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BOOKS FOR FOSTER PARENTS
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS
MULTICULTURAL RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN
WORKBOOKS AND ACTIVITY BOOKS

BOOKS FOR FOSTER PARENTS

1. Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past. 2000. Betsy Keefer, and Jayne Schooler. Greenwood. Guide to techniques for talking with children about challenging issues from their birth histories.

2. Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families with Special Needs Kids. 1995. Gregory Keck and Regina Kupecky, Addresses Attachment Disorder, issues and strategies for healing the hurt child.

3. Reaching Out to Children with FAS/ FAE. 1994. Diane Davis. Offers support and hope and serves as a comprehensive resource to professionals and families.

4. Journey of the Adopted Self. 1994. Betty Jean Lifton. Provides an insightful, thorough, and compassionate guide to the adoption experience.

5. Don’t Touch My Heart: Healing the Pain of an Unattached Child. 1994. Lynda Mansfield and Christopher Waldmann. Pinon books. A story of holding therapy.

6. Being Adopted, The Lifelong Search for Self. 1993. Brodzinsky, Schecter, & Henig. Doubleday. A book to help adoptive parents and adoptees understand the struggles and stages of developing an identity when a person experiences separation from their roots.

7. Troubled Transplants: Unconventional Strategies for Helping Disturbed Foster and Adopted Children. 1993. Richard Delaney and Frank Kunstal. University of Southern Maine. Conventional approaches to parenting do not work for many foster and adopted children. This book is easily understood and should prove useful to parents at the end of their ropes.

8. In a Country of Mothers. 1993. A.M. Homes.  Alfred A. Knopf. A novel which examines contemporary myths surrounding adoption and motherhood.

9. The Open Adoption Experience. 1993. Lois Melina and S. Roszia, Harper Collins. Preparation, placement and adjustments through adolescence.

10. The Whole Life Adoption Book. 1993. Jayne Schooler, Pinon Press, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Realistic advice for building a healthy adoptive family.

11. Searching for a Past. 1993. Schooler, Jayne Pinon Press, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Adopted adults’ unique process for finding identity.

12. Talking to Young Children About Adoption. 1993. Mary Watkins, and S. Fisher, Yale University Press, New Haven. Accounts with twenty parents of conversations graphically conveying what the process of sharing is like.

13. Transracial Adoption: Children and Parents Speak. 1992. C. Pohl, and K. Watts Harris,  NY. Issues of transracial adoption through words and experiences of families.

14. The Adoption Life Cycle: the Children and Their Families Through the Years. 1992. Rosenberg, Elinor, Free Press, NY. Looks at the issues of adoptees and at those of birth parents and adoptive parents.

15. Talking to Your Child About Adoption. 1991. Patricia Dorner. The booklet emphasized that communication about adoption is an ongoing process.

16. Communicating With the Adopted Child. 1991. Miriam Komar. Walker, NY. A guide to the how and what of talking about adoptive issues.

17. Parenting With Love and Logic: Teaching Children Responsibility. 1990. Foster Cline. Raising kids who are self-confident and motivated.

18. Adoption and the Sexually Abused Child. 1990. Joan McNamara. Addresses needs of the child who has experiences sexual abuse.

19. How to Raise an Adopted Child. 1989. Judith Schaffer and Christina Lindstrom. Crown Publishers. A comprehensive how-to book anticipating nearly every situation adoptive parents may encounter. Chapters cover specific age groups, from infancy to teen years.

20. The Broken Cord. 1989. Michael Dorris. Harper Collins. A single adoptive father writes about his experiences in parenting a child with fetal alcohol syndrome.

21. High Risk: Children Without a Conscience. 1989. Magid, McKelvey. Bantam Books. A frightening look at the impact of attachment disorder on conscience development.

22. Making Sense of Adoption. 1989. Lois Melina. Practical help for parents in how to talk to their children about adoption.

23. Spirit of Survival. 1986. Gail Sheehy. Books, NY. Gripping story of the journey of Gail’s adopted daughter from Cambodian work camps to her adjustment in her adoptive home. Excellent book.

24. Separation and Attachment, Putting the Pieces Together. 1984. Fahlberg, Vera Michigan Department of Social Services, DDS Publication #429. An excellent workbook and overview of attachment and separation issues.

25. To Love and Let Go. 1983. Suzanne Arms. Stories of birth parent experiences and feelings about their pregnancy and placement of child.

26. Dear Birthmother. 1982. Kathy Silber, & Phyllis Speedin, Corona Publishing Co., Texas. A creative approach to adoption through letters exchanged by adoptive parents and birth parents.

27. Search: A Handbook for Adoptees and Birth Parents. 1982. J. Askin, J & B. Oskim. Harper & Row, NY. A guide for use in searching. Includes current state policies and techniques for searching.

28. Helping Children Cope with Separation and Loss. 1982. Claudia Jewitt. Harvard Common Press, Harvard, Mass. Very specific guide about helping children cope with separation, loss, and grief. Can be used by professionals and parents.

29. I Would Have Searched Forever. 1979. Sandra Kay Musser. Jan Publications, Division of AIM Inc. Capa Coral, Florida. Sandy explores the struggle for all in the adoption triangle in reconciling with each other, creating comfortable relationships among all in search situations.

30. Birthmark. 1979. Loraine Dusky. M. Evans & Co., NY. ms Dusky, a birthmother, tells the story of her experiences and adjustment over the years since making an adoption plan for her daughter. (Loraine and her daughter are featured in How it Feels to be Adopted, After Reunion).

31. Adopting the Older Child. 1978. Claudia Jewitt. Harvard Common Press, Harvard, Mass. Dr. Jewitt, an adoptive parent of older children and a psychotherapist, provides various case histories and experiences of families formed by older child adoption as well as information on the decision to adopt and preparation for children and families.

32. Twice Born: Memoirs of an Adopted Daughter. 1975. Betty Jean Lifton. McGraw-Hill Book Co., NY. Adult adoptee autobiography. Explores author’s life long process of coping with being adopted, includes search experience.

33. After Adoption: A Manual for Professionals Working With Adoptive Families. Jean Pierre Bourguignon and K. Watson. An excellent resource regarding attachment disorders and other issues of post-legal adoption services.

34. Raising Adopted Children. Lois Melina. Harper & Row. This book provides a guide for adoptive parents to assist them with many questions and situations in parenting a child who is adopted. Appropriate for both families who adopted infants and older children.

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS
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1. Mr. Rogers--Let’s Talk About Adoption. 1995. Fred Rogers. Confronts questions children have about adoption with sensitivity and insight.

2. How I Was Adopted. 1995. Joanna Cole. A story of what makes people different and what makes them the same.

3. Susan and Gordon Adopt a Baby. 1992. Judy Fredberg and Tony Gueiss. Big Bird is curious when a baby is adopted on Sesame Street.

4. Is That Your Sister? A True Story of Adoption. 1992. Catherine and Sherry Bunin. Six year old tells what is like to be adopted in a multiracial family.

5. Adopted. 1989. Judith E. Greenberg and Helen H. Carey. Sarah and Ryan are adopted. To help Sarah understand, her parents and grandfather explain about adoption and being a family member.

6. Filling in the Blanks: A Guided Look at Growing Up Adopted. 1988. Susan Gabel. Perspectives Press (ages 10-14). A workbook to help pre-adolescents understand their own histories.

7. Adoption is for Always. 1986. Linda Walford Girard. Celia feels alone, angry and insecure about being adopted. But with her parents’ patience and understanding, she accepts it and makes her adoption day into a special family celebration.

8. Boardwalk With Hotel. 1985. Claudia Mills. Eleven year old Jessica becomes angry about her adoption and starts to feel competitive with and jealous of her siblings who are not adopted.

9. Who Is David? 1985. Evelyn Nerlove. Child Welfare League of America. An excellent novel about an adolescent adoptee struggling with identity who participates in a support group for adopted adolescents.

10. How it Feels to be Adopted. 1982. Jill Krementz. Alfred A. Knopf, NY. Nineteen adopted children ages 8-16, of various races and cultures are interviewed. Each describes feelings and thoughts about adoption.

11. The Boy Who Wanted a Family. 1980. Shirley Gordon. Michael’s hopes, fears, and experiences with his new mom are explored during the one year waiting period to finalize his adoption.

12. The Adopted One. 1979. Sara Bonnet Stein. Walker & Co., NY. Unusually insightful book for pre-school and early elementary age children. Outstanding text is provided for adoptive parents and older children about normal feelings of adoptees.

13. Why Am I Adopted? 1978. Carole Livingston. Lyle Stuart Inc. Appropriate for early elementary age children.

14. Answer Me Answer Me. Irene Bennett Brown. Bryn Kenney’s search for her parentage begins after the death of her Gram when she is unexpectedly provided with a fortune and a clue to her roots.

15. Zachary’s New Home: A Story for Foster and Adopted Children. Geraldine Blomquist. (ages 3-8)

16. Teenagers Talk About Adoption. Marion Crook. Based on interviews with more than 40 adopted teens in Canada, this book conveys the feelings they have about their birthparents, being adopted, and the attitudes of others toward adoption.

17. You Be Me, I’ll Be You. Pili Mandlebaum. A bi-cultural child decides she dislikes her brown skin. Her father devises a creative alternative.

18. Being Adopted. Maxine Rosenberg. Helpful for children, ages 5-10, when they first have questions about adoption. Three children relate their adoption stories.

MULTICULTURAL RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN
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1. Raising Black Children. Comer and Puissant.

2. Raising the Rainbow Generation. Hopson & Hopson.

3. You Be Me, I”ll Be You. Pili Mandlebaum. A bi-cultural child decides she dislikes her brown skin.

4. 40 Ways to Raise a Nonracist Child. Mathias & French. A frank and important guide for black and white parents who want to teach their children to shun prejudice, narrow-mindedness, and hatred.

5. We Don’t Look Like Our Mom and Dad. Harriet Sobol. About two Korean boys. (ages 3-10)

6. Multicultural Teaching. Teidt & Teidt. Extensive book lists.

7. Peoples of the World. Trundle, Roma. Usborne Publishing. 32 pages of color illustrations and information about many cultures (ages 6-12).

WORKBOOKS AND ACTIVITY BOOKS
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1. Hands Around the World, Susan Milord, Williamson Publishing, Charlotte, Vt. Plants, stories, crafts, cooking, songs and dances to build cultural awareness.

2. The Kids Multicultural Art Book, by Alexandra Terrain. Williamson Publishing, Charlotte, VT. Roots, rhythms, and traditions found in art in a hands-on experience (ages 3-9)

3. International Children, by Karen Sevaly, Teacher’s Friend Pub., Riverside, Ca. Customs, costumes, and flags of 22 nations.

4. Small World Celebrations, by Jean Warren & Elizabeth McKinnon, Warren Publishing, Everett, Wa. Art, games, songs and snacks to introduce children to holidays and festivals around the world.

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