Adoption Books

This book was a page turner for me. I felt the book really took me back in time. The present day references started to bug me as I felt I wanted to stay in the past much like the leading character.

Loved the romance and heroism in this book.

This one is worth the read, very well written...at times a bit obvious, but really decent story overall. Wasnt the best lesbian story ive ever read, or even close...but certainly not the worst. I dont forsee that i will be reading the follow up book, i didnt care for how this one ended...and so im pretty sure im not gonna care for the direction of the next book.

Although I don't normally review books I couldn't stop myself from letting others know what a beautiful story Catherine Friend has written. I usually don't enjoy reading books with a historical settings that I know nothing about, but I was captivated by the way Ms. Friend made 1025 Spain come alive for me. I saw the people, the buildings and landscape so perfectly that I wished I was there. I felt I was there at times watching Kate and the situations she went through and when she and Luis finally found each other, I felt the love between them and was so happy for them. Toward the last of the book, I started to read a little slower and I kept putting the book down because I didn't want it to end. And when it did, I couldn't wait to start on the Crown of Valencia.
Catherine Friend is a wonderful new writer and one I hope continues to write for a long time. I know that I, for one, will read everything she writes if they all have the freshness and feeling that are in the Spanish Pearl. Well done, Catherine Friend, well done

I've read through the reviews and I think they do a great job of telling you what the book is about. I really appreciate reading them. I just ignore the few that give everything a 5.
What really cracked me up were the people that got a little hung up on the time travel part. I do read for escape and this book was a great way to get away.
One of the reviews made a comment about violence and outrage at lesbians for giving the book good reviews. I'll be honest, I didn't really read beyond the first few lines because I didn't want to waste my time. Yes there is a bit of violence but it wasn't anything more than kids today watch on t.v. (yes I did say "kids today" guess I'm getting old) I'm guessing the author was trying to make it more authentic so it seemed like she really did travel back in time.
Okay now I'm just being stupid. Read the book and have a little fun,

This novel has everything. The wit and humor, slang and sarcasm of the 21st century to the violence and rape, the opulence and mystique of the 11th century.

I adored Luis, the author really captured and made real this character to me.

If you enjoyed this novel don't miss the sequel 'The Crown of Valencia'.

From the publisher's website - When Kate Vincent and her partner travel to Spain, Kate is accidentally transported back in time...way back in time...to 1085. What does a woman like Kate do in a world of no antibiotics, no feminism, no Diet Coke? She denies it as long as possible, then sets her mind to getting home. Tricky with her now useless twenty-first century skills.

Things don't go well. Kate is captured by a band of mercenary soldiers and becomes an unwitting pawn in the violent conflict between the Catholic kings and the Islamic Moors. In her struggle to stay alive and return to the future, Kate must flee exotic harems, filthy dungeons, and treacherous Moorish courts. But when a sword-brandishing woman with an astonishing secret sweeps into Kate's life, Kate is suddenly torn between two women, and between two centuries.

The Spanish Pearl is an epic adventure spiced with humor, lust, and danger--a story with surprising twists that will capture your imagination just as Kate's dilemma captures your heart.

What a blessed book! Filled with touching quotes, this is a perfect gift for adopting parents prior to placement. It is designed for a parent to create a sort of autobiography of themselves for their future child. Adopting couples would probably need two copies. Would work for infant or older child adoptions, as well as domestic or international, and single parent, married couples, or alternative families. Well-made. Heirloom Quality. Highest recommendations.

We are all, as prospective adoptive parents, bursting inside with anticipation and happiness, and to put down our feelings and thoughts in a journal for our future child is a lovely idea. I wish I had done this for our daughter, and will certainly recommend the book to friends who are adopting. I have an idea for Kirsten Davis: I wrote a journal during the four-month period we were waiting to meet our birthmother. I couldn't help writing it.
Gisela Gasper Fitzgerald, author of ADOPTION: An Open, Semi-Open or Closed Practice?

I bought this as a gift for my husband. It's beautiful. We're not sure of the age child we will get so this book was a perfect fit. I love all the places for photographs. It's a beautiful book. Designed for any child, any age, any adopting situation. Very thoughtful and sweet. God Bless!

8 Gazillion Pregnancy Journals and Nothing for Those adopting. A friend told me about this book and I was almost afraid to get my hopes up, but it turns out, I could have. THIS BOOK IS BEAUTIFUL. I will be sad to see it go out of print. I'm glad my daughter will have one. I'm not a scrapbook person so this is JUST the right about of prep time with the beautiful end product. I'm sure scrapbook-aholics would love it also, but I'm not what we call, "creative." At the same time, I want my daughter to know that I love her and this book will help affirm that. THANKS!

My daughter turned to adoption after years of agonizing and unsuccessful infertility treatments. This book offered her power and patience. Not only did "Waiting for You" celebrate her journey towards motherhood, it also validated my understanding of her journey. Now that's she and her husband have decided to adopt, her pain has melted and she has the energy and excitement of the little girl I raised, heading out the door with optimism towards her first lemonaid stand. I came across this book by accident on Amazon and ordered it directly from the author through their "used and new" feature. It came brand new and hand-signed by the author, plus I saved a few dollars. I bought two copies - one for my daughter and one for my son-in-law. They are already using them and my daughter says that it has strengthened their commitment to adopt, to each other, and to their faith in Christ. She loves the inspiring quotes on each page. All those years of infertility - I felt so powerless. I couldn't take away the pain of my own baby. This book is great way to help celebrate God's intended path.

Finally, a fiction novel with substance and character development.
"China Doll" was well written, informative and interesting, especially the flashbacks of Nola's childhood. I enjoyed the way Talia Carner developed
Nola Sand's character, from her childhood to the strong woman she became at the end.

China Doll by Talia Carner is by far the best suspense thriller I have ever read, and even surpassing John Le Carre, whom I admired greatly. What sets her wonderful book apart is the subject matter in addition to the terrific structure and plotting that make it unputdownable. This is a novel everyone (except perhaps the Chinese government) can care deeply about. The idea of babies languishing in dying rooms, unwanted and uncared for in order to satisfy population quotas, should be repugnant to any civilized nation. This book needed to be written. I can see no reason why with enough publicity China Doll doesn't make the Best Seller List. It cries out to be filmed. I love the worthwhile subjects of Talia Carner's books (Puppet Child). It's time the public learned to buy novels that actually have something important to say. I can't wait to read this author's next one.

'China Doll' was a selection of the Friends of Huntingdon Valley Library Book Club and was discussed on October 18, 2007. Our questions were then answered by the author herself, Talia Carner, during a generously lengthy speaker-phone conversation with our members.

Our group was unaminous in their admiration for the talent of the author, the amount of research that went into the book, the importance of the message of infanticide and its human-rights implications.

'China Doll' left us with a great deal to think about concerning the "appeasment" vs. "engagement" policies between the U.S. and China.

An intriging, well crafted, page-turner.

I worked in a Chinese orphanage for over four years and can tell you that reading this story put me back in the middle of all the emotions and outrage I dealt with on a daily basis. Many people think that negative stories about orphanages shouldn't be written, that they can't be that bad---but the truth is that some of them are that bad. The more that people open their eyes at what is really happening, the better chance at improving conditions we will have. Awareness is the key.

Reviewed by Kelley Anderson for Reader Views (1/07)

"China Doll" is the story of Nola Sands, a rock star on a goodwill tour in China. After one of Nola's appearances, a woman presses a baby girl into her arms and disappears. Nola instantly falls in love with the baby and is bent on keeping the girl with her at all costs. Everyone seems to be determined to separate them; her husband/agent, the owner of the record company and even the Chinese government. She discovers who her true friends are in the process. Nola commits herself to being the spokesperson for all of the unwanted baby girls in China and finds that a mother's love is not just about taking care of a child. Nola's love for this baby girl shows her that the mother who left her this baby loved her baby enough to want that baby to have a life beyond the orphanage or the grave.

This beautiful story brings you an outsider's look at China's class system, where a one child per family law still exists and baby girls are abandoned or killed so that the coveted boy can stay with the family. It seems at first to be a lighthearted book about one rock star's desire to keep this baby that was never hers. As you read farther into the book, you discover that not only is the rock star not selfishly wanting the baby as a possession, but events in her early family life are driving her to protect this girl from the horrible things the world does to orphaned children. The strength of Nola's will and the horrible picture of the abandoned babies of China touch you in some deep down place and make you want to rescue those babies yourself.

I recommend this book for all mothers and for anyone who wants to be a mother. It is a fast easy read and the beauty of China and the sorrow of its citizens impressed me. "China Doll" will open your eyes and make you want to learn more about its culture.

"China Doll" is an alluring book, fast-paced with twist and turns. Some of the twists you see coming and some catch you by surprise. I enjoyed following the journey of the baby's life from the time she was thrust into Nola's arms to the conclusion of the story.

I think this is a good resource for families who are adopting, especially those adopting children who are older and/or have had rocky starts in life.

Excellent book - very helpful for a new adoptive mom of a 4 year old from China.

For anyone adopting an older child I think this is a must read book. I originally took this book out of the library, read it twice and still felt I needed to own it so I could mark pages for reference. The only information I wish was included is how to tackle some of these issues with a foreign born child who doesn't understand your language yet. FYI: I found this helpful for parenting my biological child as well as understanding myself better.

We're the parents of a couple of adopted kids, and have continually searched for specific information about adopted children with broad-spectrum diagnoses (ADHD, ODD, RAD, Bipolar Disorder). At one time or another, our kids have had all of these diagnoses attached to their issues/behaviors.

It's become clear to us -- and other parent of adopted kids with whom we speak -- that these broad-spectrum diagnoses are "convenient" terms in which to bucket our kids. These kids frequently show the same issues and inappropriate behaviors. Unfortunately, the standard process for addressing these issues (positive reinforcement, drug therapies, structured responses, diet modifications) never seem to work. This appears especially true of those kids, such as our daughter, who are adopted from Eastern European insitutions/orphanages.

We're read all of the general literature regarding these broad-spectrum diagnoses and tried every guideline in these books on how remediate these issues and bad behaviors -- all with little or no success.

"The Connected Child" speaks directly to the behavioral issues and unique emotional requirements that these adopted children require. Their approach -- based on the TCU Institute of Child Development methodology --is more a process for modifying parent behavior than addressing the child's issues and behaviors. Specifically, the book suggests that all of these kids exhibit behaviors based on perceived threats and fears established/learned during their earliest years in institutions. It recommends that parents develop -- and consistently reinforce -- a loving, affectionate, trusting and safe environment for these kids so that they can grow away from viewing people and life situations in a fearful or threatening way.

While "The Connected Child" makes a strong case for the unique issues associated with these institutionalized children and lays a relatively solid foundation for how to cope with and reach these children, in my opinion, their relatively "easy read" book with short "punchy" chapters and sections doesn't lay out the kind of structured or disciplined approach required. The authors are suggesting a life-changing and home environment-changing methodology for both the affected children, their parents and siblings, and other significant influencers in the kid's lives (teachers, counselors). More detailed direction on how to successfully implement their methodology would have been appreciated.

Additionally, I find their frequent use of "semi-miracle" anecdotes a bit too much: child couldn't be reached using standard therapies; parents -- at wit's end -- try the "Connected Child" methodology; child cured. I'm sure that there's much more trial-and-error or initial failures (by both the kids and the parents) with their methodology than are depicted in this book.

Still, I would recommend that this book be read by those parents with those adopted children who have been institutionalized and who have not responded to the traditional therapies for these broad-spectrum diagnoses. The "Connected Child" approach for building a safe and secure environment for these unique kids -- however difficult for the parents to accomplish -- deserves attention.

What a great tool this book has been. It helped us make a break through with our second daughter who we had been struggling with for over a year. We had been working hard with all of her indivual issues in isolation. We worked with her language delays, her behavorial problems, her sleep issues, sibling struggles and more. This his book helped with the big picture and helped make all that all that other work come together in a way that really helped our whole family.

Good message about being true to yourself. Not giving in to peer pressure. And about a mother's unconditional love.

A big grey egg rolled to a pile of duck eggs. Mother duck hatched it and treated it as one of her owns, although he looks bigger and different. One day this "baby duck" sees 3 bad crocodiles who look just like him. They told him he is a crocodile and has sharp teeth designed to catch and eat the ducks. They also asked him to help them and lure the ducks over to the bridge so they can catch and swallow the ducks.

After some identity struggle, he made a decision and put that into action.

Very creative story, also teaches us to accept and love those who are different (like mother duck), and do what we think is right.

Can be read over and over again and will be if your kids are like the kids i read to.

My son checked this book out at a library while we were on vaction! He can't get enough of it. As soon as we got home he wanted to read it. So here I am on Amazon searching for a purchase! He loved the simple story and giggled at the key phrases like "crocoduck".

My 6 year old and 4 year old, just absolutely love this book and Guji, Guji. It is a fabulous story written with love, humor and wit. Great book for a gift for preschoolers of all ages.

I owned the movie, before i even knew of Sarah Dessen's Books.
And, I bought the book and everything, and by that time the movie was a faint memory.
Someone Like You was absolutely amazing.
but, That Summer, kind of leaves you hanging.
Overall, amazing purchase.
Definitely satisfied.

These two stories are great. I was into thses books and I was so glad to find out that these stories were being made into a movie!!!

Although I loved the movie and the two books the movie was based on, I do think "How to Deal" should have been based on the movie. I though it was kinda odd that a movie was based on two different books. I gave this book four stars because I gave "Someone Like You" and "That Summer" each four stars. Honestly, if the book had been about the movie, I would have given it five stars.

I picked up this book, because How To Deal is my favorite movie. When I read in the beginning how it was differnt, I thought, fun. Something new and exciting. As I read along, I realized that it was pretty good. They use the same characters, there was almost the same plot as the movie so it wasn't that difficult to follow along. I couldn't put it down and finished it in 2 days. I was extremly dissapointed with the ending. Other then that, I give it a pretty decent review.

For those of you looking for a great read, How To Deal is the perfect book. You will be getting two of Sarah Dessen's novels in one: Someone Like You and That Summer. The Movie How To Deal was made based on these two books. Both are wonderful reads for adolescent girls going through the pains and joys of growing up. In Someone Like You, best friends Halley and Scarlette struggle through Scarlette's pregnancy and together strive through the loss of a close friend. This book shows the blessings of a best friend, and how important it is to have someone to care about. In That Summer, Haven struggles through the pains of family life and first loves. It teaches the importance of family sticking together, and how wonderful and painful first loves can be. Both books are excellent novels and guides that every teenage girl will be able to relate to.

I could not believe how similar our adoption experience was to that portrayed here. Beautiful artistry and very sweet. Airplane on the front cover really sold my daughter and us from the start. Somehow that airplane ride home, though excrutiatingly painful at the time, will always speak volumes to my child about how important she is to us. How can you put the international adoption experience in a book? This author did a fantastic job of capturing the high points that relate to every Russian adoption.

I received this book when it was first published -- and I love it -- it's the first children's book I found about the Eastern European adoption experience. While it doesn't specifically cover Romania (our country of adoption), it is a wonderful new book and I wanted to share the news with you.
From the first page ("When I first met you, you lived in Russia, a country far across the ocean. Now, you live here, close to my heart.") to the last ("You will always be Russia's child. But now, you are also mine."), the book expresses love for the child, appreciates the child's heritage, and celebrates the joy a child brings to a family through adoption.
Kudos to the author and the illustrator for this wonderful new book! I highly recommend this book!

This really is a beautiful book - both in terms of text & pictures. The story is told from a mother to her daughter, so it is girl-specific -- but still, it's great to have a story specific to Russian adoption. The biggest part where the girlishness comes into play is when it refers to pink ballet slippers. But you could always just say "slippers" instead if you want the "You" to really be your own child & he is a boy. ;) The book begins...

"When I met you, you lived in Russia, a country far across the ocean.
Now, you live here, close to my heart.

When you met me, you lived with a gruppa of sixteen other children.
Now, you live in a house, with me and Daddy and Fizz the dog."

My only issue with the book comes at the end & this is just personal preference. The text reads:

"When you met me, your Russian mother had already said good-bye.
Now, I am your mother, and I will say hello to you every day of your life."

At least at this point (at my son's young age), I would prefer not to use the term "Russian mother" & to talk about her saying good-bye. (We just say her first name instead.) I bought the book anyway, deciding to come up with my own words for that page. The following page then says:

"You will always be Russia's child.
But now, you are also mine."

I am choosing to change this wording for our use too. I would rather that it said, "a child of Russia"... so that it sounds less posessive of him -- instead emphasizing that he does belong to us. This is all personal preference, of course. :)

We are adoptive parents of 2 boys from Russia. This book brought tears to my eyes, I had trouble reading it to my sons the first time. The first time my husband read it, he welled up with tears as well. It is not a exact story for all adoptions, but is written with such heartfelt words. I think it is a must have for an adoptive parent of a Russian child.

I love this book. The drawings are beautiful, and the story is heart-warming. It is helping explain adoption to my three-year-old Russian daughter while we wait to bring her baby brother home from Russia.

I ordered the book, The Broken Cord, sometime ago and it has never arrived. I have communicated with the seller and he is taking care of it-- he'll send me another copy ASAP.

Thank goodness Michael Dorris wrote this book before we lost him. If you are raising or working with a child with FAS, buy it and read it and read it again. When I first read it, my daughter was 16. Her biological mother was profoundly alcoholic, and died as a result. My daughter has many of the FAS anomalies. Reading The Broken Cord gave me hope--and understanding. And it changed the way I interacted with her. From that point forward--and because she had the world's most patient and dedicated Special Education teacher--my daughter began (finally!) making forward progress. Today she lives in Hawaii and works for a major cruise line. Not bad for an FAS kid! This book still stands as the best book available on FAS children. I recommend it without reservation.

Great account of a parent dealing with a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The read was light and interesting. Highly recommended for those who want a different perspective on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

Michael Dorris is and advocate for the poor innocent victims of fetal alcohol effect and fetal alcohol syndrome. In "The Broken Cord", Michael sets out to inform his readers about this unfortunate condition. Fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect happens to babies when they are still in the womb. Basically, if the biological mother of the child consumes excessive amounts of alcohol while still carrying the baby, it can cause severe disfigurations, as well as a lack of development of the brain. Alcohol affects these children in a different way than a grown person. The Broken Cord shows how great the effects of alcohol can be on these children.

Mr. Dorris is a college educator of Native American descent. He is an adoptive father to three children and a biological father to three children, that he has had with his wife, Louise. Michael has personally experienced fetal alcohol syndrome, through his child. One of his adopted children, Adam, has a more severe case of fetal alcohol syndrome. Mr. Dorris really knows how unfair it is for these kids to have to deal with this, when it wasn't even their fault or their choice.

Mr. Dorris really does an excellent job of communicating through his many personal stories and statistics, how important it is for people to be informed about fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect. When Michael explains the hardships that he has had to face with his son Adam because of this situation, and when he talks about how Adam will never be able to function normally, it really makes you think about how lucky many of us are.

Throughout the book, Michael Dorris clearly explains and informs you about the conditions, while also holding your interest with his touching and accurate stories. These stories assist the understanding of the effects of FAS and FAE, for example, not learning from your mistakes. After reading this book and finding out how fetal alcohol syndrome and fetal alcohol effect affect so many people's lives, it will make you want to learn more about FAS and FAE.

Although the author had lots of great information on his FAS child his history and experience as an anthropologist makes the reading difficult. He sometimes spends more time describing the wind or the surroundings than he does talking about his son's issues. Two other books I read on the same subject were riveting and sad in their own way. Michael Dorris' detours made me not want to read the book because paragraphs would go by describing the grass swaying in the wind rather than how he was coping or dealing with his son's terrible affliction. I wish the movie was available for viewing because in this case the summarized cinematic version might be better.

The Chosen Baby is a book that i can identify with. My parents read it to me as a small child back in the 1950's. I loved the story and it made me feel special, because I was chosen, like the children in the story. I was wanted and loved . This story is part of Americana as far as I am concerned and I am purchasing it for a friend who is now in 2008 adopting a child. I know it might not be up to date, but It is an enjoyable story to help the child learn that she or he is chosen and therefore a special part of the family.

This book was read to me as early as I can remember when I was adopted as a small baby in 1966. I still have the copy and my warmest memories are sitting with my mother and hearing her soft loving words and looking at the sweet pictures. I'm sure there are other books out there now, maybe some with alot more detail as another poster seemed to think was necessary...however, should I adopt a child I would remain with this loving and simple explanation. This is a children's book, and the explanation of adoption needs to remain simple. There is plenty of time later for adult conversations.

1n 1974 when I was five, my parents gave this book to me to help explain that I was adopted. I loved the book then, read it over and over. They really had a way of making me feel like a chosen, therefor very special gift. Though the story is now outdated and somewhat simple, the point of the story is just that ... they chose to love me. My brother says to me one day ..."that's how come you were adopted", I replied ... "that's how come mom and dad were stuck with you ... they wanted me, they chose me." That kind of feeling about being adopted came from not only my parents but positive, simple stories of happiness ... just like this book The Chosen Baby.

Over the years I've tried to figure out when I "found out" that I was adopted. I don't recall ever specifically being told, I just knew it. And mostly, I believe, because of The Chosen Baby. I grew up with this book, loved it, in fact cherished it. Someone was recently asking me bio questions and one of them asked for my favorite book. This was it.

I was adopted at birth 33 years ago. I was told at a very young age...so I just always knew I was adopted. I am unsure how many books were out in the late 70's that adoptive parents could turn to that were not too outdated. This book I read and reread as a child!! One review mentioned negatively that the birth mother/father are never mentioned, and that the baby is not "born" from someone, but rather is just "available" at the agency. Yes, this is true...BUT...
For a young child, the story and illustrations made this a favorite of mine. I really could relate and sometimes a child is too young to really understand other aspects of the adoption process. I strongly encourage anyone who buys this to compliment it with other, more "informational" books, especially "Why was I Adopted"((a FABULOUS MUST READ FOR ALL)).

With this book....the title alone: The Chosen Baby, alone made me feel special.
I also recommend this for adoptive parents looking to adopt, as a very light read of course, due to it's precious way of representing THEIR experience.
Lastly, I have a big brother (not adopted), but the page where the boy welcomed a new sister into the home really hit home with me. I felt like that little girl in his lap :)
A must buy..it is such a classic!!

After reading close to 20 great books, this one is the one that gave me the most day to day good advice, information and real life case stories. This should be a prerequisite for anyone adopting. It is truly a wealth of information that is written in an easy to read format.
Great book!

Throughout this book there is an assumption that the "hurt" child is one whose biological parent(s) have abused and/or neglected their child. In far too many cases the child becomes "hurt" because overzealous child protection authorities have removed the child from it's biological parent(s)or primary care giver since birth. A classic case like this was Logan Marr (see PBS Frontline "Logan Marr" on the Internet) who became psychologically "hurt" because of her removal from her biological mother and who would not settle down and was killed by her foster carer because she would not accept the foster carer as a new parent.
For the past two years I have had to deal with my own child's real psychological "hurt" from having been unnecessarily removed into foster care and then after two years returned to me as damaged goods. Keck and Kupecky have an arrogant disregard for a child's biological and social need for its own parent(s). This book is merely a "feel good" spin justification for the far too many and unnecessary adoptions and placement of children in out of home care, something which has damaged thousands of innocent and previously unharmed children.

If you have a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) this is a book you must read. It is very informative, enlightening and helpful. It is an excellent reference to go back and read over and over. You can't change the fact a child has RAD. However, you can learn why he does what he does and how to best deal with the many behavioral issues specific to RAD. I found this book to be a eye opener, a relief (explains what you have been living through for who knows how long) and very helpful. A highly recommended read for any parent of a child with RAD, anyone considering international adoption and also for foster parents.

This book was just what I was looking for and I would recommend it to anyone who is adopting a child or fostering a child in their home - The first couple of chapters really hit home with me and the entire book offers practical advice as well as explanations for some of the feelings you and your child may be having as well as reasons for behaviors we might see.

I bought this book in desperation right after we adopted two foreign born boys, ages 7 and 9. The nine year old was totally whacked, behavior wise, and we surmised he had been abused at a young age. He would totally freak if you even tried to correct him, or if he didn't like dinner, whatever. He would sit and holler, scream, kick, bite, break his bedroom furniture, etc. for hours until he wore himself out. This book did go aways to saving our sanity, as did the fact that it improved when his English got better.