When I was straightening my daughter's bookshelf this evening, I realized that I have one more fun book to tell you about before I end my stint here at Adoption.com. Stacy at www.amharickids.com was kind enough to send me a review copy of one of their new books a few weeks ago. It is called Our First Amharic Words and in 20 pages it teaches 75 Amharic words in a kid-friendly brightly colored format.

I gave this book to my 5-1/2 year old for Christmas, and she was just thrilled. She has been... more

I was just thrilled to get a gorgeous photo book in the mail the other day called The Faces of Layla. The pictures were taken at Layla House, which is the children's home in Ethiopia that is run by my adoption agency, Adoption Advocates International.

The photos were taken by professional photographer Emma Dodge Hanson, who is an adoptive mom herself. The book is beautifully done and would be of interest to any adoptive parent from Ethiopia. Along with pictures of the staff and children... more

Since most of us are in the shopping mood these days, I thought I'd toss out another book for you to consider as you shop. This one is called Forever Fingerprints and is written by Sherrie Eldridge. It was published this fall by EMK Press.

This children's story uses a relative’s pregnancy as a springboard for discussions on birthparents and adoption. I could relate to this, since some of my best adoption-related discussions with my kids have come in talk about an aunt's pregnancy.

I found the... more

I've noticed that my adopted kids seem to need a little more reassurance that I really do love them. They are more likely to claim that a consequence means I must 'hate' them. Or if another child is allowed something that they don't get, they'll swear it is because I love the other child better.

I've read that some adoptees fear rejection their whole lives. I don't think this issue is universal, but my experience with my children makes me think that it must be fairly common. Awhile ago one of my toddlers repeatedly expressed fear that I would leave him. When he misbehaved, he'd worry I... more

I wanted to tell you about two things related to getting books to Ethiopian children. This first bit of news will only be helpful to families in the Maryland and D.C. area. Jane Kurtz, children’s book author and president of Ethiopia Reads, will be speaking in Annapolis, MD this Saturday, November 17th, 2007.

Time: 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Location: Naval Academy Primary School, 74 Greenbury Point Road, Annapolis, MD 21402 RSVP: EthiopiaReads@aol.com... more

Awhile back I read the book In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories by Rita J. Simon and Rhonda M. Roorda. The book interviews 24 African American or biracial adults who were adopted by white parents. As an adoptive parent I found the viewpoints in the book to be invaluable-- almost like a window into my kids' possible thoughts in the future.

Recently I had an opportunity to review a new book by the same authors -- In... more

I am so pleased to be able to tell you about a really fun freebie! National Adoption Month is coming in November. It is a neat time to talk with people around you about the blessing of adoption. Recently I heard of a really neat company that just might make it easier for adoptive families to celebrate the gift of adoption. The company is called the Red Thread Adoption Boutique.

They offer a rather large variety of items, including some adorable adoption-related clothing for children. You can personalize a shirt with the name of your child's birth... more

One of the staples of afternoon at our house lately has been movie time. I think the new kids enjoy some down time where nothing is expected of them. I've found that the promise of a movie is a powerful motivator to when it comes to getting school work and jobs done. And I benefit from the break as well.

The trickiest part of afternoon movie time is picking the movie. I want the movie to be fairly clean, to have a racially diverse cast of characters, and to not be too old for the 5 year old who will also be watching. Forget anything PG-13. Actually even a fair number of PG movies don't thrill me. The 9 and 12 year olds, however, want action and excitement and 'older-kid' stories--... more

A friend told me about a documentary called Angels in the Dust that was just released. It tells the story of a woman from South Africa named Marion Cloete. She is a therapist who left a comfortable life to build Botshabelo, a village and school that cares for over 500 South African children.

The stories of the children are interwoven with stories of orphaned elephants of Pilanesberg National Park in South Africa. In an attempt to reduce the elephant population in the park, many adult elephants have been killed, which has left many orphan elephants... more

I wrote the following post a year ago, but decided to pull it to the top of the blog for a couple reasons. First of all, this book just became available in paperback. It is also available in audio CD format, an excellent option for commuters who don't have a lot of time to read.

Another bit of news: Melissa Fay Greene now has an 'occasional' blog... more