Books, Magazines & DVD's

On this page are listed some books / magazines / DVD's that some AACASA members recommend...

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• Books on Adoption, Single parent adoption,
  Toddler adoption, Post-adoption, health (etc)

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• Books for Young children, Older children,
  to help children

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• Books on Africa and/or from Africa
  
• Magazines/newsletters on Adoption, Aid/Sponsorship, Africa/Ethiopia

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• DVD's - Documentary, Fiction (for children),
  Fiction (for older children, adults),
  Segments on TV programmes

The Colour of Difference: Journey's in Transracial Adoption

editors Sarah Armstrong and Petrina Slaytor

A very interesting collection of Australian experiences of transracial adoption, including intercountry adoption and Aboriginal adoptions.

Most of the adoptions took place during or prior to the 1970's, and although awareness of adoption issues was considerably less then than it is today, this is an excellent insight into issues that all adoptive parents would want to be aware of.

The stories are written from the perspectives of the adoptees.

Jesse's World: A Story of Adoption and the Global Family

by Basia Bonkowski

A collection of Australian experiences of adoption.

The stories are written from the perspectives of both the adoptive parents and adoptees.

The descriptions of adoptive parents travelling to developing countries don't include African countries, but provide an excellent introduction to the issues that many potential adoptive parents would like to consider.

Family Wanted: Adoption Stories

edited by Sara Holloway

Printed in England, this is a collection of stories written by people from England, Australia, Africa, America and elsewhere.

The book is divided into 3 sections with personal stories written by adoptees, by birth mothers and by adoptive parents. There are a few mentions of birth fathers and their experiences, but none of the authors were writing from the perspective of a birth father.

The writers are all adults aged in their 30's or older writing of their experiences, from their births & adoptions in the period of the 1940's to the 1960's, to adoptive parents who have adopted in the last few years.

The experiences inlcude local adoptions and intercountry adoptions.

The Road to Parenthood, Adoption and Beyond

by Sam Henry

Primal Wound: Understanding the Adopted Child

by Nancy Newton Verrier

The book describes the sub-conscious problems that can and do arise from being separated from your birthmother.

The book is not only for adoptive parents, but for adult adoptees, and for any people involved in situations where a new born baby, for any reason, was separated from his/her mother.

The first part of the book explains the basis for the writer's theory and describes what the author means by 'primal wound'; and the second part of the book offers advice for parents.

If you like to see justification for solid scientific research this aspect of her research isn't strongly presented by the author.

Making Sense of Adoption: A Parent's Guide

by Lois Ruskai Melina

This book gives a great over-view of many adoption issues.

An American based book, but the issues discussed apply to most adoption situations.

Parenting your Adopted Child: A Positive Approach to Building a Strong Family

by Andrew Adesman

This book gives a great over-view of many adoption issues.

An American based book, but the issues discussed apply to most adoption situations.

Loved by Choice

by Susan Horner

Nobody's Child: Who are you when you don't know your past?

by Kate Adie

The Author is an English lady born in the 'baby boom' following WWII. She talks about the methods that different cultures (mostly European) have used in the past, and in the present, which were intended to protect and help abandoned children - the methods have often been cruel and/or inadequate.

The book would be interesting to anyone who would like to know more about the laws and practices in relation to abandoned children in the past, with some references to very recent situations.

Although to many people the title implies an exploration of the individual and how a person feels if she/he does not know their past, the book barely touches on this.

Adopting on your own the complete guide to adopting as a single parent

by Lee Varon

This book gives an over-view of the particular issues that a single person considering adoption would think about.

There are included a number of "self-reflection" activities/questions to you help guide in your decision.

An American based book, but with exception of the sections on the process of adoption, the issues discussed apply to most single-parent adoption situations.

Toddler Adoption: The Weaver's Craft

by Mary Hopkins-Best

This book explains that adopting a toddler is not the same as adopting a baby, it describes what to expect, what problems and delights that you will face in adopting a toddler.

This is an essential book for anyone considering adopting a toddler aged child.

It is an American based book, but the issues discussed apply to most adoption situations.

A search guide for people adopted from overseas and their families

is being sold by PARC (the Post Adoption Resource Centre) based in Sydney.

Kinki Kreations : A Parent's Guide to Natural Black Hair Care for Kids

(Paperback)
by Jena Renee Williams

It's all Good Hair

by Michelle N K Collison

Telling the Truth to your Adopted or Foster Child

by Betsy Keefer & Jayne E. Schooler

A resource for anyone who has struggled with how to broach difficult topics such as rape, incest, prostitution or abuse with their child.

The authors highlight the damaging repercussions of withholding any information (no matter how unpleasant) from your child, and illustrate how to gradually introduce information in age/developmentally appropriate ways.

Not only can secrets be discovered by the child later in life (resulting in massive damage to relationships, intimacy and trust), but the vignettes included in the text support the authors' thesis that many children are deeply affected by a non-verbal memory of their traumatic past.

Talking to Young Children about Adoption

by Mary Watkins and Susan Fisher

An American book that is presented in 4 sections. The last section is possibly the most interesting as it gives accounts by adoptive parents of how they have talked with their children about adoption, including intercountry adoption.

The first section could also be very interesting for adoptive parents as it talks about the feelings that parents have about their children, about their waiting to be parents and the reality when they become parents. This section can be a little disconcerting as it talks in absolutes (i.e. there are many statements like "all parents think..."), but if you can ignore this, there are a lot of interesting and insightful issues raised.

The section on research could be helpful for anyone who would like to better understand research and the types of research that have been done on adoption.

The Milly, Molly series of books are written for children between the ages of four and eight. The stories relate the adventures of two little girls from different ethnic backgrounds (with their multi-cultural friends), and promote the acceptance of diversity and the learning of life skills.

The stories deal with the kinds of questions and trials that children face every day-and offer understanding in such matters as honesty, respect for others, difference, tenacity, exercise, cooperation, respect for nature, bullying, stranger danger, forgiveness, trustworthiness, responsibility, loyalty, loss and grief-and many other areas that are challenging to young children.

Their message is captured in the simple phrase: "We may look different but we feel the same."

Beatrice's Goat

by Page McBrier

Suitable for children in pre-school or lower primary school.

Set in Uganda this story is about a family who are given a goat through aid, and the changes that happen to their family.

A Mother for Choco

by Keiko Kasza

I Love my hair

by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

Trouble

by Jane Kurtz

Suitable for primary aged children.

Set in Eritrea about a boy who keeps getting into trouble.

His dad gives him a game (a version of Mancala) which he trades with something else.

The Storyteller's Beads

by Jane Kurtz

Suitable for primary aged children.

Set in Ethiopia and based on a true story.

The story follows children who are on a pilgrimage due to a political upheaval in Ethiopia.

Fire on the Mountain

by Jane Kurtz

Suitable for primary aged children.

A nicely illustrated book that re-tells an Ethiopian folk tale about a sister and brother.

A Saint and his Lion

by Elaine Murray Stone

Suitable for children pre-primary and early primary school ages.

This is a nicely illustrated book that tells the popular Ethiopian story of Tekla.

"Tekla is prophesied at birth to be destined for greatness".

"Today Tekla is remembered in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as one of its greatest missionaries and most beloved saints".

My New Family

by Pat Thomas

Suitable for children pre-primary and early primary school ages.

This book is about how lucky children are to have a new family, AND how lucky their family is to have them.

We all went on Safari

by Lauri Krebs and Julie Cairns

Suitable for children pre-primary and early primary school ages.

This book shows children many of the animals of Tanzania, and helps them learn to count in both English and Swahili.

Did my first mother love me?

by Kathryn Ann Miller

When the World Began: Stories Collected in Ethiopia

by Elizabeth Laird

An illustrated book to read to children or for older children to read for themselves ...

'Some of the oldest stories in the world are here, most written down for the first time. There are wise men, and foolish, kings and ogres, cunning animals and ones that make you laugh - and what happened when the world began'.

Please note that some of the stories are a little harsher than many of our modern 'watered-down-Western-stories' and parents might like to read the individual stories for themselves first to decide if their own child is ready for a particular story.

Where's Jamela?

by Miki Daly

Suitable for young children and primary aged children.

Set in South Africa, this illustrated book is about a little girl who is worried when her parents are moving house.

The Tummy Mummy

by Michelle Madrid-Branch

Suitable for children pre-school aged.

Is for children old enough to understand adoption. It is about a birth-mother and a waiting-adoptive-couple.

The Wild Things series

by Elizabeth Laird

They are suitable for children in the upper primary, early high school age-groups.

The Wild Things series are a set of ten novels set in Africa, around wildlife and conservation themes...

Leopard Trail

Baboon Rock

Elephant Thunder

Rhino Fire

Red Wolf

Zebra Storm

Parrot Rescue

Turtle Reef

Chimp Escape

Lion Pride

The Garbage King

by Elizabeth Laird

Suitable for children in the upper primary, early high school age-groups.

A story about 2 Ethiopian boys, who find themselves homeless.

The lives of the children can be a bit harsh in places, but it's realistic and well written.

Parents and waiting-parents would also enjoy this book.

Elizabeth Laird lived in Ethiopia for many years and personally knows many children who live on the streets, a number of whom told her their personal stories, which she used in writing this fictional book.

Jake's Tower

by Elizabeth Laird

Suitable for high school age-groups.

A story about a boy who is physically abused by his step-father.

Eventually his mother takes him to live with his paternal grandmother who he has never met. There are "a lot" of settling in issues.

Not based in Africa, nor an adoption story, but considers many other relevant issues in a book written for children.

Garden of Light: A Collection of Therapeutic Children's Stories

by Susan Perrow

This is thin Australian published book and has collected stories from Australia and Africa.

It includes stories that could be told to children about a number of situations.

The stories aim to be therapeutic to children.

Some of the situations there are stories for are...

• a Nairobi girl whose entire family have died and she is now living in an orphanage - she is given a special doll embroided in silver and gold that is from her family in heaven
• a "little prince" story that was written for a 6 year old African boy who had been sexually abused as a toddler
• a little brown bulb who didn't have a home and found a home
• a pony who has 'wild' behaviour
• a baby koala and mum who have difficulty being separated from each other on pre-school mornings
• a story about a 'wandering star' for children who like to wander off and sometimes get lost

Books on Africa and/or from Africa

There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children

Book on Haregewoin Teferra