[TheFoxx]

I had ordered a few books on Amazon.com but they were not appropriate to our situation.

I went to Barnes and Noble this weekend and found only two books in the children's section. One was "A is for Adoption" which was cute but was for a Christian child (we are Jewish). The other was "You are not my real mother" which just really upset me (very negative & confusing).

What books have you found for your little ones?

Thanks!

[szumbiel]

Very timely post for me! I just wrote this short article for a Montessori newsletter. Hope this list helps...

Each year, November is recognized as National Adoption Awareness Month. Children explore many issues through excellent literature both at school in their homes. Because all children will be touched by the story of someone’s adoption while growing up, it is important their gain a healthy understanding of issues related to adoption. To help both parents and teachers be able to share stories of adoption with children, the following list of books are suggested:

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose A. Lewis
Over the Moon by Karen Katz
Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born By Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell
The Day We Met You by Phoebe Koehler
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Happy Adoption Day by John McCutcheon
Lucy’s Family Tree by Karen Halvorsen Schreck
My Very Wanted Child by Ginny Lapporte
A Mother for Choco By Keiko Kasza
Adoption is for Always By Linda Walvoord Girard
Adoption Stories for Young Children By Randall Hicks
The Mulberry Bird: An Adoption Story by Anne Braff Brodzinsky
Through Moon and Stars and Night Skies by Ann Warren Turner and James Graham Hale
We’re Different, We’re the Same by Bobbi Jane Kates
When I Was Little by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell

[linda512]

Are any of those for single mothers? Or anyone else find any that are for single mothers?

[Shoshana]

I love you like crazy cakes is for single moms but it is about adopting from China -- I just change words when I read it. It's very beautiful and touching.

If you do a search on Amazon, you will find many children's books -- and reviews. You can usually tell if they will be appropriate for single moms.

Hey Beth -- wanna collaborate on a children's book re adopting as a single parent from Guatemala?

[TheFoxx]

Thanks for the List! I'll check them all out. I found that many of them were geared towards girls too (we are adopting a boy). I'm sure we'll find the perfect book... if not, maybe we'll write our own

[KKR213]

A Mother for Choco only mentions the mother and is very sweet. I also bought Best Single Mom in the World which I think is also about China. Sorry, I don't remember the author's name but I did order it on Barnes & Noble.com. If anyone knows of any books for single moms from Guatemala, I would love to have one too!

[dsepme]

I've been bummed that I haven't been able to find any adoption books for children in SPANISH!! I've been translating "Mother for Choco" and "Over the Moon" and "Happy Adoption Day" on the fly. Amazing that my son isn't totally confused!

[myworldisdmb]

Over The Moon is about a latin american adoption-but really could be for just about any country. It's a really cute book!

[spaypets]

My Family is Forever is another good one for internationally adopted children. Yes, the main character is a girl, but it goes to great pains not to perpetuate gender stereotypes. It does assume the adopting people are a mother and father, however.

[Maggie Beth]

Another one of my favorites is "We Wanted You" by Liz Rosenberg. Written for a child adopted from Guatemala

[Devora]

KKR213: "A Mother for Choco" IS available in Spanish! This is one of the books in Spanish that we left with our son after we visited. At our pick-up trip his foster mom said that she loves the book and that it makes her cry because she thinks of the children she has fostered. She obviously read it to our son a lot. It was neat to hear that although I left it with the idea that it was about him coming into our family, for her it was about him being a part of her family.


Although the original post was about adoption books (and my favorites have all been mentioned already), I thought I would throw in a few recommendations for books about Guatemala:

Abuela's Weave by Omar Castaneda (maybe ages 5-8?): A story about a young Guatemalan girl and her grandmother who weave textiles to sell at the market. Nice illustrations, but the plot is a little lacking -- but it is nice to have a story about weaving. (also available in Spanish)

Hands of the Maya: Villagers at Work and Play by Rachel Crandel (maybe ages 4-7?): Written by a US elementary school teacher who spent time in a Mayan Village in Belize. The pictures are all photos she took of the villagers. Along with the text the book describes the villagers' daily life with the theme of how they work, cooperate, etc. I like the use of photos!

The Corn Grows Ripe by Dorothy Rhoads (ages 8-12): A Newberry Honor Book that tells the story of a young Mayan boy who takes over the planting and harvesting of his family's maize after his father is injured. In addition to describing traditional agricultural life in a Mayan village it also has a moral about growing up and taking on responsibilities.

The Most Beautiful Place in the World by Ann Cameron (maybe ages 9-12?): The story of a young boy in Guatemala. This one is a bit heavier as it does deal with issues of poverty and abuse. But it also includes descriptions of the beauty of Guatemala. The moral of the story revolves around education -- Juan's dream is to be able to stop working and go to school so he can learn to read.