Foster Care

1) A Child’s Journey through Placement, by Vera I. Fahlberg

2) The Child Called It, The Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave, by Dave Pelzer

Adoption

1) The Spirit of Open Adoption, by James L. Gritter

2) Adopting the Hurt Child: Hope for Families with Special Needs Kids: A Guide for Parents and Professionals, by Gregory Keck & Regina M. Kupecky

3) The Handbook for Single Adoptive Parents, by Hope Marindin

4) Raising Adopted Children and Making Sense of Adoption: a Parent’s Guide, by Lois Ruskai Melina

5) Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew, by Sherrie Eldridge

6) Real Parents, Real Children: Parenting the Adopted Child, by Holly van Gulden & Lisa M. Bartels-Rabb

7) The Open Adoption Experience, by Louis Melina

8) The Family of Adoption, by Joyce Maguire Pavo

9) The Primal Wound, by Nancy Newton Verrier

10) Come Rain or Come Shine, by Rachel Garlinghouse (transracial adoption)

11) Inside Transracial Adoption, by Gail Steinberg & Beth Hall

Attachment

1) Attachment, Trauma, and Healing: Understanding and Treating Attachment Disorder in Children and Families, by Terry M. Levy & Michael Orlans

2) Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today’s Parents, by Deborah D. Gray

LGBTQ+

1) The Complete Lesbian and Gay Parenting Guide, by Arlene Istar Lev

2) Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is, by Abigail Garner

3) Lesbian and Gay Families: Redefining Parenting in America – The Changing Family, by J.S. Pollack

4) Lesbian and Gay Families Speak Out: Understanding the Joys and Challenges of Diverse Family Life, by J.L. Drucker & H. Schulweis

5) Lesbian and Gay Parenting Handbook: Creating and Raising Our Families, by A. Martin

6) Out of the Ordinary: Essays on Growing Up with Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Parents, by N. Howey & E. Samuels

7) Reinventing the Family: The Emerging Story of Lesbian and Gay Parents, by L. Benkov

8) Sons Talk about Their Gay Fathers, by Andrew R. Gottlieb

For Family and Friends

1) In On It: What Adoptive Parents Would Like You To Know About Adoption. A Guide for Relatives and Friends, by Elizabeth O’Toole

2) The Connected Child: Bring hope and healing to your adoptive family, by Karyn B. Purvis, David R. Cross, and Wendy Lyons Sunshine

Suggested Children’s Books

Ages 0-3

1) The Day we met You, by Phoebe Koehler

Ages 2-6

1) A Mother for Choco, by Keiko Kasza (ages 2-8)

2) A Koala for Katie, by Jonathan London

3) We’re Different, We’re the Same, by Bobbie Jane Kates

Ages 3-8

1) Little Miss Spider, by David Kirk

2) Adoption Stories for Young Children, by Randall B. Hicks

3) It’s Okay to be Different and The Family Book, by Todd Parr (ages 3-6)

4) I Love You Like Crazy Cakes, by Rose Lewis

5) The Best Single Mom in the World: How I was Adopted, by Mary Zisk

6) My Family is Forever, by Nancy Carlson

7) We Belong Together, by Todd Parr

8) Families are Forever, by Craig Shemin

9) All Families are Special, by Norma Simon

10) I’m Brown and my Sister Isn’t, by Robbie O’ Shea

Ages 4-10

1) All about Adoption: How Families are Made & How Kids Feel about it, by Marc Neimiroff, PhD and & Jane Annunziata, PhD (ages 4-12)

2) Twice Upon a Time: Born and Adopted, by Eleanora Patterson

3) Rosie’s Family: An Adoption Story, by Lori Rosove

4) Mr. Rogers-Let’s Talk About It: Adoption, by Fred Rogers (ages 4-8)

5) Did My First Mother Love Me? by Kathryn Ann Miller (ages 4-8)

6) I Miss My Foster Parents, by Stefon Herbert (ages 4-12)

7) Zachary’s New Home: A Story for Foster and Adopted Children, by Geraldine M. Blomquist, M.S.W. and Paul B. Blomquist (ages 4-10)

Ages 6-12

1) W.I.S.E. Up Powerbook, by Marilyn Schoettle, MA

Helpful book reviews and other resources 

Nurturing Foster & Adoptive Kids By Giving A Hoot About Their Caregivers