Adoption-Related Books for Teenagers 10/01

BOOK LIST

NAIC compiled this list by searching numerous sources, including subject-related searches of Amazon.com, book lists posted on various adoption-related Web sites, and recommendations posted online by individuals. The suggested age-level is a general guideline. The list is intended as an overview; it is not comprehensive, and NAIC has not reviewed the books. Other helpful sources for locating books related to adoption include public libraries and children's bookstores. Parent support groups also frequently compile lists of recommended reading--to locate a parent support group in your State, consult NAIC's National Adoption Directory. (Search the Directory online or call the Clearinghouse at (888) 251-0075 for assistance.)

NONFICTION

Adopted From Asia: How It Feels to Grow Up in America, by Frances M. Koh. 1993. EastWest Press, ISBN: 0960609067

Adoptees from Korea share their experiences being raised by Caucasian parents and discuss separation and loss, parental love and support, concerns about birth parents, racial prejudice, friends and dating, ethnic identity, and self-esteem.

The Adoption Reader by Susan Wadia-Ells, editor. 1995. Seal Press, ISBN: 1878067656.

A collection of narratives from birth mothers, adoptive mothers, and adopted daughters sharing experiences and challenges.

In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories, by Rita J. Simon and Rhonda M. Roorda. 2000. Columbia University Press, 2000. ISBN: 0231118295

Stories from young African-American and biracial adults who were adopted as children by Caucasian parents give first-hand accounts of how their experiences affect their current lifestyles.

The Lost Daughters of China: Abandoned Girls, Their Journey to America, and the Search for a Missing Past, by Karin Evans. 2000. Putnam Publishing Group, ISBN: 1585420263

This book explores the emotional, political and cultural issues of the many Chinese children, mostly girls, adopted by Americans.

Lost in the System, by Charlotte Lopez with Susan Dworkin. 1996. Fireside paperback, ISBN: 0684811995

The author, Miss Teen USA 1992, recounts her childhood in the public child welfare system, including stays in foster care and a group home.

Perspectives on a Grafted Tree: Thoughts for Those Touched by Adoption, by Patricia Johnson, 1983. Irwin Perspectives Press, ISBN: 0960950400

A collection of poetry by those and for those who have been touched by adoption.

Voices from Another Place, by Susan Soon-Keum Cox. 1999. Yeong & Yeong Book Company, ISBN: 0963847244.

Collection of thoughts, feelings, and experiences of a generation born in Korea and adopted to other countries.

Where Are My Birth Parents? A Guide for Teenage Adoptees, by Karen Gravelle, Susan Fischer (contributor) 1993. Walker & Co; ISBN: 0802774539.

This book focuses on why adopted teenagers search for their birthparents, discusses challenges of searching, and consider the possible benefits and drawbacks.

Why Didn't She Keep Me?: Answers to the Question Every Adopted Child Asks by Barbara Burlingham-Brown. 1994. Diamond Communications, ISBN: 1888698144

Intended for all members of the adoption triad, social workers, and other professionals, this book tells the stories of 20 birth mothers and their reasoning behind placing their infants for adoption.

FICTION

Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye, by Lois Lowry. 1978. Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN: 0395264596

Just before entering college, a teenager adopted in infancy sets out to find her birth parents.2

The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson.
1987, paper, HarperTrophy, ISBN 0064402010
1978, hardcover, Harpercollins, ISBN 0690038372

Gilly has been in the foster system all her life. She dreams of getting back to her mother, who is wonderful only in Gilly's imagination, and schemes to get away from her latest guardian.

Her Own Song, by Ellen Howard. 1988. Atheneum, ISBN: 0689314442.

An 11-year old girl whose adoptive father is hospitalized finds that her new friendship with a Chinese man and his family leads her to find out about her birth parents.

Penny Maybe, by Kathleen Martin. 1999. Sumach Press; ISBN 1896764215.

A story about a teenage girl in foster care.

A Place to Call Home, by Jackie French Koller. 1997. Aladdin Paperbacks ISBN: 0689813953
Fifteen-year old biracial Anna tries to care for her 5-year-old sister and infant brother when their unreliable mother abandons them.

Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher. 2001. Greenwillow; ISBN: 0688180191

The hero of this story is adopted, biracial T.J. Jones. The story combines a tale of athletic competition with themes of child maltreatment, racism, and justice.


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Updated on October 22, 2000 by webmaster@calib.com.

Credits: Child Welfare Information Gateway (http://www.childwelfare.gov)