Adoption Books

Plastic surgery or not? Will it change your life and give you more self-confidence, or will it not change your life as dramatically as you thought?

These are the questions brought up by SLANT. There are many Asians having surgery to make their eyes more European-looking. I had an Asian living with me from Vienna. She said that she was lucky because she was born with a fold in her eyes. She also said that many of her aunts (she has many; her grandparents had nine children) have had the surgery. So this just isn't an American phenomena.

This story is about 13-year-old Lauren. Lauren was adopted by an American couple. She is Korean. Her younger adopted sister, Maia, is Chinese. Her adopted mother died when Lauren was ten, and she and Maia have been raised by her dad. Her dad is a university professor. Lauren's best friend is Julie, a tall, beautiful blond.

You can tell how much love is around these characters. At school there are a group of students who call Lauren slant, gook, or chink. She hates it but never stands up for herself. Lauren has been saving her money for two years for this surgery. When her grandmother, Ann, comes to town, the surgery may finally be a possibility.

Does she have the surgery? That is the question of the book.

I liked the characters in SLANT. They are written realistically, and you can tell the author likes these people. The story is written at a time where secrets are coming out and people are ready to move on with their lives. I really enjoyed this book.

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

A common source of frustration for children, is when a new brother or sister is received into their family. This may stir up many negative feelings, and they might actually fear the arrival of their new family member. Not all children deal with this situation in the same way, and many just don't know how to handle their feelings. That's why we're glad there are books like, "The Smith Family's New Puppy," to help children cope with a new member of their family.

"The Smith Family's New Puppy," by Dana Smith-Mansell, M.S., is about the Smith family: Darla and Ray (the humans), and three pets, two dogs Hanna & Darby, and Kearsey the cat. All the pets in the family had their own place and possessions until Darla and Ray decided to add another dog, Trevor, to their family. Poor Trevor -- he did all he could to try and fit in with the other pets, but he was just not feeling too accepted by them. Until one day, when Trevor helped get Hanna, Darby and Kearsey out of a tough situation. It was then that Darla explained that everyone needs each other in a family. From that moment on, all the pets shared their possessions, and Trevor was accepted as one of the family. :)

MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book -- the illustrations are colorful and expressive, and the story is easy to read. We think it's a wonderful story for any child who is expecting a new member into the family... it reminds us why everyone in the family is important.

I read the book to my middle school classes and then had them fill in an "I AM" writing assignment I picked up at a writing conference. There are 18 2-word sentence starters. The kids were to choose to be one of the four characters in the story and write from that point of view. The papers are some of the best I have ever gotten out any English class. Boys wrote with the most emotion that I have ever seen. The book also lends itself to the dicussion of abandonment and foster care, of which I am a foster mother myself. It was great to see these kids feel the character they chose, and express thoughts "beyond the print", a Six Traits of Writing Program phrase for an advanced skill in reading. I teach remedial kids all day long, and this book captured them. I never showed them the pictures so they could see the characters in their own minds. They understood how the tail lights of the car looked liked mean red eyes as it sped away.
Asking the kids if they could fit all of their possessions in a shopping bag gave many a real cause for pause.
It was a real story for kids to relate to. The next day, we made a Valentine gift for their moms. I had the best week of this year because I took a chance and jused this book. It is a must for caseworkers and foster parents.

This title was purchased as a referece work for an MSW thesis. The text is well laid out, covers issues relevant to both policy and practice, and provides an excellent description of the study on which it is based.

This is one of only six solid texts identifiable that dealt with non-traditional families as a resource for special needs children awaiting adoption.

An excellent resource, and worth the money (even if you're living on student loans).

I purchased this title as a reference while preparing my MSW thesis. The work is very well laid out, the study is well done, the stats well reported. Most of all, the conclusions reached follow logically from the research.

An excellent work for material on non-traditional families as a resource for special needs children awaiting permanent families.

Pricey, but if you are doing research and/or a lit. review, worth every penny!

Step Right Up & Take Your Chances is an honest and insightful account of the author's experiences with endometriosis, infertility, and adoption. I laughed and cried as I read and hoped for a happy ending.
I recommend this book for mothers and expectant mothers. It is not only a great practical resource and guide to help address the issues associated with endometriosis, infertility, and adoption but also provides the personal aspect of coping with the downside while working and hoping for the future.
The author was entertaining, factual, and inspirational.
This was great reading.
Holly

This book is the perfect book to help explain to your child "why" you adopted them. It helps them see that it was all because you loved them so much- and chose them to be your own. It's also great for Christian parents, as it uses the analogy of adoption to explain the plan of salvation. The Bible says that God has adopted us-- and this book explains that very eloquently. I strongly reccomend this for all Christian parents!

Great book! Stories range from funny to sad and every emotion in between. Each one touched my heart. Great stories from those who have been there. Highly recommend it.

Murphy's narrative style will draw you in - you'll feel as though you're sitting down for coffee with an old friend. Furthermore, you'll find yourself endeared to her and the "characters" who populate her story. And you might just find yourself reflecting on what family really means.

I want to thank my seller for the exceptional merchandise they sold me. I was EXTREMELY satisfied with my purchase. I hope to be able to work with this seller another time in the future. Keep up the awesome work!!