The Official Junebug Book Club 

~ Children's Books About China ~

A New English-Chinese Dictionary for Children with Colored Pictures -- - purchased at the book shop in the basement of the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou.  This book is good for vocabulary building.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Tales from within the Clouds: Nakhi Stories of China by Carolyn Han.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Beautiful illustrations - A work of art.  Some folktales of China can be a little brutal/harsh in nature.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

China: The Land.  Purchased in China. reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

 A Visit to China by Chik Fil A - A Golden Book.  Nice book about China for young children.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

 Happy New Year by Demi.  Great Artwork all about Chinese New Year preparation and festivities.  Young children like the artwork and activities presented.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

The Empty Pot by Demi.  Great folktale with a noble ending. Beautiful illustrations.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Yeh-Shen-A   Chinese Cinderella Story from China.  This is more appropriate for older children.  It's a bit blunt in the story.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Red Eggs and Dragon Boats by Carol Stepenchuck.  Good book with folk art illustrations.  This book describes celebrations throughout the year in China.  Recipes for some foods that kids could make are included.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Emma's Rug by Allen Say.  An unusual story about an Asian girl who has a special rug/blanket.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Rabbit Mooncakes (missed the author on this one)  An O.K. book about holidays for an Asian family. reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang, This is a memoir of of the cultural revolution for older children.  Jackbug suggests it as a window into how China moved to the place where it decided to make the law that has impacted our daughter's lives.  recommended by Jackbug

Grandfather Tang's Story by Ann Tompert.  This book should be read by a 4-5 year old with a set of tangrams (Chinese puzzle blocks).  The book tells folk tales of many animals.  Kids then make the shape of the animal with the tangrams-an early mathematics skill.    reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Chinese Girl and Boy Paper Dolls by Barbara Steadman.  Beautiful paper dolls for children of about age 8.  Great to give to young relatives who are learning about Chinese culture.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Sesame Street's Chinese Dictionary.  Good for vocabulary building.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Tye Mei and the Magic Brush by Molly Garrett Bang.  Good folk tale with a Chinese girl as the central character.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc 

The Cricket Warrior by Margaret and Raymond Chang.  Good folk tale.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

The Chinese Siamese Cat by Amy Tan.  Good story with a noble ending.  Good illustrations - especially good story for a family that has cats. Wordy.  Better read by a 6-7 year old.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Tales of A Chinese Grandmother by Frances Carpenter.  Book is for adults or teenagers.  Interesting folklore stories.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

~ Books About Adoption, for children ~

A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza.  Good book for young children about looking different from their parents.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc Highly recommended by Judybug

Over the Moon: An Adoption Tale by Karen Katz.  Good book about how a mom and dad are waiting to hear about their baby.  Then there is a description of flying to get their baby and become a family.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Susan and Gordon Adopt a Baby by Sesame Street.  O.K.  not a great book.  One comment in the book about Big Bird asking "how long will he (the baby) stay?" seems a bit odd.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Tell Me Again About the Night I was Born by Jamie Lee Curtis.  Good book with funny illustrations that young kids like.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Happy Adoption Day by John McCutcheon.  Nice book because it's the words to a song that are on the CD/tape version.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Why Was I Adopted ?  (missed the author on this one).  Older book. Very wordy - may be better for 7 or 8 year old child.  Relates to adoption of an older child. reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Are You My Mother ?  by P.D. Eastman.  A classic that young kids enjoy.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

The New Baby by Mercer Mayer.  Another good book for young children to prepare siblings.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

On the Day You Were Born (missed the author on this one) Good for kids aged 5-6.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Children Just Like Me (missed the author on this one).  More appropriate for older kids.  This book shows pictures and provides information about kids from all over the world.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

We're Different, We're the Same by Sesame Street.  Good book for young kids about all kinds of differences. reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Adopted and Loved Forever by Annetta L. Dellinger.  Book is from a Christian perspective.  Also cites bible verses.  A bit wordy for young children.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

All Together Now by Anita Jeram.  Great book for young kids.  About how a mommy rabbit adopts different animals but they all find out that they have big feet in common.  Little kids like to stomp their feet while reading this one.  Good illustrations too.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc  

Little Miss Spider by David Kirk.  Recommended by Lindabug

Mommy Far, Mommy Near: An Adoption Story by Carol Antoinette Peacock recommended by Jackbug

~ Books About Adoption from China ~

When You Were Born in China by Sara Dorow.  Black and white book that describes how children are available for adoption and adopted by parents from another country. reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

An Mei's Wondrous Journey.  This is written from the point of view of a father.  It seems more appropriate for adults.  Beautiful illustrations. reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Our Baby from China by Nancy D'Antonio.  Good book for young children - however, sometimes the young children think that it's them in the book.  A good book to pattern your child's personal story after.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Seeds of Love for Brothers and Sisters of International Adoption by Mary Petertyl.  Great book for children who stay home while mom and dad fly to China.  Comes with a seed packet to grow a plant while mom and dad are away.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

I Love You Like Crazycakes by Rose Lewis.  Wonderful simple story with beautiful and cheerful illustrations.  This book is about a mother's loving journey to her daughter in China.  Great book to help kids ask questions about their own stories.  Good for two parent families as well. reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

~ Books About Adoption, for parents ~  

A Passage to the Heart recommended by Dr. Jerri Ann Jenista

An Empty Lap by Jill Smolowe recommended by Michellebug and Donnabug

Toddler Adoption, The Weaver's Craft by Mary Hopkins-Best.  It addresses the attachment issues that we all worry about and offers ideas as to how to best deal with a grieving toddler.  The author adopted internationally and it is a very well written book.  It sacres me to think that I might have missed reading this book. reviewed by Donnabug

Raising Adopted Children by Lois Melina recommended by Carolynbug

~ Books that are Just Great for Kids Anywhere ~ 

The Napping House by Audrey Wood. recommended by Linda Mitchell Sept, 2000 dtc, recommended by Lindabug

The Hungry Bear by Audrey Wood.  Funny story for young kids  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown.  A classic that young kids respond to.  recommended by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Time for Bed by Mem Fox  recommended by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Jamberry by Bruce Degan.  A funny rhyming book.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

My Little Book About God by Eloise Wilkin.  Good and simple ideas about God.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Mama Mama by Jean Marzollo. recommended by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Touch and Feel Books - great books for very young children. reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

Polar Express by Chris Van Alsberg. recommended by Lindabug

Wonderful You by Kate Gleeson.  Yhis was Annie's absolute favorite book for a long time.  It's a paperback book, only 24 pages long with not a lot of words on each page.  It's small and you can carry it with you anywhere.  It's a great book to read aloud to your child and the pictures are very cute too.  There really isn't a "storyline"; it's more of a mother bear telling her child bear how wonderful the child is.  For example, the mother says, "you're the colors of my rainbow".  The mother also tells the child various activities they can do together; for example, "we'll string some shells and wear them".  According to Amazon.com, the book is for 4-8 year olds.  That's too old, in my opinion.  I think 1-2 years old is a better range for this book because the parent will be reading it to the child, not the child reading it herself.  The average customer rating on Amazon was five stars.  I agree.  It's a fun, quick book that has a wonderful message.  Annie's copy is very torn up but I've saved it and put it in her memory box.  Today I ordered a copy for Lily.  reviewed by Jeanbug

Boxcar Children recommended by Jackbug & Donnabug

In Grandma's Attic Story of a childhood in mid-west North America recommended by Donnabug

Pippi Longstocking recommended by Donnabug 

Amelia Bedelia recommended by Donnabug & Jackbug

Henry Huggins, Ramona the Brave, Ramona Quimby, The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary recommended by Donnabug & Jackbug

The Adventures of Mabel by Harry Thurston Peck. This is an old book that I ordered when my daughter was in kindergarten.  It is a wonderful, magical book; my daughter loved it. recommended by Donnabug

Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osbourne recommended by Jackbug

Henry and Mudge by Cynthia Relaynt  recommended by Jackbug

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl  recommended by Jackbug

Junie B. books by Barbara Park recommended by Lisabug

any book of traditional nursery rhymes recommended by Jackbug

~ Music CD's that are recommended ~

By the Bejing Angelic Choir - The Jasmine Flower, Chinese Folk Songs, Lullabies  recommended by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc

~ Childcare / Parenting Books ~

Touchpoints, The Essential Reference by T. Berry Brazelton  So far this is my favorite "childcare & child development" book, although, I must admit, I haven't found an extremely engrossing book on this subject to date. reviewed by Kelbug

The Complete and Authoritative Guide: Caring for Your Baby and Young Child by Steven P. Shelov, MD, FAAP and Robert E. Hannemann, MD, FAAP  700 pages with 350 illustrations.  It covers a month by month guide to baby's first year; A yearly guide for ages 2-5; Health watch to alert you to potential problems; Advice on effective discipline and nurturing; A list of toys and activities that are age appropriate; List of common infectious diseases; Developmental diseases; Musculoskeletal problems; Skin problems; Chronic diseases; Commonly used medicines. recommended by KimCbug

Mothering: The Complete Guide for Mothers of All Ages by Dr. Grace Ketterman recommended by Cillabug

Motherhood Stress by Deborah Shaw Lewis.  Very Funny recommended by Cillabug

Save Me, I Fell In the Carpool: Help, Hope and Humor for Drowning Moms by Nancy Moser recommended by Cillabug

What to Expect the First Year, What to Expect the Toddler Years These both have great information.  While our girls may be near a year old when they come home, the info is a great resource even now.  It will give an idea of what making sure that all the developmental steps have been taken we need to do.  These books do not have all the answers, but a whole lot of them. reviewed by Jackbug

~Junebug's Favorite Connection with China Books

Falling Leaves (Non-Fiction) by Adeline Yen Mah, A true story about an unwanted little rich girl in China.  I learned so much by reading this book.  I actually read it before deciding to specifically adopt from China and it helped put me on the road to China.  I believe that God was tring to get my attention. recommended by Donnabug

The Good Earth (Non-Fiction) by Pearl S. Buck, A true story about a young girl raised by missionaries in China.  I read this book when I was young and was so influenced by it.  Maybe God was trying to get my attention back then too. recommended by Donnabug & Jackbug

Leaving Deep Water (Non-Fiction) by Claire S. Chow, A book about the lives of Asian American women.  A quote from the preface, "If you are an Asian American woman, I hope that some part of the truth of your experience will be reflected here.  If you are not, I hope that some part of the truth of human experience will find a place of resonance within your heart." recommended by Jackbug

Voices of the Heart. (missed the author) This book is more for adults.  It contains artful calligraphy.  A nice picture book containing Chinese culture.  reviewed by Linda Mitchell Sept. 2000 dtc  

Lost Daughters of China (Non-Fiction) by Karin Evans. recommended by just about everybuggy

Wild Swans recommended by Donnabug & Carolynbug

Red China Blues recommended by Carolynbug

~ Junebug's Favorite Books of all time ~

Into Thin Air (Non-Fiction) by Jon Krakauer, Just give yourself two full days where you have no other obligations.  While you're buying this book, look for the IMAX video "Everest" for watching after finishing the book.  Make sure you have a blanket and a steaming cup of tea.  reviewed by Kelbug

Memoirs of a Geisha (Fiction) I can't remember the author's name!  My book has been in circulation to so many people, getting rave reviews.  I brought this book to Puerto Vallarta, I didn't see the beach for two straight days.  What a book!  I can hardly wait to visit Japan and see the sights described in this book.  This is my all time favorite!  reviewed by Kelbug

The Cider House Rules (Fiction) by John Irving I loved this book a decade before the movie, trust me, it is much better than the movie.  I wish I had time to re-read it!  recommended by Mahbug

Atlas Shrugged (Fiction) by Ayn Rand recommended by Lindabug

Gone With the Wind (Fiction) by Margaret Mitchell recommended by Wendibug

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott recommended by Wendibug

The Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. You'll laugh one minute, cry the next - great book! reviewed by Wendibug

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Ablom recommended by Wendibug

Girlfriends-Invisible Bonds, Enduring Ties by Carmen Renee Berry & Tamara Traeder. This is a very special book to me.  It is my all time favorite book, because it is what is most important to me in my life as a single woman (who is also an only child), my friends (most of whom are like sisters). I can't say enough about how important and wonderful this book is--it's who we are. reviewed by Wendibug

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. recommended by Wendibug

Harry Potter Books by JK Rowling recommended by Wendibug

Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis recommended by Wendibug

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee recommended by Jackbug

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte recommended by Jackbug

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo recommended by Jackbug

Sue Grafton series recommended by ColleenDbug

Chicken Soup for the Soul series by Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen recommended by ColleenDbug

Ten Thousand Sorrows by Elizabeth Kim. I finished this one in record time.  The author is a Korean adoptee and she tells her story.  Most of the book is very sad - she saw her mother get killed, her adoptive parents were not good and her husband was abusive. reviewed by ColleenDbug

It's Always Something by Gilda Radnor. Gilda was one of my favorites.  This is a touching story about her life.  It's sad at the end because you know she lost her fight against ovarian cancer. reviewed by ColleenDbug

Presumed Innocent by Scott Turow.  I LOVED this book - keeps you on the edge of your seat.  The movie didn't do it justice. reviewed by ColleenDbug

Special thanks to Kelly for putting this page together