Adoption Books - Page 5

Adopting On Your Own: The Complete Guide to Adoption for Single Parents

Lee Varon

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The first guide of its kind, covering all stages of the adoption process

Adopting on Your Own addresses the questions and concerns of prospective single parents. Lee Varon, a practicing therapist specializing in adoption counseling and the single mother of two adopted children, helps readers make an evenhanded assessment of whether adoption is right for them, then leads them through the different stages of arranging and financing the adoption. She weighs the advantages of open versus closed and international versus domestic adoption for the single parent, and demystifies potentially daunting steps such as choosing an agency and preparing for the home study.

Adopting on Your Own also offers up-to-date information on the latest developments in interracial adoption policy, the legal rights of gays and lesbians to adopt, and the evolving attitudes of agencies and social workers toward single-parent adoptions. Throughout the book, Varon draws on personal anecdotes and the experiences of her clients to offer honest, insightful advice on every step of the adoption process.

The Girls Who Went Away: The Hidden History of Women Who Surrendered Children for Adoption in the Decades Before Roe v. Wade

Ann Fessler

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 95 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

A powerful and groundbreaking revelation of the secret history of the 1.5 million women who surrendered children for adoption in the several decades before Roe v. Wade

In this deeply moving work, Ann Fessler brings to light the lives of hundreds of thousands of young single American women forced to give up their newborn children in the years following World War II and before Roe v. Wade. The Girls Who Went Away tells a story not of wild and carefree sexual liberation, but rather of a devastating double standard that has had punishing long-term effects on these women and on the children they gave up for adoption. Based on Fessler's groundbreaking interviews, it brings to brilliant life these women's voices and the spirit of the time, allowing each to share her own experience in gripping and intimate detail. Today, when the future of the Roe decision and women's reproductive rights stand squarely at the front of a divisive national debate, Fessler brings to the fore a long-overlooked history of single women in the fifties, sixties, and early seventies.

In 2002, Fessler, an adoptee herself, traveled the country interviewing women willing to speak publicly about why they relinquished their children. Researching archival records and the political and social climate of the time, she uncovered a story of three decades of women who, under enormous social and family pressure, were coerced or outright forced to give their babies up for adoption. Fessler deftly describes the impossible position in which these women found themselves: as a sexual revolution heated up in the postwar years, birth control was tightly restricted, and abortion proved prohibitively expensive or life endangering. At the same time, a postwar economic boom brought millions of American families into the middle class, exerting its own pressures to conform to a model of family perfection. Caught in the middle, single pregnant women were shunned by family and friends, evicted from schools, sent away to maternity homes to have their children alone, and often treated with cold contempt by doctors, nurses, and clergy.

The majority of the women Fessler interviewed have never spoken of their experiences, and most have been haunted by grief and shame their entire adult lives. A searing and important look into a long-overlooked social history, The Girls Who Went Away is their story.

Superdate

Tracey Cox

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Great guide to body language in dating 5 out of 5 stars.
40 of 43 people found this review helpful.

The name of the book is somewhat misleading: it should be called "Body Language 101" or "Body Language Literacy Course".

I have read a dozen of books on body language but nothing comes even close to this one. This book's best feature is full-color photos that show body language in action. There are more photos than text, which is great. All other books have occasional drawings but they don't reflect the magnitude of people's poses and facial expressions; here everything is as simple as 1-2-3.

Now I can just glance across the room and see in an instant how the people around me feel and what they are up to. Incredibly powerful.

Moreover, I can pick on my own bad body language and it's easy to change it to something I'd like to communicate.

It will work not only for dating situations but in any situation where you communicate with people (including posting photos in personals or applying for a job).

If you want to be "body language literate" in an instant, get this book - you'll be glad you did!

Editorial Review:

This irresistibly readable manual shows you what to do and what not to do in any dating situation and uncovers all the skills you'll need to attract the kind of date you want. Full-color photographs and helpful, humorous text show how to use body language effectively and read other people's messages. Helpful hints on how to make an entrance and chat up a prospective date segue smoothly into the delicious details of successful flirting, touching, kissing, and getting serious about sex.

10 Steps to Successful International Adoption: A Guided Workbook for Prospective Parents

Brenda K. Uekert

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"What prospective adoptive parent wouldn't delight in this incredible mixture of research, practical tools, and reflections from fellow adoptive parents? Dr. Uekert speaks with the wisdom of a coach and the heart of a mother. I consider this book a "must read" for those who are adopting internationally." --Sherrie Eldridge, Author of Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew

At last there's a motivational workbook that is quickly becoming America's definitive guide to international adoption. 10 Steps to Successful International Adoption walks prospective parents through every step of the adoption process, from exploring the idea of adoption to successfully raising a child from another culture. This incredible resource includes numerous fill-in and downloadable forms and checklists, jump-start hints to speed up the process, helpful tips from adoptive parents and professionals, and detailed up-to-date country-by-country profiles. The author maintains a complementary website at 10steps2adoption.com.

Real Parents Real Children

Holly Van Gulden, Lisa M. Bartels-Rabb

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Indispensable help for anyone adopting an older child... 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.

I almost did not buy this book after reading a review that it was "too clinical." Thank heaven I went for it anyway. It was SO interesting and SO helpful, it has inspired me to write my first book review here on Amazon. I have read every book I can get my hands on since I adopted a 4-year-old from another country and this was by far the most useful to me. While it also covers adoption of infants and domestic adoption, Van Gulden delves deeply into adoption of older (more than a year old), international/interracial children and the issues they face. I especially like how - after each chapter - she gives a list of other resources/books to consult for more information. There are great suggestions of children's books that will help you approach most any difficult topic that can - and will - come up with your new child. I am back here shopping for more copies tonight - get a copy for grandma/grandpa and anyone else close to you who may need a little education on the unique intricacies of adopting an older child from another culture or race. I am so grateful to have found this book and highly recommend it. Adoption is one of life's richest blessings - and most worthy challenges. This book will help you appreciate and cope and know that you are not alone.

Editorial Review:

This book is essential reading for all adoptive parents,those considering adoption and the professional who serve these families.

Successful Adoption: A Guide for Christian Families

Natalie Nichols Gillespie

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Very comprehensive and compassionate 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

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!

Editorial Review:

Successful Adoption brings a practical and spiritual view of adoption.  Topics include: types of adoption, where to begin, necessary paperwork, finances required - and how to raise them, listing of reputable adoption agencies, building strong bonds with an adopted child, when and how to tell a child she is adopted. The long-term affects of adoption, God's blessing through adoption. Book includes practical checklists, timelines, real life stories, sample documents, phone numbers and web-addresses. Successful Adoption also includes real-life stories from families who have adopted, including: Steven and Mary Beth Chapman, Rita Springer, Dave Thomas, Karen Kingsbury and Donna Van Liere.

Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past

Betsy Keefer, Jayne E. Schooler, Jayne Schooler, Betsy E. Keefer

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Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Telling a child he or she is adopted can be a trying task, but this is only the first step. After becoming aware that he or she is adopted, the child will question the details of the adoption. The truth may reveal details that are painful and sometimes traumatic: a parent is in prison, a drug addict, or even a rapist. In Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child, Keefer and Schooler demonstrate that in even the most difficult situations, foster and adoptive parents must not withhold or distort information about the past. Though sometimes including difficult truths, communication between a caregiver or parent and foster or adopted child can help a child grow up into an emotionally and psychologically healthy adult. Providing help for parents or caregivers wishing to productively communicate with their child, Keefer and Schooler answer such questions as: How do I share difficult information about my child's adoption in a sensitive manner? When is the right time to tell my child the whole truth? How do I find further information on my child's history? Age appropriate guidelines will make an arduous task organized and easier. Detailed descriptions of actual cases help the parent or caregiver find ways to discover the truth (particularly in closed and international adoption cases), organize the truth, and explain the truth gently to a toddler, child, or young adult that may be horrified by it. Parents, teachers, counselors, and other caregivers will come away from this reading with a sharper knowledge of how to make sense of the past for foster and adopted children of all ages.

Birthright: The Guide to Search and Reunion for Adoptees, Birthparents, and Adoptive...

Jean A. S. Strauss

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

"Birthright" was very helpful to our family 4 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Our daughter used this book as a resource when she did her own Search. I read it and was amazed at what a 'complete' book it is. It focuses on every aspect of an adoptee's search. There are chapters for the birthparents, the adoptee, the adoptive parents, etc. There are many, many 'testimonials' included, positive, neutral and negative, from adoptees, adoptive parents, birthparents, regarding searches.
I highly recommend this book to any adoptee who is considering doing their own Search, to any adoptive parent whose child is searching, to any adoptive parent whose child has already done their search, and to any birthparent in that situation.
There truly is something for everyone.
(I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because nothing's perfect.)

ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT! 5 out of 5 stars.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.

To help someone not only understand why they are searching, but help in getting started in the search. This was a God send for me! I am now sharing my copy with my neighbor who is an adoptive mom. It's just wonderful. Everyone should read it.

Weaving a Family: Untangling Race and Adoption

Barbara Katz Rothman

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Weaving together the sociological, the historical, and the personal, Barbara Katz Rothman looks at the contemporary American family through the lens of race, race through the lens of adoption, and all—race, family, and adoption—within the context of the changing meanings of motherhood.

"What a fine and complex book this is! Barbara Katz Rothman takes us, with lucidity and (often brave) good humor, through the tangle of pains and satisfactions that come with her family's challenge to the racial status quo."
—Rosellen Brown, author of Half a Heart and Before and After

"Is it right for white parents to adopt African-American children? How does a white parent expose her black daughter to two cultures? Protect the child from insensitive remarks? Sociologist Barbara Katz Rothman . . . doesn't just describe what it's like to be the white mother of a black girl. Rothman skillfully debates adoption ethics, the commodification of children, and the politics of inequality in America."
—Anne E. Stein, Chicago Tribune

"In Weaving a Family, the sociologist and white mother of an African American girl provides an accessible, sensitive portrayal of the inherent sociological complexities of mixed-race adoption and parenting."
—Melissa Chianta, Mothering

Barbara Katz Rothman is a professor of sociology at the City University of New York. Her previous books include The Book of Life (Beacon / 0451-0 / $16.00 pb), Recreating Motherhood, The Tentative Pregnancy, and In Labor. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and the youngest of their three children.

The Whole Life Adoption Book: Realistic Advice for Building a Healthy Adoptive Family

Jayne E. Schooler, Thomas C. Atwood

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great revised edition 5 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Do not make the mistake of buying earlier editions of this terrific volume. The new, June 2008 edition is considerably longer and more detailed than the original book, good though that is.

First off, this edition deals in much greater detail with questions and issues surrounding the inter-country adoption process, which today is governed by the Hague Convention for International Adoptions. (Would that the convention had been in effect when we adopted abroad.)

From our perspective, a decade-plus into the adoption experience, some of the material here is of little interest. But for families considering adoption or in the early stages of building and adoptive family, there is much good advice, beginning with discussions of the healthiest motivations for wanting to adopt, and acceptance of the "foundational realities."

It's appalling to learn here how many families have adopted children and never told them they were adopted. It should be understood that children have a right to know where they come from, even if the available details are very sparse. Along with accepting that foundation is the reality that adoption generally involves healing for the adoptive parents as well as the child. The parents must accept their inability to conceive, and understand that their child does and will continue to suffer from a Primal Wound that requires nursing and extra care to heal.

The book also has excellent chapters on attachment trauma and the difficulties of dealing with adopted kids during their teens. Children may say being adopted has been easy for them. And children adopted as infants, especially, do fare pretty well. But the fact is that at least 5% of children adopted as infants have extraordinarily difficult teen years---much more so than the average child raised in his or her biological family.

And another fact is that raising an adopted child is a much different deal than raising one's biological child. There are a vast range of questions and issues that just don't come up with the latter. And while adopted kids generally emerge from the teenage years in good shape, helping them through this rough period requires super-parents. Don't go into it if you're not prepared.

Kids and families want control of their lives. This book can help give them control where otherwise, thanks to all the unknowns and separations, they might feel helpless. (I also recommend Beneath the Mask.)

Finally, the book reassures adoptive parents fearful of their child's search for his or her birth parents. Personally, I can't imagine feeling that way, but apparently it's very common.

This book, though, explains that searching and learning a child's origin and "story" can most often help them resolve questions and issues, without which, the child will probably lead a much less productive and meaningful life.

This is a book that adoptive parents certainly need, for their child's whole life. As in holistic, and whole.

Editorial Review:

The Whole Life Adoption Book has long been an indispensable guide for prospective parents of adopted children and blended families. Now, revised and updated, authors Jayne E. Schooler and Thomas C. Atwood share insights into every aspect of adoption. Recommended by the National Council for Adoption, this powerful book addresses the needs and concerns facing adoptive parents, offering encouragement for the journey ahead.