Adoption Factbook IV. National Council for Adoption. (Sterling, VA: PMR Printing Company, Inc., 2007). This large resource book covers adoption statistics, domestic adoption, adoption and foster care, international adoption, the adoption process, and a detailed discussion of mutual consent and openness in adoption.

Adoptive Families Magazine: This magazine provides adoptive families with up-to-the-minute information about finding and raising children from all over the world and of all ages.

Adesman, Andrew, M.D. Parenting Your Adopted Child: A Positive Approach to Building a Strong Family. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2004). Balanced and authoritative treatment of all types of adoption, especially excellent in discussion of transracial adoptions.

Berlin, Peter R., and Jerry Stone. A Personal Touch On … Adoption: Support Group in a Book. (Los Angeles, CA: A Personal Touch Publishing, 2005). Numerous personal stories from birth mothers, adoptees, and adoptive parents who adopted across racial lines or were in nontraditional families.

Curtis, Jamie Lee. Tell Me Again about the Night I Was Born. (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1996). Beautifully illustrated (by Laura Cornell) and sweetly told story of a child adopted at birth; excellent for reading to young children.

Davenport, Dawn. The Complete Book of International Adoption. (New York: Random House, 2006). Ms. Davenport hosts the Internet radio show, “Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption and Infertility.”www.findingyourchild.com

Dobson, James. Parenting Isn't for Cowards. (Waco, TX: Word, 1987). A readable, kind, and hopeful guide for parents of children from infancy through adolescence. More than twenty years after publication, Dr. Dobson's advice is still practical and on target.

Doss, Helen. The Family Nobody Wanted. (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1954). Wonderful story of Helen and Carl Doss, who adopted ten children, many of whom were biracial or handicapped.

Eldridge, Sherrie, Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. (New York: Dell, 1999). Personal account and ideas about the adoption experience; excellent for giving the viewpoint of an adult who was adopted as a child.

Eyre, Richard, and Linda Eyre. Empty-Nest Parenting. (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company, 2002). A calm and wise guide for parents who reach the end of their legal responsibility for their children, but want to maintain love and connection and support adult children as they launch their independent lives.

Fackrell, Tamara. The Potentially Sane Mother's Guide to Raising Young Children. (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 2005). Inspiration and comfort for parents of small children, with specific tips on building trust and accountability while enjoying the adventure of parenting.

Featherstone, Helen. A Difference in the Family: Life with a Disabled Child. (New York: Basic Books, 1980). Excellent discussion of strategies for helping siblings attach and families thrive. Also, gives insights into how disabled people feel about and deal with their surroundings.

Fodor, Margie Druss. Megan's Law: Protection of Privacy. (Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 2001). Young-adult level of discussion about legal and privacy issues surrounding convicted sex offenders; considers unintended consequences and problems with using DNA registries.

Foli, Karen J., Ph.D., and John R. Thompson, M.D. The Post-Adoption Blues: Overcoming the Unforeseen Challenges of Adoption. (New York: Rodale Press, 2004). Highly recommended! This readable book gives hope and ideas to adoptive parents who wonder why the experience they most coveted isn't turning out the way they thought it would.

Garner, Abigail. Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is. (New York: HarperCollins, 2004). The author, the child of a gay father, researched the stories of more than fifty children of gays or lesbians who are now adults. A valuable book for those who want to understand the “gifts and challenges of being raised in families that are often labeled ‘controversial.’”

Gray, Deborah. Attaching in Adoption. (Indianapolis, IN: Perspectives Press, 2002). An indispensable and well-written guide for parents dealing with attachment issues of children from abusive or neglected backgrounds.

Hopkins-Best, Mary. Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft. (Indianapolis, IN: Perspectives Press, 1997). Readable, reassuring book about special issues in adopting toddlers. Gives specific, helpful advice for addressing attachment and cultural challenges.

Johnston, Patricia Irwin. Adoption Is a Family Affair! (Perspectives Press, 2001). This book focuses on extended family members' points of view and gives advice for building close relationships. It's filled with information and advice based on interviews and experiences of thousands of adoptive families, and it contains excellent resources.

Jones, Sandy. Comforting Your Crying Baby. (New York: Innova Publishing, 1992). Kind and compassionate advice for parents from first timers to those who care for foster babies or who may have multiple children. Discusses the reasons babies cry and building communicationand family attachment.

Latham, Glenn I., Ph.D. The Power of Positive Parenting. (North Logan, UT: P & T Inc., 2003). Workbook-style manual for addressing all aspects of applying behavioral principles at home and being the in-charge but loving adult.

Lev, Arlene Istar, CSW. The Complete Lesbian and Gay Parenting Guide. (New York: Berkley, 2004). An interesting book written by a lesbian adoptive parent that gives specific suggestions and details pertaining to forming “alternative” families, understanding legal methods for protecting particular lifestyles, and the realities of adoptive parenting.

Libal, Joyce, in consultation with Lisa Albers, M.D.; Carolyn Bridgemohan, M.D.; Laurie J. Glader, M.D.; Cindy Croft, M.A. Somebody Hear Me Crying: Youth in Protective Services. (Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2004). Read for help with understanding risks and identifying behaviors of abused and or neglected children.

Liptak, Karen. Adoption Controversies. (New York: Franklin Watts, 1993). Discusses the impact of adoption on the adoption triad: the child, the adoptive parents, and the birth parents. Short essays give pros and cons of different forms of adoption from surrogacy to transracial adoptions.

MacLeod, Jean, and Sheena Macrae, Ph.D. Adoption Parenting: Creating a Toolbox, Building Connections. (Warren, NJ: EMK Press, 2006). Essays and articles by adoptive parents and adoption professionals that cover everything from understanding the unique issues surrounding adoption to specific techniques for dealing with disciplining an abused child, developing family bonds, and transitioning through childhood stages into adulthood.

McLean, Michael. From God's Arms to My Arms to Yours. (Salt Lake City, UT: Shadow Mountain Press, 2007). This is a small, hardcover keepsake book with beautiful pictures and short, touching essays, plus a CD with original songs about all aspects of adoption — a birth mother's choice, adoptive families' yearnings, adoptee perspectives, etc.

Melina, Lois Ruskai, and Sharon Kaplan Roszia. The Open Adoption Experience. (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1993). Early writing on open adoptions; includes many excellent references and resources.

Melina, Lois Ruskai. Raising Adopted Children: Practical, Reassuring Advice for Every Adoptive Parent. (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1998). Excellent advice for helping children attach to their adoptive parents, and an early reference for dealing with birth families.

Meyer, Donald J., Patricia F. Vadasy, and Rebecca R. Fewell. Living with a Brother or Sister with Special Needs: A Book for Sibs. (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1985). Young-adult level of information for siblings who live with a disabled person. Compilation of lectures, essays, and articles that help kids understand causes of different disabilities and how to cope with embarrassment.

Muzi, Malina Jo. Your Kids: Their Lives. (Merion Station, PA: Pink Roses Publishing, 2006). Essays and observations about all aspects of parenting, from infancy through adolescence and young adulthood; contains excellent advice about connecting with and guiding children without force or neglect.

Paton, Jean M. The Adopted Break Silence: The Experiences and Views of Forty Adults Who Were Once Adopted Children. (Philadelphia, PA:Life History Study Center, 1954). Early writings describing the pain of adults who had no information about their biological families.

Player, Corrie Lynne, M.Ed. Loving Firmness: Successfully Raising Teenagers Without Losing Your Mind. (Denver, CO: Mapletree Publishing Company, 2006). Practical, readable, and inspiring information for parents of teens.

Purvis, Karyn B., Ph.D., David R. Cross, Ph.D., and Wendy Lyons Sunshine. The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family. (New York: McGraw Hill, 2007). Extremely practical advice for parents who adopt children from other countries or cultures with troubled backgrounds and or special behavioral or emotional needs.

Reef, Catherine. Alone in the World: Orphans and Orphanages in America. (New York: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2005). Readable, wellwritten discussion of reasons for orphanages and why they're no longer part of the child welfare system in the United States.

Russell, Marlou, Ph.D. Adoption Wisdom: A Guide to the Issues and Feelings of Adoption. (Broken Branch Productions, 2000) Dr. Russell has spent a lifetime gathering information about the adoption experience. Her work enables adoptive parents to understand the feelings and issues of the children they welcome.

Schlessinger, Laura, Ph.D. Bad Childhood Good Life. (New York: Harp-erCollins Publishers, 2006). Dr. Laura describes how adults can put aside the crippling effects of an abusive childhood and take control of their lives. Most of her advice is also helpful for adoptive parents who bring children into their homes from dysfunctional families.

Schlessinger, Laura, Ph.D. Stupid Things Parents Do to Mess Up Their Kids. (New York: Quill, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2002). Specific, honest, sometimes disturbing advice about asserting and maintaining parental authority that changes as a child grows toward independence.

Seligman, Martin E. Ph.D., Karen Reivich, M.A., Lisa Jaycox, Ph.D., and Jane Gillham, Ph.D. The Optimistic Child. (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995). Clear, sometimes complicated, instructions about “inoculating” children against depression through specific parenting techniques.

Sember, Brette McWhorter. The Adoption Answer Book: Your Complete Guide to a Successful Adoption. (Naperville, IL: Sphinx Publishing, An Imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc., 2007). Excellent legal resource for those contemplating adoption; gives specifics about open adoption, home studies, surrogacy, etc. Has extensive appendices with up-to-date references.

Sember, Brette McWhorter. Gay & Lesbian Parenting Choices: From Adopting or Using a Surrogate to Choosing the Perfect Father. (Franklin Lakes, NJ: Career Press, 2006). A comprehensive look at the options available to same-sex couples wanting to start a family. The author, a former attorney, provides information on international, domestic and state agency, private, and facilitator-led adoption.

Simon, Rita J., and Howard Altstein. Adoption Across Borders (a 30-Year Study of Transracial and Intercountry Adoptions). (Lanham, MD:Roman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2000). An essential resource for parents who adopt outside their ethnic group or internationally; gives research-based information, not anecdotal or emotional.

Snow, Judith E. How It Feels to Have a Gay or Lesbian Parent: A Book by Kids for Kids of All Ages. (Binghampton, NY: Hawthorn Press, 2004). A collection of stories from twenty-eight children, ranging in age from seven to twenty-eight years. This book has validity for children currently being raised by gay or lesbian parents and is a useful tool for therapists and educators in family and multicultural counseling.

Sonna, Linda, Ph.D. The Everything® Parent's Guide to Children with ADD/ADHD. (Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2005). Readable, easy-to-access information for all parents of ADD- and ADHD-diagnosed (or suspected) children.

Sonna, Linda, Ph.D. The Everything® Parent's Guide to Raising Siblings. (Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2006). Dr. Sonna gives wise, warm, and accessible advice to parents about all sorts of sibling issues, including adopted siblings and maintaining relationships with siblings who don't live with the child.

St. Clair, Brita. 99 Ways to Drive Your Child Sane. (Glenwood Springs, CO: Families by Design Publishers, 1999). Fun, helpful little book that gives overstressed parents of children with serious emotional problems tools and tips to cope with situations most parents wouldn't even consider.

Taylor, Rebecca M., MSW. “Why Adoption,” Ensign Magazine, January 2008, pp. 47–52.

Verrier, Nancy. The Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child. (Lafayette, CA: Nancy Verrier, 2007). One of the earliest books to address differences between biological and adopted children. Well-written and engaging style.

Walsh, David, Ph.D. No: Why Kids of All Ages Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It. (New York: Free Press, 2007). Very well-written, helpful, and kind parenting tool.

Walsh, David, Ph.D. Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen. (New York: Free Press, 2004). Dr. Walsh's book is one of the most readable and important books about teenagers ever published.

Warren, Andrea. Orphan Train Rider: One Boy's True Story. (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1996). Young-adult-level description of the orphan trains that operated in the United States from 1854 to 1930, where children were sent from large cities to homes in the Midwest and far west.

Williams, Mary E., Opposing Viewpoints: Adoption. (Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press, Imprint of Thomson Gale, a part of The Thomson Corporation, 2006). Interesting and useful collection of essays about all sides of the adoption issue.

Young, Curtis. “The Missing Piece: Adoption Counseling in Pregnancy Resource Centers,” Heartlink, January 2001. Discussion of importance of semi-open adoptions as a way for birth parents to reconcile their decision to relinquish.