Practical Information on How to Adopt
362.734 ADA
The Encyclopedia of Adoption by Christine A. Adamec2000

362.734 BEA
The Complete Adoption Book: Everything You Need to Know to Adopt a Child by Laura Beauvais-Godwin2000

362.734 DEL
The Unofficial Guide to Adopting a Child by Andrea DellaVecchio2000

362.734 HIC
Adopting in America: How to Adopt Within One Year by Randall Hicks2004

362.734 JAS
International Adoption by Margaret C. Jasper2003

362.734 MIN
Yes, You Can Adopt!: A Comprehensive Guide to Adoption by Richard Mintzer2003

362.734 NEL
How to Adopt Internationally: A Guide for Agency-Directed and Independent Adoptions by Jean Nelson-Erichsen2003

362.734 SEM
Complete Adoption & Fertility Legal Guide by Brette McWhorter Sember2004

362.734 VAR
Adopting on Your Own: The Complete Guide to Adopting as a Single Parent by Lee Varon2000

362.734 WHE
Adopting in China: A Practical Guide, an Emotional Journey by Kathleen Wheeler1999

Psychological Issues
362.734 CAP
An Open Adoption by Lincoln Caplan1991

362.734 COU
Cross-Cultural Adoption: How to Answer Questions from Family, Friends, and Community by Amy Coughlin2004

362.734 FOL
The Post-Adoption Blues: Overcoming the Unforeseen Challenges of Adoption by Karen J. Foli2004

362.734 KEE
Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past by Betsy Keefer2000

371.829 MEE
Children of Intercountry Adoptions in School: A Primer for Parents and Professionals by Ruth Lyn Meese2002

649.145 KEC
Parenting the Hurt Child: Helping Adoptive Families Heal and Grow by Gregory C. Keck2002

Personal Accounts
362.734 ADO
The Adoption Reader: Birth Mothers, Adoptive Mothers, and Adopted Daughters Tell Their Stories1995

362.734 FRA
May the Circle Be Unbroken: An Intimate Journey into the Heart of Adoption by Lynn C. Franklin1998

362.734 SCH
To Love a Child: A Reluctant Father Adopts a “Forgotten” Child by Ted Schwarz1996

362.734 TUC
Love in the Driest Season: A Family Memoir by Neely Tucker2004

For Children
JE CARLSON
My Family Is Forever by Nancy L. Carlson2004

JE CURTIS
Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis1996

JE LEWIS
I Love You Like Crazy Cakes by Rose A. Lewis2000

JE ROGERS
Adoption by Fred Rogers1994

Searching and Reunion
004.67 LAN
Naked in Cyberspace: How to Find Personal Information Online by Carole A. Lane2002

362.734 CAL
AdoptingOnline.Com: Safe & Proven Methods That Have Brought Thousands of Families Together by Mardie M. Caldwell2004

362.734 HAN
Reaching Out: The Guide to Writing a Terrific Dear Birthmother Letter by Nelson Handel2002

362.8298 BAI
The Adoption Reunion Survival Guide: Preparing Yourself for the Search, Reunion, and Beyond by Julie Jarrell Bailey2001

363.2336 DUN
Lost and Found: The Guide to Finding Family, Friends, and Loved Ones by Troy Dunn2003

Local Sources
Yearbooks and Alumni directories
The library has yearbooks from Downers Grove North from 1920 to the present and from 1979 to the present from Downers Grove South. Alumni directories are also available. Alumni directories can be used to determine the year a person graduated from either North or South High School. They also provide some biographical information, such as marital status, children and occupation. Ask for yearbooks and alumni directories at the Reference Desk.

Phone books
The library also has many historical telephone directories dating from 1909 to the present, which can be used to determine where a person lived at a particular time. These telephone directories are located in the local history section. Ask at the Reference Desk for assistance.

Local newspapers on microfilm
The Downers Grove Library has local newspapers on microfilm. None of the local news-papers are indexed. Ask at the Computer and Magazine Desk for assistance.
• Downers Grove Journal – August 31, 1930 to January 16, 1941
• Downers Grove Reporter – 1895 to the present.
• Downers Grove Sun – February 2002 to the present

Chicago Tribune Historical Archive, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times databases
The Historical Archive provides obituaries and death notices from 1860–1984. Also included are major stories covering events and issues clipped and indexed by the Chicago Tribune staff at time of publication. Coverage of these articles is from the 1920s through 1984. For more up-to-date information, the library also subscribes to the Chicago Tribune database which covers 1985 to the present, and the Chicago Sun-Times database which covers 1986 to the present.

Useful Websites
Adoption Network
Comprehensive site with links for adoption, fostering, search and reunions.

American Adoption Congress
Provides information on search and reunion.

The International Soundex Reunion Registry
One of the oldest and largest reunion registries.

Volunteer Search Network
Provides help for adoptees, birthparents and their family members who are looking for lost relatives.

Prepared by Lisa Bobis, March 2005