Tag Archives: Adoption

MG – Please Pay Attention

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Sumner, Jamie. Please Pay Attention. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025. 978-1-665-95607-9. $17.99. 240 p. Grades 5-8.

Beatrix Coughlin also known as Bea is in sixth grade when her life drastically changes. Bea now lives her life in the “Before” and “After” – Before the school shooting that took the lives of her teacher and some of her classmates and After. Beatrix is working through grief, trauma, and somehow trying to come to terms with all that she lost that day while continuously moving forward. While others in the community are coming together to march and protest, Bea finds herself struggling with the fact that she felt absolutely helpless in this situation due to her being in a wheelchair. She couldn’t drop down to the floor, she couldn’t run and hide, she couldn’t truly take cover. Dealing with the feeling of being helpless in such a traumatic and life changing event is something that Bea has to work through in order to keep living. 

THOUGHTS: Honestly this book just took the crown of the best MG book I’ve read this year. It discusses such a sensitive and tough topic in a way I had never considered before. It brings to light the need for sensible gun laws in a sensitive yet frank manner. It puts readers in the shoes of a survivor, and it is POWERFUL. I HIGHLY recommend this book for middle level readers and up. 

Realistic Fiction

Elem. – Becoming a Ballerina: The Story of Michaela Mabinty DePrince

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Obuobi, Laura. Becoming a Ballerina: The Story of Michaela Mabinty DePrince. Illustrated by Olivia Duchess. Harper, 2025. 978-0-063-22246-5. Unpaged. $19.99. Grades K-6.

As a child in an orphanage in Sierra Leone, Mabiny dreamed of ballet and being adopted. For many years she was skipped over for adoption because she had vitiligo, a skin condition in which white spots form on the skin. She finally is adopted to a family in the United States along with another young girl from her orphanage. Her name changes to Michaela, and she starts ballet in her new town but is faced with racism due to her skin color and condition. Her mother is a supportive powerhouse and helps Michaela dye her tights and paint her pointe shoes brown to match her skin color. Despite the angry words and opposition to joining all white ballet companies, Michaela strove to improve her craft of ballet and pressed on despite the obstacles. In later years, she was an inspiration to other young black dancers wanting to see themselves as premier ballerinas.

THOUGHTS: A well written picture book biography of ballet great Michaela Mabiny DePrince that deals with some tough but unfortunately common issues within the ballet world. There is an extensive author’s note and selected sources at the end of the book in which it explains about the dying and painting of tights and shoes, and how she helped to change the clothing industry that caters to dancers to become more inclusive in their selection of skin tone apparel. The pictures are vibrant and enhance the storytelling; they swirl and dance just like the main subject.

Picture Book
Biography

Elem. – Nearly Exactly Almost Like Me

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Bradbury, Jennifer. Nearly Exactly Almost Like Me. Illustrated by Pearl AuYeung. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2025. 978-1-481-41767-9. Unpaged. $19.99. Grades PreK-2.

The two brothers in the book look nothing alike; however, they have a lot of similarities. As they are going to buy ice cream from the ice cream truck, the narrator begins to explain all the ways that he and his brother are the same. From when his parents found out they were having him and had to wait to hold him, just like his brother all the way to how they both ate too many chocolates and got sick on the carpet . The book shows the other character understanding how the two brothers may look different but are very alike in other ways. Readers may pick up on how the younger brother was adopted as the story goes, but it’s not explicitly stated.

THOUGHTS: This is a great book to read aloud when you are discussing differences in siblings. This would also work great with guidance counselors if they have a student whose parents may be adopting. The illustrations are precious and add a lot to the story as well.  

Picture Book

Elem./MG – Deer Run Home

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LeZotte, Ann Clare. Deer Run Home. Scholastic Press, 2024, 978-1-339-02190-0. $18.99. 224 p. Grades 5-8.

Effie was born Deaf, but no one in her family uses her language, ASL, to communicate. After an incident happened at her mom’s house, Effie and Deja are sent to move in with their father. After her ASL interpreter at school realizes that Effie may be suffering from some neglect at home with her father, she is determined to help her and get her out of that unsafe environment. 

THOUGHTS: WOW. This book blew me out of the water. There are so many different layers to Effie’s story, and it truly makes your heart hurt while also slowly putting it back together. I personally had no idea about language deprivation. This book is highly recommended for all middle school and upper elementary school libraries. 

Realistic Fiction

Effie endures food insecurity and abuse before being rescued from her living situation by a school-based interpreter. Effie is a member of the Deaf community, but no one else at home will learn American Sign Language (ASL). She recently has moved with her older sister, Deja, from their mom and stepfather’s home into their dad’s trailer. The deer outside their home capture Effie’s attention, but the deer are in danger—their safe habitat is vanishing as new homes are built, and the deer are left without anywhere to go. The deer are used as a metaphor throughout the story for Effie’s own journey. Effie is much happier at school than home; there, Miss Kathy, her ASL interpreter, gives her a voice to communicate. Miss Kathy suspects Effie’s home life is abusive and that she is harboring trauma, so the interpreter begins to investigate and intervene. Although this book offers a happy ending for Effie, the story is riddled with trauma and the sad realities of addiction and abuse.

THOUGHTS: This story is an emotional roller coaster and contains the triggering topics of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Themes are executed in a developmentally appropriate way for middle school students. The novel-in-verse format and shorter length (just over 200 pages) make this book accessible to readers. Authentic representation of Deaf community and other diverse abilities (Cerebral Palsy also represented through Cait’s character). Recommended for readers of realistic novel-in-verse survival stories like Lisa Fipps’s And Then, Boom!

Realistic Fiction

MG – Are You Nobody Too?

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Cane, Tina. Are You Nobody Too? Make Me a World, 2024. 978-0-593-56701-2. $17.99. 320 p. Grades 5-8.

After being stuck at home learning through her computer due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Emily is forced to leave the comfort of what she knows and go to public school in Chinatown. For possibly the first time, Emily is not the only Chinese student at the school. But, that doesn’t mean she feels like she fits in. On top of that, Emily finds out that her adoptive parents have been keeping something from her. Emily works on coming to terms with the complexities of being a Chinese girl adopted by a white family.

THOUGHTS: This novel was very enjoyable. It handles tough topics like adoption, the isolation of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and finding your place in an approachable manner. There are parts of the novel that are a tad slow, especially in the beginning. This novel encourages readers to think introspectively and reflect. The novel did a great job of showing the complexities of identity and talking about microaggressions such as calling Emily a “banana” in the book. Overall, this is a solid middle-level read that I look forward to adding to the library.

Realistic Fiction
Novel-In-Verse

Elem./MG – With Just One Wing

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Woods, Brenda. With Just One Wing. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2024. 978-0-593-46153-2. $17.99. 176 p. Grades 5-7.

Cooper, Coop, is visiting his g-pop, who loves birdwatching. When Coop climbs a tree trying to touch a bird’s egg, he falls resulting in him getting a concussion and a broken arm. While he is recovering at home, he sees the birds in the nest, and one of the birds only has one wing. Cooper decides that the one-winged bird, they name Hop, needs to be adopted, just like him, so he builds a sanctuary for him in the house. However, when someone forgets to close the cage and a Cooper’s Hawk gets hold of Hop and attacks it, they take him to a bird rehabilitation center. But when they find out that Hop is a Northern Mockingbird, an endangered species, and Coop can’t keep him he is devastated. Will Hop recover from the Cooper’s Hawk attack? Will Cooper get to keep him?

THOUGHTS: This was a really sweet and well written novel. The similarities that readers can draw from Hop and Cooper are really remarkable. This tender novel is great for elementary and middle level readers.

Realistic Fiction 

YA – See You On Venus

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Vinuesa, Victoria. See You On Venus. Delacorte Press, 2023. 978-0-593-70513-1. 341 p. $12.99. Grades 8-12.

Mia has grown up in group homes and foster homes with very little known about her birth mom. She knows that her mother is from Spain and her name is Maria. Mia has grown up with a heart defect, and now faces the possibility of a short life unless she undergoes a risky surgery. Mia wants to meet her birth mom before this happens, but time is running out. She has been saving and planning this trip with her friend, Noah. Her biggest wish is to meet her mom and find out why her mother gave her up. Kyle has everything going for him until a fatal accident occurs that kills his best friend – Noah. Kyle begins to spiral to a dark place, and then enters Mia. The two of them embark on this overseas trip to find Mia’s birth mother. Will this trip provide answers to help them move forward with their lives? Noah’s death has brought them together; will this tragedy help mend their broken hearts?   

THOUGHTS: This was a quick read with a powerful message of hope and love and friendship. It has also been made into a movie, so students will be familiar with this story and may come looking for the book version. 

Romance

YA – Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story

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Myer, Sarah. Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story. First Second, 2023. 978-1-250-26880-8. 272 p. $17.99. Grades 9-12.

In Monstrous: A Transracial Adoption Story by Sarah Myer, the author shares their story as a “visible, transracial adoptee” growing up in rural Maryland, where they faced challenges both external (racism and bullying) and internal (mental health and self-esteem struggles). Born in Korea, Sarah was adopted by a white couple as a baby, and this memoir spans the author’s early childhood through their departure for college. Despite their parents’ steadfast love and support, Sarah experienced feelings of abandonment and internalized many negative messages about their ethnicity. Sarah’s recognition of their queer identity (and her classmates’ harassment because of it) adds another element to their navigation of high school’s choppy waters. Myer’s mental health struggles manifest as a monster that grows larger and more horrifying as her inner narrative reflects ever deeper self-loathing. Fortunately, art and anime offer a constant refuge, a source of joy, and one life-changing message. Monstrous has elements that are both deeply personal to the author/illustrator, and also wholly universal. This is a fantastic example of what a skilled artist and storyteller can do with the visual memoir format.

THOUGHTS: A must-read, particularly for readers of Robin Ha’s Almost American Girl and Rosena Fung’s Living with Viola. 

Graphic Novel
Memoir

Elem – You Are Loved: A Book About Families

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O’Hair, Margaret. You Are Loved: A Book About Families. Scholastic, 2023. 978-1-338-85007-9. 36 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

The idea of families coming in all shapes, sizes, and combinations is beautifully celebrated in this inclusive picture book. This title is inspired by Down syndrome advocate Sofia Sanchez, and the story begins with an introduction to her multicultural adoptive family. Readers also learn that love holds families together, and no two families look the same. Families can be loud or quiet, big or small, similar looking or not, and family members might all live together or be spread throughout the world. Vibrant illustrations feature people of all races, religions, abilities, genders, and ages. Backmatter includes a note from Sofia Sanchez’s mother explaining how Sofia’s adoption completed their family. 

THOUGHTS: The important ideas of family loving you just the way you are and families being made of people who care for you no matter what take center stage in this uplifting book. The text also touches on the idea of people in a school and community caring about you and being part of your family too. This is a valuable addition to library collections and should also be shared with school counselors. 

Picture Book

YA – Work With What You Got: A Memoir

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Clark, Zion, and James S. Hirsch. Work With What You Got: A Memoir. Candlewick Press, 2023. 978-1-536-22421-4. 232 p. $18.99. Grades 7-12.

Born in prison with a rare congenital condition that left him without legs, and given up by his drug-addicted mother, Zion Clark faced a lifetime of bias and underestimation.  However, he maintains that negative stereotypes of being African American and being part of the foster care system were also large obstacles in his life.  The instability and the lack of training and oversight are two problems plaguing the foster care system, where the reality is, “who’s going to listen to a ten-year-old?” He acknowledges the help of some amazing people as he grew up: his first two foster families, his wrestling coach, and his adoptive mom. Their combined messages supporting his self-worth; determination; and hard work; combined with the outlets of music, athletics and faith, led Clark away from a gang and crime. Clark became a formidable athlete, first in wrestling, then in wheelchair road racing. Now a motivational speaker, Clark inspires others with his life story and overcomer attitude.

THOUGHTS: This honest memoir is riveting reading, appropriate for middle and high school.        

Biography