OCDF Publications

OCDF Publications provides an ever-growing list of publications suitable for the adoption community, multi-cultural families, Chinese families, teachers and educators desiring to share Chinese culture with children, adults, and the business community. We accept orders online (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex), by phone (309-829-8202 or toll-free at 1-866-460-OCDF, Visa, Mastercard, checks), and by mail. Please see our ordering page.

We currently publish the OCDF Newsletter (quarterly), the Chinese Culture Active Learning Series, and the Explore-A-Province in China ® Series and the My Life in China: The Story of Xiaomin© series. We also provide Chinese Culture Craft Kits to supplement our Active Learning Series. Other books on China and adoption are available for purchase from the OCDF Marketplace.

Peruse the many publication offerings from OCDF:

OCDF Newsletters

Keep up with all the OCDF news with a full-color, soft-bound, 28 page newsletter published quarterly. We also make all our newsletters available to download for free in PDF format! The latest Summer-Fall 2009 issue is available.

Download past and current OCDF Newsletters

My Life in China: The Story of Xiao Min Series

ODCF announces a new children's series, My Life in China: The Story of Xiao Min. Five of the ten titles have been printed. The first titles include:

Find out more about the Xiao Min Book Series and programs and bookmark the Xiao Min website (http://StoryOfXiaomin.com)

Chinese Culture Active Learning Series

Each of the ten thematic books in this series includes teacher introduction and planning strategies, bulletin board resources and ideas, class discussion topics and projects, student information sheets, student activities, student Q&A, and references and resources. The Chinese Culture Active Learning Series is perfect for elementary and middle school curricula, homeschooling, Chinese language and culture programs, and cultural heritage programs.

The Series ten themes include:

  1. Chinese Traditional Holidays and Festivals
  2. Chinese Myths and Legends
  3. Philosophies & Religions in China
  4. Chinese Classical Literature
  5. UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites in China
  6. Geography of China and Environmental Issues
  7. China's Provinces and Municipalities
  8. China's Food
  9. Chinese Traditional Musical Instruments
  10. China's Famous Inventions

Every book comes with its own CD-ROM (Win/Mac), designed to complement the book's information with great multimedia features such as story-telling in English and Mandarin, music, interviews, photos, story handouts, additional teacher tips and charts, and even more student handouts and activities, such as lunar calendars, internet resource links, and puzzles. These are ideal for adoptive families to learn more about China at home.

The Chinese Culture Active Learning Series is endorsed by Huang Youyi, Vice President of China International Publishing Group and Vice President of Translators Association of China, and Lin Wusun, Retired President of CIPG, Senior Editor and Translator.

Find out more about the titles in this series.

Download the Chinese Culture Active Learning Series brochure (PDF)

Explore-a-Province in China Series

The Explore-A-Province in China ® Book Series is designed for teachers, professors, home-schoolers, and parents of adopted children from China, or for anyone interested in learning more about the many provinces of China! This series will contain 32 books in all, covering every province and major municipality in China.

The Explore-A-Province in China ® books are beautifully designed with full-color photos and illustrations on each page. Each edition is hard-bound with sections covering such topics as history, literature, architecture, foods, famous people, things to see and do, and maps. A teacher's guide is available for each book to provide strategies for using these books in an educational setting. Each book is written from the perspective of a young person (high school or college study abroad student) who travels for the summer to learn about that province. These books are written to be enjoyable and fun reads, as well as to present a visually stunning portrait of each province.

Find out more about the titles in this series or Download the Explore-A-Province in China ® Book Series brochure (PDF) . Books currently available include Anhui, Shanghai, Shandong, Fujian, Jiangsu, and Jiangxi Provinces.

China for Children Magazine

China for Children Magazine was published quarterly from 2003-2008. Each edition is soft-bound and in full-color. Issues are available to order at discounted prices, and make great gifts for families, kids, and teachers! And don't forget teachers, classmates, grandparents, support groups, culture classes, your favorite pediatrician, and your neighbors. These are timeless publications about Chinese culture, history, geography, arts, and literature.

Find out more about China for Children Magazine

China Photo Essay Books

Jane has recently begun uploading photos from China to a new online service, Blurb.com, which has proven to be a great way for us to make available some beautiful pictorial books, worthy of any coffee table! These books are available in either soft- or hard-cover, and you can order them by phone from the OCDF Marketplace (309-829-8202 or 1-866-420-OCDF), or online from our Blurb Bookstore.

Books currently available include:


Hutongs of Beijing in Black and White
Rural China in Black and White

Life in Rural China
Kids in Rural China

Books about Adoption

OCDF Publications has edited and produced two books about adoption from China, from the voice of single mothers who comprised 30% of the early adopters from China. Both books are available to order online or by phone (309-829-8202, or 1-866-460-OCDF).

new american families New American Families: Chinese Daughters and their Single Mothers
edited by Lee Brasseur and Jane Liedtke
$16.00 plus shipping/handling
finding happinessFinding Happiness: Single Mothers Share their China Adoption Stories
edited by Jean MacLeod and Joyce Melton Ma
$16.00 plus shipping/handling

We also offer other books about adoption available to purchase through the OCDF Marketplace. Click here for a list of available titles.

OCDF's Chinese Culture Kits

craft kit Arts, Crafts, Games, Dance, & Music!
Hands-on activities designed for ages K-8 as part of our Chinese Culture Active Learning Series. Each kit contains supplies for 10 children. Kids can learn how to make their own tangrams, do a ribbon dance, make a Tibetan longevity bracelet, make pole puppets, fold a paper jumping frog, make a kite, play the erhu (instrument included!), and lots more great activities. These kits include high-quality materials developed by Chinese artisans, as well as a teacher/parent introduction sheet to provide the history and background of the activity and student handouts. Ideal for classroom use, club activities, cultural heritage days, homeschooling, and birthday parties!

Download the Chinese Culture Kits brochure (PDF) for more information, or download the order form (PDF) for pricing and kit specifications.

Atlas of China

Atlas Cover A comprehensive Atlas of China and its Provinces. Bilingual, with lots of detail! ($14) Email lynn@ocdf.org to order.

 

 

 

 

History of OCDF Publications

OCDF Publications division began in 1995 when OCDF embarked on its quarterly newsletter and first book: New American Families - Chinese Daughters and their Single Mothers. Since then we have published a second paperback book on single-parent adoption from China called Finding Happiness - Single Mothers Share Their China Adoption Stories. In addition, we have a co-publishing venture with Dolphin Books, a division of China International Publishing Group, in Beijing, China to produce a series of books for teachers/parents of chidlren in the K-8 age range. Twenty thematic books will comprise the Chinese Culture Active Learning Series. A team of publishing professionals has been working for 2 years on this series with 10 books completed and several in process. We are currently publishing a second series of books: Explore-A-Province in China © . One book for every Province will be produced by our team in Beijing.

 Our Chinese Daughters Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with offices in Bloomington, IL and Beijing. OCDF Publications is devoted to ensuring educators and parents have access to high-quality, accurate Chinese culture education resources.

Updated 3.11.2010