When we become ours : a YA adoptee anthology

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Title:

When we become ours : a YA adoptee anthology

ISBN:

9780063144408

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

336 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

General Note:

Written by adoptees for adoptees, this anthology of 15 powerful, poignant and evocative stories in a variety of genres reflects the complexity, breadth and depth of the adoptee experience.

Contents:

Cora and Benji's great escape / The star of ruin / How slow the snow is falling / Shawl dance / White people / Haunt me, then / Love is not enough / Oreo / Truffles (or Don't worry, the dog will be fine) / Catch / Almost close enough / Sexy / Deadwood / Glide / The dream dealer's audition

Subject Term:

Adoptees -- Fiction.

Adoption -- Fiction.

Genre:

Domestic fiction.

Psychological fiction.

Short stories.

Added Author:

Gibney, Shannon,

Chung, Nicole,

Summary:

"A groundbreaking and must-read young adult fiction anthology written by adoptees of all backgrounds, for adoptees, that inclusively represents diverse experiences of youth adoptees..."

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Hardwood Creek Library (Forest Lake)	TEEN FICTION WHE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Oakdale Library	TEEN FICTION WHE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Park Grove Library (Cottage Grove)	TEEN FICTION WHE	Searching... Unknown
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury)	TEEN FICTION WHE	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"An emotion-filled collection." --Kirkus Reviews

Two teens take the stage and find their voice . . .

A girl learns about her heritage and begins to find her community . . .

A sister is haunted by the ghosts of loved ones lost . . .

There is no universal adoption experience, and no two adoptees have the same story. This anthology for teens edited by Shannon Gibney and Nicole Chung contains a wide range of powerful, poignant, and evocative stories in a variety of genres.

These tales from fifteen bestselling, acclaimed, and emerging adoptee authors genuinely and authentically reflect the complexity, breadth, and depth of adoptee experiences.

This groundbreaking collection centers what it's like growing up as an adoptee. These are stories by adoptees, for adoptees, reclaiming their own narratives.

With stories by:

Kelley Baker Nicole Chung Shannon Gibney Mark Oshiro MeMe Collier Susan Harness Meredith Ireland Mariama J. Lockington Lisa Nopachai Stefany Valentine Matthew Salesses Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom Eric Smith Jenny Heijun Wills Sun Yung Shin Foreword by Rebecca Carroll Afterword by JaeRan Kim, MSW, PhD

Reviews (2)

Kirkus Review

An anthology of short stories by and about transracial adoptees offering solidarity and understanding. Across 15 stories, authors from a broad variety of backgrounds explore the need to belong and the difficulties in doing so when one is a child adopted and raised by parents who look different and are of a different race. In Mariama J. Lockington's "Cora and Benji's Great Escape," set at Camp Unity, "A Black Identity Experience," Cora, a Black 15-year-old, uses poetry to explore her increasing sense of disconnection from her white adoptive mother, and she eagerly reunites with fellow adoptee and camp bestie, Benji. In MeMe Collier's "Haunt Me, Then," Hazel, who was adopted from China, is visited by the ghost of Jamie, her brother who was adopted from South Korea and died six months ago; raised by strict Christian parents, both siblings sought information about their birth parents, but Jamie's curiosity grew into rage. Though each story conveys its own nuances and contributes to deeper understanding of the subject, those that speak more directly to the central theme of adoption are overall stronger than the more abstract entries. An afterword by transracial adoptee and scholar JaeRan Kim deftly summarizes the value of this work: "those from dominant and majority groups need decentering if they are to develop into compassionate, justice-seeking adults. This book is for everyone--those personally connected to adoption and anyone interested in expanding their understanding of adoptees." An emotion-filled collection. (editors' note, about the authors, further reading) (Anthology. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Though marginalized voices have become increasingly amplified in youth literature, there remains a dearth of stories about transracial adoptees. Books on adoption, especially those geared toward much younger readers, tend to focus on caregivers and on "good" feelings, with some narratives bordering on saviorism. In contrast, each of the 15 stories in this volume provides a glimpse into the complexity of adoptees' experiences. Genres range from slice-of-life to the supernatural and more fantastical, and one story is presented as a comic. A handful of protagonists identify as Black, Indigenous, or Latine, while the majority cue as being of different Asian heritages. There is more variety in family composition, which includes fellow adopted siblings, same-sex parents, and single--parent households. Contributors include Meredith Ireland, Mark Oshiro, Eric Smith, and Mariama J. Lockington. The beauty of collections like this is that its contents can be read in any order, lending themselves to deep contemplation as much as leisurely reading. While some stories are more well-executed than others, taken together they remind readers that each of us is the expert in our own experience.

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Bound With These Titles

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Summary

Summary

Reviews (2)

Kirkus Review

Booklist Review

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