Adoption Booklist
Adoption Booklist
The following fiction and non-fiction books are available through Cumbria Library Service. Libraries also have special parent and carer’s collections, which include other books on adoption, child development, health, family issues and so on. We also have books on issues such as death (loss and grief), drugs, sex and mental health. Please ask in your local library for more information
Books for Adult’s
Author / Title / ISBN / SynopsisAllen, Nick / Making Sense of the New Adoption Law: A Guide for Social and Welfare Services / 1903855314 / Non-fiction.
The Adoption and Children Act 2002 has taken over ten years to finalise and throughout this period a wide variety of opinions on adoption have been expressed. This book seeks to explain the various controversies and place them in a wider social and political context.
Archer, Caroline / First Steps in Parenting the Child who Hurts – Tiddlers and Toddlers / 1853028010 / Non-fiction
Archer, Caroline / Next Steps in Parenting a Child who Hurts – Tykes and Teens / 1853028029 / Non-fiction
Aregent, Hedi / Related by Adoption: a handbook for grandparents and other relatives / 1903699398 / Non-fiction.
This handbook introduces grandparents-to-be and other relatives to information about adoption today. It offers facts about the children needing adoption, processes and procedures and, most importantly, discusses how the wider family can support and be involved in building up a family through adoption.
Aregent, Hedi / Stay Connected: managing contact arrangements in adoption / 1903699126 / Non-fiction
This text draws together contributions on all aspects of contact including kinship care, the needs of black and white families and the needs of birth relatives. It also describes the differing legal situation in Scotland affecting contact arrangements.
BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering) /
Books designed to provide you with all the information, advice and support you need.
Barr, Tracy and Carlisle, Kartrina / Adoption for Dummies / 0764554883 / Non-fiction.
This guide provides potential adopting parents with information on deciding whether they are ready to adopt a child, choosing the right form of adoption, and meeting with birthparents. It also covers time-saving tips on cutting through the res tape and speeding up the adoption process.
Bomber, Louise / Inside I’m Hurting
Davies, Hunter / Relative Strangers: a history of adoption and a tale of triplets / 0316860581 / Non-fiction.
This is the true-life tale of the triplets reunited in 2001 for the first time since their adoption in 1932. Their life stories and how they found each other again are interspersed with the history of adoption, which began in the UK in 1926.
Douglas, Anthony and Philpot, Terry (eds) / Adoption: changing families, changing times / 0415256852 / Non-fiction.
This title focuses on social processes relating to adoption. The book includes real case studies as examples.
Eldredge, Sherrie / Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish their Parents Knew. / 0415256852 / Non-fiction.
Fahlberg, Vera / A Child’s journey Through Placement / 1873868138 / Non-fiction.
Feast, Julie and Philpot, Terry / Searching Questions: identity, origins and adoption.
Nutmeg series / 1903699479 / Non-fiction.
Based on a unique research study about why some adopted people want to search and others do not, this workbook highlights the issues involved and provides a greater understanding of the complexities and feelings that may be encountered on the way.
Fox, Judith / Nutmeg Gets Adopted / 1873868995 / Picture book – junior fiction
Gerhardt, S / Why Love Matters
Jewett, Claudia / Helping Children Cope with Separation and Loss / 0713447079 / Non-fiction.
Kay, Jackie / The Adoption Papers / 185224156X / Non-fiction.
This work tells the story of a black girl’s adoption by a white Scottish couple. The story is told from, three different viewpoints – the mother, the birth mother and the daughter.
Levete, Sarah / Talking About Fostering and Adoption / 0749662565 / Non-fiction.
Aimed at 7-10 year olds, this book asks and answers questions that they may have about fostering and adoption, such as why a child is fostering or adopted and what happens to them. Website addresses, books and support group information are included. The text is supported by real-life accounts and colour photos.
Levy and Orlams / Attachment, Trauma and Healing
Lord, Jenifer / Adopting a Child: a guide for people interested in adoption / 1903699932 / Non-fiction.
Jennifer Lord, a qualified social worker, provides a fully updated new edition of BAAF’s bestselling short guide to adoption which answers many initial questions, tells you how to go about it, and who to approach.
Moriarty, Sinead / A Perfect Match / 1844880419 / Fiction.
After two years of trying for a baby of her own, Emma Hamilton decides to go for the instant solution: finding a Russian baby in need of a home. But she hasn’t reckoned on the route to adoption being so complicated.
Moriarty, Sinead / From Here to Maternity / 1844880680 / Fiction.
Emma and James have gone through the mill trying to have a baby. They are about to collect their new son. Yuri, from a Russian orphanage but have also discovered that Emma is pregnant.
Morrison, Marjorie / Talking about Adoption to you Adopted Child: a guide / 1903699525 / Non-fiction.
All adopters and foster carers are encouraged to talk to the children they can for about their origins, and about when and how they were adopted. This book provides the only easy-to0read, comprehensive guide to the subject available in Britain.
Quinn, Karen / Wife in the Fast Lane: a novel / 074349217X / Fiction.
Christy Hayes Drummond, Olympic athlete turned business mogul, has it all – fame, money, a gorgeous and powerful CEO husband. But when she adopts 11year-old Renata, her enviable world starts to unravel. Soon she’s battling it out with three formidable opponents.
Reilly, Tina / Something Borrowed / 0751538469 / Fiction.
Adopted as a baby, Vicky McCarthy’s curiosity about where she came from has finally got the better of her: she wants to trace her mother. If that doesn’t cause friction enough, there’s a new face to contend with at work: Ed O’Neill. This is a frank, funny tale of loves lost and found.
Stien and Kendall / Psychological Training and the Developing Brain”
Renddall, Jonathon / Garden Hopping: a memoir of adoption / 1841955965 / Non-fiction.
Jonathon Renddall was adopted in the 1960’s when it was easy. People could just pick out the children they wanted. But what of the children themselves? And what happens when years later they trace their real parents? “Garden Hopping” is a harrowing, and shocking journey into the dark night of identity.
Sturge-Moore, Leonie (ed) / Could You Be My Parent?: adoption and fostering stories / 1903699827 / Non-fiction.
This collection gathers together the stories of children who need a new, permanent family and the stories of people who have welcomed them into their homes, the stories describe, often in people’s own words, what it is like to want to care for someone else’s child, and what it is like when it actually happens.
Thomas, Pat / My Parents Picked Me!: a first look at adoption / 0750242671 / Non-fiction.
Written by psychotherapist and counsellor Pat Thomas, this is one in a series of books which promote interaction between children, parents and teachers on personal, social and emotional.
Trinder, Liz and Feast, Julia / The Adoption Reunion Handbook / 0470094222 / Non-fiction.
It is estimated that more than half of all adopted people go in search of their birth family members at some point. This book draws on the real-life experiences of people who have traced their birth family, offering practical advice on all aspects of this difficult and sensitive process
Triseliotis, J.P, Feast, Julia and Kyle, Fiona / The Adoption Triangle Revisited: a study of adoption, search and reunion experiences / 1903699711 / Non-fiction.
Presenting the individual perspective of birth mothers, adopted people and adoptive parents on what the adoption search and reunion experience had meant to them, this text examines and contrasts the feelings, thoughts and reactions of matched pairs of adopted people and their birth mothers and adoptive parents..
Tyler, Anne / Digging to America / 070118034X / Fiction.
Dealing with themes such as belonging, pride, prejudice and love, this is the story of two extended families that are brought together thanks to the birth of two tiny Korean babies on the same night.
Books for Teenagers
Author / Title / ISBN / SynopsisAdey, Cesca / Chloe / 1844289427 / Teenage fiction. Tells a moving heart-warming story about adoption and sibling rivalry.
BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering) /
Books designed to provide you with all the information, advice and support you need.
Campbell, Nicky / Blue-eyed Son: the story of an adoption / 0330433067 / Non-fiction.
Adopted into a comfortable, protestant family at an early age, BBC presenter Nicky Campbell was always aware that the family he was part of was not his birth family. But when he embarked on the trail of his natural parents, what he found came as quite a shock. This is the story of his journey and how he came to terms with who he is.
Cole, Joanna / How I was adopted / 0688170552 / Non-fiction
Creech, Sharon / Ruby Holler / 0747560293 / Teenage fiction.
Tiller and Sairy live a quiet life in Ruby Holler, their children have long since left home and they are happy with their routines. Until one day they decide they want to undertake a big adventure and they need companions to accompany them.
Elliot, Sue / Love child: a true story of adoption, reunion, loss and love / 0091906830 / Non-fiction.
In “Love Child” Sue Elliot tells her own story of growing up as and adopted child. She details her emotional search for her birth mother Marjorie, the heartbreaking tale of how Marjorie gave up Sue for adoption in the 1950’s, and the shock of finding that Sue wasn’t the only child she gave away.
Kingsbury, Karen / Even Now / 0310247535 / Fiction.
Shane Galanter is ready to put down roots after years of searching. But is he making the right choice? Or is there a woman somewhere who remembers a love that hasn’t faded with time Karen Kingsbury weaves a tapestry of lives, losses, love and faith – and the miracle or resurrection.
Kingsolver, Barbara / Pigs in Heaven / 0571171788 / Fiction.
A spellbinding novel of heartbreak and love, this book travels the roads from rural Kentucky and the urban southwest to Heaven, Oklahoma, and the Cherokee nation, testing the boundaries of family and the many separate truths about the ties that bind.
Kowalski, William / Somewhere South of Here / 0552999369 / Fiction.
In Somewhere South of Here a 20-year-old man sets off on a road trip to New Mexico in search of his mother who deserted him as a baby. It is a journey that will teach him many things about family, friends, love and death.
McAuley, Roisin / Singing Bird / 0755326024 / Fiction.
27 years after she adopted a baby girl in Ireland, Lena Molloy receives a call from the nun who set up the adoption. Sister Monica claims she merely wants to tie up loose ends before she retires but Lena is intrigued and worried by the call and has her own loose ends to tie up.
Montgomery, L.M / Anne of Green Gables / 0140367411 / Junior fiction.
The appeal of this Canadian classic children’s book is seemingly everlasting – for it is a story of an individual making good by her own efforts, an orphaned girl sent to live with an elderly brother and sister who really want a boy to help on the farm.
Moriarty, Sinead / A Perfect Match / 1844880419 / Fiction.
After two years of trying for a baby of her own, Emma Hamilton decides to go for the instant solution: finding a Russian baby in need of a home. But she hasn’t reckoned on the route to adoption being so complicated.
Moriarty, Sinead / From Here to Maternity / 1844880680 / Fiction.
Emma and James have gone through the mill trying to have a baby. They are about to collect their new son. Yuri, from a Russian orphanage but have also discovered that Emma is pregnant.
Morpurgo, Micheal / Long Way Home / 1405226692 / Junior fiction.
Twelve years-old George has been moving from one foster home to another for as long as he can remember. This summer he is being sent to Dyer’s farm, and he is sure that he won’t like it there.
Powell, Jillian / What do we think about Adoption? / 0750224924 / Junior non-fiction.
In this book you can read all about adoption. Find out how it happens and how you might feel if you are adopted. You can read about children who have been adopted and found new lives with families who love and care for them.
Quinn, Karen / Wife in the Fast Lane: a novel / 074349217X / Fiction.
Christy Hayes Drummond, Olympic athlete turned business mogul, has it all – fame, money, a gorgeous and powerful CEO husband. But when she adopts 11year-old Renata, her enviable world starts to unravel. Soon she’s battling it out with three formidable opponents.
Reilly, Tina / Something Borrowed / 0751538469 / Fiction.
Adopted as a baby, Vicky McCarthy’s curiosity about where she came from has finally got the better of her: she wants to trace her mother. If that doesn’t cause friction enough, there’s a new face to contend with at work: Ed O’Neill. This is a frank, funny tale of loves lost and found.
Trollope, Joanne / Brother and Sister / 0552771732 / Fiction.
We all need to know where we come from, where we belong. But for David and Nathalie, this need to more urgent than for most people, because they are adopted. Brought up by the same parents, but born to different mothers, they have grown up, fiercely loyal to one another as brother and sister.
Tyler, Anne / Digging to America / 070118034X / Fiction.
Dealing with themes such as belonging, pride, prejudice and love, this is the story of two extended families that are brought together thanks to the birth of two tiny Korean babies on the same night.
Books for Children
Author / Title / ISBN / SynopsisAdey, Cesca / Chloe / 1844289427 / Teenage fiction.
Tells a moving heart-warming story about adoption and sibling rivalry.
Ahlberg, J&A / “Bye Bye Baby”
Argent, Hedi / Where are my brothers and sisters? / Non fiction.
It explains why siblings may be looked after in different ways and by different families, and looks at how contact may, or may not, be maintained between the, and the reasons for this.
BAAF (British Association for Adoption and Fostering) /
Books designed to provide you with all the information, advice and support you need.
Brodzinsky / Mulberry Bird
Campbell, Nicky / Blue-eyed Son: the story of an adoption / 0330433067 / Non-fiction.
Adopted into a comfortable, protestant family at an early age, BBC presenter Nicky Campbell was always aware that the family he was part of was not his birth family. But when he embarked on the trail of his natural parents, what he found came as quite a shock. This is the story of his journey and how he came to terms with who he is.
Cole, Joanna / How I was adopted / 0688170552 / Non-fiction
Creech, Sharon / Ruby Holler / 0747560293 / Teenage fiction.
Tiller and Sairy live a quiet life in Ruby Holler, their children have long since left home and they are happy with their routines. Until one day they decide they want to undertake a big adventure and they need companions to accompany them.
Cutis, Jamie Lee / Tell Me Again about the Night I was Born / 0439012368 / Picture book – junior fiction
Elliot, Sue / Love child: a true story of adoption, reunion, loss and love / 0091906830 / Non-fiction.
In “Love Child” Sue Elliot tells her own story of growing up as and adopted child. She details her emotional search for her birth mother Marjorie, the heartbreaking tale of how Marjorie gave up Sue for adoption in the 1950’s, and the shock of finding that Sue wasn’t the only child she gave away.
Feast, Julie and Philpot, Terry / Searching Questions: identity, origins and adoption
Nutmeg series / 1903699479 / Non-fiction.
Based on a unique research study about why some adopted people want to search and others do not, this workbook highlights the issues involved and provides a greater understanding of the complexities and feelings that may be encountered on the way.
Fox, Judith / Nutmeg Gets Adopted / 1873868995 / Picture book – junior fiction
Gray, Kes and McQuillan, Mary / Our Twitchy / 0099434199 / Picture book – junior fiction.
In this humorous and touching story about adoption, Milfoil the cow and Sedge the horse decide to tell Twitchy they are not his real Mum and Dad, even though they all eat carrots and live in a burrow just like an ordinary rabbit family.
Kingsbury, Karen / Even Now / 0310247535 / Fiction.
Shane Galanter is ready to put down roots after years of searching. But is he making the right choice? Or is there a woman somewhere who remembers a love that hasn’t faded with time Karen Kingsbury weaves a tapestry of lives, losses, love and faith – and the miracle or resurrection.