Reading together with your children is one of the best things you can do for them. However, it is sometimes hard for families that came together by adoption to find books that reflect their lives and experiences. To help make that part of parenting a little easier, we have assembled a list of books that you can read together with your adopted children. Also, be sure to check out these other books.

Joanna Cole’s book is a good story to sit down and read with your young child, because it will help open up the discussion about adoption. The story is told from the child Samantha’s point of view. Samantha knows that she is adopted and understands that this is different from other children. This story explains what adoption is and how it happens. It puts an emphasis on how every child has their own adoption story, so it can help you talk to your child about their personal story. The book is 18 pages long and has interactive questions in the back of the book for you to talk about with your little one.

This story shares the experience of the author Rose A. Lewis as she went through the process of adopting and bringing her daughter home with from China. The story starts off like a fairy tale, and you soon learn that it is a letter from the mother to her soon-to-be daughter. The story talks about adjusting to life in a new situation and is a good story to read to a child who is not only adjusting to a new family but also a new country, as it addresses international adoption. It was illustrated beautifully by Jane Dyer.

Written by Uma Krishnaswami and illustrated by Jamel Akib, this is a heartwarming story about a young boy waiting for his little sister to join the family. Arun has wanted a little sister to help him celebrate Rakhi, a holiday special to brothers and sisters. He’s excited when he learns that he’ll get his wish to have a little sister. His parents are adopting a little girl named Asha who was born in his father's home country of India. The family is excited to prepare for her arrival, but must wait a year for government approval. Arun struggles with impatience from the year-long delay and finds his own way to bond with his sister who is still in India.

Welcome Home, Forever Child was written by Christine Mitchell for the daughter she was adopting at the age of four. Many adoption books are about infant adoption and are not ideal for children who are adopted at an older age. This book, however, is a lovely gift for the older child you bring into your family who might have spent their early years inside the foster system or lived in an orphanage. This story will help comfort your child as it reminds them that they are permanent member of their new family. This is a story that social workers and therapists highly recommend for older children going to their new home.

Written by Kathryn Ann Miller, this story starts off with little Morgan asking if her first mother loved her. Her mother reads her a letter that her birth mom left for her. The letter describes how much the birth mother loved her and her concerns about being unable to give Morgan the kind of life she wanted to give her, so she gave her to a family who could give her that life. The story explains adoption in a way that is easy for small children to understand.