I know that I can sometimes throw a lot at you in my posts, but don’t necessarily go deep into any topic…because it’s a blog, right? And most definitely, you want to have some depth in an area which I don’t have margin to provide.
But there is good news! Lots of people have written books which can give you so much more meat than I ever could in my thousand words or less posts (or 300 words or less, which is what I am *supposed* to keep my posts to…which I honestly have not done since my very first post).
So here is my list of books which I am recommending because I have personally read or they have been recommended to me by seasoned foster and/or adoptive parents, CASAs, or others within social work. At some point, I hope to put together a list of other media sources, but here is a list of books only to get you started. They are in no particular order, so please don’t think I prefer the ones at the top to the ones at the bottom. It is simply a list with an assortment of books about parenting, parenting kiddos from hard places, as well as autobiographical pieces from individuals who have experienced abuse and neglect at the hands of those who should be protecting them; together these books give you (who is probably a new or potential foster parent) a glimpse of the world into which you are stepping.
NOTE: This is clearly not an all-encompassing list, as I know there are many other resources out there, but to get you started, I know there is something in here for everyone.
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
• To the End of June by Cris Beam
• Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
• Three More Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
• Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison
• The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis, David Cross and Wendy Lyons Sunshine
• The Connected Parent by Lisa Qualls
• The Out of Sync Child by Carol Stock Kranowitz and Larry Silver
• The Out of Sync Child Has Fun by Carol Stock Kranowitz
• The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
• No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
• The Yes Brain by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
• Parenting from the Inside Out by Daniel J. Siegel
• Brainstorm by Daniel J Siegel
• Reframing Foster Care by Jason Johnson
• 8 Great Smarts by Kathy Koch
• The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene
• Replanted by Jean Ranter Hook, Joshua N. Hook and Mike Berry
• Confessions of an Adoptive Parent: Hope and Help from the Trenches of Foster Care and Adoption by Mike Berry
• Securely Attached by Mike and Kristin Berry
• Honestly Adoption by Mike and Kristin Berry
• Keep the Doors Open by Kristin Berry
• A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer
• The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer
• A Man Named Dave by Dave Pelzer
• Recipes for Risk by Julie Mavis
• The Five Love Languages of Children (there is also a version for teenagers) by Gary Chapman
• Childhood Disrupted by Donna Jackson Nakazawa
• The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce D Perry and Maia Szalavitz
• The Deepest Well by Nadine Burke Harris
• Beyond Behaviors by Mona Delahooke
• The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
• Rising Strong by Brené Brown
• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
Sincerely,
Kris