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4-6
With Hannah Long. A Russian orphan and double amputee adopted by an American family, Jessica Long became the youngest member of the U.S. Paralympics swim team. Jessica's first-person narrative recounts her incredible ascent to competitive-swimming success via chapters (each titled "The Moment I...") highlighting important anecdotes of both failure and triumph. An inspiring and intimate memoir filled with photographs of the athlete's early and present life.
(4)
YA
Forgotten Youth series.
This dense volume chronicles the plight of children in foster care. The book cites numerous reasons for children entering the system--including parents who cannot or will not care for their offspring--and details children's resultant fear, anger, and confusion. Varied first-person accounts are presented along with statistics about successful and failed adoptions and helpful organizations' contact information. Reading list, websites. Ind.
(4)
YA
Inspirational speaker and social crusader Rhodes-Courter follows her heartfelt memoir about growing up in foster care (Three Little Words) with this volume about her life as a college student, newlywed, and mother (foster, biological, and adoptive). Rhodes-Courter pulls no punches; her no-filter depiction of the foster-care system, her biological family, and herself is fiercely real, if somewhat metaphor-heavy and unpolished.
(3)
YA
With Elaine DePrince. This inspirational memoir traces Michaela's journey from an orphanage in war-ravaged Sierra Leone through her adoption by an American couple to her rising ballet stardom (appearing in the documentary First Position; joining the Dutch National Ballet). Throughout, the daughter-and-mom writing team emphasizes how important optimism, love, and perseverance were to Michaela's success. Striking textual imagery heightens the immediacy of Michaela's experiences, whether tragic or triumphant.
(2)
K-3
This sequel to Last Airlift describes Tuyet's adjustment to life with her adoptive Canadian family, the drama this time revolving around the surgery she must have on her leg due to polio. Readers will be just as riveted to this quieter but no-less-moving story as Tuyet bravely dreams of being able to run and play. Illustrated with photos. Reading list, websites. Ind.
32 pp.
| Holiday
| August, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8234-2294-4$16.95
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PS
Photographs by
Shelley Rotner.
Simple, conversational text and loads of colorful, engaging photos broadly cover how families are formed through adoption. The authors approach the subject in very general terms, allowing children to impose their own experiences. While most of the book is upbeat, the loss inherent in adoptions is also acknowledged. Children touched by the subject will find the straightforward discussion reassuring and easy to understand.
Reviewer: Kitty Flynn
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2011
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4-6
Changing Face of Modern Families series.
These well-meaning but bland volumes attempt to debunk the myth of a standardized American family, focusing on such issues as adoption, gay parents, and interfaith and mixed-race marriages. Facts and opinions are provided from various professionals in addition to individuals' personal accounts. "What Do You Think?" questions invite discussion. There are eight other fall 2009 books in this series. Reading list, website. Bib., ind. Review covers these Changing Face of Modern Families titles: Gay & Lesbian Parents, Multiracial Families, Adoptive Parents, Blended Families, Teen Parents, and What Is a Family?
312 pp.
| Atheneum
| January, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-1-4169-4806-3$17.99
(4)
YA
As a young child, Rhodes-Courter was endlessly shuttled among state facilities and foster homes (some horrifyingly abusive) before finally being adopted by a loving family. Now in her early twenties, Ashley reflects on the experience in this heartfelt memoir. Her writing is unpolished, but one gets the sense that the words are fiercely, authentically her own.
32 pp.
| Barefoot
| September, 2007
|
TradeISBN 978-1-84686-047-8$16.99
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K-3
Illustrated by
Josée Masse.
In heartfelt, if sometimes awkward verse, an adoptive mother tells her Chinese-born daughter about her unknown birth mother, comparing the roles both mothers play in the child's life and delivering a positive message about their "two different kinds of love." While occasionally sentimental, the illustrations feature some attractive mother-daughter images, several with the birth mother's benign face hidden in the landscape.
48 pp.
| Thomson/Kidhaven
| December, 2007
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7377-3865-0$27.45
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4-6
Young Heroes series.
These biographies profile young adults who embody the spirit of community service, charity, and overcoming adversity. Most have founded their own charitable organizations, and all have won awards and recognition for their efforts. The writing is accessible, though it can be choppy. Photographs of the subjects at work clearly illustrate how kids can make a difference. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Young Heroes titles: Brittany and Robbie Bergquist, Mattie Stepanek, Lindsey Williams, and Ana Dodson.
46 pp.
| Thomson/Kidhaven
| September, 2007
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7377-3670-0$27.45
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4-6
Young Heroes series.
This series highlights teenagers (now young adults) who have made a difference, either by starting their own charitable organizations (Shuyler and Dalio) or by supporting a cause (Hill and Kachepa). The books explore such topics as childhood influences and steps toward activism. The writing is choppy, but readers may be inspired by the stories. Photographs break up the dense pages. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Young Heroes titles: Ashley Shuyler, Julia Butterfly Hill, Given Kachepa, and Matt Dalio.
56 pp.
| Kids Can
| October, 2006
|
TradeISBN 1-55337-967-5$16.95
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4-6
In first grade, Ryan Hreljac raised money to build a well in Uganda where Akana Jimmy lost his parents to civil war. No detail is spared in this wordy book that chronicles the heartbreaking and inspirational story of the boys' cross-continental friendship, culminating in Jimmy coming to live with the Hreljacs in Canada. Colorful photographs and drawings decorate the pages.
32 pp.
| Boyds
| March, 2005
|
TradeISBN 1-56397-989-6$16.95
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K-3
Illustrated by
Karen A. Jerome.
Taking a fresh (if overly purposeful) approach to the subject, McMahon tells her daughter, Claire, about her adoption from China while assembling a scrapbook about the journey. The conversational tone lends intimacy, while her son's journal entries offer the perspective of a new big brother. The watercolor illustrations show an engaging mix of photos, souvenirs, and scenes from the narrative.
110 pp.
| Farrar/Kroupa
| September, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-374-32224-4$17.00
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4-6
In 1975 an Amerasian child, Long, emigrated from Vietnam to the United States and was adopted. Warren deftly weaves into Long's story information about the Vietnam conflict, life in Saigon, the plight of children during war, and the political machinations involved in airlifting thousands of youngsters to safety during the American evacuation. Reading list, source notes. Ind.
Reviewer: Betty Carter
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2004
56 pp.
| Heinemann
| September, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 1-58810-682-9$$24.22
(4)
YA
Just the Facts series.
Although this book includes information on abortion, it's basically a pregnancy guide for teens. Readers get sound advice on eating well and otherwise caring for the fetus, but emphasis is also properly placed on pregnant teens' need for emotional support. Obviously posed photos and heavy-handed tableaux offset the text, which features relevant teen testimonials. Directory, reading list. Glos., ind.
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K-3
Translated by Ã?ngel Secreto.
Illustrated by
Alan Marks.
Mr. Goose, a gentle bachelor, longs for a child of his own. The dog finds a huge egg for him, and a baby dinosaur hatches out of it calling him Mama. Taunted by the chickens, the little dinosaur runs away looking for his real mother only to find that all he needs is the love of his devoted adoptive father. Accompanied by expressive illustrations, this Spanish edition of The Little Green Goose reads smoothly.
32 pp.
| Raintree
| September, 1999
|
LibraryISBN 0-8172-5890-6$$22.83
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K-3
Talking About series.
These books provide simplistic introductions to these two topics. Accompanied by sometimes posed-looking photos of children from different ethnic backgrounds, the texts answer questions that encourage readers to think about these issues and about their own feelings, motives, and actions. A note to adults at the end of each book provides suggestions for extending the material. Bib., glos., ind.
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4-6
Photographs by
Phil Miner.
The text describes the feelings of a seven-year-old Brazilian girl who is taken away from her home in the rainforest to live in a convent when her grandmother and mother can no longer care for her. Two years later, further culture shock awaits when she comes to Kansas. The black-and-white photographs and book layout seem amateurish, but the narrative, written by the girl's adoptive mother, is perceptive and moving.