An Mei’s Strange and Wonderous Journey

Author: Stephan Mol-nar-Fenton

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Adoption into a different culture/ethnicity

Year of Publication: 1998

Publisher & Location: DK Publishing, New York, NY

ISBN#: 0-7894-2277-0

Target Age Level: Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 28

Quality of Illustrations: Excellent

Brief Summary: A girl from china who was abandoned by her mother tells of the journey that she took as she was adopted by parents and taken back to their county.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: This is a good book-emphasizes child’s cultural background and the love her and her new parents have for each other.

Activities: Have students write a book about their “journey” emphasizing important parts of the culture they came from.

A Mama for Owen

Author: Marion Dane Bauer

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Natural Disaster, Adoption

Year of Publication: 2007

Publisher & Location: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, NY

ISBN#: 0-689-85787

Target Age Level: Pre-K, Lower Elementary

# of Pages: 15

Quality of Illustrations: Excellent!

Brief Summary: Based on a true story, a young hippo loses his mother during a tsunami. A young turtle who reminds the hippo of his own mother, becomes his adopted mother. The hippo sees similarities a differences between his hippo mother that was killed and his new ‘mother’ and briefly dealing with changes as an after math of the tsunami.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: The illustrations are excellent and the storyline simple.

Activities: Discuss how hippo must have felt when the tsunami hit. If students have more then one parent they can talk about the good similarities and differences of each one.

Goodnight, Mr. Tom

Author: Michelle Magorian

Type or emotional/crisis issue(s) addressed: Abuse, War, Loss, Adoption

Year of Publication: 1981

Publisher & Location: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. New York

ISBN#:0-06-440174-X

Target Age Level: Junior High, High School

# of Pages: 318

Quality of Illustrations: NA

Brief Summary: William comes from an abusive home during world war II and is placed as an evacuee with a man whom he calls Mr.Tom. Mr. Tom is struggling with the loss of his wife and later on both experience another loss of a loved one.

Personal Comments/Biases, and/or Things to Consider When Using This Book With Children: One scene in the book becomes very descriptive which may be too much for a student who still is or recently has been in an abusive home.

Activities: Discuss some challenges that may come from being in an abusive home/a loss and how over time the pain gets softer (sea glass analogy).