American actress, visited Romania to help the United Nations focus worldwide attention on the orphans. Charlotte and her husband, John, knew immediately that the baby with the mysterious, dark eyes and the wild curly black hair belonged in their lives. But Katie didn’t come to America alone. Sophia, the woman who had cared for her in the orphanage, became part of the family, too. Even though she realizes how lucky she is, Katie often feels like an outsider. At school, she and her friends, Corky and Henry, travel in an orbit that parallells, but rarely crosses, that of the cool kids. She tries to explain it to her parents. For Kaite, cool seems to be everything she is not. Her hair is too curly, her skin too dark, her body too round. As Katie wrestles with the things that make her feel so different and uncool, she finds herself drawn into the center of several mysterious events—events that seem at first like cruel pranks, but which suddenly turn dangerous. About the Authors: Suzanne Bush (left) is a riding instructor and tutor, who formerly worked in the newspaper industry. She lives in suburban Philadelphia with her husband, Guy, and their dogs, cat and horse. Deb Takes is a career banker with a consuming love for the theatre. She, too, lives in suburban Philadelphia with her husband, Walt, and their two cats, Bobbi and Cleo.

Today I Was Adopted. Yvonne Drew. 2007. 184p. (gr 4-7). Tate Publishing & Enterprises. From the Publisher: Today I Was Adopted is a true-to-life story about a local little girl in need of love, caring and understanding. She happily finds a home with her aunt and uncle and shares this very special day with you—the day she was adopted. A wonderful children’s book for every family!

Toddy. Jane Peart. 2000. 160p. (gr 4-7). (Orphan Train West). Fleming H Revell Co. After her mother leaves six-year-old Toddy at the county children’s home, she is chosen by a minister’s wife to go West on the Orphan Train and is taken in by a wealthy widow as a companion for her sickly granddaughter.

Together Forever: A Coloring Book Story. Sara L Barris & Doryce Penn Seltzer. 1992. 32p. (gr ps-5). Shoot Star Press. This coloring book simply and lovingly portrays how a baby is wished for, is wanted, and becomes a permanent and important part of his or her family. A wonderfully positive message is offered by the simple, touching story and its illustrations, which are upbeat and fun to color. The sharing of everyday activities and special events that bond a family together is lovingly reflected for all children to understand.

Touched by an Angel’s Tear. L Steven Santora. Illustrated by Lisa J. Fargo. 2008. 32p. (gr ps-3). Guilin City Publishing. Hanna hovers close and whispers in the nannies ears directing them to a special baby for the kind woman named Ellen. Facilitating perfect matches through adoption is what this story explains. The book transforms what is typically understood as a bureaucratic process, into one driven by human kindness and a bit of magic. Based on the real processes experienced by adoptive families, the story follows the events starting with a womans desire to adopt, and ending with a perfect match made between an adoptive family and an infant. The books character, Hanna the Angel, is the coordinator of kind interactions between an adoptive mother, an adoption agency, and the staff at an orphanage. Hanna inspires the heartfelt motivations of all who participate in the process of adoption. The book concludes with a job well done by Hanna who brings a baby and a loving family together. The story offers an explanation for the adoption process that can be shared with a child. Hanna the Angel captures the magic and spirit at the heart of adoption for both parent and child. About the Author: Author, composer and lyricist L. Steven Santora, an adoptive father, created Touched by an Angels Tear, a story about the process of adoption. An accomplished musician and composer, Santora conceived and produced the music for the CD, Guilin, A Special Journey. Active in the production of new music for performance, he also works to coordinate new products of interest for the adoption community.

Tower Room, The. Adele Geras. 1990. 143p. (gr 8-12). (Edgerton Hall Trilogy, Volume 1). Hamish Hamilton. From School Library Journal: Megan Thomas’s parents left her in the care of Dorothy Doolittle, headmistress of Sciences at Edgerton Hall, when she was 11, and were subsequently killed in an accident. Now nearly 18 and about to graduate from the protective, regimented world of the boarding school, Megan and her two roommates take their studies and themselves very seriously. When a handsome, young lab assistant, Simon Findlay, arrives at the all-female school, he turns plenty of heads, including his employer’s. Megan is lovestruck from the moment she spies him from her window; Simon shares her infatuation and gladly climbs the scaffolding to her tower room for clandestine meetings. The couple runs away together when Dorothy discovers the affair and melodramatically dismisses them both. In the modern twist on the fairy-tale ending, Megan realizes that love does not necessarily conquer all and decides to go back and finish her education. Set in Britain in the 1960s, the rather heavy-handed story unfolds through a series of journal entries, flashbacks, and letters so that the perceptions and personalities are all filtered through Megan’s rather naive sensibilities. — Luann Toth

Train to Somewhere. Eve Bunting. Illustrated by Ronald Himler. 1996. (gr ps-5). Clarion Books. Another heartbreaking picture book by the pair who did The Wall (1990) and Fly Away Home (1991). This time, it’s the story of the Orphan Train, told in the voice of one girl. Marianne is in a group of 14 homeless children traveling with a guardian from New York to the Midwest in 1878 in search of families to adopt them. The words and pictures are understated; readers will fill in the spaces for themselves. “I’m not pretty,” Marianne tells us. She’s the one nobody wants. She’s older than the others, not as cute as the little girls, not as muscular as the boys, not manipulative. The train stops at small towns and railway sidings; the orphans try to smile and look their best; it’s like an auction. The townspeople look them over (“They feel the boys’ muscles through their coats” ). It’s clear that some children will find loving homes; some will not. Marianne tries to tell herself that her mother is waiting for her somewhere out West. Himler’s paintings in watercolor and gouache set the story against a bleak midwestern fall landscape. Occasional small pictures show the train steaming across the prairie. The group scenes of the children lined up for inspection evoke images of stiff family photos. Then, as the numbers dwindle, the focus is on individual faces staring ahead as their companions are embraced and adopted. The guardian is gentle—in one beautiful picture she combs Marianne’s hair to prepare her for the last train stop—and the quiet ending is hopeful. Marianne is taken, finally, by an elderly couple. They really wanted a boy, but they like her, and they’re kind. Even older students will find the history compelling and will want to find out more about what happened to those lonely children. — Hazel Rochman. © 1996 American Library Association. All rights reserved.

Tree Castle Island. Jean Craighead George. 2002. 256p. (gr 5-7). HarperCollins. From Kirkus Reviews: Fourteen-year-old Jack has built his own canoe, and on a hot August dawn, he sets off for her maiden voyage in his beloved Okefenokee Swamp. Jack’s a lot like Sam of the author’s My Side of the Mountain (1959): at home in his environment and able to fend for himself. He intends to stay for only a little while, but is drawn into an adventure that changes his life. The first three days are idyllic, and George brings the swamp to life with sweeping descriptions of the waters, birds, and plants of the region. Then Jack discovers he can’t get back to his home because of a blockage on the river. He spots an island and heads for it, but just as he begins to land, an alligator attacks the canoe, rips a great gash, and charges him. Nimbly, he pole-vaults with his paddle onto land and is able to drag the canoe to safety. With only a machete and a Leatherman knife, he sets out to create a campsite, build a tree house of sorts for sleeping, and figure a way to repair the canoe. An Airedale wanders in and, to his surprise, answers to his own dog’s name, Dizzy. A few days later, he returns to his campsite to find a boy who looks exactly like him. He has come, he says, for his dog. His voice has a soft Georgia twang to it, but, other than that, the two boys are identical. Jake Leed is adopted and asks Jack if he is too, but Jack vehemently denies it. In the next few days, along with multiple adventures, Jack faces the fact that he and Jake are identical twins. He’s never known he’s adopted and doesn’t want to confront his parents with his news, but Jake decides they will face both parents together. The ending is a pleasant and satisfying surprise. Though the story has many subplots, the star is theswamp itself, and this naturalist deftly keeps its life in focus as she weaves her tale. The ink sketches of flowers and scenery are an attractive addition.

Trial Valley. Vera & Bill Cleaver. 1977. 160p. JB Lippincott Co. The three Luther children, who have raised themselves since their father died, find an abandoned boy near their house in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Trigger John’s Son. Thomas Pendelton Robinson. Illustrated by Robert McCloskey. 1934. 270p. Viking. Trigger John’s son, a 12-year-old orphan boy from Pennsylvania on his way to be adopted, jumps off the train before reaching his destination and has many adventures with a group of boys like himself.

Available for purchase directly from the author

Tripping with Gabrielle: A Story of Survival. Julie Harrell. 2009. 300p. Owl Publications. Tripping with Gabrielle is a story of one woman’s soul survival. Gabrielle is a German adoptee who begins life early on with a biological father who is so abusive he tries to kill her the night she is born. She is placed into a Catholic orphanage that provides a minimal amount of childcare, including one diaper change per day. Fortune shines upon this little baby when her real father and mother, a special Army couple, find and immediately fall in love with her. Gabrielle finally leaves Germany on a ship with her new family, and begins her American journey into the angst ridden, child then teenage world that we know as the USA. Gabrielle is every mother’s nightmare, as she loves to call herself. She screams so much that at age 12 she permanently damages her vocal chords. She hates herself so much she creates bruises on her face by punching herself. She fights with local boys, and sniffs paint with local girls. Gabrielle’s runaway stories begin at age seven and finally end after several years on the road, as a hitchhiker. But all is not lost in Gabrielle’s life. She finds her soul amidst the garbage of her mind, and eventually, through the Grace of God and her mother’s prayers, she discovers inner healing. Believe it or not, this is a funny story. Gabrielle’s many antics will have you holding your sides laughing out loud. Her sad moments will leave you crying crocodile tears. Her moments of joy will make you rejoice with her. There’s a magical world out there, filled with wonderful people and not so wonderful spirits. Join Gabrielle as she meets a cast of characters that range geographically from Lawless, Oklahoma to Berlin, Germany. Trip out with the redwood trees in Mendocino County, California where Gabrielle makes her home in a tree stump house. Feel the feathery softness of five foot high ferns in her majestic forest home deep in the woods of Albion, California. Bathe with Gabrielle in the river as it meets the ocean. Feel her joy, her sadness, her awakening, her truth as she experiences all that life has to offer, yet owns no possessions, nor does she have a home. Gabrielle’s feet will walk many miles before she overcomes addictions such as eating disorders, alcohol and drugs. Her spirit is led by a white poney named Snowflake, and by the many wonderful beings she meets who help her on her journey. Dog friends accompany her during her travels, in fact, they save her and protect her from what lurks beyond in the scary, dark sadness of her soul. Gabrielle finally finds success in life by helping other homeless abandoned abused children, and realizes that her true place can be found in the heart of the universe, in the Light of the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. By the grace of the Goddess. By the light of the Sun. Gabrielle’s belief system isn’t exclusive, she welcomes witches, Buddhists, Moonies, Hare Krishnas and Spiritualists. She realizes that all people’s beliefs and stories are equally true. Most importantly, love is the answer, the final glue that holds us all together. By experiencing enough love, Gabrielle finally is healed and can come home. Tripping with Gabrielle is a wild ride you won’t want to miss. We’ll call it a fiction but you can always imagine that there must be some truth to her story. Names, dates, places are all changed to protect the guilty. Gabrielle assumes responsibility for her follies, and hopes her story will help others find their way out of the muck, the gore, the filth that sometimes blocks our soul’s progress into the Light of Love that is our birthright.

Trophy Kid: Or How I Was Adopted by the Rich & Famous. Steve Atinsky. 2008. 192p. (gr 4-7). Delacorte Books for Young Readers. Thirteen-year-old Joe is the ultimate trophy kid. His adoptive parents are Hollywood’s favorite power couple, Academy Award–winning actress Greta Powell and actor/director/political candidate Robert Francis. Life with them has been one big photo-op since Joe became a war orphan at the ripe old age of three. And what better way for Greta and Robert to celebrate how far Joe’s come—and how much they’ve helped him—than for Joe to describe his experiences in a moving autobiography? Of course, Greta and Robert don’t actually intend for Joe to write the book himself. Or for him to include any unflattering details about them. That’s why they’ve hired an experienced professional for the job. But Tom Dolan is no ordinary writer, and he’s determined to help Joe tell the real story of growing up with the two most famous celebrities in America. Even if it means going back to Joe’s homeland, with his image-conscious parents in tow. About the Author: Steve Atinsky has written for the CBS sitcom Payne and Disney’s The Weekenders. He is also the author of Tyler on Prime Time. He lives in Santa Monica, CA.

Trouble With a Capital “T”. Judy Baer. 1988. (YA). Bethany House Publishers. Minda is the leader of the Hi-Fives and very popular and powerful at Cedar River High School. No one’s ever stood up to her before, but now Lexi Leighton has refused to compromise and Minda is mad! When Lexi tries to befriend Minda, it only makes the situation worse. But Lexi won’t back down and intends to find out why she’s become the target of Minda’s rage. Will Lexi be able to break down the barriers?

Trouble With Skye, The. Marsha Hubler. 2004. 144p. (gr 5-8). Zonderkidz. Thirteen-year-old foster kid Skye Nicholson has become an expert at being an angry, cold, and defensive teenager. She’s been through so much and committed so many offenses that she knows with her last antic, she’s on her last leg. After breaking five foster home placements, she’s headed to her final resort—juvenile detention. But suddenly, hope finds her through the tough love of Tom and Eileen Chambers, who offer her another chance in their home. There she’s introduced to a God that has the power to truly save her, no matter how much she thinks she’s not worth saving. About the Author: Marsha Hubler is a homeschool consultant and evaluator and educator specializing in elementary education and learning disabilities. She and her husband, Richard, were foster parents for more than eleven years to countless children. They live in Middleburg, PA. By the Same Author: A True Test For Skye (2004); Skye’s Final Test (2005); and The Winning Summer (2005).

True Test For Skye, A. Marsha Hubler. 2004. 144p. (gr 5-8). Zonderkidz. Skye Nicholson once was a rebellious juvenile delinquent. She’d been through more foster homes than she cared to remember. She trusted no one and had a hard time loving anyone, especially herself. She was a lot like Sooze Bodmer, her long-time friend and “partner in crime,” before love found her inside the home of Tom and Eileen Chambers. Through a difficult turn of events in Sooze’s life, the Chambers once again open their home and Keystone Stables to another hard-edged teen. Now Skye is challenged to help someone that reminds her of herself. When an unexpected crisis occurs in Sooze’s life, both girls learn what it means to not only believe in God, but to trust him even when the future seems uncertain. About the Author: Marsha Hubler is a homeschool consultant and evaluator and educator specializing in elementary education and learning disabilities. She and her husband, Richard, were foster parents for more than eleven years to countless children. They live in Middleburg, PA. By the Same Author: The Trouble With Skye (2004); Skye’s Final Test (2005); and The Winning Summer (2005).

Tummy Mummy, The. Michelle Madrid-Branch. Illustrated by Marin Thurber. 2004. 32p. (gr ps-3). Adoption Tribe Publishing. The true love that inspires adoption is revealed as a birth mother opens her heart while adoptive parents open their arms for a child. The Tummy Mummy’s journey is guided by a wise and majestic owl who leads the reader along a path of deeper understanding, honoring all members of the adoption triad. The Tummy Mummy is the first children’s book, in the Adoption Means Love series, inspiring children of adoption as it sensitively and beautifully portrays the thoughts and feelings of birth mothers and adoptive parents. The book promises to be an adoption classic for generations to come. About the Author: Michelle Madrid-Branch is Founder of Adoption Tribe Publishing. A former Emmy-Nominated Television News Journalist, she now focuses her writing talents on adoption awareness and pride. Michelle is living proof that children of adoption are achievers and can reach any level of success they strive for. A citizen of both America and Great Britain, she is the ideal “good-will” ambassador for adoption. Michelle lives in New Mexico with her husband, Jeffrey, and their son Christian.

Turn Homeward, Hannalee. Patricia Beatty. 1999. 208p.  (gr 4-7). Beech Tree Books. Twelve-year-old Hannalee Reed, forced to relocate in Indiana along with other Georgia millworkers during the Civil War, leaves her mother with a promise to return home as soon as the war ends.

Turns on a Dime. Julie Lawson. 1999. 173p. (gr 4-7). Stoddart Kids (UK). In 1957, Jo’s friends have lost interest in the things that interest her, her new friend Michael may have to choose between the cool crowd and Jo, and she discovers a family secret that changes her own understanding of herself.

Turtle, The. Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Preston McDaniels. 2005. 48p. (gr ps-3). Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. A thick fog has found its way up north to the lighthouse family, surrounding the cliffs and the waters below. Always ready to lend a hand, the lighthouse siblings, Whistler and Lila, help Seabold guide small ships to land. As they overlook the foggy waters, a distant voice emerges from the rocks below. Using only a rope and their hearts as a guide, the lighthouse crew makes their way down the side of the cliff and find much more than the strongest light could have shown. Through the tales of a surprising new friend, Newbery Medalist Cynthia Rylant and illustrator Preston McDaniels bring readers the excitement of exploration and the enjoyment of helping those in need.

22 Orphans. Tjibbe Veldkamp. Illustrated by Philip Hopman. 1998. Kane Miller Book Pub. Twenty-two orphans succeed in fooling the new headmistress of their orphanage into thinking it has been invaded by a fun-loving elephant, but when the elephant appears, the orphans disappear.

Two Birthdays for Beth. Gay Lynn Cronin. Illustrated by Joanne Bowring. 1995. 32p. (gr ps-3). Perspectives Press. What child wouldn’t want two birthdays? Beth surely does! When she hears the story of her adoption, with all the excitement and celebration that surrounded her coming home, Beth misunderstands. She can’t wait for her extra birthday. She and her doll Emily scour the house looking for birthday presents and party trimmings. When Beth’s mom explains adoption once again, Beth really understands. Now it’s Beth’s turn. She gives her mom a touching surprise ... a homemade gift from the heart.

Two Kinds of Love. Susan Gore & Kathy Lay. 2002. 20p. (gr ps-3). Two Moms Press. Thoughtfully edited and charmingly illustrated in full-color, Two Kinds of Love follows the same story as the “Legacy of the Adopted Child” poem but made special for the youngest of readers. It will help answer the often-asked questions of adopted children, even for those too young too express them. Two Kinds of Love is a collaboration of two Moms, Susan Gore—mom to homegrown and adopted children—and her friend, Kathy Lay. Together they’ve put together a touching little story book that talks about the different kinds of love and care that form the development of one little life.

Two Under Par. Kevin Henkes. 1987. 116p. Greenwillow. It seemed to ten-year-old Wedge that most of the time nothing made sense anymore. Suddenly he had a brand-new stepfather and a five-year-old stepbrother, Andrew. He lived in a new house, far from his friends, and his bedroom window looked out on a seven-foot castle that marked the eighteenth hole of the miniature golf course his stepfather owned. He hated it. Wedge does not easily let go of his anger, but the moment does come when things again begin to make sense. Kevin Henkes tells the story of Wedge’s journey to understanding and acceptance with humor and sympathy.

Uncles & Antlers. Lisa Wheeler. Illustrated by Brian Floca. 2004. 40p. (gr ps-2). Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books. There are many counting books, but this one takes a novel twist. Seven uncles fly in every year to visit their favorite niece. They arrive with “shaggy coats, scarves of red,/two tall antlers on each head.” From Uncle Uno to Uncle Sven, they all declare Octavia is indeed their favorite. Each uncle is quite distinctive. Uncle Uno, who wears lift tickets on every tine, is the fastest, Uncle Duce sings like Elvis and has two white jumpsuits, while Uncle Quint is a basketball star with five tattoos. When they are all together the reason for their gathering is made clear. The eight reindeer get together every year to pull Santa’s sleigh. The rhyme is catchy, the story moves along at a merry pace and the illustrations are as clever as the text. This book is fun to read aloud. — Carolyn Mott Ford (Children’s Literature). [Compiler’s Note: Adoption connection is unclear, but I include it because it popped up on a subject search on Amazon.com].

Undine. Fouque de la Motte. Illustrated by Rosie MM Pitman. 1897. 203p. Macmillan & Co Ltd (UK) (left); Illustrated by Arthur Rackham. Adapted from the German by WL Courtney. 1909. 136p. William Heinemann (UK) (right). Undine is the story of a water-sprite who was adopted by an old fisherman and his wife. A knight appears, falls in love with Undine, and she gains a human soul through the subsequent marriage. Then, he falls in love with the long-lost daughter of the fisherman couple and it gets really complicated. This is a great story which has many versions throughout different cultures and Rackham gives this water-sprite a wonderful persona, simultaneously wicked and innocent.

Very Worst Thing, The. Torey L Hayden. 2003. 176p. (gr 4-7). HarperCollins Children’s Books. David doesn’t belong anywhere. He isn’t good at school, or talking to people, or making friends. He’s been in six different foster homes, and he can’t really remember his parents. It seems like he’ll never have anything all his own. Then he finds an owl egg. With the help of Mab, the skinny “girl genius” of his class, he names it King Arthur and sets out to hatch and raise an owl of his very own. As they wait for King Arthur to hatch and as they raise the funny-looking owl chick, Mab and David become true friends. But Mab’s father thinks they should return King Arthur to the wild. Can David give up his owl? Is it even the right thing to do? What can David do if the worst thing of all happens? About the Author: Torey Hayden is an educational psychologist and a special education teacher. While studying wildlife biology, she once hatched and raised a short-eared owl. She has written a succession of best-selling books for adult readers; The Very Worst Thing is her first novel for children. She and her family live on a farm in Wales.

Vile Village, The. Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2001. 272p. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #7). (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. The seventh book in Lemony Snicket’s splendidly gloomy Series of Unfortunate Events shadows the three Baudelaire orphans as they plummet headlong into their next misadventure. Mr. Poe, their ineffective legal guardian, having exhausted all options for finding them a new home with relatives (including their 19th cousin), sadly entrusts his young charges’ fate to a progressive guardian program formed with the premise, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Before they know it, the Baudelaires are being whisked off on a bus to a village (vile) named “V.F.D.” Snicket fans who read The Austere Academy and The Ersatz Elevator will jump to see these three initials, as they provide a clue to the tragic disappearance of the Baudelaires’ friends, the beloved, equally orphaned Quagmire triplets. To the orphans’ dismay, V.F.D. is covered in crows—so much so that the whole village is pitch-black and trembling. “The crows weren’t squawking or cawing, which is what crows often do, or playing the trumpet, which crows practically never do, but the town was far from silent. The air was filled with the sounds the crows made as they moved around.” Another disturbing element of the town is that the Council of Elders (who wear creepy crow hats) has thousands of rules, such as “don’t hurt crows” and “don’t build mechanical devices.” Fortunately, the Baudelaires are taken in by a kindly handyman named Hector who cooks them delicious Mexican food and secretly breaks rules. Still, neither Hector nor an entire village can protect the orphans from the clutches of the money-grubbing Count Olaf, who has relentlessly pursued them (actually, just their fortune) since The Bad Beginning. Fans won’t want to miss any of this marvelously morbid series! — Karin Snelson

Visiting Miss Pierce. Pat Derby. 1986. 133p. (gr 6 up). Farrar, Straus & Giroux. In this strong first novel, a teenager whose school project forces him to visit a senile woman in a convalescent home becomes wrapped up in her stories of her brother, for whom she mistakes him. As Barry learns more about Willie, he begins to idolize the rebellious, independent young man, who apparently stood up to his parents by marrying a servant and fathering her child before being killed in World War I. Barry’s ideals are shattered, however, when he discovers that Willie allowed his parents to have the marriage annulled and the child given away for adoption so that he could marry the woman of their choice. This hits the boy especially hard, as he himself is adopted and has questions about his natural parents. Barry’s abilities, insecurities and actions are on target; his changing feelings about volunteering in the convalescent home are especially well drawn. Derby parallels some of Miss Pierce’s past with Barry’s present in a structure that is never forced or contrived. The story unfolds gradually, letting readers’ curiosity about the mystery surrounding Willie grow, as layer upon layer of secrets are slowly unraveled during Barry’s frustrating conversations with Miss Pierce. Derby is adept at incorporating telling details of parochial school and home life, often with touches of humor. A novel that deals with hero worship and that has much to say to adolescent readers. — David Gale, School Library Journal; © 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Waiting for the Right Home: Daniel’s Story. Sheila Byrne & Leigh Chambers. Illustrated by Sarah Rawlings. 2001. 32p. British Agencies for Adoption & Fostering (UK). Illustrated story book suitable for use with children separated from their families who are living in short-term care while waiting for a new home. When his parents split up, Daniel goes to live with his Mum and her new partner. When it doesn’t work out, Daniel moves to live with foster carers. Will Daniel stay there? Or will he go home? Waiting for the Right Home is a story about living with foster carers. This is the latest title in BAAF’s children’s book series, each designed for use with children who are separated from their birth families and need to make sense of their experiences and individual history. This is the story of a young boy who suffers violence at home and goes into short-term foster care while waiting to be reunited with his father. Simply told, the book can be used flexibly with children in similar situations to help them explore their feelings, come to terms with their situation and prepare them for the future. 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); Feeling Safe: Tina’s Story (1998); and Joining Together: Jo’s Story (1999).

Walk in The Park, A. Grace Casselman. 2005. 152p. (YA). Napoleon Publishing. In the sequel to A Hole in the Hedge, fourteen-year-old Terra has moved to a new town and a new school and is experiencing many of the trials and tribulations that face her peers. She isn’t finding it easy to make new friends, nor leave behind her old ones. And while some of the new Inglewood girls seem friendly, is that the crowd she really wants to hang out with? And could that cute guy Glenn possibly want to be friends with Terra—or more? Though these are normal stresses and choices for a teenaged girl, Terra, who has always known she was adopted, is also panicked at the thought of meeting her birth mother for the first time. Why didn’t this woman want to keep her baby fourteen years ago, and why has she decided she wants to meet Terra now?

Wallace Dream, The: The Adventures of the Baby Seekers. Marc CB Maxwell. 2006. 148p. Booklocker.com. The Wallace Dream: The Adventures of The Baby Seekers is a story about a husband and wife, Sam and Finley Wallace, who decide to make their family whole. Upon realizing that a baby is what they need, the couple sets off on a journey of fantastic adventures that will take them around the world. The Wallace Dream is for children and parents alike. It is a fantasy fairytale about becoming a family. The Wallace Dream is a modern version of the stork by mixing myths and familiar stories in an exciting new way. So join Sam, Finley, their Saint Bernard dog Kitty, Hans Dieter the tour guide, and an assortment of other characters as they look for the ultimate treasure. A Family.

Wanderer, The. Sharon Creech. Illustrated by David Diaz. 1999. 320p. (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. Thirteen-year-old Sophie is the only girl amongst the surly crew of The Wanderer made up of her three uncles and two cousins. They sail across the Atlantic toward England, the land of Bompie, her grandfather. The sea calls to Sophie—promising adventure and the chance to explore and discover. But the personal journey she takes brings her deeper into a forgotten past than she ever knew she could travel to. Sophie’s thirteen-year-old cousin Cody isn’t even sure why his father brought him along on this voyage. Everyone, including his dad, thinks he’s nothing but a knuckle headed doofus. But behind all the goofing off, he wonders if he has the strength to prove himself to the crew and to his father. Through Sophie’s and Cody’s travel logs, the amazing experiences of these six wanderers and their perilous journey unfold. Stories of the past and the daily challenges to survive at sea swirl together as The Wanderer sails toward its destination, and its passengers search for their places in the world. Newbery Award winner Sharon Creech’s newest novel is an adventure-filled story of a courageous girl’s journey across the ocean and into the memories of her tragic past. Sophie’s struggle to reclaim who she is inspires similar exploration from those around her—as the crew discovers the joys and trials of belonging to a family.

Watchers #3: I.D.. Peter Lerangis. 1999. 165p. (gr 4-7). Little Apple. The watchers see things that others can’t see. In this installment, a young girl discovers she is a clone, and has only days to live unless she finds the secrets of her creators.

Water Steps. A LaFaye. 2009. 208p. (gr 4-7). Milkweed Editions. Kyna likes her friends, her purple hair, and taking photographs. But there’s something she definitely doesn’t like: the water. Every time she comes near it, she feels the sinister pull of the depths trying to draw her down to a watery grave. Even the calm water in the bathtub reminds her of the torrential storm that took the lives of her sailing family when she was just a baby. But Kyna’s adopted parents love nothing more than to swim and splash about in lakes and streams, or even the local pool. When they decide to spend the summer at a beach house on Lake Champlain, Kyna is convinced that they’re trying to teach her something about water that she’s not ready to learn. Little does she know that the water will reveal far more than she ever could have imagined. Inspired by Champ, the legendary monster living in Lake Champlain, Water Steps finds novelist A. LaFaye at her best, expertly interweaving themes of adolescent fears and fantasies, the frustrations and rewards of family, and a world of mystery and magic under the placid surface of nature.

Way Home, The: A Princess Story. Max Lucado. Illustrated by Tristan Elwell. 2005. 48p. (gr k-4). Tommy Nelson. Princess Anna, adopted by the king in her infancy and now a young woman, is intrigued by the world that lies beyond the lush, green hills of the kingdom. When she seeks to satisfy her curiosity, she falls under the spell of the Lowlanders and begins to resemble their haggard style. Never to let a child slip away that easily, the king follows her, and trades his life for hers in order to provide her with a way back home. Despite the king’s sacrifice, the choice to return home is ultimately Anna’s to make. The underlying truth is unmistakable as Max has crafted this powerful story that will speak to all of the King’s children and implore them to follow the path that leads home.

Wayne Is Adopted. Sue Wagstaff. Illustrated by Chris Fairclough. 1981. 24p. Adam & Charles Black (UK).

We Have to Talk. Elizabeth Craft. 2001. 208p. (Turning Seventeen Series #8). (YA). Parachute Press. “You never think your family is going to hide the truth from you. But mine did—big time. And now the only people I can trust are my friends.”

We Wanted You. Liz Rosenberg. Illustrated by Peter Catalanotto. 2001. (gr K-4). DK Publishing. With a simple, poetic elegance befitting her tender subject matter, Rosenberg (Monster Mama) taps into the feelings of longing, love and joy that accompany the adoption of a child. Catalanotto’s (Emily’s Art; Dad and Me) images create an effective subplot: on the occasion of their son’s graduation from high school, a couple reminisces about the boy they embraced as part of their family even before he was born. The author creates a warm story of one family’s experience, yet incorporates accessible explanations of adoption applicable to many situations (”Somewhere in the world a mother gave birth to you, a father gave life to you. We weren’t your first father and mother”; “One day we got a telephone call telling us to come. For you.”). Working within the emotional rhythms of this heartfelt trip down Memory Lane, Catalanotto presents a series of radiant paintings that form a kind of treasured photo album. With a combination of contemporary and timeless background details, he depicts young Enrique as an infant being rocked to sleep by his father, a beaming boy at the beach and, ultimately, as a proud young man washing his car and heading off to college. A welcome addition to the canon of picture books on the subject. — From Publishers Weekly; © 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Welcome Comfort. Patricia Polacco. Illustrated by the author. 1999. 40p. (gr ps-3). Philomel. It’s not easy being Welcome Comfort—a foster child always moving from home to home and getting picked on by the kids at school. Even Christmas, the most wondrous time of the year, isn’t so wonderful for Welcome, who has no family, no presents, and no Santa Claus. “Santa! He’s not even real!” But when Mr. Hamp, the school custodian, becomes his closest friend, Welcome’s life changes forever. Now he has someone to visit and a family to be a part of. Yet Christmas is still a lonely time for Welcome since the Hamps go away every year and there’s still no sign of Santa. “Child, he’ll find you,” says Mr. Hamp. “Maybe he hasn’t come because you haven’t believed hard enough.” Accompanied by art that radiates the brilliance of the season, Patricia Polacco’s heartwarming journey through the generations of a boy’s life proves that “believing is seeing” and asks if perhaps there isn’t a Santa Claus inside every one of us.

Welcome Home. rJo & Shaquasia Marie. 2003. 73p. Trafford Publishing. Phyllis and Tonya are two sisters forced to live in a “Safe Home” to get away from their physically and mentally abusive mother. They learned the hard way to defend themselves, act tough, take care of each other and pretend not to care. When they are placed in the home of a single mom and her teenaged daughter the entire family goes through a transformation. The mother learns to manage her time between work and the girls. The teenager learns being a big sister can be tough. Phyllis and Tonya go through many trials and troubling situations with the teenaged daughter before they all learn there is plenty of mom’s love for all of them. About the Author: rJo was born in Fuquay-Varina, NC as Rosezina Pegram. She grew up in Hartford, CT with her mom, three sisters and four brothers. She served 24 years in the United States Air Force as an Administrative Specialist, Master Military Training Instructor, and Superintendent of Personnel before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. Welcome Home, her first book, was inspired by her adopted daughter Shaquasia Marie who is the co-author of this book.

Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, & Beyond. Christine Mitchell. Illustrated by the Author. 2007. 32p. (gr ps-3). AuthorHouse. This book offers a loving message of reassurance and permanence. After expressing their excitement at welcoming their new child home, the new parents acknowledge that they missed significant events and milestones in the child’s early years. The family then cheerfully looks forward to the experiences and “firsts” they will share and the memories they will make together. Throughout the book, the parents promise to love and nurture their child. Finally, the family reiterates their joy at welcoming their Forever Child into his or her Forever Family. Social workers, therapists, support groups, and CASA volunteers will want to recommend it to the families they work with. Welcome Home, Forever Child will also make a very special keepsake gift for a child upon joining his or her new family, or finalizing the adoption, or the anniversary of either event. About the Author: Christine Mitchell lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters; one through the miracle of birth and one through the miracle of adoption, at the age of four. Ms. Mitchell had difficulty finding appropriate adoption books for her daughter. The vast majority of children’s adoption books reflect infant adoptions, and often are not ideal for children who spent months or years in foster care or an orphanage. She was inspired to write Welcome Home, Forever Child for her daughter and for other families who adopted their children as toddlers or older. By the Same Author: Family Day: Celebrating Ethan’s Adoption Anniversary (2009). Visit the Author’s website.

Whale, The. Cynthia Rylant. Illustrated by Preston McDaniels. 2003. 96p. (The Lighthouse Family Series). Simon & Schuster Children’s. Pandora, Seabold, Whistler, Lila, and Tiny have all been enjoying the love and comfort that being a family brings. It is a comfort they are unexpectedly reminded of when Whistler and Lila hear the cries of a lonely baby beluga whale named Sebastian. When they learn that he has lost his mama, the Lighthouse Family, with the help of a cranky but noble old cormorant named Huck, does all it can to bring Sebastian and his mother together again.

Whale Talk. Chris Crutcher. 2001. 224p. (YA). Greenwillow. Intellectually and athletically gifted, T.J. Jones (the J is redundant), a multiracial, adopted teenager, shuns organized sports and the gung-ho athletes at his high school until he agrees to form a swimming team and recruits some of the school’s less popular students. There’s bad news and good news for the Cutter High School swim team, however. The bad news is that they don’t have a pool. The good news is that only one of them can swim anyway. The Cutter All Night Mermen struggle to carve out their own turf anyway. T.J. is convinced that a varsity letter jacket—unattainable for most, exclusive, revered, the symbol (as far as T.J. is concerned) of all that is screwed up at Cutter High—will be an effective carving tool. He’s right. He’s also wrong. Still, it’s always the quest that counts. And the bus on which the Mermen travel to swim meets—piloted by Icko, the permanent resident of All Night Fitness—soon becomes the cocoon inside which they gradually allow themselves to talk, to fit, to bloom. Chris Crutcher is in top form with a cast of characters—adults, children, and teenagers—fighting for dignity in a world where tragedy and comedy dance side by side, where a moment’s inattention can bring lifelong heartache, and where true acceptance is the only prescription for what ails us.

What About Me?. Destry Ramey. 2006. 40p. BookSurge Publishing. This colorfully illustrated children’s book tells the tale of two pugs faced with sibling separation. A potential dog owner makes a decision to adopt two female puppies. When he chooses a puppy named Ramona, the adopted pup’s brother, Hunter, must endear himself to the would-be dog owner to consider choosing a male pup instead of another female. This wonderful story shares invaluable lessons on the importance of persistence, unconditional love, and adoption. As a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Destry Ramey has dedicated her life to children. The children in her practice along with her son’s two pugs, Hunter and Ramona, have inspired her to write this debut book. After being diagnosed with cancer, Ramey found that her son’s pugs provided her with an incredible amount of “healing energy” that she was able to return to them when they developed a similar cancer. All three of them are now doing well. A percentage of this book’s proceeds will be donated to pug rescue. What about Me? is the first in a series of children’s books related to contemporary real life issues.

What I Call Life. Jill Wolfson. 2005. 272p. (gr 5-7). Holt, Henry Books for Young Readers. A witty and moving first novel that uncovers another side of the foster-care system. Cal Lavender is perfectly happy living her anonymous life, even if she does have to play mother to her own mother a whole lot more than an eleven-year-old should. But when Cal’s mother has one of her “unfortunate episodes” in the middle of the public library, she is whisked off by the authorities and Cal is escorted to a seat in the back of a police car. On “just a short, temporary detour from what I call life,” Cal finds herself in a group home with four other girls, watched over by a strange old woman everyone refers to as the Knitting Lady. At first Cal can think of nothing but how to get out of this nuthouse. She knows she doesn’t belong there. But it turns out that all the girls, and even the Knitting Lady, may have a lot more in common than they could have imagined. A fresh new voice in middle-grade fiction—Jill Wolfson’s unforgettable characters will blunder their way into readers’ hearts.

What Kind of Love?: The Diary of a Pregnant Teenager. Sheila Cole. 1995. 192p. (gr 5 up). Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books. Valerie is a smart, high school junior talented enough to be a professional musician like her grandfather. But she is also in love with Peter. Both teen-agers are facing their first adult crisis: Valerie is pregnant. It’s too late for an abortion, and her parents insist the child be given up for adoption. What will Valerie decide? In this book, author Sheila Cole creates the diary of a smart, middle-class girl as she works through to a decision she can live with. In equal parts unsentimental and unmoralistic, the novel incorporates real-life interviews with school counselors, teachers, and pregnant girls, both those who kept their babies and those who didn’t. — Paula Demichele, Children’s Literature

What Matters Most: A Children’s Book of Families. Kristin Carter. 2005. 47p. (gr ps-3). PublishAmerica. Keira has a problem. She believes she does not have a “real” family. She knows a real family is supposed to have a mom and a dad. After spending time with a variety of families, Keira learns something. She comes to realize that a real family is not supposed to have anything. A real family is a group of people that love each other. That is what matters most. This story is about all kinds of families and how there is no one right way to be a family. It includes families of very different structures that all have one thing in common: love. The people in these families love each other and that is why each family works. This story is about redefining the notion of family. This story is about valuing all families.

What My Sister Remembered. Marilyn Sachs. 1992. 122p. (gr 5-9). Dutton Children’s Books. While visiting her younger sister Mollie, Beth confronts painful memories of the sudden death of her parents and the subsequent adoption of the sisters by different families.

When the Black Girl Sings. Bil Wright. 2008. 266p. (YA). Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Lahni Schuler is the only black student at her private prep school. She’s also the adopted child of two loving, but white, parents who are on the road to divorce. Struggling to comfort her mother and angry with her dad, Lahni feels more and more alone. But when Lahni and her mother attend a local church one Sunday, Lahni hears the amazing gospel choir, and her life takes an unexpected turn. It so happens that one of Lahni’s teachers, Mr. Faringhelli, has nominated her for a talent competition, and she is expected to perform a song in front of the whole school. Lahni decides to join the church choir to help her become a better singer. But what starts out as a way to practice singing becomes a place of belonging and a means for Lahni to discover her own identity. In this moving book, acclaimed author Bil Wright tells the story of one girl’s search to find a home where she truly belongs. About the Author: Bil Wright is the author of the highly acclaimed Sunday You Learn How to Box. His poetry and short fiction appear in several anthologies, including Shade, Black Like Us, The Road Before Us, and Black Silk. He lives in New York City.

When the Soldiers Were Gone. Vera W Propp. 1999. 112p. (gr 5-7). GP Putnam’s Sons. Young Henk is shocked to learn that the two strangers at the door are his real parents, come to reclaim him from the Dutch farming couple who had protected him for three years from the Nazis. This fictionalized account of an actual “hidden child’s” post-WWII experience is written in spare, ingenuous style, effectively capturing an eight-year-old’s view of a reasonably familiar, comfortable world suddenly turned upside down. His initial upset calmed by the patient, loving adults around him, he gradually adapts to living in a war-damaged town, to answering to his real name, “Benjamin,” and to a new baby brother (actually an orphaned cousin) as his buried memories slowly begin to resurface. Propp’s protagonist never develops a distinct personality, but his experiences at home, at school, and at play focus not so much on wider historical issues as on what would be important to a child: food, friends, a sense of belonging. Readers whose interest in hidden children has been sparked by such nonfiction works as Maxine B. Rosenberg’s Hiding To Survive (1994) will find this an edifying look at the difficulties younger survivors faced in making the transition to peacetime. — From Kirkus Reviews. Copyright © 1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Where I’d Like To Be. Frances O’Roark Dowell. 2003. 240p. (gr 4-7). Atheneum. A ghost saved twelve-year-old Maddie’s life when she was an infant, her Granny Lane claims, so Maddie must always remember that she is special. But it’s hard to feel special when you’ve spent your life being shuttled from one foster home to another. And now that she’s at the East Tennessee Children’s Home, Maddie feels, well, less than ordinary. Six-year-old Ricky Ray, who came to the Home after his parents failed to come back from a party, thinks Maddie’s the cat’s meow. But what does a little boy like that know? Maddie can’t stop looking for a place to call home or for people who feel like home. She even makes a “book of houses,” where she glues pictures of places in which she yearns to live. Then one day, a new girl, Murphy, shows up at the Home armed with tales about exotic travels, being able to fly, and boys who recite poetry to wild horses. Maddie is enchanted....Maybe, just maybe, she’s found someone who feels like home and she lets her guard down. She shows Murphy her beloved scrapbook, never anticipating that this one gesture will challenge her very ideas of what home, and family, are all about. With her astonishing ability to create characters who linger with you long after you turn the last page, Frances O’Roark Dowell explores the many definitions, both heartbreaking and awe-inspiring, of home and family.

While I Live. John Marsden. 2007. 304p. (Ellie Chronicles Series). (YA). Scholastic. From Kirkus Reviews: Marsden’s bestselling and award-winning Tomorrow series ended with the invasion of Australia resolved in a truce, and teen Ellie and her friends stopping their guerrilla fighting to return home. Ellie’s story continues in a new series, which opens with Ellie’s life in post-war Australia. It’s surreal for Ellie, former outback rebel, to be an everyday teenager living with her parents and attending school in a country desperately striving for normalcy. Interestingly, the fragile status quo doesn’t quite shatter when Ellie’s parents are killed in a horrifying cross-border raid. Instead, Ellie is drawn into increasingly desperate measures to save her family farm and protect the near-feral orphan she adopted during the war. It’s almost a relief when she turns from these everyday nightmares to the more comprehensible (to Ellie) terrors of underground combat. Ellie’s grief is palpable and heartbreaking, and Marsden’s always talented touch for constructing combat tensions is brilliantly balanced here with Ellie’s need to live in a recovering world.

While You Were Sleeping: An Alternative Family Adoption Story. Stephanie Burks. Illustrated by Kelli Bienvenu. 2004. 16p. Little Man Publishing. While You Were Sleeping is a story that lovingly describes the day that two women learn that a birth mother has chosen them to adopt a newborn baby boy. While their future son sleeps through his first hours of life, his new mothers experience all of the joy and anticipation of their new life together. It shows the excitement of the new parents as they hear of their son’s birth and drive to the hospital to meet him for the first time. Charming and colorful illustrations by Kelli Bienvenu convey the warmth of this story from beginning to end, showing the moments that the adoptive parents meet their newborn son, sing him lullabies and arrive home, where the family pets are introduced to the newest member of their family. This book will speak to the hearts of all who cherish the true love of parents for their child and in the process, validate non-traditional families of all sorts.

Who Are My Real Parents?. DL Fuller. 2009. 24p. CreateSpace. Polly and Enchilada are best friends. They enjoy planning hide and seek and tag together. One day Enchilada notices something different about Polly. She is a panda bear, but her parents are brown bears. Enchilada asks the question that every adopted child will hear at some point: “who are your real parents?”

Who Framed Lorenzo Garcia?. RJ Hamilton. 1995. 127p. (gr 7-10). (The Pride Pack #1). AlyCat Books. This fast-paced mystery novel for young adults, the first in Hamiltons popular Pride Pack series, examines the complexity of family dynamics on the queer side of the street. What constitutes a family? Who has the right to be parents? What makes a good son? What role should the law play in protecting various kinds of families? These are a few of the serious questions facing 16-year-old Ramón Torres, a former street kid, and his foster dad Lorenzo Garcia, a gay cop who wants to adopt him. Thrown out of his birth familys home because his father couldnt deal with his homosexuality, Ramón lives for a time on the streets and then moves from foster home to foster home until he is taken in by Lorenzo at first to the police station following his arrest but afterwards to the cops home. Lorenzo sees the boys essentially good nature and wants to give him a chance to realize his potential. When Lorenzo announces his intentions to adopt him, Ramón could not be happier. Unfortunately his case worker falls ill and is replaced by a mean homophobe who is determined to take him away from Lorenzo. To make matters worse, Lorenzo is arrested on drug charges and Ramón is forced to move to a new foster family. Knowing the charges to be false and realizing that Lorenzo will get no help from his superiors, the boy decides to take matters into his own hands. Forming the Pride Pack with his friends at the Gay and Lesbian Centre, he leads a courageous undercover investigation to discover who framed his prospective dad. As he deals with his desperate need to find love and acceptance, Ramón is taught to believe again in the importance of family when his new foster parents welcome him and accept him even after they learn that his heart is set on clearing Lorenzo and becoming his son. He also falls head over heels in love with George, a broodingly handsome youth at the Centre (page 13): He and Ramón hadnt said more than a half dozen words to each other, but those dozen words were enough to start the dream-video machine in Ramóns head. He dreamed about George. A lot. While tactfully acknowledging the relentless impetuosity of the sex drive among gay male teens, Hamiltons narrative also fulfils the fantasy that there are Dads who can understand this drive from the inside and still act as strong moral leaders to their sons.

Who Wants Arthur?. Amanda Graham. Illustrated by Donna Gynell. 30p. 1987. Gareth Stevens Publishing. Arthur, a dog in a pet store waiting to be adopted, takes on the identities of other animals he thinks might be more appealing, until discovering that he can be a success as himself.

Who Was Sylvia?. Nancy Hartwell. Illustrated by Edward J Smith. 1952. 201p. Henry Holt & Co. Story of a young girl who discovers she’s adopted and spends a year in Philadelphia trying to find out who she really is. [Book sans dust jacket shown at left].

Whole Me, The. Ellen K Baron. Illustrated by Marsha Goldfine. 2005. 32p. Xlibris Corp. The Whole Me is a sensitive and empowering portrayal of a foster child’s journey through adoption. It is an excellent tool for children, foster and adoptive parents, social workers and therapists to help children understand their past in order to enable them to integrate this information into their present self. This beautifully illustrated book is a non-threatening vehicle to assist a child in pulling together the pieces of who they are. It is a good starting point for open discussions and can be used as an aide or substitute for a life book. The Whole Me has been applauded by the professional adoption community. Also recommended by educators for general elementary school reading.

Why is My Name Sam?. Monica Canady. Illustrated by Maria Eugenia Papeo & Marina Saumell. 2008. 24p. (gr ps-3). PublishAmerica. Sam is a loving member of the Woodchuck family, but he suddenly discovers that he is very different from the rest of his family. This is an amazing story about what truly makes a family and Sam’s road to discovery. Sam’s story stretches across many boundaries children face today. Whether they have been adopted, are in the foster care system, or live in a “non-traditional” family, children will learn what really makes a family, no matter what their family may look like.

Why Me?: The Courage to Live. Deborah Kent. 1992. 184p. (gr 4-7). Scholastic Inc. Rachel wakes up one morning to find her world had been smashed to smithereens. Her whole body feels heavy and painful, and she can barely sit up. Rushed to the hospital, she learns that she has a kidney disease. Rachel will have to go on dialysis for the rest of her life...or until an organ donor can be found. The doctors tell Rachel that the best donor would bea blood relative. But she is adopted, and knows nothing about her biological mother. All Rachel can think is, “Why did this have to happen to me?” As she struggles with her illness, Rachel must also handle the emotional ups and downs of trying to find her birth mother. Will they be able to locate her? What will she be like? And will she agree to give Rachel what she needs-a second chance for life?

Widdles, The. Pearl Augusta Harwood. Illustrated by Henning Black Jensen. 1966. Lerner Publications. Mr. and Mrs. Widdle were very lonely in their big house in Hawaii and, one by one, they adopted five children from the orphanage.

Wide Window, The. Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Brett Helquist. 2000. 224p. (A Series of Unfortunate Events #3). (gr 4-7). HarperCollins. In The Bad Beginning, things, well, begin badly for the three Baudelaire orphans. And sadly, events only worsened in The Reptile Room. In the third in Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, there is still no hope on the horizon for these poor children. Their adventures are exciting and memorable, but, as the author points out, “exciting and memorable like being chased by a werewolf through a field of thorny bushes at midnight with nobody around to help you.” This story begins when the orphans are being escorted by the well-meaning Mr. Poe to yet another distant relative who has agreed to take them in since their parents were killed in a horrible fire. Aunt Josephine, their new guardian, is their second cousin’s sister-in-law, and she is afraid of everything. Her house (perched precariously on a cliff above Lake Lachrymose) is freezing because she is afraid of the radiator exploding, she eats cold cucumber soup because she’s afraid of the stove, and she doesn’t answer the telephone due to potential electrocution dangers. Her greatest joy in life is grammar, however, and when it comes to the proper use of the English language, she is fearless. But just when she should be the most fearful—when Count Olaf creeps his way back to find the Baudelaire orphans and steal their fortune—she somehow lets her guard down. Once again, it is up to Violet, Klaus, and Sunny to get themselves out of danger. Will they succeed? We haven’t the stomach to tell you. — Karin Snelson

Wildfire!. Elizabeth Starr Hill. Illustrated by Rob Shepperson. 2004. 80p. (gr 2-6). Farrar, Straus & Giroux. Big-mouth Elliott, who has recently arrived from a city up north, considers Ben a “backwoods boy” and looks down his nose at folks in their rural Florida town. To make matters worse, Elliott is the one who gets the dog that Ben’s neighbor puts up for adoption—the one Ben had his heart set on. In spite of being jealous and resentful, Ben can’t stop himself from trying to win Elliott’s approval, and he does something very stupid, very dangerous, on a bone-dry Fourth of July evening, when fireworks have been banned because of the fire risk. Illustrated with vivid wash-and-line drawings, this dramatic small-town story builds to a gripping conclusion as a boy races against time to make up for his own big mistake.

William Is My Brother. Jane T Schnitter. Illustrated by Gerald Kruck. 1991. 29p. (gr ps-3). Perspectives Press. This book is a factual, upbeat story about a family with two boys—the older one is biological and the younger adopted. It focuses on them as brothers—what they like and dislike about each other, and how normal and natural their “brotherhood” is. A good introduction for families with both biological and adopted children. Illustrated with black-and-white drawings, with a “surprise” ending.

Will’s Choice. Joan Lowery Nixon. 1998. 128p. (Orphan Train Children). (gr 4-7). Delacorte Books for Young Readers. It’s 1866 and 12-year-old Will Scott is not happy to be riding the orphan train. That’s because Will’s not really an orphan. He has a father--Jesse, a circus performer. But Will is no good at circus tricks, and Jesse tells him he’d be better off with a new family out West: “I’m giving you a better life, Will.” Will is placed with the kindly Dr. and Mrs. Wallace. Assisting Dr. Wallace on his rounds of the local farms, Will finds to his surprise that he’s really good at something--helping people who are sick and hurt. But he still misses his father terribly. And then one night, Jesse’s circus comes to town. 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.

Winning Summer, The. Marsha Hubler. 2005. 144p. (gr 5-8). Zonderkidz. Once a rebellious juvenile delinquent, thirteen-year-old Skye now finds herself in a position to help others when her foster parents open the stables to a group of kids who have big problems just like she did. Skye finds her faith and patience tested as she, Chad, and Morgan teach horseback riding to four special needs children, including Katie, who is blind. Upset about her parents’ pending divorce, Katie is withdrawn and bitter at God and the world. With faith and friendship, Skye tries her best to show an increasingly isolated Katie that her parents-and God-will always love her, no matter what. Will Skye’s efforts be good enough? About the Author: Marsha Hubler is a homeschool consultant and evaluator and educator specializing in elementary education and learning disabilities. She and her husband, Richard, were foster parents for more than eleven years to countless children. They live in Middleburg, PA. By the Same Author: The Trouble With Skye (2004); A True Test For Skye (2004); and Skye’s Final Test (2005).

Wishes Do Come True. Amanda Cozyn. Illustrated by Skye Cozyn. 2006. 16p. Trafford Publishing. One cold morning a little baby girl was left outside the front door of the orphanage; her name was Sonnie. Sonnie grew into a little girl living in the orphanage. Feeling sad, she made a wish for a family of her own. About the Author: Amanda Cozyn was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and went to a Catholic Girls School at Marion High. She emigrated to Australia in 1984, at the age of 16. Her interests include reading, writing, walking and enjoying a good movie. She is a single mum with a 4-year-old daughter. She never thought of writing any time. Alexia made her feel inspired to write this story, as she has an imaginary friend, making Sonnie exist in this book. She dedicates this story to Alexia for her help and excitement as she reads this story to her upon request, which is all the time.

Wishing Flower, The. Mosetta Penick Phillips-Cermak. 2007. 24p. (2nd Edition. 2008. 48p.). (gr ps-3). PM Moon Publishers. In a magical kingdom of peace and joy, in a place where the people have so much, only one sadness remains. As sorrow creeps into the village, it will take a miracle to return the kingdom to its perfect happiness. A miracle, that is only made possible through a gentle nature, a kind heart, and a little extra special magic. First published in the May 2007 edition of The Writers Post Journal, "The Wishing Flower" tells the story of a desire for a most precious gift. Add a King, a Queen, and a Princess, and this wonderful story is loved by parents and children alike. This short fantasy, written for mothers and fathers to share with their children, offers an original story about how special and unique each child is. Parents who read this story to their children reinforce the child’s self-concept and reassure each child of how much they are wanted and loved.

Wishing Well. Jason Lethcoe. 2007. 224p. (Benjamin Bartholomew Piff Series #3). (gr 4-7). Grosset & Dunlap. The Wishworks Factory’s recent battle against Curseworks has left relations between humans and Jinn very strained, and before long, Ben finds himself embroiled in another war. While evil cousin Penelope and Curseworks lawyer, Rottenjaw, try to recruit the disgruntled Jinn to their own army reserves, Ben and Candlewick try to negotiate peace. Ultimately, two precious magical weapons must be located in order to protect Wishworks. And the key to finding these weapons lies deep below the grounds of the factory, submerged—where else?—inside a wishing well! About the Author: Jason Lethcoe is the author and illustrator of several books, including the Zoom’s Academy series. Lethcoe also worked for 17 years in the Hollywood animation industry as a storyboard artist for several studios. He does most of his writing on his 30-foot sailboat called The Moon and lives in California with his wife, Nancy, and his three kids, Emily, Alex, and Olivia Rose. By the Same Author: Misadventures of Bartholomew Piff and Wishful Thinking.

Wishful Thinking. Jason Lethcoe. 2007. 224p. (Benjamin Bartholomew Piff Series #2). (gr 4-7). Grosset & Dunlap. Benjamin Bartholomew Piff thought all of his wishes had finally come true—he’s traded in his soggy cot at Pinch’s Home for Wayward Boys for a Feathered Funicula at the Wishworks Factory. He’s even been named manager of Kids’ Birthday Wishes (ages 3-12)—and he can’t wait to settle in to his new (and improved!) life. But when Ben slips briefly and reveals his identity, his spoiled cousin Penelope Piff figures out his new job. She quickly learns how to get in on the sweet life of magic, but her wishes are anything but sugar and spice and everything nice. This is one Penny that brings nothing but bad luck! Will Ben and his friends be able to save Candlewick and the Wishworks Factory from Penny’s conniving clutches—before she destroys it completely? About the Author: Jason Lethcoe is the author and illustrator of several books, including the Zoom’s Academy series. Lethcoe also worked for 17 years in the Hollywood animation industry as a storyboard artist for several studios. He does most of his writing on his 30-foot sailboat called The Moon and lives in California with his wife, Nancy, and his three kids, Emily, Alex, and Olivia Rose. By the Same Author: Misadventures of Bartholomew Piff and Wishing Well.

Won’t Know Till I Get There. Walter Dean Myers. 1982. 176p. (gr 4-7). Viking Press. Fourteen-year-old Stephen, his new foster brother, and his friends are sentenced to help out at an old age home for the summer after Stephen is caught writing graffiti on a train.

World of Hope, A. Laurie & Mike. Illustrated by Kristen Fennell & Jessica Petruccelli. 2005. 18p. Lifevest Publishing. The night Hope was born, so too was a family. A World Of Hope is a children’s book for up to 7 years old, about the miracle of carrying an adoptive new born infant over the threshold and intimately weave her into life. This story was written to tell Hope that they are an adoptive family and became such the night she was born. A World Of Hope holds a message that with Hope anything can come to be, and illuminates the joy a baby brings new parents. The colorful illustrations are eye catching. The rhyming verse is pleasant and thoughtful, focusing on the miracle of life and family, rather than the adoptive process. About the Authors: Laurie and Mike wrote A World Of Hope to provide a bedside story for their child, Hope, about how their family came to be, and about the miracle of a child making a couple new parents. Laurie is a columnist for her local newspaper, and a freelance writer. Mike continues to offer a keen ear for editorial comments for Laurie’s pre-published works, and is a great dad to Hope.

Worth. A LaFaye. 2004. 160p. (gr 4-7). Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. After Nathaniel’s leg is crushed in an accident, his father brings home an orphan boy, John Worth, to help work the fields. Worth has come to Nebraska from New York City on the Orphan Train, which brings homeless children west to find new lives. Nathaniel feels increasingly jealous of the boy who has taken over not only his work but the attention of his father, who has barely spoken to him since his injury. In school for the first time he is far behind even his youngest classmates, and he feels as useless there as he does at home. Meanwhile, Worth is still grieving for his family and his old life. As the farm chores prevent him from going to school, he also resents losing his dream of an education and a good job. And for all the work he does, he knows he will never inherit the farm that he’s helping to save. But a battle between ranchers and farmers—and a book of Greek mythology that Nathaniel reads aloud each evening—forges a connection between the two boys, who begin to discover that maybe there is enough room on the farm, and in the family, for both of them. A. LaFaye’s dynamic portrayal of two boys longing for something they no longer have—and finding the resources to face the future—offers a fresh perspective on the thousands of children who moved west via the Orphan Trains in the late nineteenth century.

You Are My Baby, I Am Your Mommy. Kimberly Leclercq. 2009. 28p. (gr ps-3). BookSurge Publishing. A vibrantly illustrated children’s book for any woman who has experienced excitement and hope mixed with heartache and challenges on the long road to becoming a mommy. This book explores many questions that run through a woman’s mind about how her child would come into her life and what characteristics that child may have. Without having answers to the many difficult questions and whether adopted or biological, she always knew of one real truth—this child is her own. The simplicity of bright illustrations captures children’s attention as the powerful words hold much truth and meaning in every mother’s heart. About the Author: Born, raised and planning to grow her family in metropolitan Detroit, Kimberly Leclercq is a mom, entrepreneur and author. Whether it’s meeting the demands of her branding and design firm, following the oftentimes ambiguous issues surrounding international adoption, enjoying time with friends and family, preparing for the adoption of her first child or authoring/illustrating her first children’s book—Kimberly is an idea person who jumps into life feet first. The inspiration for You Are My Baby, I Am Your Mommy came one day when Kimberly wrote a letter to her baby. In that moment of clarity she didn’t know how or when she was going to have a child, she just knew.

You Are Special: You Were Chosen. Joanna Ferlan & Mary Fox Prather. 2007. 32p. (gr 4-7). Tate Publishing & Enterprises. We all have many gifts that make us special. Joanna learned at an early age from her adoptive father just how special she was because he wrote her a story about just how much he loved her. And now she shares the amazing story he once told her with adoptive children everywhere. Ferlan and Prather show in this timeless poem just how much an adoptive child is loved before he or she is ever born.

You Bet Your Britches, Claude. Joan Lowery Nixon. Illustrated by Tracey Campbell Pearson. 1989. 32p. (gr ps-3). Viking Kestrel. Set in Texas with Texas humor, Shirley and Claude lead a settled life with their adopted son Tom, until Shirley goes to town to retrive Tom’s sister, Bessie. The two run into more than their share of trouble with criminals.

Young Digger. Anthony Hill. 2003. 300p. (YA). Penguin. A true story of hope and renewal from the award-winning author of Soldier Boy. A small boy, an orphan of the First World War, wanders into the Australian airmen’s mess in Germany, on Christmas Day in 1918. A strange boy, with an uncertain past and an extraordinary future, he becomes a mascot for the air squadron and is affectionately named “Young Digger.” And in one of the most unusual incidents ever to emerge from the battlefields of Europe after the Great War, this solitary boy is smuggled back to Australia. About the Author: Anthony Hill is a Canberra based writer, former journalist and speechwriter for the Governor General. In addition to this, he and his family ran an antique shop for five years in a small country town in New South Wales. The experience formed the basis of his first two books, The Bunburyists and Antique Furniture in Australia. His first children’s book, Birdsong, was followed by his award winning novella, The Burnt Stick. He is also the author of Spindrift & Forbidden. Soldier Boy and Young Digger are the products of the author’s extensive research and travel to the Gallipoli peninsula and the battlefields of the Great War.

Your Adoption Story. Jon Sarta. 2005. 20p. Lulu.com. A Story/Song about a little girl’s adoption and the adoptive family and birthmother who love her. Contains sheet music! A free recording of the song is available on the MLJ Music website with book purchase.

You’re Somebody Special, Walliwigs!. Joan Rankin. Illustrated by the Author. 1999. 30p. (gr k-3). Bodley Head Children’s Books. From Kirkus Reviews: A rare Great Black Cockatoo is stranded as a fledgling aboard a steamship that has been his home since birth in this funny outing from Rankin. Left alone one morning, Walliwigs becomes aware that the steamship is leaving the harbor and therefore his mother, behind. He’s discovered by a cabin boy and taken to a farm owned by the boy’s aunt. Life in the chicken house is made bearable only with the help of Martha, a hen who loves him as her own. She recognizes his indomitable spirit and cherishes his uniqueness, warding off insensitive comments from other hens in the coop. When Professor Beak, a traveling ornithologist, takes delight in Walliwigs, the results are thrilling—he’s a rare, practically extinct bird. Borrowing on the theme from the tale of the Ugly Duckling, Rankin shows again that being different is something rare and wonderful, not a thing to be feared. Her lively watercolor art captures the cockiness of audacious chickens who feel superior without reasonable justification. Children, often bullied, more often misunderstood, will find their spirits lifted by this encounter with Walliwigs.

Zachary’s New Home: A Story for Foster & Adopted Children. Geraldine M & Paul B Blomquist. Illustrated by Margo Lemieux. 1990. 32p. (gr ps-5). American Psychological Assoc. Zachary, a little kitten, is confused and concerned. He doesn’t understand why he has to move from his first family to a foster family and then to an adoptive family. He is angry at the changes in his life. He thinks that no one loves him. Zachary’s New Home provides the opportunity to open up communication within the family.

Zazoo. Richard Mosher. 2001. 224p. (gr 8 up). Houghton Mifflin Co. One wispy October dawn, a boy on a bike came and went. Little did almost-14-year-old Zazoo know that this inquisitive, bird-watching bicyclist would hold the key to her past and open a window to the future as well. The orphaned Zazoo lives alongside a canal with her loving adoptive grandfather, who brought her from Vietnam to his French village when she was just 2 years old. She and her tiny, 78-year-old Grand-Pierre share daily oatmeal, a passion for poetry, and a mysterious history. Why do the villagers seem leery of her gentle grandfather, even though he is often referred to as a war hero? Why does Grand-Pierre call World War II the “Awful Time”? And what happened to the brown-haired Jewish girl with whom he used to dance the tango so gracefully? Philosophical, compassionate, and exquisitely lyrical, Richard Mosher’s Zazoo is one of our favorite teen novels of 2001. Zazoo’s voice is dreamily poetic, but the dialogue is immediate and true, and the story carries enough suspense (When will her beloved bicyclist return? What is Grand-Pierre’s story?) and romance, past and present, to keep the pages turning quickly. Zazoo’s struggle with her increasingly forgetful grandfather, her friendships with Juliette and Monsieur Klein, and a powerful infatuation with her elusive visitor combine to create a multifaceted love story of an extraordinary sort. Along the way, we glimpse a time in history, an awful time, demanding us to ask the big questions about life, love, loneliness, death, war, and heroism—and how to let joy creep into sadness and carry on. Highly recommended. — Karin Snelson

Zen & the Art of Faking It. Jordan Sonnenblick. 2007. 272p. (gr 7-up). Scholastic. From Kirkus Reviews: Adolescence is a time when teenagers ask the all-important question, “Who am I?,” but for San Lee, an adopted Chinese boy starting eighth grade in a new school, the question has particular urgency. Luckily, Sonnenblick pens this story, so all that soul searching is side-splittingly funny as well. San, suddenly poor due to his swindling father’s incarceration, becomes the only Asian child at Harrisonville Middle School. That, combined with the fact that he once did a project on Taoism and Zen Buddhism at another school, causes him to come up with a new persona: Buddha Boy. Having learned the art of the con at his father’s knee, San, now a “Zen Man with a Zen Plan,” manages to convince almost everyone, most importantly the girl he likes, of his superior spiritual knowledge. The irony is that by allowing the lies to pile up, this faux Zen master becomes like the one person he doesn’t want to be. Hilarious and heart-wrenching.

Zoe & Columbo. Susan Shreve. Illustrated by Gregg Thorkelson. 1995. 71p. (gr ps-6). Tambourine Books. On the eve of their ninth birthdays and living in a new town, Zoe and Columbo find themselves drifting apart when Columbo decides he wants to keep secret the fact that he is adopted.