We all know that when it comes to adoption, “the wait” is one of the most difficult aspects of the process. However, “the wait” does provide a good opportunity for adoptive parents to prepare themselves for the adoption, for parenting an adopted child and for becoming a transracial family.

I know a lot of adoptive parents that buy the books and then sit them on a shelf and plan to read them once their child is home. Well, I am here to tell you that chances are, you are not going to have time to read them once your child is home. On top of that, it is a really good idea to read a lot of these books before your child is home so you have some basic knowledge of what to expect, parenting strategies, etc.

I recommend doing as much reading as you can before your child comes home, and then keeping books somewhere handy, where you can refer back to them as needed.

Here is a list of 10 books that I recommend for parents adopting transracially. In my next post, I will recommend 10 books for children in transracial families. You can click on the name of each book and it will take you to where you can purchase it (if desired),

Of course these are just 10 of the MANY wonderful books related to transracial adoption. For a full list of adoption books, you can check out Adoptionshop.com’s book department.

And if you have a favorite that isn’t on the list, leave a comment and let us all know. :)

"Inside Transracial Adoption" by Gail Steinberg and Beth Hall- This book is considered a “must read” by many, and gives practical advice and guidance on transracial parenting for all adoptive parents, whether it is your first transracial adoption or your tenth.

"Adoption Across Borders" by Rita James Simon and Howard Alstein- This book is the result of 30 years of research by the authors on transracial adoptions. The book provides a variety of data on transracial adoptions and info on the results of their research and the research of others. The book advocates for transracial adoption and international adoption and shows the positive effects of both.

"Beyond Good Intentions" by Cheri Register- “A Mother Reflects on Raising Internationally Adopted Children.” This is a book of essays written by an adoptive mother who focuses on 10 mistakes that even well-meaning adoptive parents often make.

Cheri Register also wrote the very well known “Are Those Kids Yours?”, which although is somewhat dated, provides a lot of great info and insight on transracial adoption.

"Dim Sum, Bagels and Grits" by Myra Alperson- This is a great resource for adoptive parents. This book gives a ton of information from a variety of sources on how to be a successful multiracial and multicultural family.

"Raising Adopted Children" by Lois Ruskai Melina This book was sent to us by our last adoption agency along with our dossier documents. I found it to be an easy read, and it handles a wide variety of adoption issues, including transracial adoption, international adoption, open adoption, bonding, attachment, school, etc.

"Our Own" by Trish Maskew- This is a fantastic book for parents adopting older children. The book features “dozens of adoptive families “telling it like it is” about the joys and challenges of adopting an older child.” The book is full of advice from parents who have “been there done that”, and addresses many situations and struggles that parents encounter with older child adoption, as well as the joys.

"Parenting the Hurt Child" by Keck and Kupecky- This is a fantastic resource for parents adopting children from difficult backgrounds and early trauma. The book offers “hope and healing” for parents, families and children.

"Toddler Adoption: The Weaver’s Craft" by Mary Hopkins-Best- This book is known as the “bible” of sorts of toddler adoption. It provides a ton of information, advice, resources, strategies and personal experiences related to adopting a toddler.

"It’s All Good Hair" by Michele N-K Collison- This book was a life-saver for me when we first adopted our two older girls, and I had no idea how to do black hair!! It has lots of advice on washing, combing and styling and has plenty of pictures to help out too. It addresses hair care for black babies, older children, boys and girls.

Happy Reading!


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