Adoption Books

Complete guide in every area of adoption and if you're a Christian it tells you reasons why adopting in line with scripture and even lists Jesus and Moses as being adoptive plus a long list of famous people. Makes you feel really hopeful about the possibilities but is also realistic about all the things that can go wrong. Very helpful tool.

This book is so comprehensive and informative. It covers every kind of adoption - foster care, state, private, domestic and international. It has tips for paying for your adoption and lots of inspirational stories at the end of each chapter. I highly recommend this book and can't wait until we bring our own little one home!

This book was very well written in both its content and sentiment. Some adoption guides are technical and hard to read and I found this book to be neither. In addition to having great information regarding the various aspects of adoption, there are heart warming stories from adoptive parents and adoptees whose names you will recognize. This book is a must read!

My husband and I felt more confident about going through all of the steps of adoption after reading this book. This book tells you what the different types of adoption there are and what steps are necessary in each case. It is very detailed and helpful.

If you are considering adoption, this is a wonderful resource.

This book is 300% better than the first adoption book I chose to learn about this delicate subject. It has helped tremendously in reconciling feelings about adoption and my faith, as well as provide useful information in a very clear presentation. A must-read for anyone considering adoption!

The Melendy family has moved from New York City. It's summertime and their father is in Washington on important business. The loveable housekeeper Cuffy must leave to care for her cousin who has suffered a fall. Since Willy (also employed by the Melendy family) is in residence, Cuffy decides to leave the children on their own.

As in the previous two books in the Melendy series, there are adventures enough to last a lifetime. Some are fun and others are darker, sadder and more dangerous.

The children meet Mark Herron. He's a lonely orphan who has a nasty guardian in Oren Meeker. Then there's the wonderful story of Mr. Titus and the 12-pound catfish, an illegal whiskey still, a house fire that results in death, the despicable DeLaceys, the resolve of the children to make sure the canning of the victory garden is done and the house is spotless by the time Cuffy returns home, and a surprise involving Mark and the Melendys. There are obstacles to overcome and everyone pitches in to see that the story has a happy ending.

Then There Were Five is nostalgia at its best. The time is World War II and life is difficult, but the Melendys love each other, care for their neighbors and work hard keeping up their home while Father and Cuffy are gone-and manage to have adventures at the same time. I'll read this novel again and again.

Armchair Interviews says: The entire Melendy series is a must read. Start with The Saturdays. You'll want to pass them on to your children and grandchildren.

I read the Melendy books at around the age the rest of you did--but that was 55 years ago. At the age of 65, I'm about to order the Quartet to read them again. I just saw on someone's blog a photograph of a beautiful light-green moth chrysalis with golden flecks that looks like a jade earring. I'd never seen such a chrysalis, either "live" or in a photo, but I recognized it instantly as the one Mona discovers by the brook (forget which book now). I was swept by a wave of nostalgia and came right to Amazon to order the books, and that warm feeling was only intensified as I read the reviews mentioning readers' favorite bits, almost all of which I remember. I can hardly wait to read again the wonderful description of Fafner the dragon at the Met, and the chaotic scenes of Randy and Mona in the throes of preserving summer produce, complete with exploding jars of tomatoes.

I can't imagine why I haven't gotten hold of these utterly magical books that were such a blessing in my childhood to reread long since, but better late than never.

"Then There Were Five" in the third book in the Melendy Quartet, and picks up immediately where "The Four-Story Mistake" left off. We meet the Melendy children again on a hot June afternoon, when they are building a dam across the brook on their property to make it deep enough to swim in. It's a team effort and everybody is pulling their weight. It's typical of this family; they play and share alike.

But unlike the first two Melendy books, which were more or less a series of unrelated adventures, "Then There Were Five has a plot running all through it. World War II is on everybody's mind. Father is away in Washington for most of the book, working at a government job "so secret I have to guard against talking to myself". The four Melendy children are left in the care of Cuffy, their housekeeper, and Willy Sloper, their handyman. The war has everyone involved. Cuffy is growing a Victory Garden. Oliver is adding to the family diet by fishing every day in the brook (Rush has chub coming out of his ears), and Rush and Randy start on an ambitious scrap drive. And its on their scrap drive in the countryside that they meet a person who will become a part of their lives forever.

Chased off one farm by an evil drunk named Oren Meeker, Rush and Randy meet his young cousin Mark Herron, thirteen years old, orphaned at an early age and living with Oren because he has no other family. Oren is cruel and abusive; we learn that on the infrequent occasions Mark has been allowed to attend school, he has shown up with black eyes and an empty lunchbox. But he's managed to survive despite his depressing home; he's bright, friendly, hardworking and resourceful. Randy and Rush take to him right off the bat. If only there were some way they could help him.

Parallel to Mark's story there are plenty of amusing sidelights such as Oliver's obsession with creepy-crawly things, Mona's impulsive decision to can everything in the vegetable garden while Cuffy is off visiting a sick cousin, and a family picnic where Oliver manages to fall down a well. But the story of meeting and rescuing Mark is central to the book, and lends the book much of its undertone, which is darker and more mature than the first two Melendy books. Enright shows her young readers that not all families are happy like the Melendy family; some families are unhappy, abusive and cruel. The Melendy children realize how fortunate they are not only to not have a family like Mark's, but also to be able to share what they have.

Although the book spans only one summer, the Melendy children do a lot of growing up in three and a half months. They prove themselves to be resourceful and resilient, remarkably able to look out for themselves and each other with only occasional adult supervision while Father is away in Washington and Cuffy is off attending a family emergency. We realize how lucky Mark is to become part of this vibrant family. We almost wish we could be part of it as well.

Judy Lind

I agree with those who say that this is the best book out of the four. It's definitely the most complex, and has the most character development. Mark, who was an abused child long before that became a catch-phrase, is sketched out wonderfully. Oren's sister, who he mentioned early on, must have been a good influence on him, because he's resilient, kind and intelligent, despite what he has to put up with from Oren. I agree with Rush when he said the Melendys were the lucky ones, to get Mark for a brother!

Although I did think Rush was pretty rude, barging in every day while the girls were canning, and demanding to be fed immediately! Did he think that just because Mona and Randy didn't have a five-course meal ready and waiting, that they were going to let the guys starve? And it's not like they'd been doing nothing! God bless Mr. Titus for helping them out!

My favorite bits were when Rush and Mark spy on Oren and his pals at the still---that was real adult talk, but still appropriate for a kids' book: not easy to bring off---and the auction and fair. I loved when the Delacey brothers showed up and bid on the boar. "The three of them should be very happy together"---good one, Willy!

And I felt so bad for Oliver when he fell down the well! That was a good device, too. For so long, he'd gotten so little attention because he didn't demand any, and look what finally happened. It forced the other kids to realize how much they cared about him, and show it, and they handled it themselves, showing how capable they were. Good for them!

And I also liked when Cuffy was leaving to visit her cousin and had to cram weeks worth of nagging into an hour. "Close the windows whenever it rains! (Duh!) Call me long distance if anything goes wrong! (And that will help, how?) Don't forget to feed the DOGS! (Like they'd let you!)"

The third Melendy novel has a darker undertone than the preceding two, with the introduction of Mark Herron, a lonely orphan befriended by Rush and Randy, and his guardian-cousin, the fearsome Oren Meeker. There are thrills and heart-clutchers a-plenty--Rush and Mark spying on an illegal whiskey still, a vividly described house fire--but they're nicely leavened by the lighter incidents like the character of Mr. Jasper Titus, rural gourmand, and the resolve of Mona and Randy to undertake the canning of the family's victory-garden produce. And in the end everything comes out right, as it should in a juvenile. This is the book to which Enright was leading up with the previous two, and perhaps the best she wrote. The whole trilogy would make a splendid miniseries on TV (is any executive reading this? I'll even do the script!).

This book spoke to my soul. I have tried to express to my husband all of the ups and downs of fertility treatments, hormones, etc. This book made me feel as though I had a kindred spirit, that I was not the only person to go through the hell that infertility and it's treatments can create.

This book has excellent writing, smart humor and some insight to help you breathe that deep sigh of relief. Although the way some of the characters resolve their infertility issues may not be the route for everyone, it certainly portrays several options and all of them in a positive light.

If you are struggling with infertility, but especially SECONDARY infertility this is a must read!!!

This book is great! The author is very warm and the book makes you laugh out loud at times. It is like talking with a close girlfriend. I highly reccomend this book even if you are not having fertility issues the book is a fun & quick read.

I got this book yesterday in the mail and could not put it down. I am not a reader at all and I finished the book this afternoon. I could relate to this book on almost every aspect. I laughed and cried. I would recommend this book to all ladies with infertility issues or not... just so they could have a glimpse of what we go through on a daily basis!

In November 07', at age thirty, I was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure. My husband and I were told the only way we could have a biological child was through IVF. Since November I have been reading infertility books, looking for emotional support. In the tradition books all I was able to find was factual and scientific information, which stated what was wrong with me, but never really reached the heart of the matter. When I read Jill's book, I finally felt like someone understood me. While the book is a fictional account of her experience, her emotions must have been completely nonfiction! I have had so many "me too" moments while reading this book. It has been the first book that has made me realize I am not completely crazy. Knowning the others have had frustrating experiences with doctors, and adoption agencies and medications(as well as unsolicited information!!) has been both comforting and helpful. I would recommend this book to any woman suffering from infertility. I would also recommend this book to anyone who has a friend or family member suffering, it is an eye-opening glimpse into the ups and downs of infertility.

A friend gave me this book, knowing I would enjoy it. I just finished it tonight, and really did like it! Jill Sayre writes from the heart and from her own personal experiences, yet fictionalizes the world in her novel so I, as the reader, wondered what really happened to the author.

The Waiting Womb is a triumphant story of how a heart can heal and that it does not just take a womb to make a family. It takes love, selflessness, and strength. The characters in the novel were so very real - it reads like a memoir, one that I couldn't put down!

I look forward to reading more of Jill Sayre's work!

This is a beautifully photographed, beautifully written book. It presents a story of adoption from Vietnam gracefully, from the time a child is given up for adoption, including a gentle musing on the reasons, time spent in an orphanage, up until the time of an adoption. I have already read it to my two and a half year old and we look at the pictures often. I imagine we will have a tradition of reading this book every year on the anniversary of his adoption. It is extra special to me to recognize people we met in Vietnam in the pictures.

Our son and daughter-in-law are adopting a baby from Vietnam and this brought clearly into focus the background our litle guy will have been living with as well as what we will be experience when we go with them to pick him up. It was very reassuring for us and I would think (being a former preschool teacher) would be very helpful to our grandson when he is of an appropriate age to read it with his parents. We plan to individualize and supplement it by taking photos of his particular orhanage and caretakers, so that it will be that much more meaningful to him. I'm most grateful to the author for such a pertinent, well-done book!

Both of my adopted children came to me from Vietnam at 6 months old from orphanages. They are 6 now and love this book. It has really helped them understand why they live with me and not their moms and has opened up a door to discussion I never dreamed possible at this age. The pictures are wonderful, the difficult topics handled gracefully and makes me cry everytime we read it.

It is amazing but my daughter, adopted from Vietnam at 8 months, can not get enough of this book. I figured I would get this book for when she was older but she LOVES looking at it now. She pulls it around and points at all the children saying, "baby." It is a more advanced book but we just tell an abbreviated story to the pictures. And I love the pictures too. It reminds us of our families most important journey.

Helpful to me as a future parent of a child from Vietnam and I can't wait to share it with my child when he's old enough. Help's demonstrate what the experience was like for child and will be like for prospective parents.

Are you considering the option of adding a child to your life through adoption? Are you curious about the positive and negative reason for adopting internationally or domestically?

Laura Christianson's book, "The Adoption Decision" is an excellent resource on this matter. It's a book that I wish I owned when my husband and I walked through this process three years ago. From a godly and compassionate perspective, Laura addresses issues that I know I struggled with and so am sure others do as well.

Laura graciously tackles those hard to discuss topics such as fears and anxiety with open adoption. She freely talks about the difficulties a family had with their relatives due to the fact that they adopted a child with a different ethnicity. She encourages her readers to consider the option of adopting a child with special needs or an older child. She discusses these subjects as well as many others with candid and transparent honesty.
If you have already adopted, such as I did when I read this book, it's still a valuable resource to own. For others like myself who adopted an infant, this book talks openly about what life can be like for those children that find it difficult to bond to their new family. She shares the struggle some couples wrestle with on whether they will be able to truly love the child not born of their flesh and blood and encourages honesty in working through that fear.

No matter where you may be on this subject, I highly recommend this book to all believers. If adoption is not an option for you, this book still gives knowledge to others. It is useful for dispelling careless and hurtful words and actions toward adoptive families.

Laura Christianson's The Adoption Decision is a wonderful book which helps to raise all of the thoughts you may not have initiated on the road to making the decision to adopt. As Laura points out, these are important thoughts; you are embarking on a decision which is quite different, and will have lasting significance for you and your family, and should not be entered into with misconception (which is easy to do).

Laura goes through steps of the adoption decision process - why choosing adoption, deciding how to tell others, making choices over the 'type' of adoption to undertake (open, intercountry), coming up with the money required for the process, dealing with uncertainty in the process - and in so doing helps you to discover a variety of thoughts which you might not have entertained in the process - from questions you'll be asked by strangers, and answers to diffuse them, to the challenges parents and their children face after the paperwork is complete, for adoption is not a one-time event, it is a lifetime commitment. Laura provides a wealth of resources (readings, publications, online resources) and, most important, anecdotes from other parents, herself included, who have tread the path before you, to show the way.

Throughout, Laura addresses the book from a Christian perspective - after all, we're all adoptive children of God - and each chapter's biblical examples help you to understand that adoption is a decision which requires a spiritual acceptance, one which has gone on for millenia, among some of history's best-known parents.

I am a Counselor and a Coach and am in the beginning stages of becoming an adoptive parent. I found this book to be very helpful as I begin my own personal adoption journey. Ms. Christianson pointed out many things that adoptive families need to be aware of through the use of stories and examples. Her own personal experience and that of others provides a richness that makes this an easy to read book.

I especially appreciated the Christian focus and Biblical references as most of the adoption books I've come across so far do not speak to my faith on this issue. This book served as a launching point for numerous discussions with my husband about our adoption. It also provided good suggestions and solutions for challenging situations that may arise for our 'different' family.

This is a clear and concise, easy to read book that is a must for anyone considering adoption and their extended family members and friends! I highly recommend this book.

While this book is a good resource for people considering adoption as the way to build their families, it has a decidedly Christian point of view. The author surrounds the adoption decision in biblical references which may put off non-Christians or those for whom Christianity is not their prime tool for decision making. There are Bible verses sprinkled throughout and many of the anecdotes have a strong Christian message. The author does have much good information, offers lots of excellent resources and offers good advice about how to prepare for the home study and how to select an adoption agency. As an adoptive parent myself, I particularly enjoyed her suggestions about how to deal with nosy strangers and less-than-tactful family and friends. She is also very realistic about what to expect as an adoptive parent and how adoption should not be a substitute for missionary work.

I would recommend this book to my Christian clients with little reservation. However, for another non-religious perspective, I would highly recommend "Is Adoption Right for You? by Christine Adamec which offers much of the same information with a more ecumenical approach.

This book is an easy read and a great place to start in your consideration of adoption, both international and domestic. The author gives an inside view to the adoption process, what is involved, issues that may be faced, and personal experiences that makes this book read more like a story than a "how-to" book.

Some of the topics covered are misconceptions about adoption, adoption following infertility, transracial issues, open adoption, and the emotional challenges of the whole process. For anyone finding themselves poring over the internet in search of adoption information, this book is for you! There are so many good things to think about as you deliberate whether or not adoption is for your family. To conclude the book, there is a list of resources to help you continue your journey.

[...]

"For the Love of Rachel" chronicles the trials and triumphs Dr. David Loewenstein, PhD (who is the Professor and Director of Neuropsychology at the University of Miami School of Medicine), and his family before and after the premature birth of their daughter Rachael. The author starts with the birth of 18 oz. Rachael, 4 months premature; then throughout the book he flashes back to various parts of his life, such as when he first met his wife and their difficulties in conceiving Rachel.

The author tells about Rachel's first few months of life, which were all spent in a hospital. Rachel suffered many setbacks in her development. The author speaks of a harrowing time in life, filled with the ever-present possibility they would never be able to take their daughter home. But, that day came when Rachel was finally released from the hospital.

Much of the book is devoted to the time Rachel spent in the hospital. The author describes in detail the trauma the family went through during that time period. However, once they got the baby home, there wasn't much detail given about what it was really like coping with a baby with so many medical problems. I would have liked to have read more about what the parents went through to adjust to a new baby with so many needs. Very little was said about that. The author pretty much just skims over what it was really like once they brought her home.

Also, there are two chapters in the book about the couple's adoption of a daughter from China. Although the addition of their adopted daughter is important in the overall story, I believe the author devoted too much of the book's space to this secondary story line.

And, several of the chapters, which are sprinkled throughout the book, are quite philosophical in nature. The author reflects on what it's like to raise a "special-needs" child in today's world. I was a bit put off by the "preachy" manner in which some of the stuff was told, even though those ideas are important.

However, this is a touching story that illustrates, first-hand, the struggles and triumphs this family has experienced in caring for their special-needs daughter. And, when you go through a difficult time in your life, it's always good to know you're not alone. The couple's story is a heart-wrenching one, but it also one of hope for new parents of premature babies. 4 stars.

This delightful and heart warming story is a must read for anyone looking for a tale of courage and inspiration. It is one of those books that you can't put down once you begin reading it. It is told in a manner that is both captivating and simple so that the reader easily connects with the characters and feels the pain and triumphs of this family.

The author of "For the Love of Rachel" is a personal friend and I commend his courage and unconditional love for his children. This story provides all parents (and anyone who reads it) the highest standard of love and caring that must be given to one's children and the strength to never give up.

"For the Love of Rachel: A Father's Story" by David Loewenstein, Ph.D.


Dr. David Loewenstein opens this moving true story with these memorable words: "Certain moments in life are indelibly etched in our memory.... No matter what their nature, our lives are transformed and we are never the same."

We've all had defining moments in our lives, but most of us have never been through the months of fear, anxiety, and stress that David Loewenstein and his wife Susan experienced in late 1995 and throughout 1996, as their daughter Rachel lived in an NICU unit fighting for her life. Born in November 1995 at 23 weeks' gestational age and weighing a mere 18 ounces, Rachel was indeed a miracle baby.

David notes: "Given her prematurity and the extent of her complications, we had been told by the OB/GYN before her delivery that Rachel had less than a 5% chance of survival."

"For the Love of Rachel: A Father's Story" is a story of courage and love--of two people who wanted desperately to be parents. This is their experience with a premature birth and the miraculous baby girl who survived and went on to face many challenges--and also the story of her precious younger sister, Amy, adopted from an orphanage in China.

At the age of 12, David Loewenstein was already a romantic with a lot of love to share. Mowing lawns, he dreamed of his future wife and wondered if she "were dating someone. Whoever it was, I absolutely hated him."

David's sense of humor and his use of revealing details and vivid images make this book an enjoyable read. You'll feel like you're there on his first dates with Susan, as they talk about what they'll name their first child. This sense of immediacy adds to the comfortable, friendly style, making the book a quick read you won't want to put down.

Despite his early dreams, it wasn't until later in his career that David was to find the lovely and bright woman he hoped to marry, and then they went through many trials together. "Most relationships are not truly tested, at least not early on. However, with each new adversity, Susan and I became more strongly united in our love for each other and for the love of Rachel.... We never wanted to confront some of the horrible experiences that we have faced, but we both believe that the experience has strengthened us and has taught us lessons that we might have never appreciated."

David offers intimate glimpses into the pain, fear, and dread he experienced as Rachel fought for her life. "I thought about both Rachel's and our refusal to give up, but like so many things in life, much was beyond our control. I remember praying to God that whatever His will, I would accept it. I vowed that if Rachel were to survive, no matter what challenges lay ahead, we would love her unconditionally and use every resource at our disposal to support her and to help her reach her full potential."

This inspiring story of hope and faith is enlightening as to what parents of special needs children face and can accomplish as advocates for their children. "Whether born normally, imperfectly or too soon, each child is part of God's handiwork and a most worthy member of His universe." David's message is simple: "It is our diversity and our differences that make us unique and special."

David leaves us with this thought: "The present moment is a precious gift that each of us is granted to express our love and appreciation to others, live our values and ideals, and make amends or extend forgiveness.... Rachel has inspired me to embrace the present moment and live, laugh, and love."

I hope that you will get a copy of this wonderful book for yourself or for someone you love.

Dr. Loewenstein's story is one of love, survival, and tenacity. He opens his heart as a father and as a spouse to the reader and with eloquence captivates the reader's attention of his family ordeal to have children. The story of Rachel guides the reader to realize that tiny miracles happen in the simplest things. When a premature child survives against all odds and is able to accomplish milestones hardly possibly thought off, that in itself is a miracle.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (10/07)

Rachel's story is compelling. "For the Love of Rachel" is written by Rachel's father, David Loewenstein, PhD, successful in the field of Neuropsychology. David writes with warmth and passion. I found the book compelling and poignant. Rachel came into the world the 23rd week of the gestation, 40 weeks early. Weighing only 18 ounces, David relates how she was so tiny she could have fit in his hand. Feelings of anguish and disbelief added to the helplessness David experienced as he watched his new daughter through the enclosed incubator.

Connected to countless machines by a myriad of wires tubes and needles Rachel fought for life. The minutes moved to hours, the hours to days, as the team of medical professionals applied the tools of modern medicine to keep Rachel alive.

David masterfully recounts the incidents of the following weeks and months. He tells of numerous surgeries, infections, encouraging progress, and life-threatening setbacks. An underlying theme of David and Susan's growing love for each other, and their love for Rachel, resonates throughout the book.

Although Rachel is the heroine in this dramatic story, David acknowledges other courageous heroes who valiantly joined in the journey of Rachel's miracle. The extended family was a source of support and strength. Respected friends provided inspiration. The dedication and expertise of the professionals on the medical team was a phenomenal factor in the Miracle, Baby Rachel. The other babies, born too soon, who fought alongside Rachel for their lives, are also heroes. Their parents became a support group, providing encouragement, solace, and comfort.

The book is written to give encouragement to those facing similar experiences. David gives background information on the history of and the progress being made in the care of premature infants. He speaks out to make the public aware of the value of the lives of these children, the cost of initial and ongoing care, in education, socialization, and family adjustments. He gives the reader insight into the research being done and offers hope for the future.

Rachel's is an amazing story of inspiration, demonstrating the miraculous power of parental and family love. Powerfully written, "For the Love of Rachel" is a gripping narrative that offers hope and inspiration in times of crisis.

Knut by Juliana, Isabella and Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Gerald R. Uhlich tells of a little polar bear cub born in 2006 in Germany, Knut. The true story of a little bear cub who needed a family is captured in photos from Zoo Berlin of Knut's early days and more, making for an engaging tale.

How One Little Polar Bear Captivated The World (Knut)
This is an excellent book. My 6 yo grandson loves Polar BEars. I bought this and a plush bear for him. Now this is his favorite bedtime book--and he sleeps w/ his bear,

Children will love looking at the photographs of this cute little polar bear cub that was born and raised at the Berlin Zoo. His story related by the same team, a father and his two young daughters, that told the story of "Owen & Mzee" is captivating. End pages include information about polar bears, an explanation of their current plight, and suggestions about how to help protect polar bear habitat.

I just found out my mama is a man! By now he seems just like my mama and he did save my life. Here is the story.

In December 2006, my brother and I were born in Zoo Berlin. I don't remember this--my mama the man told me about it. I am so close with Thomas my mama that I understand much of what he says. Our bear mama did not care for us, so Thomas and the zoo took over when we were five hours old. A few days later my brother died and Thomas became totally devoted to my care. I had the best.

Thomas slept with me, he rubbed me, he fed me, he bathed me, rubbed baby oil into my fur, and he brushed me. See, Thomas really was my mama. When I was thirty-two days old, I finally got a name--Knut. Yes, I like it. Thomas named me. He even stayed with me constantly for the first four months like a real polar mama does in a den. Thomas told me so. He did not go home to his human family until I was four months old. I like them--they came to see us every day!

This book about my growing up time has other information besides what I have already told you. And wonderful photographs that children love. In fact, I was a celebrity here at the zoo for a long time. One man thought they should have left me to die when my polar mama deserted me. Hey, mister, no way! His letter to the editor made people mad. They started writing me 200 letters a week.

Thomas tells me when I am over a year old that I will probably want him to leave me alone--that polar bears like solitude. If he says so. But I am his son and I will listen. Listen, what I want you to take from this little talk is to take care of your planet. Global warming is reducing our living area. Some scientists think that polar bears may not be able to exist in the polar regions in your lifetime! I'm safe here in the zoo, but I do wonder what all that cold and ice and snow would be like. Maybe...Thomas says I would eat several seals a day in my natural habitat. Seals?

Knut
Zoo Berlin

Grade school children will be absolutely enthralled with the story of an baby polar bear no bigger than a snowball! Knut lives in Germany in a zoo, and he was lucky enough to meet Thomas who helped raise him.
Thomas fed Knut with a bottle, just like a human baby. He even taught him how to swim.

Knut was so cute and his story so amazing that he won the hearts of people all over the world, and now young readers can learn about him with this book that tells all about him. This is an excellent true story told beautifully with wonderful photographs to enhance the tale.

What a beautiful example of nonfiction for children to love!

I work at a proctor care agency. This book has been a great tool for helping children who are in Foster Care feel normal again. It's also been great to help the foster parents stop and realize all the different emotions and feelings their foster children are working through.

Maybe Days provided my 8 year old foster child with some comforting words. In language a young child can understand, it gives the "big" picture of the foster care sysytem. It acknowledges the fact that many aspects are unknown for the child as well as for the foster parents. My foster child has asked me to read it over and over again.

This book is just wonderful! It addresses the reasons why children enter foster care in a realistic but age-appropriate manner. It lets kids know that their feelings are normal...and that it is normal have a hard time adjusting. Maybe Days also addresses the uncertaintly that is such a big part of foster care...will the child live with his siblings again?...will he have visits with his parents?...will he go back to live with them?

Reading this book together is a good way to start conversations with children about their feelings and concerns. There is also an excellent guide at the end of the book for Foster Parents and other adults.

Christine Mitchell
author and illustrator of Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Beyond

Wish there were more books like this. Very nice and helpful for children. Good buy!

I work for and adoption agency with children in the foster care system and I LOVE this book. I have not found a better book to explain why to a child why they are in foster care and what is happening around them. This book explains complex topics in a very simple and easy to understand language.

I loved this little book so much. Of course having a golden retriever is what made me purchase the book and it shows what a great love and bond that can form between a Golden Retriever and it's human family. My retriever "Einstein" is a blessing in a beautiful gold fur coat that I just love with all my heart. His precious nose is always at my finger tips when I'm walking around at home and his big beautiful brown eyes are filled with so much love it makes my heart swell. A golden gives so much unconditional love and all they want in return is as much love as the give. This books tells that story over and over again. I never get tired of hearing it.

I felt so honored when asked to provide my Golden story for this book, and when it arrived I let it sit for a few days. I was worried that some of the stories would be sad and open old wounds for me. One day I sat down and read it cover to cover and am a better person for doing so. Author Margo gently nudged each and every one of her authors to speak from their hearts in their own voices and each tale is utterly unique and beautiful. This book pays a fitting homage to the most loving and companionable breed of all time, the Golden Retriever. It is a wonderful testimony to what adopting a rescued Golden can do to enrich the lives of the adopter and adoptee.

My Golden Frosty's story in in Margo's book. I read it first when I bought it, I was so proud. Then I started reading each of the other wonderful stories and was feeling every emotion, from tears to happiness and whatever lies in between. Each and every story brought such emotion to me. There are so many out there who love Goldens so much they devote their lives to them. I am very proud to be included in this wonderful book and to have been owned by such a wonderful dog.

In her book, Margo McHann proves that whatever you put into a dog, you get back with interest! The forward to this book couldn't encapsulate it any better: rescued dogs are not second-hand throw aways! Hopefully this book will convince many people why they should adopt from breed rescue groups.

Kudos to Margo McHann for putting together such a wonderful book, that will tug at the hearts of all Golden Retriever lovers everywhere! This is a must for anyone who loves or has been loved by one of these wonderful dogs. My own little girl is featured in this book and it will forever be a very special book to me! Thanks Margo, for opening the eyes of the world to "Rescue" and what it is all about!

I started reading it before bed at about 11:00 p.m. and it was 2:00 a.m. when I finished it. Very good book. I would like to know if Daisy did okay after the book was over, but I guess we'll never know?

I enjoyed this book, but the story is very sad. This author did a great job of portraying the foster care system from a parenting perspective.

I love this book!!! It is very easy to read and is well written. The author has fostered hundreds of kids in her lifetime. Daisy is a foster child that is very special for many reasons, she is a challenge, she is from a well respected family and has extended family that loves her. This is the story of one special little girls turbulant begining and her recovery in foster care.

I found this book because of an interview in The New York Times of the author, Kathy Harrison, and another book she had written on Preparedness. While the book on Preparedness was a very useful, enlightening book, it was this one, One Small Boat, that has me hooked on her as an author.

Her true accounts (another book I will read, One More Place at the Table) of what it is like to be a foster parent are inspiring. The traumas that are inflicted on some of these children are chilling, but this book provided a glimpse into what a patient loving foster parent can do to help them. It also can show what they can not do, no matter how much care they give. There is a frightening story of two children in her care who will need far more care than any foster parent can give. Ms. Harrison had to make the decision to send one away because of the havoc she was causing.

This was a very perceptive and honest protrayl of the challenges and heart warming experiences a foster mom faces with each placement. As a foster mother, I identified and empathized with her stories and situations of individual cases. She speaks from her heart. I would recommend this book to anyone who does foster care or who is interested in doing it, or who just wants a peak inside what it is like for us and the foster children we love and care for.