Exploring Adoption

Mother's Day Slideshow- Send Your Pictures!

Moms: You have just over a week left to e-mail me a photo of you with your adopted child(ren) or you with a child you have placed for adoption, for inclusion in the slideshow I'm creating to celebrate Mother's Day.

Everyone who submits a photo will be entered in a drawing to receive an autographed copy of one of my upcoming books.  Deadline for entries is May 9. Read all about the Mother's Day slideshow.

Tomorrow I'll be announcing the winners of adoption-related children's books I reviewed in last week's posts. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment on the post(s) for the book(s) you'd like to win.

For more about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com. To order the latest, greatest adoption-themed books, visit Laura's Exploring Adoption Bookstore.

Adoption Book Review: “Saving Levi”

It’s Day 6 of Book Review Week here at Exploring Adoption. Today I’m reviewing a personal experience story, Saving Levi: Left to Die…Destined to Live (Focus on the Family/Tyndale House, 2007), by Lisa Misraje Bentley.

When residents of a northern Chinese village hear a wail that sounds like a wounded animal waiting to be put out of its misery, they follow the sound into a fallow cornfield, where they discover a 6-week-old baby boy, 75 percent of his body covered with third degree burns.

Saving Levi is the inspiring, true account of how the severely-burned boy is nursed back to life through the combined efforts of dozens of people across the globe. Lisa Misraje Bentley, a missionary working in a Chinese orphanage, is one of the first to meet the abandoned, burned baby. And when she does, her heart breaks. Instantly struck with compassion and love, she wonders, “Who will stand in the gap for this baby?”

In an matter-of-fact, reporting style, Bentley explains her personal role in advocating for Levi, mothering him, arranging for him to be flown to Boston for life-saving surgeries, and eventually, adopting him.

At several points in the story, Bentley mentions the way in which she’s torn between caring full time for the baby, who was on the brink of death, and finding time to care for her husband and their four children.

I’m grateful that Bentley admits her familial and marital struggles, because it makes her seem real. At some points, she comes off as Superwoman—homeschooling her four children, taking extended trips back and forth to hospitals the United States with Levi, meeting a constant stream of dignitaries and celebrities, and caring for the 90 orphans who lived at their orphanage.

So, near the end of the book, when Bentley mentions that her marriage was falling apart and explains how their family took a one-year furlough to the United States in an attempt to repair it, I was relieved. In fact, I wanted to hear more about the toll that saving Levi took on her family. The 140-page book seemed almost too understated; I wanted more details of this fascinating story!

Saving Levi is intended to be read in one sitting, and it includes 16 pages of beautiful, black and white photographs. As I reflected on the way in which God moved mountains on behalf of one of His cherished children, I couldn’t help but be touched by the immensity of God’s love for each and every one of us.

This book is available for purchase from Laura’s Exploring Adoption bookstore.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com.

Other Reviews in this Series:

Welcome Home, Forever Child

…And Baby Makes a Family

I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum

The Olive Tree

The Garden Wall

Children’s Book Review: "The Garden Wall"

It’s Day 5 of Book Review Week here at Exploring Adoption. Each day, I’m reviewing a recently-published book, beginning with books for toddlers and working my way up to books for adults.

I’m giving away a copy of today’s featured book, The Garden Wall. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment telling why you would like to receive the book.

The Garden Wall: A Story of Love Based on 1 Corinthians 13 (Warner Press Kids, 2006)
By Jennie Bishop
Illustrated by Jeff Stoddard

Today’s picture book isn’t adoption-related, but it’s a lovely tale of friendship and commitment, beautifully illustrated with watercolors that invite the reader to ponder the meaning behind the author’s words.

In the shade of a great snow-topped mountain lived a stonecutter who formed stones from the mountain rock and repaired the walls in all the farmers’ pastures. The stonecutter had a son named Seth. Seth’s friend Petra, a farmer’s daughter, had an idea to make a flower garden as a present to her future husband.

Unsure of whether a husband would like a garden that was just for looking at, Seth agrees to build a wall around Petra’s garden to protect it.

The two friends plant the garden and build the wall, learning life-lessons about kindness, humbleness, encouragement, selflessness, self-control, contentment, truthfulness, protectiveness, forgivensss, hopefulness, and perseverance as they grow up together.

It is a bit difficult to determine the appropriate age of readers who would enjoy this book. My guess is that children from ages 7-12 would benefit from it most. However, children ages 8 on up generally read chapter books, not illustrated picture books. But the themes in this book seem most appropriate for older children. Thus my confusion.

Because this book gently teaches children to develop qualities we should all strive for (based on 1 Corinthians 13, the great “love” chapter in the Bible), The Garden Wall would be a great book for families with children of all ages to share during a family devotion time.

Don’t forget to post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win this book. The winner will be announced May 1, 2007.

This book is available for purchase from Laura’s Exploring Adoption bookstore.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com.

Other Reviews in this Series:

Welcome Home, Forever Child

…And Baby Makes a Family

I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum

The Olive Tree

Adoption Book Review: "The Olive Tree"

It’s Day 4 of Book Review Week here at Exploring Adoption. Each day, I’m reviewing a recently-published adoption book, beginning with books for toddlers and working my way up to books for adults.

I’m giving away a copy of today’s featured book, The Olive Tree. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment telling why you would like to receive the book.

The Olive Tree: The Enchanting Journey of a Dove’s Life in the Holy Land 2000 Years Ago (Simpatico Books, 2005)
By Georgene Freedman

“There once was an ordinary turtle dove named Esther who had a pretty extraordinary problem. Doves are always found in pairs, but Esther never found another dove to share her life with.”

Thus begins the adventures of Esther the dove, who discovers a charming garden called “Gethsemane” and decides to make it her home. She notices a nest perched in a majestic old olive tree—an abandoned nest that contains one beautiful egg.

For days, Esther devotedly guards the egg, until the new hatchling emerges. Esther and her (adopted) daughter, Lovey, spend many wonderful days together until one morning, disaster strikes. Esther is captured by a human and placed in a basket. Esther, it seems, is intended to be used as a sacrificial offering to God at the temple.

Alone and scared, Lovey senses her mother assuring her that she now lives in God’s special garden in heaven, and that Lovey must fulfill an important purpose in her own life.

Lovey leaves her beautiful garden, and before long, she comes upon the town of Bethlehem, where she spots a comfortable-looking stable. She builds a nest in the rafters. Several months later, on a star-filled night, a man leading a donkey carrying a woman arrives at the stable. The woman gives birth to a baby boy, and for the first time in a very long time, Lovey coos. Her cooing lulls the newborn baby to sleep.

Lovey has begun to fulfill her purpose in life; a purpose that continues until the last evening of Jesus’ life, when he comes to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray to his Heavenly Father before becoming the gift ‘offering’ for all mankind.

The Olive Tree is most appropriate for early elementary-age readers; it’s heavier on text than a typical picture book, includes some frightening moments, and introduces more complex theology.

The writing seemed theologically sound, except for the phrase that “animals and humans must earn their way to paradise by always treating others with love, respect and kindness—and being godly.” This doesn’t mesh with the theology that comes later in the book, which suggests that Jesus is the ‘offering’ for all mankind (Maybe it’s pre- and post-Jesus theology; I couldn’t tell from the text).

According to scripture, Jesus’s sacrifice—that of offering his own life on the cross—atones for our sins once and for all. We no longer have to “earn” our way to paradise, and we don’t get to heaven by being kind, loving, and godly. We are welcomed into God’s adoptive family when we confess our shortcomings and invite Jesus to be our savior.

Okay, I’ll jump down off my soapbox now. Overall, The Olive Tree is an intriguing book that presents adoption—and the ability to love a child one doesn’t birth—as a normal part of life. Using the backdrop of the Garden of Gethsemane, the author weaves a tale of love, as seen through the eyes of a turtledove.

Don’t forget to post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win this book. The winner will be announced May 1, 2007.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Other Reviews in this Series:
Welcome Home, Forever Child

…And Baby Makes a Family

I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum

Adoption Book Review: "I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum"

It’s Day 3 of Book Review Week here at Exploring Adoption. Each day, I’m reviewing a recently-published adoption book, beginning with books for toddlers and working my way up to books for adults.

I’m giving away a copy of today’s featured book, I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment telling why you would like to receive the book.

I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum (Franklin Street Gallery Productions, 2004)
By Joanne V. Gabbin
Illustrated by Margot Bergman

An inquisitive little girl (somewhere between the ages of 4 and 6) has a tea party with her mom and asks, “Mama, please tell me about Grandma.”

Mama gladly shares stories of the child’s grandma, who had a little garden around her door, who took time to share a cup of tea with her daughter, who gave selflessly to others, and who called her daughter lovely names: Dumpling, Sugar Lump, and Sweet Potato Pie.

Throughout this richly-illustrated picture book which features an African American family, mother and daughter lovingly share memories and stories, including the story of the day they first met their daughter.

The book’s title, I Bet She Called Me Sugar Plum, is explained when the little girl wonders what her first/birth mother called her.

Illustrated with detailed, slightly abstract photos of collages textured from burlap, beads, lace, and satin, this book has a warm, loving feel. Using poetic dialog, Gabbin gently approaches questions about pregnancy, adoption, self-awareness, and self-esteem.

Don’t forget to post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win this book. The winner will be announced May 1, 2007.

This book is available for purchase from Laura’s Exploring Adoption bookstore.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com

Other Reviews in this Series:
Welcome Home, Forever Child

…And Baby Makes a Family

Adoption Book Review: "…and Baby Makes a Family"

It’s Day 2 of Book Review Week here at Exploring Adoption. Each day, I’m reviewing a recently-published adoption book, beginning with books for toddlers and working my way up to books for adults.

I’m giving away a copy of today’s featured book, …and Baby Makes a Family. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment telling why you would like to receive the book.

…and Baby Makes a Family (Xlibris, 2007)
By Phyllis Ann Mariani

With its brilliantly-colored, cartoon-style illustrations, …and Baby Makes a Family will put a smile on the face of young readers. Narrated from the perspective of a perky, 1-year-old puppy named Leta, the story details the family’s excitement when they receive a call from a “special hospital,” telling them that a baby girl is waiting for them.

When the phone rings, excitement, confusion, and chaos ensues. Daddy runs to get the car. Mommy calls her sister to share the good news. Uncle Ralph, who was painting the house, fell off the ladder and into the bushes (he wasn’t injured, we assume). Even the puppy, Leta, stands guard by the front door, waiting for the baby’s arrival.

My junior reviewer, Josh (age 11), enjoyed this book’s vibrant illustrations and thought that “little kids” (aka, the pre-school set) would like it. We both wondered what the “special hospital” was (the adoption agency, perhaps?). In a page that felt a little forced, the author attempted to explain, in terms a toddler can understand, the reason this baby girl suddenly appeared on the scene:

“Somewhere in town there was another lady…she had a baby girl…but…this beautiful lady couldn’t give her a home!!! She cared and loved her baby daughter so much that she gave her to the special hospital who could give her a warm safe home…”

That page rubbed me the wrong way, but at the same time, I realize it’s hard to explain the complexity of why a woman would place her child for adoption in a picture book.

All in all, toddlers and pre-schoolers will probably like this fun, funky, colorful picture book.

About the Author: Phyllis Ann Mariani has a background in special education. She is involved in many charitable organizations, especially those involving children with special needs. She is an adopted daughter and wrote this book to tell her story the way it was lovingly told to her by her parents.

Don’t forget to post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win this book. The winner will be announced May 1, 2007.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

Other Reviews in this Series:
Welcome Home, Forever Child

Adoption Book Review: 'Welcome Home, Forever Child'

Today begins Book Review Week here at Exploring Adoption. Each day, I’ll review a recently-published adoption book, beginning with books for toddlers and working my way up to books for adults.

I’m giving away an autographed copy of today’s featured book, Welcome Home, Forever Child. To enter the drawing, simply post a comment telling why you would like to receive the book.

Welcome Home, Forever Child (Author-House, 2006)
Written and illustrated by Christine Mitchell

If you have a young daughter who was adopted as a toddler or pre-schooler, she will enjoy Welcome Home, Forever Child.

With charming illustrations of a family of cats who wear funky, human clothes, Christine Mitchell crafts a simple, delightful story about a family that adopts a child who is beyond babyhood. The text is written in rhyming iambic tetrameter (if you care about such literary conventions). Here’s a sample from a couple of pages:

We didn’t watch you learn to crawl,
or give you your first bouncy ball.
We didn’t share your first big grin,
or see your baby teeth come in.

Although we’ve missed some things, it’s true,
we have a lifetime now with you.
So much to learn, so much to do;
we will share many firsts with you…

Christine’s inspiration for writing the book came after she and her husband adopted their younger daughter from foster care when she was 4. “I was disappointed by the scarcity of picture books depicting adoptive families like ours,” says Christine.

“While there are many wonderful adoption story books available, the vast majority reflect infant adoptions,” she says. “Most are not appropriate for the older child who was removed from birth parents due to abuse and/or neglect and who lived in a series of foster homes, or for the child who was abandoned and spent years an orphanage.”

Throughout this book, the parents promise to love and nurture their child, and together, they look forward to the memories they will make together.

Welcome Home, Forever Child helps parents provide the reassurance that older children desperately need after joining their adoptive family. The book would make a wonderful gift for a newly-adopted child between the ages of 2-5.

Don’t forget to post a comment to be entered in the drawing to win this book. The winner will be announced May 1, 2007.

This book is available for purchase from Laura’s Exploring Adoption bookstore.

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com.

HopeToAdopt.com: A User-Friendly Registry for Prospective Adoptive Families

When Holly and Blake Schwendiman studied online registry services that connect prospective adoptive parents with parents who are planning to place their baby for adoption, they were disappointed in the $400-$600 yearly rate for the 1-2 page “letter format” that looked identical for all clients.

“We wanted a better option that was affordable to everyone,” says Holly.

So in August of 2000, they launched HopeToAdopt.com. “Our goal is to help adoptive families by providing tools to assist them in their search for a match.”

While their service is fee-based, Holly and Blake say they often pass on information and situations free of charge to their families. They do not perform agency or legal services; they only provide marketing resources.

HopetoAdopt.com offers:

• A five-page adoption Web site for $59 per year
• Banner ads that offer additional exposure for $50 per year
• Web page, banner ads, and business cards package for $99 per year

Their competitors charge over $100 per month, says Holly.

They can afford to charge far less than their competitors because Blake wrote the computer program that automates Web site creation, and Holly designed the site. Their site’s user-friendly tools include:

• Automated program for site creation
• Unique five-page profile format
• Personal URLs
• Ability to review and track personal site statistics
• Ability to monitor and filter correspondence for scams/spam
• NO advertisements on individual sites
• Community bulletin board that provides support and friendship during the journey

“I wanted families to be in charge of what their ‘file’ looked like and how it presented them. I wanted them to be able to edit it any time without additional waits or fees,” says Holly. Consequently, the Web site format is the only pre-prepared element; families choose their own content and theme. 

Prospective parents create their site as they answer questions and make selections—no programming skills are required. As an added bonus, says Holly, families create their entire site without commitment or obligation. “If they like it when they're done, they can choose to activate it.”

When they activate their site, clients are given a personal Web site address such as: www.blakeandholly.hopetoadopt.com. “We wanted Web site addresses that were easy, personal, and could be found by search engines, as well as friends and family members.”

The tools on HopeToAdopt.com make it easy for prospective parents to create a unique profile for potential birth parents to read. “Most ‘birth parent’ letters are too lengthy, wordy, and generic,” says Holly. “I have a hard time picturing young birth mothers reading so many pages of text.”

Holly created a five-page profile that begins with an overview page that provides basic information. More detailed information is broken into categories, giving both the viewer and the creator more control.

Holly also wanted to give adoptive families control over viewing their personal site’s stats and to feel a sense of security in correspondence matters. Blake designed the database to track and record all activities and to allow Holly the ability to filter incoming messages. 

Advertising on adoption registry sites also irritated Holly. “I hated that families were paying top dollar for advertising only to have additional ads placed on their sites that would redirect and distract the viewer.”

Their clients’ individual pages do not contain advertising. The response has been instant and wonderful, says Holly. “Families felt more empowered and matches began turning into successful placements.”

Holly and Blake figure they must be doing something right, because their format has been adopted by other adoption registries and they’ve received many offers from people wanting to buy their site. “We respectfully declined,” says Holly. Instead, she and Blake are continuing to explore new ways to help adoptive families.

This article may be reproduced for use in other print and Internet publications, provided the reprint includes the following credit line:

“HopeToAdopt.com: A User-Friendly Registry for Prospective Adoptive Families,” by Laura Christianson, Exploring Adoption blog, April 29, 2007, www.laurachristianson.com.

Need a good book about adoption? Visit Laura's Exploring Adoption Bookstore. 

Musician Mark Schultz to Bike Across America for Orphans

Christian musician Mark Schultz will be embarking on a bike ride across America May 6 to raise funds for orphans around the world.

He’s starting his trip in Garden Grove, California and ending up in Portsmouth, New Hampshire July 9.

Along the way, Mark will perform concerts featuring music from his album, Broken & Beautiful (Word Records).

Mark’s inspiration to make the 3,500-mile trek came from a visit he and his wife made to orphanages in Mexico, in conjunction with the James Fund, a non-profit organization founded by Family Christian Stores. Mark was adopted when he was an infant. In the YouTube videos below, he explains his mission to help orphans.

Mark will be keeping an audio blog of his journey at http://markacrossamerica.org/blog/. If you wish to donate to his cause, you can submit a tax-deductible donation online through Network for Good.   

Here's Mark talking about his upcoming trip:

And here's the official Ride Across America promo video:

Sources:
Aspiring Retail Industry Brief, April 16, 2007
Mark Across America

Related Post:
Christian Musician Mark Schultz Sings Tribute to His Birth Mother

For more news and information about adoption, visit www.laurachristianson.com, and check out my Exploring Adoption bookstore.

The Best Adoption Advice

What's the best adoption-related advice you've received? Share your voicemail comment with other Exploring Adoption readers! Just call 1(641) 985-7878 and enter *369-8796.