How It Feels to Be Adopted

by Jill Krementz

Book Overview

In these wonderfully straightforward accounts of what it means to children to be adopted, nineteen boys and girls, from eight to sixteen years old--and from every social background--confide their... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394758536
• ISBN13: 9780394758534
• Release Date: February 1988
• Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
• Length: 107 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 7.1" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

Loved it, reading to my kids now

The variety of perspectives shared by 19 children, ages 8-16, about having been adopted was really helpful to read even considering some of the legal changes in the past 30 years. I’m reading it to my two older (bio) sons (ages 6 & 8) now to start the discussion about how their adopted brother will need our support and understanding when he gets to be their ages and starts understanding his adoption. Even with access to his birth parents, which most of the children in this book do not have, I think it will help to read other kids’ perspectives and affirm his thoughts and reactions as normal and okay.

excellent insight to an adopted child's understanding...

I have two adopted bi-racial children...four year old twins..they're too young to understand about adoption but this book was an excellent source to give me insight to what we may experience as they get older and understand more..having raised them since they were a month old it felt reassuring to hear other adoptees talk about their experiences and family is all that really matters..a loving family is all they really want..we're trying to provide that..

Helpful in planning ahead & creating a lifebook for your child

The one downside to this book is that it is rather dated (from the 80's) & reflects mostly closed domestic adoptions. However, it is still very helpful to hear what may go through children's heads regarding their own adoptions. There are a variety of ages and viewpoints. My husband and I felt that the range of opinions and they way things were described was probably largely based on how the children's parents had described their adoptions to them (including the terminology used... "real" parents, etc... or whether or not parents told their children that they would help them search for their birthparents down the road...). This was required ready by our agency for our 2nd adoption, but I found it very helpful in planning to create a "lifebook" for our first child. It helped me to imagine the things that our child might think or feel down the road & how I could have some impact on that by what I teach him now & over time. The book was very easy reading.

Excellent Read

I loved the book. It really gave insight as to what kids are thinking. Very informative and very interesting. Helpful book. I do disagree with others that say it is focused on "white" children. When I read something I read it for what it is and this is a book about children's feelings about being adopted. Color and numbers of colors don't matter. It is an excellent book and I highly recommend it.

Wonderful Resource For the Adoptive Child (and Parent)

By exploring so many different children's views on adoption, Jill Krementz opens doors for adoptive parents to discuss these concerns with their children. It was intended for the older child to be able to read, but I feel that it's perfect for a parent to read together with their younger grade-school child. The sooner my child is comfortable discussing her fears and concerns about adoption with me, the easier it will be for me to put her fears to rest.

Highly recommended for all adoptive families

Adoptive parents, when you buy your first picturebook about how your adopted child came into your family, purchase this book, as well. Read it immediately, and then tuck it on the bookshelf for future reference.This book is based on personal interviews of adopted children between the ages of 8 and 16. They share their opinions on adoption and tell about their families. The range of feelings and attitudes demonstrate that there is no generic adoption experience. Some individuals are very curious about their biological parents (a few even search), and others are not. Some are satisfied with explanations about how they came to be adopted, and others can't understand why their bio parents didn't make another choice. Some feel that being adopted is an important part of their identity, while others see it as a minor issue in their lives. Though most of the youngsters in this book were adopted as infants, the stories and photos represent a larger diversity, including inter-racial adoptions and older children adopted from foster care. The author suggests that adopted children think about adoption more often than their parents may imagine. This book will clue parents in to adoption from children's points of view, and offer companionship to adopted children looking for others to understand "how it feels to be adopted."