All About Adoption: How to Deal with the Questions of Your Past (Sunscreen)
Grade 9 Up-This title's cartoons and casual, conversational tone might seem at odds with the seriousness of the topics, such as adoptees' feelings about abandonment and loss and having to endure insensitive, as well as racist, comments. However, the breezy tone and ample colorful graphics make the book appealing and accessible to its target audience. Lanchon offers reassurance, rightly asserting that most anxieties about looks and fitting in are shared by biological as well as adopted teens. For adoptees, and for parents seeking a way to initiate a discussion about difficult topics, such as the desire to search for birth parents, this is a welcome resource. Among its powerful messages is that being adopted is not the cause of life's every disappointment. The short text has translated very well from French, with the liveliness of the illustrations and humor of the cartoons intact. Many quality guides exist for parents and for those researching adoption, but this one is unique as it's modeled on popular teen guidebooks about sex, friendships, etc., making it an excellent choice for YA collections. The three Web sites and eight books recommended for further reading are high quality, but several are aimed primarily at adults involved in or contemplating adoption.-Deborah Vose, Highlands Elementary School, Braintree, MACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.