National Adoption Month is a great time to celebrate all the different stories that encompass families brought together through adoption. Whether your family has been directly impacted by adoption or not, these books bring stories of adoption from the perspective of adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth parents to the forefront.
For Kids:
- ABC, Adoption & Me by Gayle H. Swift and Casey Ann Swift
ABC, Adoption & Me celebrates the the joy of family while also addressing the difficult issues that are a part of the adoptee experience. With charming, exuberant illustrations and a diverse representation of families, ABC, Adoption & Me will warm hearts, deepen understanding of what it means to be an adoptive family, and provide teaching moments that bring families closer, connected in truth, compassion, and joy. - Adventures with My Daddies by Gareth Peter
This book showcases a loving family enjoying bedtime stories when suddenly everything they are reading comes to life. Together, the dads and their little one battle dragons, dodge deadly dinosaurs, zoom to the moon, and explore the world in a hot air balloon, before winding down to sleep in a wonderfully cozy ending.
- Being Adopted by Amy Wilkerson
Being Adopted is a book for younger adoptees of any cultural and ethnic background. It outlines universal adoption experiences that are relatable to adoptees as they process and reflect on their unique circumstances and emotions. This book offers an opportunity for adoptees to feel validated and normalize their thoughts and feelings. Not only does Being Adopted serve as a support for younger adoptees but it also comes with a guide for caregivers to adopted children. - Love Makes a Family by Sophie Beer
Love is baking a special cake. Love is lending a helping hand. Love is reading one more book. In this exuberant board book, many different families are shown in happy activity, from an early-morning wake-up to a kiss before bed. Whether a child has two moms, two dads, one parent, or one of each, this simple preschool read-aloud demonstrates that what’s most important in each family’s life is the love the family members share. - The Day of Your Arrival by Dolores Brown
This is the story of two parents-to-be eagerly awaiting the arrival of their child. Tender and contemplative, this is a unique and loving story about the adoption process and the arrival of a long-awaited child. - Wonderful You: An Adoption Story by Lauren McLaughlin
Wonderful You is a lyrical adoption story that tenderly addresses a baby’s transition from the care of her birth mother to that of her adoptive parents. This lovely poem illuminates the role of an adopted child’s birth mother, respecting her choice to place her child with a loving family. The story offers a version of the birth mother’s process that is full of warmth, care, and joy.
For Adults:
- All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
Nicole Chung was born severely premature, placed for adoption by her Korean parents, and raised by a white family in a sheltered Oregon town. All You Can Ever Know is a profound, moving chronicle of surprising connections and the repercussions of unearthing painful family secrets—vital for anyone who has ever struggled to figure out where they belong. - What Happened to You? Conversation on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing by Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry
Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and renowned brain and trauma expert Dr. Bruce Perry offer a groundbreaking and profound shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” This book presents a subtle yet profound shift in our approach to trauma, and it’s one that allows us to understand our pasts in order to clear a path to our future – opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way. - What White Parents Should Know About Transracial Adoption: An Adoptees Perspective on Its History, Nuances, and Practices by Melissa Guida-Richards
If you’re the White parent of a transracially or internationally adopted child, you may have been told that if you try your best and work your hardest, good intentions and a whole lot of love will be enough to give your child the security, attachment, and nurturing family life they need to thrive. The only problem? It’s not true. What White Parents Need to Know About Transracial Adoption breaks down the dynamics that frequently fly under the radar of the whitewashed, happily-ever-after adoption stories we hear so often.
