Book picks similar to
Adoption Is a Lifelong Journey by Kelly DiBenedetto


adoption
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Lost Found: The Adoption Experience


Betty Jean Lifton - 1979
    Betty Jean Lifton, herself an adoptee, draws upon her own experience and her extensive work with adoptees, birth mothers and fathers, and adoptive parents to explore the harmful effects of secrecy on the identity of a child and the liberating possibilities of openness. A new Preface links the psychology of the adopted to that of babies born of surrogacy and other reproductive technologies. And a new Afterword explores the most recent developments in the adoption field, such as post-adoption counseling, open adoption, and the controversy around the adoption syndrome. The author concludes with a code of rights and responsibilities for everyone in the adoption circle, along with an updated list of support groups and counseling clinics for the adoption triad in the United States and Canada.

A Mother for Choco


Keiko Kasza - 1992
    He doesn't even think of asking Mrs. Bear if she's his mother-but then she starts to do just the things a mommy might do. And when she brings him home, he meets her other children-a piglet, a hippo, and an alligator-and learns that families can come in all shapes and sizes and still fit together.Keiko Kasza's twist on the Are you my mother? theme has become one of the most highly recommended stories about adoption for children.

A World of Pausabilities: An Exercise in Mindfulness


Frank J. Sileo - 2017
     A pause is being in the moment and giving yourself a break. There's no wrong way to pause so it's hard to make a mistake.In our increasingly hectic world, even children are often inundated with responsibilities and activities, and end up feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Mindfulness helps focus our attention on the present--without judgment, and without worrying about the past or future. It can help us to enjoy the moments we might normally miss, as well as cope when emotions are hard to handle. We just need to take a pause!Everyone has the capacity to be mindful, including (especially!) children. A World of Pausabilities is a gentle reminder to stop, take a break, and notice details even as we go about our busy days. Sometimes the simplest moments are the most important ones--if we don't let them pass us by!Following a neighborhood on a summer day, readers will learn how to apply mindfulness to simple, everyday moments, and how days are filled with endless possibilities to take a pause.Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers that further discusses mindfulness and ways to introduce pauses into your child's life.

Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale


Karen Katz - 1997
    Come quickly and get her."This is a magical, reassuring story of one adoptive family's beginnings, told in words and pictures that are just right for the youngest child--an ideal story to share with families everywhere.A long-awaited baby is born, and the adoptive parents who have been dreaming of her fly far, far away to bring her home.

Incredible You!: 10 Ways to Let Your Greatness Shine Through


Wayne W. Dyer - 2005
    Wayne W. Dyer has written a book just for kids. Beautifully illustrated, Incredible You uses simple, uplifting rhymes to give kids their own tools for creating happiness.Dr. Wayne W. Dyer is an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He has written numerous bestselling books and has created a number of audios and videos. He has appeared on thousands of television and radio programs, including the Today show and Oprah.Kristina Tracy is the former Director of Publicity at Hay House publishing. She is currently a stay at home Mom, caring for her 2 small children. This is her first book.

Chasing Kites: One Mother's Unexpected Journey Through Infertility, Adoption, and Foster Care


Rachel McCracken - 2017
     Rachel McCracken gets the heartache and the sorrow of the desolate valley called Infertility. She gets the dedication and work that it takes to blend a family. She gets the commitment and purpose needed to help children rise from the ashes of abandonment and fear. For anyone who wonders: What is an orphanage really like? Can you really bond with an adopted or foster child? What is it like to lose a child who is reunified with their birth parent? Can you love an adopted or foster child as much as a biological child? How about fertility treatments, are they actually that bad? Why don’t people just adopt? What’s the big deal?​ Chasing Kites answers all of these questions and more. Going from zero to four adopted children through a Colombian orphanage and then from four to seven through the US Foster Care System, Rachel writes a masterful memoir of the good, the bad, and the beautiful with purpose-driven life lessons learned from each. If you have ever experienced loss, grief, or heartache this book is for you. If you are struggling to create a family or to blend a family this book is for you. If you are trying to support someone you love through any of these things, this book is for you. Lose yourself in this delicious tale of love both lost and found.

Pumpkin's Story


Aubre Andrus - 2019
    It hurt the little horse to walk or even stand. She needed help--and fast. Luckily, Pumpkin and her mom were rescued by Twist of Fate Farm and Sanctuary. The sanctuary's founder knew that Pumpkin was special. She would do whatever it took to help her.Pumpkin got lots of love from her animal and human families--plus the support of thousands of online fans from across the globe. Together they helped Pumpkin beat the odds and learn to run! This true story told in novel form was in partnership with the The Dodo, maker of lovable animal videos, and Scholastic. Find it at your local Scholastic Book Fair or Book Club!

CBT Toolbox for Children and Adolescents: Over 220 Worksheets & Exercises for Trauma, ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression & Conduct Disorders


Lisa Phifer - 2017
    Step-by-step, you'll see how the best strategies from cognitive behavioral therapy are adapted for children.

Healing Stories for Challenging Behaviour


Susan Perrow - 2008
    It is richly illustrated with lively anecdotes drawn from parents and teachers who have discovered how the power of story can help resolve a range of common childhood behaviours and situations such as separation anxiety, bullying, sibling rivalry, nightmares and grieving.

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes


Rose A. Lewis - 2000
    Full color.

A Baby's Cry


Cathy Glass - 2012
    From the author of Damaged comes a harrowing and moving memoir about tiny Harrison, left in Cathy's care, and the potentially fatal family secret of his beginnings. When Cathy is first asked to foster one-day old Harrison her only concern is if she will remember how to look after a baby. But upon collecting Harrison from the hospital, Cathy realizes she has more to worry than she thought when she discovers that his background is shrouded in secrecy. She isn't told why Harrison is in foster care and his social worker says only a few are aware of his very existence, and if his whereabouts became known his life, and that of his parents, could be in danger. Cathy tries to put her worries aside as she looks after Harrison, a beautiful baby, who is alert and engaging. Cathy and her children quickly bond with Harrison although they know that, inevitably, he will eventually be adopted. But when a woman Cathy doesn't know starts appearing in the street outside her house acting suspiciously, Cathy fears for her own family's safety and demands some answers from Harrison's social worker. The social worker tells Cathy a little but what she says is very disturbing. How is this woman connected to Harrison and can she answer the questions that will affect Harrison's whole life?

Somebody Else's Children: The Courts, the Kids, and the Struggle to Save America's Troubled Families


John Hubner - 1997
    It provides an intimate look at the lives of the parents and children whose fate it decides. A must for social workers and social work students, attorneys, judges, foster parents, law students, child advocates, teachers, journalists and anyone who cares about our nation's children.

The Lost Children of Wilder: The Epic Struggle to Change Foster Care


Nina Bernstein - 2001
    The plaintiff was an abused runaway named Shirley Wilder who had suffered from the system’s inequities. Wilder, as the case came to be known, was waged for two and a half decades, becoming a battleground for the conflicts of race, religion, and politics that shape America’s child-welfare system.The Lost Children of Wilder gives us the galvanizing history of this landmark case and the personal story at its core. Nina Bernstein takes us behind the scenes of far-reaching legal and legislative battles, but she also traces the life of Shirley Wilder and her son, Lamont, born when Shirley was only fourteen and relinquished to the very system being challenged in her name. Bernstein’s account of Shirley and Lamont’s struggles captures the heartbreaking consequences of the child welfare system’s best intentions and deepest flaws. In the tradition of There Are No Children Here, this is a major achievement of investigative journalism and a tour de force of social observation, a gripping book that will haunt every reader who cares about the needs of children.

Connected Parenting: Transform Your Challenging Child and Build Loving Bonds forLife


Jennifer Kolari - 2009
    Achild and family therapist for more than twenty years, Jennifer Kolari began her career working with children suffering from severe behavioral problems. That experience taught her an invaluable lesson-it wasn't "tough" discipline that helped these kids change their behavior and build self-esteem. It was unending compassion and empathy. Now, Kolari applies these lessons in her work with all families-even those who are exhausted, overwhelmed, and struggling with the challenges of difficult or extremely defiant children. Empathy lies at the heart of Kolari's Connected Parenting philosophy. What sets this book apart is Kolari's proven step-by-step CALM program (Connect, Match the Affect of Your Child, Listen, and Mirror) that will support parents and help them implement true empathy in any situation-even during temper tantrums. Empathy goes beyond listening well-Kolari offers interactive behavioral and verbal techniques such as mirroring and nonverbal methods like regular play interaction that can reduce conflict dramatically and deepen the connection between a parent and child. Kolari then shows parents how to develop foolproof strategies for setting limits and changing negative behavior for good. Powerful and inspiring, Connected Parenting includes incredible stories from families who have experienced miraculous transformations-often in just a few weeks-using Kolari's parenting approach. It is a dynamic blueprint for bringing peace and loving connections into any family for life.

Happy Adoption Day!


John McCutcheon - 2001
    Complete with musical notation, these verses reassure adopted children they are special. Full-color illustrations.