Amazon.com Review
"Some people may describe adoption as
difficult; others simply describe it as
different. I am inclined to think of it as complex," writes Lois Ruskai Melina in the updated, revised
Raising Adopted Children: Practical, Reassuring Advice for Every Adoptive Parent.
Adoption practices have evolved considerably since this book's first publication in 1986, and the new version of the "Dr. Spock for adoptive parents" reflects the latest theories. Drawing on the findings and practices of pediatricians, social workers, scientists, and adoptive parents, Raising Adopted Children is carefully and thoroughly researched. Chapters on open adoption, international adoption, and transracial adoption are combined with advice on bonding and attachment, breast-feeding an adoptive infant (possible but complicated), dealing with schools, privacy issues, adopting a child with disabilities, adopting as a single parent, and the challenges of adolescence. While Melina's many years of professional and personal experience shape her advice, she remains very evenhanded. For example, she's a strong proponent of the "early telling" theory of adoption (being open about the adoption with the child from the beginning), but she also clearly presents other points of view, and, throughout the book, encourages parents to make decisions that feel right for them.
The text includes specific suggestions for explaining a child's birth circumstances, including common misconceptions, and a valuable discussion about whether adoptees are at greater risk for behavior problems or learning disabilities. She also provides suggestions for setting rules for contact with biological parents, easing grief, and acknowledging a child's history. A completely annotated list of selected references and resources rounds out this superior guide. --Ericka Lutz
From Library Journal
In this comprehensive exploration of adoption issues (bonding and attachment, family adjustment, contact with biological relatives, etc.), the authoran adoptive parent and the editor of Adopted Child newsletteraims for a wide audience: parents, adoptees, and related professionals. Unfortunately, instead of including personal experiences, she takes a plodding though informative textbook approach that combines practical advice (making "Life books") with controversial suggestions (using "Toughlove" for discipline). Still, this is a helpful parenting guide that complements Edmund Blair Bolles's The Penguin Adoption Handbook ( LJ 4/15/84) and Lois Gilman's The Adoption Resource Book ( LJ 3/1/85). Janice Arenofsky, formerly with Arizona State Lib., Phoenix
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
