Everything You Need to Know about Being Adopted

Children's Literature - Jeanne K. Pettenati

A book about adoption for adolescent adoptees is an excellent idea. Unfortunately, this book contains a number of misleading statements and outdated sentiments, which color the overall impression of the text. For example, the author states that "reunions with birth parents are scary" (page 50) and that "your parents...are almost always going to be scared [when you tell them you are thinking of searching for birth parents]" (pages 47 and 48). A caption under one of the photographs reads, "Many adoptees suffer from feelings of low self-esteem and rejection" (page 25). Such blanket statements do not reflect the reality that adoptees are individuals, with different feelings and circumstances. It is true that adoptees, like persons that are not adopted, may have feelings of low self-esteem at various periods in their lives, but such sweeping generalizations are not backed up by conclusive research or studies. They do harm to adopted individuals and their families, which I am certain was not the author's intent. I would not give this book to an adopted teenager. It is one in the publisher's series entitled "The Need To Know Library."

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-In this brief but well-researched overview, Kaminker gives legal facts about adoption and brings up many of the problems adolescent adoptees face: fear that their natural curiosity about their birth parents may hurt their adoptive parents' feelings, jealousy of non-adopted siblings, thoughtless remarks from friends and strangers, etc. Two topics get lost in the brevity; birth fathers and adoption after infancy are barely mentioned. The author's suggestions are sensible; for instance, a support group is strongly advised for teenagers contemplating the difficult process of searching for birth families. Good resources, both organizations and books, are listed. Full-page photographs, most in black and white, show teens and families of various races. Karen Gravelle and Susan Fischer's Where Are My Birth Parents? (Walker, 1993) provides deeper coverage of many topics, but Kaminker's book is inviting and may have more appeal to reluctant readers.-Nancy Schimmel, formerly at San Mateo County Library, CA