The Adoptee Bookshelf

Who We Are

As professional educators and librarians, we were frustrated by continuing blindspots in reviews of literature by/about BIPOC, adoptees, and young people experiencing family separation. While there are resources available for adoptees, adoptive families, birth families, and adoption professionals there is a gap in review content available for librarians and teachers. Our intent is for this site to be used as guidance for after purchasing the book for a home or school library when you sit down to read it with children or hand it to a teen reader.

All views expressed here are our own and do not reflect the views and opinions of our employers or the communities and organizations with which we are affiliated.

About Maria

(Founder & Contributor)

Maria is a Guatemalan adoptee, librarian, educator, and creative. She has served on book review committees and currently writes as a reviewer for Publishers Weekly. The Adoptee Bookshelf was born out of a desire to provide resources to adoptees, their families, and educators to create more inclusive spaces for adoptees. She is passionate about building community through books. You can follow Mari for more bookish content @msvtheadoptee on social media.

About Martina

(Contributor)

Martina Junod is a clinical librarian, lover of crafts, and a Slavic adoptee. She enjoys coordinating informal social gatherings for adoptees, former foster youth, and people who experience estrangement. A goal in her lifetime is to witness over-romanticized orphan tropes in fictional media become less dominant than adoptee-authored stories. She firmly believes that adoptees of all ages deserve to see a kaleidoscope of realistic identities, feelings, and characters reflected in the next generation of fiction. To reach her, message @adultadoptees on Instagram.

Contributors

Interested in contributing?

Please contact us via email if you identify from the “I” perspective as part of the adoptee constellation and an educator, librarian, or book reviewer. We would love to connect!