Bookshelf Essentials

Keep these 6 adoption classics close at hand.

Books for Parents

Launching a Baby's Adoption: Practical Strategies for Parents and Professionals
by Patricia Irwin Johnston
Perspectives Press; 1998
Patricia Johnston addresses the question every parent has about bonding after adoption. After reading this book, you'll feel confident that your new relationship with the infant you've adopted is on track and that your baby will have the best possible start in life. A must-read for every parent, or soon-to-be parent, of a baby adopted under age one. Buy this book

Raising Adopted Children: Practical, Reassuring Advice for Every Adoptive Parent
by Lois Ruskai Melina
Perennial; 1998
Lois Melina is an internationally recognized authority on raising adopted children. In this classic parenting manual, Melina holds parents' hands every step of the way, from announcing your adoption and choosing a pediatrician to bonding with your child, creating lifebooks, and talking to your children about adoption. Buy this book

Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents
by Deborah D. Gray
Perspectives Press; 2002
Deborah Gray sets out—in straightforward, unthreatening language—practical tips for responding to the challenges children face when they leave one home (their birthparents', their orphanage) and enter another. Gray's approach is positive and realistic, providing clear explanations of developmental stages and checklists to help parents assess how their child is doing. Buy this book

Introducing the adoption story to a young child

The Day We Met You
by Phoebe Koehler
Aladdin; 1997
Beginning with "The sun shone bright the day we met you," this lovely tale focuses on the first meeting between parents and child. Told in simple language, with soft pastel drawings, The Day We Met You is the perfect book to read aloud from the day you first meet your baby. Buy this book

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born
by Jamie Lee Curtis; illustrated by Laura Cornell
HarperTrophy; 1996
In this sweet, funny tale, a young girl requests a telling of her adoption tale—and ends up demonstrating that she already knows it by heart. More than the story of her birth and domestic adoption, it is the story of how her family was created, and it makes for delightful bedtime reading. Curtis' charming tone and Cornell's colorful, witty watercolor illustrations make this one a keeper for years to come. Buy this book

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes
by Rose Lewis; illustrated by Jane Dyer
Little, Brown; 2000
Based on the author's own experiences, I Love You Like Crazy Cakes tells the story of a single mother's adoption from China. Because it's told from a mother's point of view, the book does a wonderful job of conveying the bond that quickly builds between parent and child. Dyer's lush, delicate illustrations perfectly complement the sentimental text. Buy this book

Back To Home Page

Find Adoption Services