This page may contain affiliate links. This means, at no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission if you purchase a product from one of our links. We only recommend products we love.
When we were in the process of becoming foster parents, I voraciously read everything I could find about foster children, how to help children who have experienced trauma, and working within the foster care system. While this understanding didn’t prepare me for all the tough realities of the foster care system, I’m so thankful I took in as much information as I could. Later, I needed even more help to guide my adopted children as they healed from their early childhood trauma. Here are 50 books about adoption, foster care, and healing child abuse.
50 Books About Healing Childhood Trauma, Parenting Adopted Children, and Child Abuse
Parenting the Hurt Child by Gregory Keck
The Connected Child by Dr. Karin Purvis
Therapeutic Parenting in a Nutshell: Positives and Pitfalls by Sarah Naish
When Love is Not Enough by Nancy Thomas
Healing Trust: Rebuilding the Broken Bond by Nancy Thomas
99 Ways to Drive Your Child Sane
From Fear to Love by Bryan Post
Forever Mom: What to Expect When You’re Adopting by Mary Ostyn
The Whole Brain Child by Dan Siegel
Attachment, Trauma, and Healing
But He Looks So Normal: A Bad Tempered Parenting Guide for Foster Parents and Adopters
These two by Brene Brown are not specifically about parenting children with trauma, but are very good.
The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting: Raising Child with Courage, Compassion, & Connection by Brene Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog by Bruce Perry
Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew
Building the Bonds of Attachment
Books About Foster Care
Another Place at the Table by Kathy Harrison — foster mom
Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer
One Small Boat by Kathy Harrison
Other Helpful Books and Resources
One Child by Torey Haden – Torey has written a whole series of books about children she taught in her special needs classes. These books are a quick read and SO VERY good. I HIGHLY recommend these books, especially One Child.
Parenting Teens with Love and Logic
Devotions and Faith-Based Books about Adoption and Foster Care
Swings Hanging from Every Tree — devotions about foster care and adoption
30 Prayers for Special Needs Parents
Children’s Books about Foster Care and Adoption
Challenger Deep – young adult novel about mental health issues
Maybe Days – a book for children in foster care
What To Do When You Worry Too Much – a book for children who have anxiety, very good
I Said “No!” (Preventing Sexual Abuse) — we’ve used this book. It’s very good for any child.
The Family Book by Todd Parr
The Day We Met You by Phoebe Koehler
“A” is for Adopted by Elieen Tucker Cosby
All Families are Different by Sol Gordon
All Families are Different by Nina Pellegrini
Books About Specific Disabilities and Diagnosis
Smart but Scattered — excellent for ADD, ADHD and other Executive Function issues. We use the checklists in this book for morning and bedtime.
The Feeling Good Handbook — For mental health. This book is more geared for adults, considered the Bible of mental health and therapy, it’s an amazing resource guide.
Shut Up About Your Perfect Kid
More Posts You Will Love
13 Ways to Support Foster Care Without Being a Foster Parent
How to Get a Child into PRTF: Our Story of Finding Treatment
RAD & Foster Care: 10 Truths that Foster Parents Need to Know
Half the books don’t have authors to them.
For example: I may know that Foster Cline wrote LOVE AND LOGIC FOR KIDS and LOVE AND LOGIC FOR TEENS [and possibly a co-author too?]
and that Carol Krantz wrote OUT OF SYNC CHILD HAS FUN
perhaps other readers may not if they don’t click on the links.
Thanks for the feedback. We will work to improve the article by adding author names.