Compiler’s Notes      The purpose and intent of this bibliography is to assemble a comprehensive list of books which relate, either in whole or in part, to the subject of adoption. Therefore, for purposes of this list, I have (arbitrarily) chosen to limit the definition of that concept to so-called stranger adoption, i.e., the assumption of parental responsibility, whether formal (legal) or informal, for a child by a person or persons not related to the child by blood. I have also chosen to include the concepts of “orphanhood” and fostering (where the parental responsibility is assumed either by the state or by no one).      I have specifically chosen not to include books or stories which deal with step-families, or situations where the the assumption of parental responsibility is made by the child’s non-parental relative(s) (with a few selected exceptions, such as when the relative is so distant or unfamiliar to the child as to be tantamount to a stranger). Also not included are books which deal with situations where the child is separated from a parent by divorce, but retains his or her legal connection to the absent parent. Other categories of books which are not included are: pornography; and publications of local, state or federal governmental departments or offices.      Since the intent is to compile a comprehensive list while simultaneously keeping the size of the database as small as possible, the data contained herein are for titles in the English language only, and any given title will have only one primary listing, for its first edition in its country of origin (except for translations of foreign-language books where the first edition was not published in English); entries for books with multiple editions will reflect parenthetical notations of any subsequent (i.e., updated and/or revised) editions.

Disclaimer      The data presented here are assembled from a wide variety of sources for the benefit of those wishing to find out more on the subject of adoption. As is reflected in the title of the compilation, the data are intended to be nothing more than a “guide” to assist visitors in their own research.      The compiler makes no representations as to the currency or accuracy of the data presented; they are as accurate and current as the sources from which they are obtained. However, every effort is made to ensure that the data are current and accurate as of the date of posting. Visitors are encouraged to bring any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions they may find to the attention of the compiler.      The views or opinions expressed by third parties contained in this compilation, or the views or opinions of any given author expressed in any book contained in this compilation, do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the compiler, nor should their inclusion, nor the inclusion of any particular title herein, be construed as an endorsement thereof.