I have many great book reccomendations!

This message was originally posted by [url=http://forums.adoption.com/old_boards.php?username=megwing]megwing[/url]. Awesome suggestions :-) Hey, have you heard about the controversy surrounding Dave Peltzer and his series of books? I've read all of them, I think, and so was interested to hear that there are a lot of challeges to the overall veracity of them... There was an interview with him somewhere recently - maybe the New York Times Magazine? - and the contrast between his "voice" in the interview and the books was interesting to me... He comes off as much more self-serving in the interview. Megan

This message was originally posted by [url=http://forums.adoption.com/old_boards.php?username=Alexandra]Alexandra[/url]. I've heard a little bit about that. I must say in the books he is highly defensive of his story heven as he tells it which did make me stop and ask a friend who had read it if they felt he was defendong his story to himself, the reader or his mother. I found it odd he included "reccomendations" from his teachers and neighbors in every book. Other great books for those interested in fostercare: "A New Partnership: Foster Parent Associations and Liaison Social Workers" by Jeanne M. Hunzeker Published by the Child Welfare League of America "Wounded Innocents: The Real Victims of the War Against Child Abuse" by Richard Wexler, Publisher: Prometheus Books; ISBN: 0879759364. "Details the abuse of parents and children by a hysteria-driven bureaucracy." "Parenting With Love and Logic : Teaching Children Responsibility" by Foster W. Cline, Jim Fay "Everything You Need to Know About Living in a Foster Home (Need to Know Library)" by Joe Falke, Joseph Falke, Publisher: Rosen Publishing Group; ASIN: 0823918734. "Gr 6-10--Falke explains the circumstances under which children may be taken from their parents; presents brief case histories of abuse, neglect, and abandonment; and describes the criteria that foster parents and their homes must meet. Issues such as the development of trust and communication and conflicting loyalties receive attention." "Foster Children in a Life Course Perspective" by David Fanshel "The public child welfare system has been increasingly attacked for failing to implement long-standing national policies, especially family preservation. Pelton, a social work educator, continues this attack, but in a uniquely comprehensive, coherent, and compelling manner." "Can This Child Be Saved? Solutions For Adoptive and Foster Families" by Cathy Helding, Foster W. Cline, Publisher: World Enterprises LLC; ISBN: 0966892224. "This book is an excellent resource for both parents and direct care-givers. Although a lot of space is given to adoption and foster care concerns, it is helpful for anyone dealing with reactive attachment disorder or children who are not adopted but have attachment issues." "Joining New Families: A Study of Adoption and Fostering in Middle Childhood" by David Quinton (Editor), Alan Rushton, Cherilyn Dance, Deborah Mayes. Publisher: John Wiley & Son Ltd; ISBN: 047197837X. "Care of children from abusive or neglected homes is an increasing problem in today's society. This book is based on the findings of the comprehensive and prestigious Maudsley Adoption and Fostering Study commissioned by the Department of Health (United Kingdom). It summarizes the results of the survey, and makes suggestions for future placements and policy." "When Do I Go Home: Intervention Strategies for Foster Parents and Helping Professionals" by Sally G. Hoyle. Includes ideas for helping foster children, true stories, resources and more. "Foster Parenting Abused Children" by Eliana Gil, Publisher: National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse; ISBN: 0937906336. Good reviews. "Spit once for luck : fostering Julie, a disturbed child" by John Swain "When Love is Not Enough : A Guide to Parenting Children with RAD - Reactive Attachment Disorder" by Nancy L. Thomas "Healing Trust: Rebuilding the Broken Bond for the Child With Reactive Attachment Disorder" by Nancy L. Thomas "Building the Bonds of Attachment: Awakening Love in Deeply Troubled Children" by Daniel A. Hughes "Facilitating Developmental Attachment: The Road to Emotional Recovery and Behavioral Change in Foster and Adopted Children" by Daniel A. Hughes "Foster Family Care: Theory and Practice" by Judith A. Martin, Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; ISBN: 0205304915. "Taking an in-depth look at this service, Foster Family Care moves the reader from the experiences of children and their parents as they first enter care, through the process of settling in and confronting the problems that led to the need for placement, to an assessment of the outcomes of care and its consequences for the growing child. The book offers a thorough review of current literature on foster family care and a critical perspective on this service." "Kinship Care: Improving Practice Through Research" by James Patrick Gleeson, Publisher: Child Welfare League of America; ISBN: 0878687211. "Kinship care has traditionally been an informal service that family members provide for each other in times of crisis. More recently, however, it has also become part of the child welfare system's array of services. But what do we really know about kinship care as a child welfare service?" "Transracial Adoption and Foster Care: Practice Issues for Professionals" by Joseph Crumbley, Publisher: Child Welfare League of America; ISBN: 0878687173. The purpose of this book is to go beyond the arguments and ask the question: How do we as professionals help children and families make transracial adoptions and foster placements work? "Avoiding Power Struggles With Kids" by Jim Fay "Parenting Teens With Love & Logic: Preparing Adolescents for Responsible Adulthood" by Fay Jim Assessing the Long Term Effects of Foster Care: A Research Synthesis by Thomas P. McDonald, Child Welfare League of America; ISBN: 0878686037 "They're All My Children: Foster Mothering in America" by Danielle Wozniak "The World of Foster Care: An International Sourcebook on Foster Family Care Systems" by M. J. Colton (Editor), Margaret Williams (Editor) "The Forgotten Children" by John T. Pardeck "Fostering Kinship: An International Perspective on Kinship Foster Care" by Roger Greeff "Orphans of the Living: Stories of America's Children in Foster Care" by Jennifer Toth "Wasted: The Plight of America's Unwanted Children" by Patrick T. Murphy "NOBODY'S CHILDREN : Abuse and Neglect, Foster Drift, and the Adoption Alternative" by Elizabeth Bartholet] "Hormones & Wheels: Parent Survival Tips for Those Chaotic Teen Years" by Jim Fay "Where Is Home?: Living Through Foster Care" by E. P. Jones, Edmund Gordon. An African American woman tells her story of her 13 years in the fostercare system. Complete with case excerts. "From Child Abuse to Permanency Planning: Child Welfare Services Pathways and Placements (Modern Applications of Social Work)" by Richard P. Barth, Mark Courtney and Jill Cuerr Berrick. published by Aldine de Gruyter, IBSN 0202360857. "Rethinking Orphanages for the 21st Century" by Richard B. McKenzie, Sage Publications; ISBN: 0761914439. "Foster Parent Handbook" by Mary R. Rapshaw, Publisher: Writers Showcase Press; ISBN: 0595216196; "The Best Interests of the Child: The Least Detrimental Alternative" by Joseph Goldstein "Government as parent : administering foster care in California" by Jessica S. Pers, Publisher: Institute of Governmental Studies, University of California; ASIN: 0877722153; "New Foster Parents: The First Experience" by Patricia Woodward Cautley "Troubled Youth in Treatment Homes: A Handbook of Therapeutic Foster Care" by Pamela Meadowcroft, Barbara A. Trout (Editor). Published by The Child Welfare League of America. "Walk a Mile in My Shoes: A Book About Biological Parents for Foster Parents and Social Workers" by Judith A. B. Lee. Published by The Child Welfare League of America. Wonderful 85 pag book which helps social workers and fosterparents understand the biological parent perspective. "Meeting the Challenge of Hiv Infection in Family Foster Care" Published by The Child Welfare League of America. "Preparing Adolescents for Life After Foster Care: The Central Role of Foster Parents" by Anthony N. Maluccio. Published by The Child Welfare League of America. "Parents of Children in Placement: Perspectives and Programs" by Paula Sinanoglu, Anthony Maluccio, Published by the Child Welfare League of America "Clinician's Guide to Child Custody Evaultaions" by Marc J. Ackman "Establishing Parent Involvement in Foster Care Agencies" by Karen Blumenthal, Anita Weinberg (out of print) Published by the Child Welfare League of America "Foster Parent Retention and Recruitment: State of the Art in Practice and Policy" by Suzan F. Wynne, Eileen Mayers Pasztor, Published by the Child Welfare League of America "Care and Commitment: Foster Parent Adoption Decisions" by William Meezan, Joan F Shireman "Do You Want to Be a Foster Parent?" by Sharon Davis, Publisher: Lucid Corp; ISBN: 0964618427. First person, actual experiences and recommendations by Sharon Davis, a foster mother for 10 years of children from infancy to teen years. Valuable insights offered to help foster parents and those contemplating forster parenting. This is not an governmental, agency type book. Rather it details actual experiences and insights into the care of children who need love and help. "Complex Issues in Child Custody Evaluations" by Philip Michael Stahl "Beyond the Best Interests of the Child: New Edition With Epilogue" by Joseph Goldstein Conducting Child Custody Evaluations: A Comprehensive Guide" by Philip Michael Stahl "Children of Divorce: A Developmental Approach to Residence and Visitation" by Mitchell A.,Ph.D. Baris, Carla B., Ph.D. Garrity "The Custody Wars: Why Children Are Losing the Legal Battle, and What We Can Do About It" by Mary Ann Mason "Children on Consignment: A Handbook for Parenting Foster Children and Their Special Needs" by Philip Michael Stahl, Publisher: Lexington Books; ASIN: 0669218413 Handbook for foster parents and those thinking about becoming foster parents. Provides practical guidance on how to care for and nurture a foster child, with special attention to the emotional impact that foster care placement has on children, and their special needs and problems from infancy through adolescence. "Foster Parenting Young Children: Guidelines from a Foster Parent" by Evelyn H. Felker, Published by the Child Welfare League of America. "The Blending of Foster and Adopted Children into the Family (Focus on Family Matters)" by Heather Lehr Wagner, Marvin Rosen. Reading level: Ages 9-12, Publisher: Chelsea House Pub (Library); ISBN: 0791066940 "A Child's Journey Through Placement" by Vera I. Fahlberg Mixed reviews. Reccomends "holding therapy". "Together Again: Family Reunification in Foster Care" by Barbara A. Pine, Published by the Child Welfare League of America. Assists social workers and foster parents working twards family reunification. Good reviews. "Another Place at the Table: A Story of Ravaged Childhood and the Redemption of Love" by Kathy Harrison, Kathryn Harrison "Harrison is no saint, but an ordinary woman doing heroic work. In Another Place at the Table, she describes her life at our social services' front lines-centered around three children who, when they come together in her home, nearly destroy it. Danny, age eight, is borderline mentally retarded and a budding pedophile (a frequent result of sexual abuse in boys). No other family will take him in. Tough, magnetic Sara, age six, is dangerously promiscuous (a typical manifestation of abuse in girls). Karen, six months, shares Danny's legal advocate, who must represent the interests of both. All three living under the same roof will lead to an inevitable explosion-but for each, Harrison's care offers the greatest hope of a reinvented childhood." "Care and Commitment: Foster Parent Adoption Decisions" by William Meezan "Permanent Family Placement for Children of Minority Ethnic Origin" by June Thoburn "Orphans of the Living: Stories of America's Children in Foster Care" by Jennifer Toth, Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 0684800977. Amazone.com: A "report from the frontlines of what is known as "substitute care" is not encouraging; as she follows the lives of five young people as they move through the system--from Damien, a rape victim at age 8 who becomes a sexual predator by age 13, to Bryan, who struggles to benefit from one of the country's best foster programs--Toth's subjects are as heartbreaking as their success is improbable. Toth has wisely put a human face on the child welfare system's carnage." "Holding Up the Earth" by Dianne Gray. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co (Juv); ISBN: 0618007032. A 14 year old finds herself in yet another foster care placement. this time she's on a farm and her fostermother tells her the stories of all the women who have lived on the farm before them. Their stories introduce heavy themes--mental illness, abuse, injustice and family betrayal. "Suitcases" by Anne Hall Whitt. Heartwarming story for teens and adults about three children whose luck changes after shifting from foster home to foster home. "Happily After All" by Laura Stevenson. After her father's death, Rebecca must adapt to a new life in a Vermont farmhouse with her mother, whom she hasn't seen for eight years. "The Maze" by Will Hobbs. Publisher: Morrow Junior; ISBN: 0688150926. "Hobbs tells the story of Rick Walker, an angry young runaway escaping foster homes and detention centers. Rick takes refuge in the wilderness camp of an eccentric naturalist, Lon Peregrino, who teaches the teen rebel how to care for the California condors under his care." "Leonardo's Hand" by Wick Downing, Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co (Juv). Far-fetched novel about a 13-year-old fosterchild born without a left hand who turns out to be the reincarnation of Leonardo da Vinci "Saving Adam" by L. Smith, Publisher: Cedar Fort; ISBN: 1555174809. Tells the story of a fostermother's rise to the challenge of her fosterson. "Pictures of Hollis Woods" by Patricia Reilly Giff Tells the story of an adolcent girl who has ahabbit fof running away from her foster care homes and the bond she forms with a new fosterparent. "Mysteries in Our National Parks, a series" by Gloria Skurzynski, Alane Ferguson Publisher: National Geographic. A group of young friends including a child in fostercare experience countless adventures in national parks. "Letters to Montgomery Clift" by Noel Alumit Publisher: MacAdam/Cage Publishing; ISBN: 1931561028 This occasionally radiant coming-of-age tale crams human rights violations, the cultural and emotional turmoil of immigrant life, self-mutilation, family ties, abortion, foster care, coming out and the ubiquitous search for self all into a brisk, sometimes jarring read. "Not Home: A Novel" by Ann Grifalconi, Publisher: Little Brown & Co. Tommy and his brother are left in the temporary care of an inner-city group home, where Tommy befriends silent and unapproachable Jimmy, whom the other boys avoid. By the author of The Village of Round and Square Houses. "Rainbow Jordan" by Alice Childress Her mother, her foster guardian, and 14-year-old Rainbow comment on the state of things as she prepares to return to a foster home for yet another stay. --This text refers to the Mass Market Paperback edition. "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson, Publisher: Harpercollins Juvenile Books. This Newbery Honor Book tells the story of a determined-to-be-unpleasant 11-year-old who has been in the foster care system all of her life. 'Welcome Comfort" by Patricia Polacco and Patricia L. Gauch. Publisher: Philomel Books; ISBN: 0399231692, A children's story about a boy prepairing for another fostercare placement at Christmas time. "Monster in Me"by Mette Ivie Harrison "I Miss My Foster Parents" by Stefon Herbert. Written and illustrated by a child who was adopted and misses his foster family. "Grover G. Graham and Me" by Mary Quattlebaum Publisher: Delacorte Press; ISBN: 0385322771, This story for adolcents, teens and adolcents alike, follows the experience of an 11year old by thrugh his multiple foster care pacements. "The Story of Tracy Beaker " by Jacqueline Wilson. Publisher: Delacorte Press; ISBN: 0385729197. This book for teens and adults alike tells the story of a young girl in residential treatment after two failed foster care placements. "Love, Sara" by Mary Beth Lundgren, Publisher: Henry Holt & Company; ISBN: 0805067973. This fast paced story tells the struggle of a sucidal teenage girl frustrated with her foster home and highschool. Reccomended for adults and teens. "My Little Foster Sister (Concept Books. Level 1)" by Muriel Stanek, Judith Cheng "My Name Is Sara (My Name Is...)" by Bonnie Doss, Carole L. Harding, Publisher: Bookmark Publishing; ISBN: 0965389596. "My Name Is Sara is the story of a seven month old female child and her two sisters, ages 3 and 4, who were all three born of a drug addicted mother. After having been placed in foster care as the result of abuse, abandonment and neglect, Sara tells her story, offering insight into her world and providing a guide for foster parents, caseworkers, caregivers, parents, teachers, any who are concerned with the welfare of children. Sara, the third child born of a drug user, burdened with many stomach, bowel, intestinal and psychological difficulties, shares her experiences as only a small child can " "Benni & Victoria: Friends Through Time" by Patricia H. Aust Reccomended for kids grades 4-8. Beautiful illunstrations. "Ten-year old Benni Rameriz can't live with his mother anymore. Victoria, the ghost who haunts his school, can't find out what happened to hers. As Benni struggles to find the answers that will allow Victoria to rest, he learns about himself and the true meaning of friendship. Will he be able to help Victoria--and himself--before time runs out?" "Foster Care Odyssey: A Black Girl's Story (Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography)" by Theresa Cameron This 1950's novel follows the struggle of an African American girl trapped in a prejudice foster care system. "The Heart Knows Something Different: Teenage Voices from the Foster Care System: Youth Communication" by Al Desetta ,Publisher: Persea Books; ISBN: 0892552182. Reccomended for teenagers in the foster care system and the adults who care about them. "You're Dead, David Borelli" by Susan M. Brown, Publisher: Atheneum; ASIN: 0689319592. "Gr. 5^-7. David's world changes overnight when his mother dies and his father abruptly disappears. A rich kid who attends a private academy, David suddenly finds himself in a chaotic foster home and a public middle school in a rough neighborhood. Struggling with the loss of his parents, a bullying gang of boys at school, and his new home life, David nearly gives up. But when he reconnects with his jailed father, and then with his wealthy grandfather, David begins to triumph over the difficulties in his life, realizing that his thoughts and actions will determine whether he will thrive or become "a loser." He makes friends at school and excels as a soccer player. Brown has created very appealing characters, particularly David, who, in his struggle to survive, develops a growing capacity for friendship. The images of David's home life, the schoolyard brutality, and the excitement of athletic competition are all well rendered; the well-developed plot is believable, and its happy ending will leave young readers satisfied." -Merri Monks "Team Picture" by Dean Hughes, Publisher: Atheneum; ASIN: 068931924X. "Young runaway David becomes the foster child of a bellman at the hotel where he has been hiding out. The story opens with a tense scene in which David confronts his foster parent, Paul, who has a history of alcohol abuse and has come home drunk. Immediately, readers are drawn into the outer and inner worlds of these two complex characters, both of whom have so much to lose if David is removed from Paul's care. For David, removal means going back into a flawed child welfare system; for Paul, a twice-divorced father of three daughters, it means another failure as a father. A superb subplot involves David's baseball team's exciting run for the championship, with two complicated romantic relationships adding another dimension to the multilayered story. The ending is upbeat and hopeful; yet, as happens in real life, there are loose ends and conflicts that go unresolved. A poignant story that readers won't soon forget." Lauren Peterson "Writing to Richie" by Patricia Calvert, Publisher: Atheneum; ASIN: 0684197642. Gr. 4-6. "Moving into the Birks' foster home, David and his younger brother, Richie, are pleased to find kindness, a place for their treasures, and even a dog that doesn't set off Richie's allergies. Everything seems to be falling into place until Richie has a sudden allergic reaction to ingredients in the school lunch and dies before David reaches the hospital. Soon, Child Aid sends an abused girl, Ollie, to live at the Birks' house. Ollie is tough and vulnerable, and her motto is Don't Take Crap. Before long she's in trouble at school, but she responds to a conflict negotiation program and begins to find her way. Meanwhile, with Ollie's help, an angry David begins to grieve. Calvert has created several intriguing characters, but the brevity of the novel and the breathless pace of the plot leave too little time for their development. Serious, difficult problems resolve relatively quickly though not without pain. The book has its moments of poignancy, and readers will care about the outcome." Carolyn Phelan "Dakota Dream" by James Bennett, Publisher: Scholastic Trade; ASIN: 0590466801. Gr. 8-10. Floyd Rayfield is a teenage victim of the social services system. Shuttled from one foster or group home to another for most of his life, he never feels he belongs anywhere. After a dream in which he sees himself as Charley Black Crow, Dakota Warrior, Floyd is certain that becoming a Dakota is his destiny, and he immerses himself in the tribe's culture and customs. When circumstances at the group home become more than he can bear, Floyd steals a motorcycle and flees to the Dakota.. "The Things I Want Most: The Extraordinary Story of a Boy's Journey to a Family of His Own" by Richard F. Miniter. amazon.com: "A straightforward story of a troubled foster son and his family, The Things I Want Most shows just how much persistence can pay off when it comes to family relationships. Funny, alarming, encouraging, and always honest, the book covers Mike's first year with his large foster family and all the struggles the family went through to make him feel both welcome." "Yours, Brett" by Gertrude Samuels. Yours...whose? Brett doesn't belong to anyone. When her father leaves home, he is cut off completely from Brett. Her mother, with her countless boyfriends, can't care for her. Brett is placed in foster homes, shunted from home to home for ten years. Only in her poems can she find solace from the abuse of other kids and foster parents. "Adam and Eve and Pinch-Me" by Julie Johnston Published by Puffin. This book for teens tells the story of an adolcent girl who's biological parents gave her up, her adotive parents died and now she finds herself sheuffeled from foster home to foster home. the main charicter is depicted as angry and struggeling to shut everyone out of her life but fails as she learns to love again. "Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care" by Jennifer Wilgocki. Published by Magination; ISBN: 1557988021. Children's reader introduces the people and procedures involved in foster care. Covers feelings, reactions, and concern of new foster children. "Zachary's New Home: A Story for Foster and Adopted Children" by Geraldine Molettiere Blomquist, Publisher: Amer Psychological Society; ISBN: 0945354274. Children's book. "What Child Is This?: A Christmas Story" by Caroline B. Cooney, Publisher: Bantam Books; ISBN: 0385323174. 16 year old Katie is in foster care and dreams of only one thing, a perminant family. "Anna Casey's Place in the World" by Adrian Fogelin Peachtree Publishers; ISBN: 1561452491. Tells the story of a 12 year old girl's navigation through the foster care system. Recieved mixed reviews. "Heads, I Win" by Patricia Hermes. Reading level: Ages 9-12, Publisher: Harcourt Young Classics; ASIN: 0152336591. Ingram: Kevin's new friend, Bailey, has been through many foster homes. She's developed quite a tough attitude, so when she decides to run for class president, she leaves no stones unturned. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. "Nightwalkers" by Judy K. Morris, Publisher: Harpercollins Juvenile Books; ASIN: 0060272007. Gr. 4-6. "When James chooses an elephant for his school report, he has no idea that the zoo-escaping, night-walking Daisy will, in turn, choose him to help her. This huge African friend takes 10-year-old James on several nocturnal journeys, and he can only guess at her mission as he struggles to aid her. James, having lived in foster homes all his life, approaches his relationship with Daisy in the same way he deals with substitute parents: he has no control over what is happening, so he accepts what is offered without understanding motives or histories." "The Handle and the Key" by John Neufeld. Publisher: Phyllis Fogelman Books; ISBN: 0803727216."Neufeld's (Lisa, Bright and Dark) rather flat novel centers on Dan, a boy of indeterminate age who has lived in numerous foster homes and has just been adopted by the Knox family. Though his new parents may be welcoming (albeit overly angelic), his snide older "sister," Mary Kate, is not." -Publishers Weekly "Jenny Wren" by Dawn L. Watkins. Jenny Wren, a welfare child, comes to stay with an old farmer and his wife despite the misgivings of some officials. At first silent and distrustful, Jenny warms to the Logans, learning from them about logging, farming, and love. When confronted with a change too hard for her to accept, however, Jenny runs away. When she wants to go back, she finds that she has done more damage than she had thought. Now her home may change again, but Jenny learns the most important thing of all. "Halinka" by Mirjam Pressler, Elizabeth D. Crawford (Translator), Publisher: Henry Holt & Company; ISBN: 0805058613. Gr. 7-10. "Halinka, 12, shares a dormitory room with six girls in a welfare home in Germany in 1952. Her first-person narrative reveals the deprived child's obsession with food (butter on Sundays is a luscious luxury; a banana an exotic treat), with comfort, with privacy. Halinka struggles against racist bullies: all Gypsies steal, they taunt her; should she say she's Jewish or will that be even worse? Defensive and angry, she keeps everyone at bay, though she does nothing to stop one girl from coming to her bed for a short time. Even to herself, Halinka can barely confront the history of her mother's abuse. What keeps her going is the loving aunt who is trying to gain custody of her. The telling may be too leisurely for some readers, but, as always, Crawford's translation from the German is clear and immediate, and many will recognize the universal experience of the displaced child and her search for home. Most moving is the way that Halinka, despite herself, does open up and make a friend." -Hazel Rochman "Won't Know Till I Get There" by Walter Dean Myers, Publisher: Viking Press; ISBN: 014032612X. A group of troubled African American adolcents are caught by police and forced to do community servcie world with elderly of different races and nationalities. through the experience they learn to work together, embrace differences and help others in need. "The Ocean Within" by V. M. Caldwell, Publisher: Milkweed Editions; ISBN: 157131623X. This children's book tells the story of an adolcent in her thrd foster placement and her struggle to keep her walls up and yet let them down at the same time. "The Cat That Was Left Behind" by Carole S. Adler The story involves a boy who is abandoned by his mother because her new boyfriend doesn't want anything to do with him. He bounces around foster families until he finds one that is willing to adopt him. He adopts a homeless cat but is forced to abandon the cat when the foster family leaves their summer home to go back home. The child imagines the cat lying on a pile of garbage. Story ends with a sadness which is not lost on children. "The Golden Days (A Puffin Book)" by Gail Radley, Publisher: Puffin; ISBN: 0140360026. This book tells the story of an 11 year old boy placed in a foster home with a young eager to please couple. The boy has troubel believig they actually want him, especially since they have a new baby on the way. "Michelle (Springsong)" by Eva Gibson. Publisher: Bethany House; ISBN: 1556614470. Michelle Strand had been passed along from one family of strangers to another ever since her mother had deserted her as a child. Now, with the Middleton family, Micky begins to feel as though she can put the past behind. For young adults. "Thirsty Moves To A Foster Home" by Kathleen A. Olmstead Children's book which is "compassionate in answering questions children in foster care have but dare not ask." "Mama One, Mama Two" by Patricia MacLachlan, Ruth Lercher Bornstein. Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books; ISBN: 0060240814. "When her mother is hospitalized, a young girl is cared for by a foster mother. A surprisingly gentle and reassuring story. . . . Powerful illustrations, subtle and distinctive.ђ Language Arts. בThere have been other books in which foster parents were sympathetically portrayed; this is the nicest yet for the primary grades reader." C. "My New Family" by Jim Boulden, Publisher: Boulden Pub; ISBN: 1878076752. Nick and Sarah experience fear about going to live with a foster family and anger with the rules there. The counselor helps Nick understand that he and Sarah are not at fault and did not cause their mother to mistreat them. Children can color in this activity book and discuss topics such as rules, feelings about leaving home, good things about foster parents and feelings of guilt they may have about being taken from their birth parents. This is an adaptation of the book A New Beginning for younger children. (Grades K-2) "A New Beginning" by Jim Boulden, Publisher: Boulden Pub; ISBN: 1878076760. When Nick and Sarah are taken to a foster home, their feelings of self worth suffer. Then Nick becomes angry with the kids at school who tease him about his poor reading skills and with his foster parents who set up rules. When he and Sarah are taken to a second foster home, he becomes even more upset. The school counselor helps Nick learn to control his anger and adjust to his new family. This book emphasizes accepting the changed family situation and reassures foster children that they are important and cared for. (Grades 3-4) "Let's Talk About Foster Homes (The Let's Talk Library)" by Elizabeth Weitzman, Publisher: Powerkids Pr; ISBN: 082392310X. "This book explains in an organized, easy to understand way, the various aspects of foster care. This book is a valuable resource for foster children and adults who work with them, including foster parents." -Cynthia Miller Lovell "Questions & Activities for The Star: A Handbook for Foster Parents" by Cynthia Miller Lovell, Randall E. Haugen "My Foster Care Journey: A foster/adoption lifebook" by Beth O'Malley "Practical Tools for Foster Parents" by Lana Temple-Plotz "The Heart Knows Something Different: Teenage Voices from the Foster Care System: Youth Communication" by Al Desetta (Editor) (Paperback)

This message was originally posted by [url=http://forums.adoption.com/old_boards.php?username=rowane]rowane[/url]. Hello Thanks for all of the good book recommendations. I hope to be licensed in the next couple of months and have been reading the books I have found so far at the library. I am printing off this list so I can get some more books. I would also like to add a book I read last week. I am unsure of the authors name. the book was called They cage the animals at night. It was a true story and a very good book. Just make sure to have the kleenex ready when you read it.

This is a wonderful list of books! I just finished reading Another Place at the Table and found I could not put it down. As a foster parent of 14 years, I found myself nodding at every page. The author describes the frustrations and joys of fostering, in real and easy to read language. I want everyone who tells me what a saint I am for doing this, and that they could never do it, to read this book. Foster parents are just regular people, dealing with often awful situations in the best way we know how. Often this is not the perfect way, and our emotions can at times get the better of us, but we try. I am looking forward to reading other books on your list.