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Another Book for Middle-Grade Boys!

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Mike Lupica is fast becoming as well-known for his middle-grade novels—in particular, the Comeback Kids series– as for his sports writing and broadcasting. Safe at Home is a book about baseball, friends, parents’ expectations, and fitting in. The main character, Nick, was adopted from foster care when he was nine. This underlies and explains many of his reactions to things. Lupica manages to convey to the reader how Nick’s experiences have influenced his perception of things without making the story all about adoption. As I said, it’s a baseball story. Descriptions of the plays and of the relationships among teammates … Continue reading →

Found: a Book Review

Found is an adventure story based on the worst fears or stereotypes about adoption—stolen children who “belong” somewhere else–yet, it also educates about positive adoption language, “real” parents being the ones who parent you, and birth parents as possibly wanting better things for their children, not as “giving them away”. This paradox makes Found–also called The Missing: Book One—a worthwhile read. The author, Margaret Peterson Haddix, has written over two dozen books for children, including the Shadow Children series, which has sold over 4 ½ million copies. In the prologue to Found, an airplane carrying three dozen babies is found … Continue reading →

My Favorite Book Reviews of 2008

Most of my readers won’t be surprised to learn that I love to read—kids’ books, adult books, nonfiction, picture books—anything. But even I was surprised to learn that I’ve reviewed over 45 books this year. Since many bookstores have post-holiday sales, and since many of us were fortunate enough to receive bookstore gift cards, I’m challenging myself to pick my favorite “top twelve” of the adoption books I’ve reviewed this year. I began the year by starting a series: Adoption Books with Great Art. Although I’m a “word person”, I’ve become increasingly moved by the beautiful ways some artists can … Continue reading →

A Middle-Grade Novel to Skip

There is a dearth of adoption stories, either fiction or non-fiction, for kids in between the picture book stage and the young-adult novel stage. So it’s doubly disappointing that the latest one I read perpetuates old stereotypes. Trophy Kid, or How I Was Adopted by the Rich and Famous is by Steve Atinsky. We hear a lot nowadays about celebrities adopting. Atinsky did have a creative idea to look at what a 13-year-old son of movie stars (one of whom is a political candidate) thinks of his adoption ten years later. Jozef Francis (Joe) was orphaned by the fighting in … Continue reading →