Seabiscuit (Full Screen) rating: asin: B0000DCGT0 binding: DVD list price: $12.98 USD amazon price: $11.99 USD

The movie Seabiscuit came up on my Netflix queue, so I watched it over the weekend. At first, I was kind of bored because the first thirty minutes were like a montage of different people going through traumatizing things. Because it was more of a montage than a linear story, I was not emotionally attached to any of the characters. However, that changed once Seabiscuit entered the picture. By the end of the movie, I appreciated the power of the montage.

Seabiscuit is not a movie about adoption in the strict sense, but it is definitely a movie about overcoming trauma. And, in a sense, Seabiscuit’s owner “adopted” the jockey because he treated the jockey much more like a son than a paid employee.

Seabiscuit was a real racing horse who became a symbol of hope during the Great Depression.

Blue PlasmaCar rating: asin: B000GUGY1S binding: Toy list price: $69.95 USD amazon price: $60.83 USD

Do you have an adopted child who cannot ride a bicycle because of a physical disorder? Perhaps your child has a muscular disorder that makes it impossible to ride a bicycle. You may have a child with a skeletal or neurological disorder that watches other children ride by, wishing he could ride too. Well anyone can ride the PlasmaCar because it doesn’t have petals or a motor. It operates by the natural forces of inertia, centrifugal force, gravity, and friction. Not only that, but it can hold up to 220 pounds on a smooth surface. No batteries to replace and no noise to annoy the neighbors, does it sound like the perfect toy? For special needs children, who physically cannot ride a bicycle it is a dream come true. For the rest of us, it is a lot of fun because most adults can ride it.

How to Adopt Your Stepchild in California (How to Adopt Your Stepchild in California, 5th ed) author: Frank Zagone Mary Randolph rating: asin: 0873375068 binding: Paperback list price: $34.95 USD amazon price: $34.95

I’m not sure why they don’t just go a head and make a book like this for each of the states, as this is a great resource which should be available to people who live all over the country, but alas for now California once again holds the gold.

Billy Straight author: Jonathan Kellerman rating: asin: 0345413865 binding: Mass Market Paperback list price: $7.99 USD amazon price: $7.99 USD

I am a big fan of Jonathan Kellerman’s books, particularly those in the Alex Delaware series. However, my favorite book by Jonathan Kellerman, who is also a child psychologist, is not one of the Alex Delaware books. It is the book Billy Straight, which only has a brief cameo appearance by Alex Delaware at the end of the novel.

Billy Straight is a twelve-year-old boy (but looks much younger) who is living on the streets after running away from home. He witnesses a murder, so the police are trying to find him. The book talks about all of the dangers that Billy runs into as people try to take advantage of a young boy who has no one to protect him.

While the book presents the story from Billy’s point of view, it also provides insights into other things that Billy fails to see. For example, Billy is unaware that the guy at the hot dog stand is just pretending not to notice each time Billy steals a hot dog so that he can eat.

On Their Own: Creating an Independent Future for Your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD: A Family Guide author: Anne Ford John-Richard Thompson rating: asin: 1557047596 binding: Hardcover list price: $24.95 USD amazon price: $16.47 USD

Are you are raising an adopted child with learning disabilities (LD) or special needs. Are they severe enough to prevent your child from complete independent adult living? If you question your child’s ability to live independently as an adult, consider reading Anne’s personal story. Anne Ford has written a second book about life with her daughter who has learning disabilities. Her daughter is an adult and yet Anne must remain an integral part of her life. The book is titled, On Their Own: Creating an Independent Future for Your Adult Child with Learning Disabilities and ADHD: A Family Guide. Many issues need to be addressed about your learning disabled child’s future. Have you discussed them with your other children or relatives? Who will look after your adult LD child when you are no longer able or deceased? Have you set up a trust for your child? Anne covers these topics and many others you may have not considered.

The Secret Garden rating: asin: 6304698690 binding: DVD list price: $12.98 USD amazon price: $12.98

Now that summer is here, I am watching more movies on DVD. I am always delighted when a movie turns out to have a positive adoption spin, especially when I was unaware of there being an adoption theme in the movie. This happened when I watched the movie The Secret Garden.

From what I understand, this is actually a popular children’s book. However, I never read it and knew nothing about it other than that a friend told me that I would like it. She was right.

Adoption in the United States: A Reference for Families, Professionals, and Students author: Martha J. Henry Daniel Pollack rating: asin: 1933478209 binding: Paperback list price: $39.95 USD amazon price: $39.95 USD

Are you considering either adopting or becoming a foster parent? Have you just started researching and it seems like everyone is speaking a foreign language? What do those terms and abbreviations all mean? What's the difference between international, domestic, and foster care adoption? What are special needs, should you consider one of these children? Good news, there is a new resource book available. Lyceum Books has released a book titled, Adoption in the United States: A Reference for Families, Professionals, and Students. You could spend months or years researching terms and adoption possibilities and still miss some information. Or, you could purchase this book and have everything right at your fingertips.

Adopted Teens Only: A Survival Guide to Adolescence author: Danea Gorbett rating: asin: 1583484817 binding: Paperback list price: $9.95 USD amazon price: $9.95 USD

Adopted Teens Only: A Survival Guide to Adolescence was written by Danea Gorbett and published by iUniverse. Written specifically for preteen or teenage adopted children it could also be relevant for foster children. If you have a child who is asking tough questions about birth family, you need to buy this book. It can honestly help your child find answers and make sense out of them. The book empowers adoptees by giving them the tools they need to find answers and people.

The Brady Bunch - The Complete Final Season rating: asin: B000CCBCHQ binding: DVD list price: $29.99 USD amazon price: $21.99 USD

This review is not about the entire 5th season of The Brady Bunch. Instead, I want to focus on one episode called Kelly’s Kids, which aired in 1974. The episode plays like a pilot for a spin-off series, although I can find no evidence that Kelly’s Kids ever became a series. That is too bad, because it would have been a good one.

The Bradys’ neighbors, Ken and Kathy Kelly, are a Caucasian couple who adopt an eight-year-old Caucasian boy from an “adoption home” (a.k.a. orphanage). While the boy is happy to have a forever home, he cries himself to sleep because he misses his best friends, Dwayne and Steve. The Kellys go to the adoption home to adopt one of the boys, and they are taken aback that the boys are “black” (Dwayne) and “oriental” (Steve). (Yes, adoption language has changed a little since 1974.)

Danielle Steel's: Mixed Blessings rating: asin: B000A3DGI0 binding: DVD list price: $9.98 USD amazon price: $9.98

I am not generally a big Danielle Steel fan, but I did enjoy watching this movie on television when it came out in the 1990’s. It is a story about three couples who have issues with starting a family. One couple is much older, and the husband has a grown daughter who is expecting a baby of her own. The second couple has infertility issues and decides to adopt a baby. They run into custody issues after the adoptive mother becomes pregnant. (Yes, it is annoying to have yet another “just adopt and you will get pregnant” storyline out there.)

The third couple was the most interesting to me.