February 22, 2016

Adoption Books for Your Reading List!

Every once in a while we post a new reading list featuring adoption books that have recently come out, or new literature we love and want to pass along. Oriented toward children and adults alike, there is so much to be gained by reading about adoption. For children, it’s an opportunity for them to experience the stories of others, to see that there are so many children like them, and yet, at the same time, how very special and unique they are. And for adults, there are valuable tips and thoughts, memoirs sharing personal journeys, and other powerful stories that shine a light on different aspects of the adoption world.

Here are some of the ones we’ve added to our reading list recently…have you already read any of these? Is there anything we’re missing?

Flip the Script: Adult Adoptee Anthology. This creative writing project developed during National Adoption Month in 2014 as a way of elevating the voices of adoptees, giving them a way to communicate and process their experiences, while helping to flip the traditional focus on the perspective of adoptive parents and birth mothers. The voice of the adoptee is so important, and this anthology provides a wide range of incredible thought, emotion, perspective, and honesty.

In Their Voices: Black Americans on Transracial Adoption. This book comes at an deeply important time for the black voice — a voice which has historically been stifled, muted, and oppressed, and whose traumatic reality saw a great deal of conversation, dialogue and activism last year. We do not live in a color blind world, and that is often felt by families of transracial families. This book offers powerful perspectives, talking points, tips, history, and thoughts on how we can better navigate the racial challenges of our current world.

The Skin You Live In. This lovely children’s book teaches social acceptance of different cultures. Beautifully illustrated and ideal for young children, it’s a powerful tool for teaching our children that we are all one human family.

The Geezer Dad. Conversations about parenting typically come from the mother’s perspective, with the father’s voice being woefully underrepresented. That’s why we love this book, which shares struggles of infertility, adoption, the wait, and ultimately, parenting, from a man who was nearly 48 years old when he finally met his daughter.

Dear Wonderful You, Letters To Foster and Adopted Youth. This amazing book is filled with letters from adoptees and fostered adults from all over the world, written to young individuals are navigating the system or their own adoption today. The purpose is guidance, support, and love, and their words are unbelievably powerful. A beautiful book for your children, or for donation to any foster care or adoption organization, or orphanage.