JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults. The site is updated daily with information about every book, author, illustrator, and publisher in the children's / young adult book industry. Members include published authors and illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, booksellers, publishers and fans. Join now (it's free).
Login or Register for free to create your own customized page of blog posts from your favorite blogs. You can also add blogs by clicking the "Add to MyJacketFlap" links next to the blog name in each post.
Blog Posts by Tag
In the past 7 days
Blog Posts by Date
Click days in this calendar to see posts by day or month
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: adoption, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 26 - 50 of 85
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: adoption in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
What constitutes family? Does it come only in the form of childbirth placement, bringing baby home from the hospital, and then living with this new creature long enough to include them in the family photo carried inside your heart?
For myself, I’ve adopted people into my heart and my family many times during my adulthood. Yesterday I talked briefly about one man and his whole family whom I adopted in the 1990’s. Today, I chose to talk about another. Before I do, I want to explain one point.
I believe that as adults we adopt, whether acknowledged or not, those people who help define us to ourselves. Lou was one who encouraged me to play and not be so serious all the time, to relax without losing focus, to enjoy without dismissing the importance of other things. He and his family taught me many things. Through them I gained a broader understanding of the quality of family.
My first adopted sister was a college roommate. She and I survived tuna casseroles and pasta staples for a school year in a tiny apartment that gave us independence and an opportunity to exercise by walking to classes a mile away. We grew as people and as sisters.
Her family adopted me. I gathered them all into my expanding basket of potential family members. Cheryl was the first person to encourage me to write, who, in fact, sat down with me in off time and helped me write my first science fiction book. We wrote seamlessly together.
When she graduated at the end of that year, the book ended, but not the dream or intent of writing. Our friendship and sisterhood didn’t falter there, either. She named me Maid of Honor for her wedding, named me Godmother of her girls as they came along, and drove with her husband for two hours to be there for me at my mother’s funeral. She loved my mom almost as much as I did after having met her only a couple of times.
We no longer get the time to talk like we once did. Her life of motherhood, wife, and work keep her busy. My youngest goddaughter is getting married before long. I’d love to be there for that.
Throughout these many years of our friendship, Cheryl and I have remained connected. We could meet tomorrow and pick up conversations where we’d left off twenty years ago. That’s the kind of relationship we have. I would feel comfortable in her newly renovated kitchen; a kitchen I remember sitting in several times with her and her family, laughing, kibitzing, sharing.
I could rummage around in her new fridge and grab whatever I wanted to eat at midnight and not feel a bit of guilt or distress, because she’d be more upset if I didn’t feed my hunger. That’s part of who she is. I’m family, after all.
And while we’ve been separated by thousands of miles since the mid-eighties, we manage to talk once in a while, catch up, and commiserate. If we’re very lucky, one of these days we’ll meet somewhere for a few days and just play, shop, and laugh like we did at BSU. That would be a capper.
Yet, the real capper to the whole story is that my mother adopted Cheryl into her heart as well. I guess I followed my mother’s habits more than most realized. Mom tended to adopt all sorts of people, sometimes as much out of necessity as anything else.
In the end, I suppose, family is defined by those we hold close in our hearts, our thoughts, and our memories. I would be a lesser person if I’d never known this sweet lady with a smile that shines across a room and a generous spirit who holds true to her convictions and faith, regardless of provocation.
Like Lou and his family, Cheryl helped me define myself and what family really means for me. That’s what more important than bloodlines.
What constitutes family? Does it come only in the form of childbirth placement, bringing baby home from the hospital, and then living with this new creature long enough to include them in the family photo carried inside your heart?
For myself, I’ve adopted people into my heart and my family many times during my adulthood. Yesterday I talked briefly about one man and his whole family whom I adopted in the 1990’s. Today, I chose to talk about another. Before I do, I want to explain one point.
I believe that as adults we adopt, whether acknowledged or not, those people who help define us to ourselves. Lou was one who encouraged me to play and not be so serious all the time, to relax without losing focus, to enjoy without dismissing the importance of other things. He and his family taught me many things. Through them I gained a broader understanding of the quality of family.
My first adopted sister was a college roommate. She and I survived tuna casseroles and pasta staples for a school year in a tiny apartment that gave us independence and an opportunity to exercise by walking to classes a mile away. We grew as people and as sisters.
Her family adopted me. I gathered them all into my expanding basket of potential family members. Cheryl was the first person to encourage me to write, who, in fact, sat down with me in off time and helped me write my first science fiction book. We wrote seamlessly together.
When she graduated at the end of that year, the book ended, but not the dream or intent of writing. Our friendship and sisterhood didn’t falter there, either. She named me Maid of Honor for her wedding, named me Godmother of her girls as they came along, and drove with her husband for two hours to be there for me at my mother’s funeral. She loved my mom almost as much as I did after having met her only a couple of times.
We no longer get the time to talk like we once did. Her life of motherhood, wife, and work keep her busy. My youngest goddaughter is getting married before long. I’d love to be there for that.
Throughout these many years of our friendship, Cheryl and I have remained connected. We could meet tomorrow and pick up conversations where we’d left off twenty years ago. That’s the kind of relationship we have. I would feel comfortable in her newly renovated kitchen; a kitchen I remember sitting in several times with her and her family, laughing, kibitzing, sharing.
I could rummage around in her new fridge and grab whatever I wanted to eat at midnight and not feel a bit of guilt or distress, because she’d be more upset if I didn’t feed my hunger. That’s part of who she is. I’m family, after all.
And while we’ve been separated by thousands of miles since the mid-eighties, we manage to talk once in a while, catch up, and commiserate. If we’re very lucky, one of these days we’ll meet somewhere for a few days and just play, shop, and laugh like we did at BSU. That would be a capper.
Yet, the real capper to the whole story is that my mother adopted Cheryl into her heart as well. I guess I followed my mother’s habits more than most realized. Mom tended to adopt all sorts of people, sometimes as much out of necessity as anything else.
In the end, I suppose, family is defined by those we hold close in our hearts, our thoughts, and our memories. I would be a lesser person if I’d never known this sweet lady with a smile that shines across a room and a generous spirit who holds true to her convictions and faith, regardless of provocation.
Like Lou and his family, Cheryl helped me define myself and what family really means for me. That’s what more important than bloodlines.
Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption by Katie Davis, Howard Books, 2011, 288 pp, ISBN: 1451612060
I am delighted today to feature a guest post from my sister, Sarah. Sarah is truly a one-in-a-million kind of woman - one of the most joyful, optimistic, adventure-seeking, fun-loving people I know. Several years ago she introduced me to my all time favorite author of non-fiction: Shauna Niequist. This past winter break, she was completely and utterly absorbed in another book: Kisses from Katie. To be honest, I initially thought the title was a little ridiculous for an adult book. Actually, I still do. Had it not been for Sarah's boundless enthusiasm for the story, I never would have picked it up. Thank goodness that girl knows how to book talk!
Because Sarah was the one who introduced me to Katie Davis and her children, I wanted her to introduce you all as well. Nope, this is not a YA book per se - although the author, along with pretty much everyone in it, is a young adult. And it is largely a book about faith, and I know that will deter many, but please do not let that deter you. If you are still reading, Bravo! You will not be disappointed.
Two days ago as I wandering the aisles of Barnes and Noble, I spotted this book on a shelf. I recognized it from the blog Kisses From Katie that a friend had shown me months ago. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. I had to get it. Two days later I've finished reading the story of Katie and her girls.
At the age of 16 Katie felt that God was calling her to do something big with her life. She first visited Uganda as a Senior for three weeks and then returned after graduation. With only a few visits back to the States, Uganda has become her permanent home.
6 Comments on Guest Post: Don't Miss This One, last added: 2/2/2012
When I first started reading the prologue for this book, The Grace Effect, I thought, "I am going to give this one to my husband - I think it's too deep for me!" But as I got into Chapter 1, I knew I was going to LOVE this book and I didn't put it down (well almost anyway) until I was DONE! It is an exceptional book - it is, at it's core, a wonderful adoption story - the author, Larry Alex Taunton's, story of travelling to the Ukraine and their roller coaster ride to get their 10 year old daughter, Sasha. But interwoven throughout that story, is the story of Taunton's challenge in life - to get people to see that the world IS a better place with Christianity and Christ - How Grace makes life palatable. Taunton travels the world sharing and debating this truth - how we all need Grace. But woven in Sasha's adoption story, this truth is all the more seen and recognized through the life of this little girl.
I think you all will WANT to read this book as well - SO - I have a giveaway for you!!! You can leave a comment here and you are entered to receive your own copy! Just leave a comment by Tuesday, Nov. 22 and you are entered!! IF you want additional entries, Tweet, Blog, or Facebook this giveaway and then come back and, in separate comments, tell me you did so!!
Here is what the publisher had to say about this book:
Simply defined, the ‘grace effect’ is an observable phenomenon—that life is demonstrably better where authentic Christianity flourishes.”
What does Christianity give us beyond televangelists, potlucks, and bad basketball leagues? Not much, according to the secular Left. The world, they say, would be a better place without it.
Historian and Christian apologist Larry Taunton has spent much of his career refuting just this sort of thinking, but when he encounters Sasha, a golden-haired orphan girl whose life has been shaped by atheistic theorists, he discovers an unlikely champion for the transforming power of grace.
Through the narrative of Sasha’s redemption, we see the false promises of socialism; the soul-destroying influence of unbelief; and how a society cultivates its own demise when it rejects the ultimate source of grace. We see, in short, the kind of world the atheists would give us: a world without Christianity—cold, pitiless, and graceless.
And yet, as Sasha shows us, it is a world that is not beyond the healing power of “the grace effect.” Occasionally infuriating, often amusing, but always inspiring, The Grace Effect will have you cheering for the courageous little girl who shamed the academic elitists of our day.
“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
My Birthday is September 11 (And Other Short Stories) by Nicole Weaver
Review by Chris Singer
About the author:
Nicole Weaver was born in Port-au-Prince Haiti. She came to the United States when she was ten years old. She is fluent in Creole, French, Spanish and English. She is a veteran teacher of French and Spanish. She is the author of a children’s tri-lingual picture book titled “Marie and Her Friend the Sea Turtle.” The story is about a Haitian little girl who resided by the beach in Haiti. Her second trilingual children’s picture book will be published by Guardian Angel Publishing. The book titled, “My sister is my Best Friend ” will be published in 2011.
About the book:
Growing up is filled with new experiences and they partner emotions. Our trials in life teach us compassion and help us to empathize with others. Our difficulties make us who we are, helping each of us to find our place in the world.
In this collection of short stories, simple acts of kindness make a world of difference in the lives of individuals. The theme of compassion weaves through all five stories, inspiring readers to discover this important lesson in life; we were created to help others.
My take on the book:
This is a nice collection of stories which touches on topics from bi-racial adoption and bullying to overcoming the tragedies of 9/11 and natural disasters through giving and paying it forward.
While touching on these topics, this collection for middle and teen readers shares the common theme of being stories about children dealing with real life struggles, and how kindness and empathy can turn someone’s life around for the better.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the stories:
* “My Birthday is September Eleven” – The title story of the collection is about a boy who was born on 9/11/01 and finds it hard to celebrate his birthday because of the tragic events of that day.
* “Zebra Boy” – A bi-racial boy stands up to a bully because of the support from his best friend.
* “The Good Samaritan” – An anonymous donor contributes the money necessary to help a group of fifth-graders pay for a life-saving surgery for a classmate.
* “No More Hunger” – Ronald becomes impoverished after a devastating hurricane destroys his village in Haiti. Unable to survive on his own, he is rescued from certain death by a kind stranger.
* “A New Life” – A bi-racial boy finally escapes a difficult past when he is adopted by a caring couple.
The stories are well-written and can be useful for inspiring an excellent discussion between middle and teen readers and their parents and teachers.
As I read the stories, I kept thinking of Gandhi’s quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” I think these stories hold that kind of potential for young readers. They may be inspired to make a positive difference in someone’s life by either contributing financially to a cause, showing empathy for others or even standing up beside someone being treated unjustly.
1 Comments on Review: My Birthday is September 11, last added: 10/24/2011
"Simply giving this person money is treating the symptoms rather than the underlying disease and will enable him to continue with his lack of self-discipline... a better solution would be to develop a relationship that says, we are here to walk with you and to help you use your gifts and abilities to avoid being in this situation in the future'" (An excerpt from the book, When Helping Hurts)
Lifesong is serving the people of Zambia... the orphaned, the at-risk, and the poor... by utilizing the land that is, like the people, so full of potential. Lifesong farms-Zambia reaped its first strawberry harvest in June, and local grocers have been purchasing the berries. With additional acres to farm, we are hoping to process some of the berries and begin marketing Lifesong Farms Strawberry Jam.
By harvesting fruit, we are able to serve more orphans by providing the gift of a job at Lifesong's gardens and self worth to an orphan's caregiver. We are also able to provide future employment for our kids as they transition into adult living, develop a system to raise funds to help cover operational costs, and develop expertise that can be replicated in multiple countries where Lifesong serves. Most of all, we are seeking to glorify Jesus as we teach others how He walked.
**GIVEAWAY:
1st PRIZE: Lifesong is giving away a 1-night hotel stay for the LIVE ORPHAN SUNDAY event in Kansas City!
0 Comments on Lifesong in Zambia as of 9/28/2011 2:39:00 PM
Books that have anything to do with adoption call my name. I just love to read what others have to say about adoption and how it has worked for their family. So Jennifer Grant's book, Love You More, totally grabbed me. And it did not disappoint - Grant is honest and intuitive. She shares from her heart and does not sugar-coat either the process of adoption or life after adoption. I was smiling along at things that had been said to us as well or things we had experienced in our adoptions, but there were also points where I was empathizing with how Grant felt or reading how her Guatemalan adoption differed from our experiences. I learned a lot, I was reminded of much, and now am going to re-read it! I guarantee you will come away with something to chew on -
There is one quote in the book that I have shared with others already and it is making quite an impact:
"I read once that the best predictor of happiness in families who have adopted children is the parents' certainty that their children are meant to be theirs. Such parents are not just trying to be nice. They are not trying to work off a debt of guilt to the world's poor because they drive a Lexus or own a lake house. They are not trying to be faithful to their religion. Sure, one or more more of those things may also motivate or encourage them at various points in the process, but guilt and pity are not the primary reasons they want to adopt. No, these parents know, in some deep, spiritual, and authentic sense, that this is the way their family was meant to be created."
*I was provided a copy of this book for review purposes.
I would also highly recommend this beautifully written book, if only to understand adoption better and to be reminded of God's particular concern for orphans. It's a great book for anyone considering adding a child to their family, whether via adoption or birth.
You can tell that this author, Karen Henry Clark, has been through the adoption journey herself. Sweet Moon Baby is a wonderful adoption story. Clark bases this story on her journey to adopt her daughter. It takes the process of an adoption from China, and puts it in a fairytale or folk tale form. I think it is a wonderful way to approach talking to little ones about adoption - I would gear it for ages 3-5. You can certainly read it to older children - and I would encourage it - but older ones are going to necessitate more answers, I am sure, so be prepared as a parent. In the story, when the parents in China decide that they can not care for their little one, they place her in a basket and pray the moon will watch over her. It is told innocently, but I can see it creating those tough questions in our older children! However, it is a tender way to approach a topic that can be hard to discuss with our children - I thank Clark for coming up with such a wonderful tool for adoptive parents, or any parent for that matter. Patrice Barton, the illustrator, is fabulous! Her illustrations are tender and dreamy and lend that "fairytale" feel. They are perfect for this peaceful tale.
What if every time you gave a dollar to orphans it became one more?
Onemore dollar towards food, education, shelter?
One more dollar towards sharing the Gospel and providing Biblical mentorship?
One more dollar towards changing the life of a child?
I love to use this platform to advocate for those in need... and thanks to a generous donor every dollar given to Lifesong Honduraswill be matched… up to $120,000! We praise the Lord for this amazing gift and invite you to be a part of it.
Over the next 10 days we are teaming with Lifesong and are hoping for 100 1-year commitments of $30 a month. Just think, for about $1 a day a life in Honduras can be forever changed.
Partnering with Tree of Life Missions in Honduras, Lifesong for Orphans is able to work toward providing hope to the hopeless, help to the helpless and healing to the hurting. TOLM reaches kids through a program called Plan Escalon. (Escalon is translated "escalator" and is used to describe the children's escalator out of poverty/brokenness.) Through this program we strive toward:
Providing an education to the poorest of youth
Providing food to the poorest of youth
Providing vocational training & micro-business opportunities
Providing free medical and dental clinics to those in need
Training young people to give back to their communities
Reaching people in the jungles of the Mosquito Coast
Stay tuned for stories, personal testimonies, and fun ways to spread awareness and instill a heart of giving in your kids!
Our goal is:
Will you help us? 100 commitments in ten days is no small feat, but with God it is possible. We have seen Him move mightily in His people to serve orphans and we pray that this ten weeks will be a testimony of that! Together we can make a difference in the lives of these kids! Together we can do more to bring joy and purpose to orphans!
Contact Lifesong at [email protected] to make your commitment AND be sure to tell them that we sent you from our blog!
Next Monday we will be kicking off an exciting 10 day blog-a-thon to spread the word about what's going on at Lifesong Honduras. We will be sharing personal testimonies from changed lives, peeking into everyday Honduran life, and giving some tools to spread awareness in your families. One of these tools is a little something we like to call (da-daDAAA!):
Tuesday, March 29th we will be dedicating 1 meal to eat what the children in Honduras eat on a daily basis... and we want you to be a part of it! We will also provide some great topical questions and discussion guides for you to share with your kids on what life is like for children in another culture.
Would YOU join us?
We'll share more as we get closer to the 29th, so mark your calendars, get your camera ready and head to the store to get tortillas, rice, and beans for the whole family!
This is an adoption story that takes a more fairy tale approach. In China, perfect baby is born. However, her parents don’t have enough food for themselves and worry about the future of this tiny baby. So they put trust in the moon and send their baby away down the river. On the journey, several animals help that baby. While she sleeps, she is carried by a turtle, flown high by a peacock, sheltered by a monkey, and guided by a panda. On the other side of the world, a family is waiting for a child. While they wait, they prepare for her. They create a garden, plant trees, build her a room, and fill it with pretty things and lots of books. They know she is there, but where? They travel long distances following the moon’s path. And when the moon paths of the baby and the family meet, so do they.
So often adoption books are about the concrete steps taken from one family to the next. It is a pleasure to read a book that is whimsical and magical about adoption. Clark’s writing celebrates the connection between child and new family while paying homage to the birth family as well. The entire book is suffused in a gentle beauty that allows anyone reading to know immediately that this is a joyous tale.
Barton’s illustrations are particularly fine. From the first two-page spread of the new baby and her bright-eyed beauty, the illustrations are captivating. They have a subtle humor to them as well as a soft touch that matches the tone of the book. Done in sketches and then digitally, the images have interesting textures.
A very successful fairy-tale telling of the adoption story, this book may not answer the questions of how an adoption takes place, but it does speak to the magical nature of love. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
Reviewed from copy received from Knopf Delacorte Dell.
Sandra J. Gerencher is a special education teacher in the Bangor Area public school system. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked at Lehigh University in a school-based program, as a Program Specialist for adults with disabilities. Over the past 20 years she has worked with children and adults with special needs in such areas as counseling, Behavior Specialist Consultation, behavioral research, crisis intervention and abuse therapy. Sandra graduated from Lehigh University with a M.Ed. in Special Education (2004) and from Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia with an M.S. in Counseling Psychology (1999).
About the book:
Over the past 10 years, author Sandra Gerencher has been on a mission to save dogs from high-kill animal shelters. Her first rescue was P.J., the black and white Pomeranian in the story. She also adopted the orange Pomeranians Shelby and Lil Rascal, and of course, Chance, the big black Rottweiler/German Shepherd mix.
Her most significant adoption was her son, Terry. He was considered a special needs child because he was born with a genetic disorder known as Fragile X Syndrome. The disorder can cause many cognitive disorders, such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation and depression.
All characters in the story are based on Sandra’s real life family.
Watch the book trailer:
My take on the book:
Second Chance is a beautifully written testimony to the power of love we can give to someone by offering them a second chance. Told from the unique perspective of the rescued dog Chance, young readers are the given the opportunity to learn about adoption and autism in a very simple yet beautiful way. The impressionistic photographs were fascinating for me and I thought were incredibly poignant as a metaphor for empathy and learning to see the world through someone else’s eyes.
Sandra Gerencher’s lifelong commitment to rescuing dogs and her love of both animals and people is incredibly inspiring. It’s easy for me to say this is a must-read for adopted children but I want to go a step further and say it&rsq
1 Comments on Book Review: Second Chance, last added: 1/26/2011
Thank you, Chris, for the heart warming and touching review of SECOND CHANCE. It is definitely a book that tugs at the heart strings especially considering it is based on Sandra’s real life family. Thank you for recommending it to the fine readers of Book Dads – both young and old.
Andrea Nepa is the mother of an adopted Vietnamese daughter named Leah. In 2001, Adoptions from the Heart assisted with the international adoption. Her book is dedicated to her daughter: “For my dear Leah, whose journey in her young life has already taken her to far away and unexpected places.” In 2006, Leah was diagnosed with cancer. She is currently in remission. Andrea lives with Leah and her husband, David, in Haddonfield, New Jersey. She is a registered dietitian for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
About the book:
The journey of adoption is beautifully depicted through the comforting imagery of a poppy flower who is welcomed into a garden family. It is a charming story of seeds being planted in the perfect place – exactly where they belong.
Watch the book trailer:
My take on the book:
Red in the Flower Bed is a charming and elegant rhyming poem telling the story of a lone poppy seed floating through the air in search of a place to call home. The poppy seed and gardening motif serves very nicely as a subtle yet stirring metaphor for interracial adoption.
I loved the simplicity in the pictures in this book. They reminded me of a homemade collage project and left me and imagine other readers with a warm feeling as you can see the love which has gone into the creation of this book. I was struck by the powerful emotions I felt while reading this book as well. I was in awe of this and found it to be quite a powerful and touching tribute (appropriate since it’s published by Tribute Books!!) to the infinite bounds of a parent’s love for a child.
I’m a huge supporter/proponent of adoption as I have had the opportunity to spend time overseas working with orphans of AIDS and also visiting orphanages. I will definitely be recommending this book to people I know who have adopted or who work with adopted children.
I also want to give Tribute Books a great deal of credit here as well by having the book available in so many different formats: Paperback
2 Comments on Book Review: Red in the Flower Bed, last added: 1/26/2011
Chris – thank you for the lovely review. We really appreciate your support of RED IN THE FLOWER BED and for recommending it to the readers of Book Dads. Your blog is amazing and it is an honor to be featured on it. What you do to promote quality children’s books is inspiring. Keep up the great work!
Best wishes,
Nicole
Tribute Books
Chris Singer said, on 1/26/2011 8:00:00 PM
You’re very welcome – beautiful book! You’re doing great stuff at Tribute Books – thrilled I found you!!
If there is one type of book I am ALWAYS on the lookout for - it is books on adoption for children. SO, when I was contacted by Tribute Books about Red in the Flower Bed by Andra Nepa - I was over-the-top-excited! Nepa is the mother of an adopted Vietnamese daughter so she KNOWS what adoption involves and what it can mean to our little ones that we bring into our homes. That is why I am so excited about this book - the theme of adoption all wrapped around a little seed that grows. The analogy is wonderful! I love how the seed becomes a flower and blends into the rainbow in the flower garden. I can't wait to share this one with my daughters - it is perfect!
*I was provided an online link for review purposes by Tribute Books.
1 Comments on Red in the Flower Bed, last added: 12/6/2010
Aww, thanks Becky - your review as an adopted mom means the world to us. We're thrilled to hear how excited you are about RED IN THE FLOWER BED. I know Andrea will be so grateful.
Thanks again for sharing the book with the readers of In the Pages and for participating in the blog tour. We can't thank you enough for your support.
Sweet Moon Baby: An Adoption Tale, which is written by Karen Henry Clark and illustrated by Patrice Barton, was released last month. When I received my review copy, from Knopf Delacorte Dell Young Readers Group, I began reading it and felt tears well-up in my eyes. The lump in my throat stayed throughout the entire [...]
How often do you come across a book that you can totally relate to?? I find, not very often, but The Red Thread, by Ann Hood perfectly captures the heart of a Chinese adoption. I could relate to every aspect of it - meeting our travel group, hearing their stories, travelling to get our little ones - it was all so real to me. And I LOVED how interwoven between all of that is the story of how each of the little Chinese girls is brought to an orphanage and given up for adoption. It is a heart-wrenching book - but one I am SO glad I read. It was real to me - a story I shook my head "yes" to as I was reading.
I will add that some of the sadness behind each family's story is brought out - it is real, but it is also raw - including some scenes that were a bit too graphic for me - that is just my disclaimer thrown in there - I try to be honest on my blog and I don't want to recommend something whole-heartedly that might offend some. I didn't think some of the scenes were necessary, but I also know that is what sells - sadly enough!
Meredith Efken has written, Lucky Baby, a tender story of Chinese adoption. This was an especially tough one for me to read as it tells the story of two little girls that form a very close bond in the orphanage in China and are torn apart when one of them is adopted. The story hits on some very powerful aspects of adoption - feelings that adoptive parents, adopted children, and even foster parents face in the world of adoption. It also gives insight into the "older child" adoption which seems to be not as prevalent in fiction. The story was wonderfully-written, compelling, and yet hard to turn the pages sometimes. The story was so real that it hurt to read at points. You can tell that Efken is an adoptive mom that feels strongly about adoption and knows her information regarding adoption. Truly a great read.
Emma Freke doesn’t have it easy.Why couldn’t her mother have at least said her name aloud before naming her: “am a freak”?That is exactly how Emma feels.She doesn’t fit in with her expressive Italian mom, Donatella, who likes to leave out the fact that she has a daughter while she is meeting potential suitors.Her Nonno, who lives with them above their bead shop, is either asleep in his chair or out walking the dog. And you can imagine what school can be like for a 5’ 10’’ tall 11-year-old with her name.
Donatella, in a rare instance of maternal action, gives Emma a thoughtful birthday gift this year. Home-schooling! Donatella says that Emma’s Nonno will help out with the teaching by bringing Emma to the library daily, as home-schooled kids generally do.Emma realizes that the materials her mom gave her to use are a bit dated, so she enlists the librarian Stevie, to suggest some more recent workbooks at a higher grade-level. Stevie makes a few phonecalls, and Emma isn’t really surprised to hear that Donatella didn’t exactly go through the proper channels to get Emma into home-schooling in the first place. This makes Emma think on something that her neighbor and best friend Penelope planted in her brain…maybe Emma, like Penelope, is actually adopted. It would explain a few things. She doesn’t look like her mom or her other relatives, and she certainly doesn’t act like them.
No such luck. In an unexpected turn of events, Emma is soon whisked off to the Freke family reunion. She knows that her own father who she has never met will not be there due to a rift in his own family relations, but maybe Emma will find some sense of place in her namesake family.
Elizabeth Atkinson has written a story about family and finding your place in it. What is a family, after all? Can you ever fight how you fit in yours? What traits do you pull from the folks who raise you, and what do you get from genetics? It’s also a story about finding your voice, your courage and your confidence. Diversity of all sorts is woven into the story, from Phoebe’s lesbian moms, and Phoebe’s own Liberian decent, to Emma’s own inter-generational family and her cousin Fred’s non-conformity. Feeling like the square peg is very understandable for tweens, and readers will be charmed by Emma’s journey.
0 Comments on I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson as of 1/1/1900
Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somay Gowda had a theme that touched right where I am as an adoptive mom. This story was told from a birthmom's perspective, an adoptive mom's perspective, AND an adoptive daughter's perspective. The stories run together and form one complete life journey. It provided great culture and insights on India, as well as many insights into adoption. It was well-written and kept me going all the way to the end - I highly recommend it - whether you've adopted or not - there is something in this one for everyone.
I’ve written before on this blog that I don’t have many pet peeves. It’s true. I really don’t. Perhaps I should qualify what I mean though. For there are some things that I hate with the passion of a lambada dancer. But that’s different than having peeves. Peeves are annoyances. Hate is at once emotional and, in my case, completely rational. It’s about seeing something that’s throwing the world off its axis and knowing you must condemn it for the travesty that it is. I will list some things that I hate here:
Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberg: Look at this smug son-of-a-farmer. He lands a plane in the Hudson River and they book him on Oprah and 60 Minutes. Next thing you know, they’ll be knighting Toonces the Driving Cat for swerving off a friggin cliff. That’s right. Sully ain’t no better than Toonces. I mean, from where I stand, any pilot who can’t land his plane on a runway is a fascist, socialist, French food-eating, soccer-loving kamikaze! You can, and you should, quote me on that. Want a hero? Try John Travolta. Not only was he the yin to Kirstie Alley’s yang in all those Look Who’s Talking movies, but he also never lands his planes on rivers. Case in point.
Sustainable Agriculture: Cucumbers are like albino rhinos. When I buy a one, I’d like to know that there ain’t any others like it. It’s the last of its line. So, I would hope that after my cucumber has been plucked from its cucumber bush, the entire plant is torched, the soil is drenched with kerosene, and some overalls-clad hillbilly is tossing his corncob pipe down and banjo plucking the inferno into the night. An extreme view? Not if you’ve ever suffered the humiliation of showing up at The International Cucumber Festival in Suzdal to find that some woman also has a kirby shaped like a duck.
Orphans: I’m not talking the Dickens variety or those Slumdog Millionaire tots, though I’m certainly not big fans of their pickpocketing, gameshow-winning ways. What I’m talking about are the ones who are always hanging out at the hotspots with Sandra Bullock and Madonna and Angelina Jolie. Clearly all they want to do is wink and shoot finger-guns at the paparazzi, then parlay the TMZ coverage into a book deal and a perfume line. I’ve had a hard enough time getting department stores to even sniff Dusky, A Fragrance by Aaron Starmer, now I got some 4-year-old Javanese celebutante to compete with for shelf space! It’s enough to make a man cancel his subscription to OK! Magazine.
<
1 Comments on Some Things That I Hate…, last added: 7/16/2010
By anoiting Travolta and K. Alley as the Ying Yang twins, I think you are totally discounting the work of Bruce Willis in LWT and LWT2. His work blazed the way for those Etrade ads….Recognize
I felt this piece of info was important to share when it comes to psychic ability.
After parenting an adopted child for five years who had tons of both, I slowly learned what was the difference, and that mental illness did not look how I thought it would. I always thought illness would be very obvious–a bit like what we see on television–the bag lady or the man in the white strait jacket. What we thought was charming quirkiness in “J” early on, was clear-cut signs of mental illness that everyone poo-poo’ed away (many for their own agendas). Once adolescence kicked in, we had full-blown “lots of things”. And honey, that was not ADHD.
There is hearing voices of Guides/Angels or spirits in the room, and then there is hearing voices of your other personalities, split off parts, or out-and-out schizophrenia. A good indicator these are not Guides? The voices aren’t helpful. These voices may even try to get a rise out of you to get you upset (this could even be earthbound spirits. They like to do that). Guides/Angels are always loving and when you hear their guidance you feel a sense of rightness and an inner knowing. They are much like a good psychic reading. You don’t have a reading and hear “you are going to die!” The psychic will tell you that you need to be more careful when you drive. Guides/Angels will never say nasty things about other people or tell you to hurt them in any way. Their drive is to help you have understanding and compassion for others. (The exception is a departed relative visiting who might give advice. Usually, you can identify the voice and how they always acted when they were alive.)
“J” would talk to voices in her room often and claim they were Guides, but I saw and felt nothing, except, I would have the beginning of a migraine when I entered. (Keep in mind though, earthbounds are attracted to high energy emotional states. I think she did have a few entities attached on top of everything else. Henceforth, my headaches).
Folks with personality disorders are really hard to peg as mentally ill. That’s the tough part. Borderlines (called RAD when they are young) will take your life onto a rollercoaster with one moment idolizing you when you do what they want, and the next despising you for not complying. They are also masters of triangulation pitting one person against another just for the drama of it, because chaos feels safe. On the surface, they are as charming as can be, and always who they think you want them to be. But without treatment or help, their lives are a continuous, bad amusement park ride and you don’t need to join them, or risk developing your own mental illnesses.
When I first came to the Sedona area, one of the first things I did was readings at a healing fair. My first customer was a schizophrenic who wanted to know about the implants attached to his head controlled by the government. I did give him the benefit of the doubt after watching years of X-files, but his wife later confirmed he had mental illness. There was also a girl who claimed she was a reincarnated Jesus (lots of those). What scares me is many folks like this need medication or psychological help and not a psychic reading. Sedona is notorious for attracting all kinds of people who want healing. I got an instant education what to look out for.
If you do hear voices that are not helpful, find your moods seriously erratic, go get some help. Get educated. Our bodies and minds are so complicated. Sometimes it’s just a hormone imbalance! We all have the ability to go a little off kilter in the most stressful times. (I’ve got a bit of OCD inherited from my grandmother. Thanks Nanny!)
And if you have more of a psychic intruder bothering you? Being a sensitive/psychic you could open some doors you don’t need to open to outside unhelpful energies attracted to your bright light. Learn clearing exercises and find someone who sp
0 Comments on Mental Illness vs. psychic ability as of 1/1/1900
Three months to the day before Addison was born, we learned we were getting a little sister. We crowded into the ultrasound room peering expectantly at grainy, elusive images on the monitor waiting for some confirmation. The technician asked if we had any preference, and we were divided. The boys had either been flexible or non-committal until then, but the girls, eight year-old Keilana and I, were decidedly in girl camp. Keilana so she could have a majority and me so I could give Keilana what I never had--a sister. The technician then asked if we had any guesses. Since I had dreamed Addison into being long before she came to be, we all guessed girl. And the woman with the magic wand said, “You got it!” I went straight out and bought the girliest pink shoes I could find, just to make it real, and looked forward to a little sister for my brood. But change is always a bit unnerving. As I left for the hospital on the day Addison arrived, I looked at my two earthside kids, especially Connor, tiny in the middle of a king-sized bed, and wondered how it would work out. I needn’t have worried. After some typical adjustment, Addison became what she was always meant to be: a necessary part of our family. In Ed Young’s My Mei Mei, Antonia longs for a sister until reality trumps fantasy and she’s not so sure. Thankfully, there’s a no refund, no return policy on sisters. http://www.amazon.com/My-Mei-Ed-Young/dp/0399243399 http://www.embracingthechild.org/Bookspecialyoung.htm
0 Comments on Where's All My Soul Sisters? as of 6/10/2010 2:35:00 PM
Jacket description: " 'In China there is a belief that people who are destined to be together are connected by an invisible red thread. Who is at the end of your red thread?'
After losing her infant daughter in a freak accident, Maya Lange opens the Red Thread, an adoption agency that specializes in placing baby girls from China with American families. Maya finds some comfort in her work, until a group of six couples share their personal stories of their desire for a child; their painful and courageous journey towards adoption forces Maya to confront the lost daughter of her past. Brilliantly braiding together the stories of Chinese birth mothers who give up their daughters, Ann Hood writes a moving and beautifully told novel of fate and the red thread that binds these characters' lives."
Oooh boy, this one was an emotional doozy. I knew I would probably be needing a ridiculous amount of tissues and I was completely right. The adoption topic hits a bit close to home, as Aaron and I are attempting to decide if, when, and how to adopt a child or children, and as each woman told her own story as to why their family had chosen adoption, the connections were certainly made with my own story.
From infertility to frequent miscarriages, to a daughter with a genetic disorder, these women have a multitude of different reasons for deciding to adopt a baby girl from China, each just as heartbreaking and powerful as the last. Author, Ann Hood, makes these stories come alive and fills them with honest and beautiful characters, with hearts reaching out for these baby girls.
The most unique and eye-opening portion of this novel was the stories from the Chinese mothers that gave up (or forced to give up) their daughters. We never have the opportunity to hear the other side's story...how these baby girls end up in orphanages. And though this is definitely a fictional story, the chance to read about the Chinese side of things was amazing. Hood wove the stories of the Chinese women and the American women perfectly and left my heart hurting for both sides.
Through the entire book, we're given this inside glimpse into the world of contemporary adoption and the process through the eyes of those actually waiting for children and those having to give up their children, whether they wish to or not. If you've adopted, are looking to adopt, or just want a beautifully written story by a fantastic author, I highly recommend picking this one up. I read my copy from the library, but will be going out to buy my own this week.
Overall rating: 5 out of 5 If you read this and enjoy it, grab The Red Thread: An Adoption Fairy Tale by Grace Lin for your children. Another great one!
The Red Thread Ann Hood 304 pages Adult fiction W.W. Norton & Company 9780393070200 May 2010 Book borrowed from my local library
To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon. I am an Associate and will receive a small percentage of the purchase price. Thanks!
I think I may be too tired to properly articulate what I thought of this one. I'm not sure I can even think it through.
I like the voice of the narrator, Dez; she's not always the most likable person in the world, but she seems very much herself. She's an unapologetic neatfreak living in a painfully disorganized world.
What bothered me was the plot; the way the author got from point A to point B was just... weird. Thought perhaps the 10+ books in 2 days factor is affecting my perspective. But the events Hicks chose to make her points were not convincing.
I also disliked Dez's best friend, Jil, who seems incredibly selfish and self-absorbed. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to feel about her, honestly, but she's a major character and presumably intended to be at least somewhat sympathetic.
So kind of divided on this one. I did enjoy reading it and might recommend it to someone looking for a friendship story with a touch of wacky suburban adventure.
.jpeg?picon=3604)
.jpg?picon=1452)
.jpeg?picon=3514)
This sounds like such a heartwarming tale. I'm definitely putting this one on my TBR!
A. HI! Nice to meet you.
B. Wow. This sounds amazing. What an inspiration.
C. 14 girls? Wow.
D. I love that quote.
Yes! And all the more heart-warming because it's TRUE.
Juju - you are so funny :) I think we would be friends in real life! Hopefully you'll get a chance to read Kisses from Katie some time!
I love sisters who can talk books! So cute!
Oh, thank you for reminding me that I wanted to read this book!