Adoption Resources

Books, websites, magazines, travel information, language tips, and films--there are a lot of great resources for families both before and after adoption! We've collected a few for you here.

Found a great book or website we haven't listed here? Let us know! We're always looking to keep this section updated. Send your suggestions to moreena@ocdf.org with "Adoption Resources" in the subject line. Thanks!

Adoption-Parenting Resources

Our Chinese Daughters Foundation: www.ocdf.org
See www.ocdf.org/publications for Chinese Culture Active Learning Series Books & Books about Adoption from China

Families with Children from China: www.fwcc.org

EMK Press: Books for Adopted Children, Resources for Parents: www.emkpress.com

China Adoption/Attachment Website: www.attach-china.org

Older Child Adoption: www.olderchildadoption.com

Adoption Learning Partner e-Courses: www.adoptionlearningpartners.org

Raising China Children yahoo groups:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RaisingChinaChildren/
Links from Raising China Children: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RaisingChinaChildren/links

My Red Thread Journey:
http://myredthreadjourney.com/
(a social networking site for adoptive families)

Publications and Media:

Adoptive Families Magazine
www.adoptivefamilies.com

Adoption TODAY Magazine
www.adoptinfo.net

China for Children Magazine
www.ocdf.org/magazine

Pergamon Adoption Video Services
www.pergamondesign.com

Tapestry Books
www.tapestrybooks.com

Asia for Kids   www.asiaforkids.com

Shen's Books and Supplies   www.shens.com

China Books
www.chinabooks.com

Better Chinese
www.betterchinese.com
(Sets of Better Chinese learning materials are available from OCDF - lynn@ocdf.org )

Books for Parents

The Waiting Child by Cindy Champnella

The Lost Daughters of China: Abandoned Girls, Their Journey to America, and the Search for a Missing Past by Karin Evans

Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents by Deborah Gray

Lifebooks, Creating a Treasure for the Adopted Child by Beth O'Malley
www.adoptionlifebooks.com

Finding Happiness: Single Mothers Share their China Adoption Stories by Our Chinese Daughters Foundation
www.ocdf.org/publications

New American Families: Chinese Daughters and Their Single Mothers by Our Chinese Daughters Foundation www.ocdf.org/publications

Adoption Lifebook, A Bridge to Your Child's Beginnings by Cindy Probst
www.lifebooksource.com

I Love You Rituals by Becky A. Riley, Ph.D

Inside Transracial Adoption by Gail Steinberg, Beth Hall

Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son: Abandonment, Adoption and Orphanage Care in China by Kay Ann Johnson

Real Parents, Real Children; Parenting the Adopted Child by Holly Van Gulden, Lisa M. Bartels-Rabb

China-Adoption Books for Children

My Family is Forever by Nancy Carlson

When You Were Born in China by Sara Dorow

Kids Like Me in China by Ying Ying Fry

We See the Moon by Carrie Kitze

Before I Met You by Doris Landry, MS

I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose A. Lewis

At Home in This World by Jean MacLeod

The White Swan Express: A Story About Adoption by Jean Davies Okimoto

Mommy Near, Mommy Far by Carol Antoinette Peacock

How much Chinese will you need to learn?

No matter where you travel in China, the standard language is Mandarin (Putonghua). In Guangzhou (Guangdong Province) and Hong Kong areas, people will also speak Cantonese. Expressions you should learn:

  • Being polite (hello, good bye, thank you, excuse me, I don't understand, please, and where's the restroom) and restroom signs.
  • Counting to 10, multiples of 10 (20, 30, 40, etc.), 100 and 1000
  • Buying things (see "how to bargain in Chinese" in the shopping section)

Essential words and phrases in Mandarin

Saying Chinese Pinyin

Pronounciation in Funky PinYin
(not real pinyin)

Hello Ni hao Knee how
Goodbye Zai jian Say gin
Please Qing Ching
Thank you Xie Xie Sh-eh She-eh
I don't understand Wo bu dong Woa boo dong
Excuse me Dui bu qi D'we boo chee
Where is the restroom Cesuo zai nar? Crts-woa z'eye nahr?
I am an American Wo shi Meiguoren Woa shure may g'wo ren
I am happy to be in China Wo hen gaozing lai Zhongguo fang wen Woa hen gow shing lai jong g'wo faang when.

OCDF is happy to provide you with our Red Card, which is a 22-panel fold-out language guide about the size of an index card, so it will fit easily in a pocket or purse. For the OCDF Red Card, contact: lynn@ocdf.org

In English, Pinyin, & Characters:
Chinese Expressions, Terms of Endearment, Parent/Child Conversations, Family Members, Adoption Terms, Useful Chinese Terms, Numbers, Hand Signs, Calendar, Telling Time, Taxi Talk, Shopping, Eating Out, Colors, Airport Facts, Money, Groceries, Department Stores, Shopping, Old Beijing Shops

Chinese Language Learning Resources

Step Into Chinese is free software (donation requested by the programmer if the software is helpful to you) designed to help language learners, particularly in tying together their knowledge of spoken Chinese with written characters

Language learning for children and adults - packages of materials from Better Chinese are available for all adoptive families from OCDF. Email lynn@ocdf.org for more information. $100 includes the entire set of 36 thematic books (in English, Pinyin and characters), workbooks and CDs.

Language Books

Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook by Charles Qin, Justin Rudelson

Learn Chinese in Three Months by Hugo (this one is great!!)

Berlitz Guides

and many more...


A visit to your local library or book store will have you full of possible reading materials (try a used bookstore for great possibilities - especially all the old National Geographics!), and perhaps even leave your head spinning as to which ones you should read in preparation for your China-connected life. The following list is divided into sections to help prioritize your efforts.

Essential Reading on China

China Tourism Magazine available from China Books and Periodicals - see www.chinabooks.com. Once you see this National Geographic photo quality-level magazine you will want to subscribe to it for your entire family! It is gorgeous!

River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Peter Hessler

1421: The Year China Discovered America by Galvin Menzies

The Food of China by Nina Simonds & Deh-Ta Hsiung

The Coming Collapse of China by Gordon Chang

Lords of the Rim by Sterling Seagrave

China Wakes by Nicholas Kristoff and Cheryl Wudunn

China Insight Guide (APA Publications - Prentice Hall Travel)

The Genius that was China by John Mershon

Ancient China (The Nature Company Discoveries Library) Time Life Books

Good Background and Tourist Information

Fodor's Experiencing China This includes lots of color pictures of places you will see but doesn't offer the full array of descriptions and informaion about each city as the China Guide offers.

China Guide - Jane prefers this to the other China travel books because it is very comprehensive and upbeat compared to the Lonely Planet series of books which focuses on budget travel and tends to be rather negative in its approach to travel abroad. Many of the hotels OCDF China Tours selects will not be included in the Lonely Planet series because they are actually rated higher than their travelers prefer.

PRC Guide to Health and Safety by William W. Forgey, M.D. Offers health and safety tips however, most information you will need for this trip is provided on this web site. This is a book that takes 30 minutes to read. Jane brings a copy of this on her tour trips, along with the Third World Traveler's Guide to Health and Medicine.

On the History, the Culture and People of China:

China: The Culture, China: The People, China: The Land, all by Bobbie Kalman
This series by Bobbie Kalman is a wonderful set of paperback books with colorful descriptions of China, and is easily read in an evening. You'll find these great background reading and wonderful books to have to share with others as you tell about your experiences in China. They typically sell for $7.95 each and are available through: Shen's Books and Supplies, 1-800-456-6660.

Exploration Into China by Wang Tao
An excellent paperback with historical emphasis. $7.95

A Traveler's History of China by Stephen G. Haw

In Search of Modern China by Jonathan Spence (as well as any other of Jonathan Spences books)

Other Resources and References

Magazines:
A. Magazine, Inside Asia America 270 Lafayette St. Suite 400, NY, NY 10012

Orient Celebrating the Asian American Experience PO Box 15007, Altamonte Springs, FL 32715-0067

Arts of Asia, 1309 Kowloon Center, 29-39 Ashley Rd., Kowloon, Hong Kong

Asian Art News, PO Box 301388, Escondido, CA 92030-9955

Asian Business, Far East Trade Press Ltd., Block C, 10/F
Seaview Estate, 2-8 Watson Rd., North Point, Hong Kong

Asia Pacific Economic Review, 1025 South King Street, Seattle, WA 98104

US China Business, 616 S. Del Mar Ave. Suite G, San Gabriel, CA 91776

US China Business Review, U.S. China Business Council, 1818 N St. NW, Washington, DC 20036

Transpacific, Asian Success and Influence, 805-230-1171 also publishers of Face and Tea magazines

Films
There are many Chinese and Chinese-American movies which will help you to understand better the history and culture of China. Many are in Mandarin with English subtitles. While reading subtitles may be unusual for you, you will find listening to the Chinese language good practice as a new langage learner, or in preparation for a trip to China. Watching one or two videos a month will be helpful.

Chinese Films
(located in the Foreign Film section of your video rental store, university/college library/media center, or from Netflix)

  • Not One Less (suitable for children)
  • To Live
  • Farewell My Concubine
  • Raise the Red Lantern
  • Shanghai Triad
  • Ju Dou
  • Red Sorghum
  • Red Firecracker Green Firecracker
  • The Blue Kite
  • Beijing Bicycle
  • Crouching Tiger Hiden Dragon

American-made Chinese Films
(usually dispersed between foreign films and regular drama films)

  • China Rising (documentary)
  • The Last Emperor
  • The Joy Luck Club
  • The Wedding Banquet
  • M Butterfly
  • Big Bird in China (a children's movie, but excellent)
  • The Good Earth
  • Red Corner
  • Pavillion of Women
  • The Soong Sisters

Travel Films
(see travel section of the video rental store or check out Asia for Kids )

  • Big Bird in China
  • Trav's China Adventures
  • National Geographic China
  • China and Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong