Books can be an amazing tool to teach children about the world they live in. There are a lot of books out there about adoption, but it can be overwhelming to go online to figure out which books are best at discussing adoption in terms a child can understand.
Below you’ll find a list of books that I, as an adoptee, consider to be good resources for helping children learn more about adoption. These books are best suited for children ages 3-10.
Before You Were Mine, by Maribeth Boelts
This book is about a little boy who gets a puppy from a shelter. The little boy goes through scenarios in his head about what the puppy’s life was before adoption. Although this book is about a puppy and not a child, books about animals help a child to understand complex topics in a simple, fun way.
I Wished for You: An Adoption Story, by Marianne Richmond
This book has a unique twist to it which is appealing for both children and adults. This book is personalized with the child’s name. The book tells the story about the child’s adoption, and how he/she was adopted because the mom had an empty feeling in her heart and wanted to fill it with a child to love. It is a book that a child will learn to understand adoption at a simple level, and the book has the child as the main character. This makes the book more personal to the child and will hopefully make the child understand just how special he/she is.
God Found Us You, by Lisa Tawn Bergren
This story is great for those families who believe in God and want to be able to tell their child they were part of God’s plan for them. This story uses animal characters, which children enjoy. The story is simple and the illustrations are beautiful. Children will enjoy reading and listening to this story as they learn about their adoption.
Am I Special? by Stephen Hogue
This story defines the word “special” in a way that children understand. It is about a little girl who asks different members of her family what special means, and then wonders if she is special because she is adopted. It is a sweet story that associates being adopted with being special. It will leave adopted children with smiles as they learn they too are special.
I Don’t Know Why: Stories to Help Adopted Children Understand Why They Do the Things They Do, by Annice Thompson
This book is an excellent choice for children who may be slightly older, maybe 9 or 10 years old. The book delves into the minds of four different children who were adopted. They talk about how they feel that their birth families gave them up. It broaches positive and negative feelings. This book will hopefully spark conversation starters for those adoptive parents who are struggling with finding out how to talk about feelings of being adopted with their children.
