I recently reviewed the book "28 Stories of AIDS in Africa" for you, and today I have one more book review that I wanted to share, and that I think all parents who have adopted from Africa or are in the research stage or are in process, would really enjoy.

The book is titled "Angels in Africa" by Beth O'Donnell, and it features the stories of seven extraordinary women in Africa who are doing something to change the things that they see need fixing... more

I want to review a book that I just read, that gives a very in depth and personal look at the current AIDS crisis in Africa, and the reasons why there are currently so many orphans in Africa.

If you don't "know" me, I am Erin from the Transracial Adoption Blog.

I have 10 kids; three biological sons, a daughter from Vietnam, a daughter from Korea, an African American son adopted domestically, two African American daughters adopted domestically, a son from Ethiopia and a daughter from Ethiopia.

My... more

Why I Chose You: 100 Reasons Why Adopting You Made Us a Family by Gregory E Lang, is a small "coffee table book" with pictures and snippets of reasons that families choose to adopt.

Author and photographer, Mr. Lang has a number of books under his belt, so to speak. While not personally involved in the adoption "triad", he decided that he wanted to recognize those families who have grown through the miracle of adoption. He says: "Raising a child is not a right, but a priceless... more

This book by Susan Hunter, published in 2003, is a book written for a "lay" audience about the AIDS crisis in Africa. The author has spent 20+ years in Africa, working with UNAIDS, UNICEF and USAID specifically addressing the AIDS issue.

She has written a book that is pretty easy to understand, but harder to digest. She weaves stories of Charles Darwin in with discussions of colonialism, vectors, disease transmission, the role of money and more education on epidemics... more

As a book-lover, I have thousands (literally) of children's books. In that assortment, I have a number of adoption-related and/or culturally appropriate books for my children adopted from all over the world. I promise not to bore you with reviewing ALL of our books, but I will be working on reviewing ones that relate to either adoption, Africa, or both.

"Fire on the Mountain" is a children's... more

Fabulous book! How could I not love it, when it combines Africa and midwifery - two of my greatest passions (the other broad category being adoption, of course)?!

This little gem, published earlier this year, are the memoirs of a young Peace Corps volunteer and the midwife she worked with in a village in Mali. (A country that is easy to confuse with Bali, a tropical island, but is in fact a land-locked country in western Africa.) I couldn't put it down - I even read it through one child's soccer... more

Never Give Up: Vignettes from Sub-Saharan Africa in the Age of Aids I expected from the word “vignettes” that this book would be a collection of individual stories about people living and/or working with HIV/AIDS in Africa. However, it is not. They are the experiences of Kevin Winge who is also the executive director of “Open Arms of Minnesota”. He makes frequent trips to South Africa, where he works with people living with HIV/AIDS. He... more

Black Baby, White Hands: A View From the Crib This book was written by Jaiya John – the first African-American child to be adopted by a white family in New Mexico. His birth and subsequent adoption occurred in the late 1960's in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

He writes a compelling, poetic story about his struggles growing up black in a white family and a white community and his journey to find his place in the world. He has a lovely, descriptive,... more

This quick, easy to use book was written to help those who want to help, but don't know where to start. It is as applicable for families with young children, as it is to young adults as to seniors.

It's “How to Make a Difference: Over 1,000 Ways to Serve at Home, in Your Community and in the World” by Catherine Poelman.

In his second State of the Union address, just four short months after the September 11 attacks, President George W Bush issued a bold invitation to the American people.

“My call tonight”, he said,... more

As we start to discuss how to “give back”, I’d like to point you to a great little book I just ran across. It is “Raising Charitable Children” by Carol Weisman. It was just published last year and is a quick, easy read, with lots of valuable ideas on how to get your kids “into” being charitable. Ms. Weisman is an entertaining reader who knows whereof she speaks. As you start to think about what your family can do in reaching out, she has the following advice:... more