All About Adoption: How to Deal with the Questions of Your Past (Sunscreen) [Paperback]

Anne Lanchon (Author), Monicke Dzarnecki (Illustrator)

Book Description

Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Sunscreen

Adopted or not, you're a teen like everyone else...

Being an adolescent is jam-packed with challenges-friendships, love, peer pressure, dating, and family issues-but when you're adopted, your family issues might seem a bit more complicated. Using personal testimonials and a hip, reassuring advice-style, All About Adoption helps kids understand the questions and concerns they might have about their birth history. Also discussed are issues that may arise when an adopted child wants to learn more or unite with their birth family. All teens and pre-teens are dealing with the trials of acceptance, growing up, fitting in, and communicating with their parents, and All About Adoption reassures adopted kids that they are not alone.

When you can't ask anyone else, you can always turn to SUNSCREEN.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

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, MA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-9. Adopted teens may have a unique situation, but Lanchon assures them, "When all is said and done, you're no weirder than anyone else. You're adopted, your friends aren't, so what?" Written in an informal, conversational style, this guide covers an adopted child's traditional worries and concerns, such as establishing identity and living with overprotective parents. It also addresses such squirm-worthy issues as the fear of abandonment, racist comments, and discussing birth parents with adoptive parents. Adopted teens do have "an extra layer to deal with," Lanchon asserts, but many of their family situations and problems are "normal" for most young people. Stylish, colorful cartoon drawings add levity to the emotional topics. Originally published in France, this handsomely designed self-help title in the Sunscreen series provides practical advice and reassurance for adopted teens and their families. A list of titles and Web sites for further research closes. Linda Perkins
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Sunscreen (May 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810992272
• ISBN-13: 978-0810992276
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,084,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but has outdated adoption language, August 28, 2006

By 

A. Stults (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All About Adoption: How to Deal with the Questions of Your Past (Sunscreen) (Paperback)

I liked this book for it's straight forward approach, and down-to-earth language. Aimed at teenagers, it succeeds in being approachable. However, I was disappointed by the use of terms like "natural parents," "children of their own," and "given away." Those certainly aren't phrases that I use with my kids, and I was surprised to find them in a contemporary book on adoption, especially one designed to help adolescents with questions about their origins. I'd recommend reading it along with your child and using that language as another opportunity for discussion.

5.0 out of 5 stars I LOVED IT...!!, May 23, 2011

By 

Miriam G. Gaenicke "mgaenicke" (California, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: All About Adoption: How to Deal with the Questions of Your Past (Sunscreen) (Paperback)

As an adult adoptee, this would have been perfect during my teens. I LOVED IT....IT'S BEEN TRANSLATED from the French, FYI. It's an older book, but still addresses some good points. :)

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very disappointing...., December 22, 2006

By 

J. Dean (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: All About Adoption: How to Deal with the Questions of Your Past (Sunscreen) (Paperback)

I give this two stars because it does deal with difficult adoptions issues such as racism and for the organization of the material. However, as a librarian, I am appalled that my professional journals rated this so highly- I will never give this to anyone without making sure that they know there is offensive, outdated language in it. To hand this to a child who is dealing with adoption issues and not preparing them for passages such as "some adopted kids just consider them" (adoptive parents) "their real parents".... "why she gave you away" is cruel. I hope that future editions will have better editing so that the true value of the book is accessible. Overall, it is well written, organized and teen accessible....except for those passages that would be a slap in the face to the adoptee reading them. This is a book to be used by teens on their own. Unfortunately the poor translation/bad editing make it useless in that manner.