Adoptive Parent






The Connected Child
By Karyn B. Purvis, Ph.D, David R. Cross, Ph.D., Wendy Lyons Sunshine
McGraw Hill, 2007

Adoption is a joyous event that can also present unique challenges. What does a family do to build attachment, even before signs of trouble? How can a family nurture and love a child while setting limits and establishing boundaries?

Written by two research psychologists specializing in adoption and attachment, this book’s hands-on advice, scripts, and recommendations will help families to build bonds of affection and trust, deal with learning or behavioral disorders, and discipline the child without making them feel threatened.

The Connected Child has been recommended and praised by both Bethany Christian Services and the National Council for Adoption.

AB.316.BOK $11.50


Before You Were Mine
By Susan Tebos and Carissa Woodwyk
Faith Walk Publishing, 2007
This book helps adoptive parents to create a lifebook to share with their child. It walks through how to create a lifebook, and why it matters in the life of the child.

AB.331.BOK $10.50

Risk and Promise
By Ira J. Chasnoff, MD; Linda D. Schwartx, PhD; Cheryl L. Pratt, PhD; Gwendolyn J. Neuberger, MD
NTI Upstream, 2006
While it can be difficult to navigate the often puzzling array of information and decisions involved in the process of international adoption, this book helps prospective parents better understand the risk and the protective factors a child from overseas presents. A must-read for anyone considering international adoption.

AB.333.BOK $10.75


The Open Adoption Experience
Lois Melina and Sharon Roszia, Harper Collins, 1993
Two leading experts provide a complete and reassuring guide for adoptive and birthfamilies - from the point when an adoption plan has been made and through the child's growing years. This book takes much of the stress and fear out of the open adoption experience.

AB.306.BOK - $15.00




Adopting the Hurt Child
Gregory Keck and Regina Kupecky, Pinon Press, 1998
This is a "must read" for anyone wanting to adopt an older child. Written in a non-technical style, it explains how trauma and interruptions affect a child's normal development. Topics include the cycle of bonding, treatment options, and dealing constructively with challenges.

AB.307.BOK - $14.50



The Whole Life Adoption Book
Jayne E. Schooler, Pinon Press, 1993
What should you consider before adopting? How can you create a nurturing family environment? How should a child be told that he or she is adopted? These questions and many others are answered in this practical resources. This book contains questions for small group study.

AB.308.BOK - $10.95



Raising Adopted Children
Lois Melina, Harper Collins Publishers, 1998
This classic guide by Lois Melina continues to be a resource valued by adoptive families and professionals alike. Drawing on insights from many experts, the reader will find answers to many common questions related to childhood and adolescence.

AB.309.BOK - $11.00


Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past
Betsy Keefer and Jayne E. Schooler, Bergin & Garvey, 2000
A valuable guide for understanding and talking about adoption. The authors begin by establishing the reasons why it is important to tell the truth about adoption and the consequences of hiding or misrepresenting the truth. They outline the developmental stages of adoption and offer stratefies for each stage. The book includes preactical tips about how to talk about difficult birth and adoption circumstances. Much of the book focuses on adoption within the family, but it also presents ways to communicate with school personnel about adoption.

AB.338.BOK $23.50




With Eyes Wide Open: A Workbook for Parents Adopting International Children
Margi Miller and Nancy Ward, Children's Home Society of Minnesota, 2001
Are you preparing for one of life's most challenging but rewarding experiences - adopting a child from another nation into your home and heart? This workbook is filled with exercises to help you get ready, especially if you are preparing to adopt international children who already have had "life experiences."

AB.322.BOK - $19.95



Toddler Adoption
Mary Hopkins-Best, Ed.D., Perspectives Press, 1997
Families who adopt a toddler discover an immediate blessing as well as new challenges. In this wonderful book about the joys and challenges of adopting a child one year old or more, the author - an adoptive parent and educator - provides a comprehensive guide.

AB.324.BOK - $10.00




Our Own: Adopting and Parenting the Older Child
Trish Maskew, Snowcap Press, 1999
Don't adopt or parent an older adopted child without considering this resource. From the euphoric joy of welcoming an older child into your heart and home to the challenges of dealing with inappropriate behavior, this book provides practical counsel. Actual stories of many adoptive families are included.

AB.325.BOK - $18.95



Adoption is a Family Affair: What Relatives and Friends Must Know
Patricia Irwin Johnston, Perspectives Press, 2001
Those who adopt sometimes feel as if their family and friends just don't "get" adoption. This book, by well-known infertility and adoption expert, Pat Johnston, will help extended families, friends, and co-workers understand adoption and how they can support adopted children and their parents.

AB.326.BOK - $11.00



Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew
Sherrie Eldridge, Dell Trade Paperback, 1999
How do kids feel about their adoption? What are important things for parents to know about what their children may experience? Sherrie Eldridge, an adoptee herself, shows how adoptive parents can help their children through feelings of shame and abandonment.

AB.327.BOK - $11.00


Talking with Young Children about Adoption
Mary Watkins, Ph.D. and Susan Fisher MD
Yale University Press, 1993
Written for adoptive parents and professionals alike, this book tells the stories of families as they journey through adoption awareness. It includes an excellent discussion about the impact of adoption on both parents and children.

AB.328.BOK - $12.50



Dear Birthmother
Kathleen Silber and Phylis Speedlin, Corona Publishing Co., 1998
This book invites adoptive parents to explore their feelings about open adoption through the birthparent's eyes. Real-life scenarios are given, and birthparents share their deepest feelings via letters to their children and adoptive family. This is a must read for anyone considering adoption.

AB.330.BOK - $10.00


I Wish for You a Beautiful Life
Letters from the Korean Birth Mothers of Ae Ran Won to Their Children
Edited by Sara Dorow, Yeong and Yeong Book Company, 1999
This book is a compilation of letters written by Korean birthmothers to their adopted children. The women lived at a home for unwed mothers in Seoul. Coming from a culture that viewed their pregnancies as shameful, these women shatter the myth that relinquished children are unloved or unwanted by their “first mothers.”

AB.336.BOK $16.00


Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools
for Today’s Parents
Deborah D. Gray, Perspectives Press, Inc., 2002
Written for parents, but recommended for professionals as well, this book helps the reader understand attachment and a child’s life experiences that may interfere with it. The author also discusses ways to encourage its development.

AB.337.BOK $14.00