| Renée Wolfs
This in-depth practical guide, written by an adoptive parent for adoptive parents, explores the questions adopted children are likely to ask, with suggestions for helpful explanations and answers. Looking at different age groups in turn, the author provides a wealth of suggestions for possible dialogue with adopted children and age-appropriate answers to common questions and fears.
| Laurel Ashton
When Laurel and David decide the time is right to expand their family, things don’t go according to plan. Published as part of the Our Story series, this honest and heartfelt memoir narrates their struggle to become parents – coping with the discovery of their infertility, the emotional and physical demands of IVF, their experiments with alternative therapies, and their decision to adopt.
| Ruth and Ed Royce
Published as part of the Our Story series, this is the story of Ruth and Ed Royce’s journey from childlessness to celebrating as a family. From a dual perspective, each with their own anxieties, expectations and vulnerabilities, they look back on their decision to adopt, to the fear that their family was falling apart, to their experience of music and art therapy, and then on to their decision to adopt a second time.
| Jennifer Cousins
This quick reference guide explores the important issue of recruiting new carers and welcoming a wide range of permanent families. Written in an accessible and straightforward style it provides a breadth of information and advice that will provide social workers with a framework for best practice in family-finding.
| Multiple
This special issue of the journal is guest edited by Sonia Jackson, editor of Nobody Ever Told Us School Mattered(BAAF, 2001) and a leading researcher and writer in the field. It focuses on the education of looked-after children and how and where they are supported or – more often – failed by “the system”. It features articles from England, Scotland and Australia. Themes include: the role of social pedagogy in foster care; education and self-reliance among care leavers; the work of Our Place, a special centre promoting the educational achievement of looked after and adopted children; and the views of adoptive parents.
| Karen Carr
Published as part of the Our Story series, this is the true story of an adoption and an adoption breakdown, bravely told by the adoptive mother. From the final court hearing, when Lucy returned to local authority care, Karen Carr looks back over the four years that Lucy was with them and, without apportioning blame, describes what went wrong and why.
| Julia Wise
Published as part of the Our Story series, Flying Solo tells Julia Wise’s story of adopting on her own. In this personal story, Julia offers a realistic look at the joys and pitfalls of being a single adoptive parent and the impact of her decision on herself, her family and close friends.
| Jill Seeney
All young children have worries, but looked after children may have more worries than most as they lack the reassurance and security of permanent, stable family life. In this colourful picture book for young children, Morris the mole finds out that talking about his problems, and facing his worries with the help of others, is more helpful than hiding his fears.
| Judith Foxon
The popular Nutmeg children’s book series tells the story of a little squirrel, and his younger sister and brother. In this story Nutmeg’s adoptive family is about to grow as his parents have decided to adopt his birth sister. Nutmeg is helped to explore his worries and the feelings that children may have when a new sibling joins the family.
