A Terrible Thing Happened


Margaret M. Holmes - 2000
    At first he tried to forget about it, but soon something inside him started to bother him. He felt nervous for no reason. Sometimes his stomach hurt. He had bad dreams. And he started to feel angry and do mean things, which got him in trouble. Then he met Ms. Maple, who helped him talk about the terrible thing that he had tried to forget. Now Sherman is feeling much better. This gently told and tenderly illustrated story is for children who have witnessed any kind of violent or traumatic episode, including physical abuse, school or gang violence, accidents, homicide, suicide, and natural disasters such as floods or fire. An afterword by Sasha J. Mudlaff written for parents and other caregivers offers extensive suggestions for helping traumatized children, including a list of other sources that focus on specific events.

The Yellow Sock: An Adoption Story


Angela Elwell Hunt - 2009
    . . to welcome a child of their own. When they aren't able to conceive a pregnancy after two years of trying, they decide to adopt . . . and find that journey is also fraught with mishaps and the potential for broken hearts. Can Megan learn to trust God with the desires of her heart? A novella by Angela Hunt, an adoptive mother, about the special way God uses adoption to bring families together.

The Invisible Girl: The True Story of an Unheard Voice


Torey L. Hayden - 2021
    She’s been moved from home to home, and her social workers have difficulty dealing with her habit of running away. After experiencing violence, neglect and sexual abuse from people she should have been able to trust, Eloise has developed complex behavioural needs. She struggles to separate fact from fiction, leading to confusion for the social workers trying to help her.After Torey learns of Eloise's background she hopes that some gentle care and attention can help Eloise gain some sense of security in her life. Can Torey and the other social workers provide the loving attention that has so far been missing in Eloise's life, or will she run away from them too?

The Case for Only Child: Your Essential Guide


Susan Newman - 2011
    In major metropolitan areas like New York, 30 percent of families have a singleton. Throughout the country people are following suit. And it's no wonder why:  The worrisome biological clock (secondary infertility; older mothers) Downtrodden job markets How mothers working affects everyone in the family Finances and housing and costs of education These are only the few things that parents today (and parents to be) contend with when deciding to start a family and determining whether or not to stop after one. The time is right for a book that addresses the emerging type of nuclear family, one that consists of a solo child. Popular Psychology Today blogger and parenting author of fifteen books, including the groundbreaking Parenting the Only Child, Susan Newman, Ph.D., grew impatient with the pervasiveness of only-child folklore masquerading as fact and offers the latest findings about the long-term effects of being raised as a singleton. In The Case for the Only Child, Newman walks parents (and future parents) through the long list of factors working for and against them as well as highlights the many positive aspects of raising and being a singleton. The aim of this book is to ease and guide parents through the process of determining what they want. Although each situation is unique, the profound confusion surrounding having a second child is similar. It is one of the most difficult and life-altering choices parents face. Adding to one's family dramatically changes one's life and the life of one's firstborn forever. What will a person give up in time, money, freedom, intimacy, and job advancement with another child in the household? What will they gain? The Case for the Only Child helps explore and resolve these perplexing questions.

Red Butterfly


A.L. Sonnichsen - 2015
    Abandoned as an infant, she was taken in by an American woman living in China. Now eleven, Kara spends most of her time in their apartment, wondering why she and Mama cannot leave the city of Tianjin and go live with Daddy in Montana. Mama tells Kara to be content with what she has…but what if Kara secretly wants more? Told in lyrical, moving verse, Red Butterfly is the story of a girl learning to trust her own voice, discovering that love and family are limitless, and finding the wings she needs to reach new heights.

White Pumpkin Seed


Annie Wang - 2014
    The story follows her journey from 1978 to '89. She experiences a childhood surrounded by love, death, poverty, and beautiful nature. Vanessa discovers music to express her joy and grief. She puts her soul into the music notes melting her listeners’ hearts. Music brings her into the larger world and on a journey to a surprise discovery. Discover the Taiwanese culture in this heart touching and uplifting story.

Someone Always Loved You


Brooke Williams - 2010
    The victim of the crash is thrown into a coma and Jay keeps vigil by her side. As their lives, past and present intertwine; a story of love through time unfolds. An intricate drama including adoption, love, suspense, and plenty of questions, Someone Always Loved You is a novel that keeps the mind churning and the soul alive.

Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption


Theresa Reid - 2006
    What was missing from their lives was children. But they knew in Eastern Europe, there were children who were missing parents-and they set out to find their family. This is Theresa's account of how Natalie and Lana came to be her daughters-a journey that takes readers not only to Moscow and Kiev but into the deepest parts of a mother's heart. Reid addresses the issues that arise for many an adoptive parent- including the guilt over taking children away from their roots, and the slow, stumbling steps toward trust and tenderness that played out between them. For any parent, adoptive or not, this book offers not only a compelling story but valuable insights into the transformative power of loving a child.

His Cheeky Chantilly (The Secret Sauce #1)


Dee Ellis - 2020
    Her days are spent baking sweet treats but her nights are spent longing for something more...savory.Only, she is hardly ready for the delicious dish that is Baker Elliot.Baker Elliot is rich, powerful, and hungry. With a hearty appetite for life, he's tasted plenty of what the world has to offer but nothing has satisfied his cravings. Until he meets bubbly, beautiful, and bashful—who just may be the flavor of life he’s been looking for.Flirt Club is cooking up something special . . . and the secret ingredient is L-O-V-E.Our latest recipe for romance is a spicy series full of flavor from nine of your favorite romance authors. Get ready for sexy salsas, romantic reductions, and creamy coulis. These short ’n’ searing stories are sure to satisfy all your cravings.

The Promise


Sam Vickery - 2016
    You won't be able to put The Promise down! Have you ever found something you should have given back? A watch? A purse? How about a baby? When Saraya Mathews finds a baby boy on the streets of London, she knows she should hand him over to the authorities. But Saraya has spent her whole life searching for something meaningful and as soon as she holds him in her arms, something shifts inside her. This baby is meant to be hers. She knows it. But you can't keep what's not yours. Can you? REVIEWS: "An addictive short novel dealing with maternal love and ethical questions in unexpected ways. I read the whole thing in one sitting. Highly recommended." "You can't help but get sucked right in to the storyline. There is every emotion in this book and I felt it right along with the characters. I couldn't put it down. Every parent wants to protect their child, and this story is about the ultimate protection, the ultimate distance a parent can go for that protection. I simply love this book." "A truly compelling read. Had me gripped throughout with its powerful story full of raw emotion!!" "An amazing story full of raw emotions that have you gripped throughout the whole story making it difficult to put it down."

If You Walked In My Shoes


Gwynne Forster - 2004
    Fearing her father's wrath, Coreen is sent to a relative's house--with her mother's consent--until she's able to delivery the baby. A cruel woman, Coreen's aunt emotionally and physically abuses her; relieved when the baby is born so she can finally leave her aunt's home, Coreen gives the baby up for adoption and in her haste, knows nothing about the child--even its own gender. Thirty years later, as an adult, Coreen Holmes Treadwll is married and the mother to two stepsons; now head of a social welfare agency and an expert on the welfare of women and girls, she is distressed at the prospect of appearing a friendly witness before a senate investigating committee. Fearful that her past will be exposed--something her family knows nothing about--Coreen must deal with her past head on, before it's too late.

The Trouble with Alex


Melanie Allen - 2008
    What she got was Alex, a seemingly happy and charming child suffering from Reactive Attachment Disorder, a problem often found in the children of schizophrenic parents. This is her shocking true story.

Zephany: Two mothers. One daughter. An astonishing true story.


Joanne Jowell - 2019
    Desperate pleas from her parents to return her safely went unanswered. There was no trace of the baby. For seventeen years, on her birthday, the Nurses lit candles and hoped and prayed. Living not far away from the Nurses, 17-year-old Miché Solomon had just started Matric. She had a boyfriend. She had devoted parents. She was thinking about the upcoming school dance and the dress her mother was going to make for her. She had no idea that a new girl at her school, who bore an uncanny resemblance to her, and a DNA test would shake her world to its foundations. Miché is now 22. This is her story - for the first time in her own words. Told with astonishing maturity, honesty and compassion, it is also a story of what it means to love and be loved, and of claiming your identity.

Faith to Foster


T.J. Menn - 2016
    Foster children live in nearly every community, waiting in silent anonymity for someone to welcome them into their life.Sometimes all it takes is exposure to prompt change.Faith to Foster is a candid and vulnerable look into the life of ordinary foster parents TJ and Jenn Menn. It is a comprehensive journey chronicling their decision making process, how the children arrived, the birth parents' struggle to rehabilitate, help from friends and family, emotional goodbyes, and how faith in Jesus empowered them through it all. This is a story they wished they'd read before starting their foster parenting adventure.TJ and Jenn share of their experiences and feelings in a way that encourages readers to serve their neighbors. Faith to Foster reminds Christians how God can use them to make a difference in their community. He can strengthen our congregations to change lives and redeem innocent children from harmful situations.Indeed, Faith to Foster inspires believers to rely on the mighty power of our God as they seek to change their neighborhoods one child at a time.