Sunday, December 16, 2012

Cookies and cake & the families we make

Cookies and cake & the families we make 
by Jennifer L. Egan 
illus. by Robin K. Gulak 
Language: English 
Englewood, NJ: Laredo Publishing, 2011 
24 pp. 
ISBN: 1564923835; 9781564923837 
Summary: Cookies and Cake & The Families We Make is a children's book about exposure and acceptance of the diverse families that are part of our society: single parents, multicultural parents, two moms, two dads, one of each or even an unrelated guardian. Those families, who may at first seem different are quite similar, because what really matters is the love and care they give to their children. The author uses the metaphor of the different cakes and cookies we can bake to help young readers respect, accept and welcome diversity. 
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Cookies-Cake-The-Families-Make/dp/1564923835/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344741394&sr=8-1&keywords=Cookies+%26+Cake+and+The+Families+we+Make

Monday, December 10, 2012

האבאים של גל ונועה / ha-Abaʼim shel Gal ṿe-Noʻah


האבאים של גל ונועה / ha-Abaʼim shel Gal ṿe-Noʻah
by פנקס, שוש. Shosh Pinḳas
illus. by Julia Filipone-Erez
Language: Hebrew
רימונים, Ramat Gan : Rimonim, 2012.
21 p. : col. ill. ; 23 x 23 cm.
Summary: בּוֹאוּ נְשַׂחֵק בְּ'אַבָּא וְאַבָּא', אָמְרָה גַּל בֶּחָצֵר לְמִרְיָם. "אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר? מַה פִּתְאוֹם? מִשְׂחָק כְּזֶה לֹא קַיָּם!" "בֶּטַח שֶׁכֵּן! בֶּטַח שֶׁיֵּשׁ!" נוֹעָה מִיָּד קָפְצָה בְּשִׂמְחָה, "בּוֹא נְשַׂחֵק בְּ'אַבָּא וְאַבָּא', בְּדִיּוּק כְּמוֹ אֶצְלֵנוּ בַּמִּשְׁפָּחָה." "אֵין בָּעוֹלָם דָּבָר כָּזֶה," אָמַר בְּקוֹל זוֹעֵף, נָבוֹת, "אַף פַּעַם לֹא שָׁמַעְתִּי עַל מִשְׁפָּחָה עִם שְׁנֵי אָבוֹת. בָּנִים הֲרֵי לֹא מִתְחַתְּנִים עִם בָּנִים. חֲתֻנּוֹת זֶה תָּמִיד לְכַלּוֹת וּלְחֲתָנִים." לנועה ולגל יש שני אבות. איתי ויואב, שנקראים בשמות החיבה אבאתי ואבאיו. נועה וגל נולדו לזוג הורים גברים, בתהליך שנקרא פונדקאות, בעזרתן של שתי נשים יקרות שאפשרו את הגעתן של התאומות לעולם. בספר ייחודי זה, מביאה שוש פנקס את סיפורן של נועה וגל, סיפור משותף למשפחות רבות, חד מיניות במדינת ישראל ובעולם כולו. ספר אמיץ וחשוב שמקומו בספריות הגן בישראל ובבתים שיש בהם ילדים סקרנים שמחפשים תשובות למשפחות השונות והמגוונות שהם רואים סביבם. 
Available: http://sifrutgea.wix.com/sifrutgea1#!__childrenbooks/vstc2=abaim

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

This is my family : a first look at same-sex parents

This is my family : a first look at same-sex parents 
by Pat Thomas
illus. by Lesley Harker 
Language: English 
Hauppauge, NY : Barron's Educational Series, 2012. 29 p. : ill. ; 21 x 24 cm. 
ISBN: 9781438001876 1438001878
From the back cover: This reassuring picture book introduces children to families that have parents of the same sex. Whether a family has a mom and a dad, or two moms, or two dads, this book shows boys and girls that all parents love, care, and support their children in the same way. Young children can learn to respect people's differences and understand how all people should be treated fairly and without discrimination. 
Available: http://www.amazon.com/This-My-Family-Same-Sex-Parents/dp/1438001878/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354738434&sr=1-1&keywords=9781438001876

The adventures of Tulip birthday wish fairy

The adventures of Tulip birthday wish fairy 
by S Bear Bergman
illus. by Suzy Malik
Language: English 
Toronto, Ont. : Flamingo Rampant, ©2012. 
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 31 cm. 
ISBN: 9780987976314; 0987976311 
Summary: "Have you ever wondered what happens to your birthday wishes? Funny or serious, sad or wonderful, every wish gets read by a birthday wish fairy. This year, David wished for something that his wish fairy had never read before: to turn into a girl." 
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Tulip-Birthday-Wish-Fairy/dp/0987976303/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354738083&sr=1-1&keywords=The+adventures+of+Tulip+birthday+wish+fairy

Backwards day

Backwards day 
by S Bear Bergman
illus. by KD Diamond 
Language: English 
Toronto, Ont. : Flamingo Rampant, ©2012. 
34 p. : col. ill. ; 23 x 31 cm. 
ISBN: 9780987976314; 0987976311 
Summary: "For one day every year on the planet Tenalp, everything is backwards. Everything. So why didn't Andrea turn into a boy on Backwards Day this year? And why did she turn into a boy the very next day?"--Back cover. 
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Backwards-Day-S-Bear-Bergman/dp/0987976311/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354736495&sr=8-1&keywords=backwards+day+bergman

Piccolo uovo

Piccolo uovo 
by Francesca Pardi 
illus. by Altan. 
Language: Italian 
[Milano] : Lo Stampatello, [2012]. 
1 v. (unpaged) : ill ; 22 cm. 
ISBN: 9788890579929; 8890579927 
Summary: Piccolo uovo non vuole nascere perché non sa dove andrà a finire. Parte allora per un viaggio che lo porterà a conoscere i più diversi tipi di famiglia... Altan presta la semplicità del suo mondo felice per descrivere come ognuna di queste possa essere un luogo meraviglioso in cui crescere. 
Google translation: Small egg does not want to be born because they do not know where it will end. Part time for a trip that will take him to know the many different types of family ... Altan lends its simple happy world to describe how each of these can be a wonderful place to grow up. 
Available: http://www.lostampatello.com/catalogo3.html

A very special baby (for donor conceived children)

A very special baby (for donor conceived children)
by Amanda MacLeod
illustrated by Sam Taylor
Language: English
[Napier, N.Z. : A. MacLeod, 2010]
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 21 cm.
ISBN: 9780473178062; 0473178060
$95.00 for the set of 5
Summary: Simple introductory stories for young children who are born with the help of egg, sperm and embryo donation.


Other books in the series:
- egg donation

- sperm donation

- embryo donation

- sperm donation to a single woman

- sperm donation to a same sex couple

Available: http://www.dreambaby.co.nz

Special man

Special man
written and illustrated by Yevgeniya Kanterezhi
Language: English
Lulu, c2012.
16 p. : col. ill. ; 22 x 28 cm.
ISBN: 9781105630033
My annotation:  Special man is about two women who “loved each other very much” and wanted to start a family. The “special man” referred to in the book is the sperm donor who provided his “special seed” so that these two women could have children of their own. Throughout the book there is a strong sense of gratitude for this act of kindness on the donor’s part although the words “sperm” and “donor” are not used in the book, rather “special seed” and “special man” are used throughout. The child-like drawings depict real people, are in color and hand drawn by the author, and picture a loving family throughout.The donor is depicted as a man with a smile on his face. The book is autobiographical, written for the author’s children, specifically a boy and a girl, but would be suitable for other lesbian couples who also built their family through sperm donation. At one point in the book, the author’s son asks why he does not have a mommy and a daddy like his friend Mary, but it is explained to him that all families are “different” and “unique.” This book takes a family-building approach and employs the “helper” and “families are different” scripts. Recommended for children ages 3-5.
Available: http://www.lulu.com/shop/yevgeniya-kanterezhi/special-man/paperback/product-20077666.html

Under a rainbow

Under a rainbow
by Zera Walpole
Language: English
Blurb, 2012
20 pp.
$17.95  
Summary: A simple rhyme story book for children of lesbian parents with a known 'donor' Daddy. Bright and bold colours and simple words to show how love can find a way. 
Available: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/3245206

Die Geschichte unserer Familie : ein Buch für lesbische Familien mit Wunschkindern durch Samenspende

Die Geschichte unserer Familie : ein Buch für lesbische Familien mit Wunschkindern durch Samenspende
by Petra Thorn
illus. by. Tiziana Rinaldi
Language: German
Mörfelden FamART-Verl. 2009 
15 S. : überw. Ill. ; 22 cm, 270 gr.
ISBN: 9783981141016
Summary: Seit vielen Jahren haben lesbische Frauen den Mut, ihren Kinderwunsch mit Hilfe von gespendetem Samen zu verwirklichen. In einigen Ländern wird mittlerweile sogar davon ausgegangen, dass mehr lesbische als heterosexuelle Paare eine Spendersamenbehandlung durchführen. Ob dies in Deutschland auch der Fall ist, wissen wir nicht, da es keine Erhebungen hierzu gibt. Sicher ist jedoch, dass auch bei uns die Zahl der Regenbogenfamilien ansteigt, also die Zahl der Familien, in denen Kinder mit gleichgeschlechtlichen Eltern zusammenleben. Da diese Familien nicht nur mehr werden, sondern sich auch zunehmend in der Öffentlichkeit zeigen, ist es wichtig geworden, sowohl für die Kinder als auch für deren Eltern und für pädagogisches Fachpersonal Literatur zu entwickeln, die diese Lebensrealität widerspiegelt. Gemeinsam mit Lisa Hermann-Green, die mit ihrer Lebenspartnerin seit über 18 Jahre zusammenlebt und die gemeinsam drei Wunschkinder im Alter von 13, 9 und 6 Jahren haben, habe ich daher mein Buch „Die Geschichte unserer Familie“ abgeändert und für lesbische Familien umgeschrieben. Wie entsteht eine lesbische Familie? Wie bekommen zwei Frauen ein Kind? Diese und ähnliche Fragen werden lesbischen Eltern mit Kindern durch Insemination häufig gestellt. Familie wird gewöhnlich als Mutter-Vater-Kind verstanden. Um die lesbische Familie als Familie für die Außenwelt sichtbar zu machen, entsteht daher sehr früh die Notwendigkeit, über die Familienbildung durch Insemination mit dem eigenen Kind und anderen (z. B. Kindern, ErzieherInnen und LehrerInnen) zu sprechen. Dieses Buch unterstützt Eltern, die mit ihrem Kind über ihre Familienform, ihre Entstehung und ihrem Spender kleinkindgerecht sprechen möchten. Es ist für Kinder im Alter zwischen 3 und 6 Jahren gedacht. Mit einfachen Worten wird der Kinderwunsch der Eltern und die Zeugung durch Insemination erklärt. Es ist so gestaltet, dass auf mehreren Seiten Bilder der Familie und des Kindes eingeklebt werden können; damit entsteht für jede Familie ein ganz persönliches Buch. Darüber hinaus ist das Buch sowohl für Familien geschrieben, die eine Spendersamenbehandlung bei einem Arzt durchgeführt haben, als auch für Familien, die mit Hilfe eines ihnen bekannten Mannes ein Kind gezeugt haben. Für beide Möglichkeiten ist in diesem Buch jeweils ein Blatt vorgesehen. Den Abschluss des Buches bildet der Bericht einer Familie, die zum Zeitpunkt des Erfahrungsberichts zwei Kinder im Alter von vier Jahren und 11 Monaten haben. Die Eltern berichten, wie sie die Aufklärung umgesetzt haben und wie ihre Kinder mit ihrer Familienform umgehen. 
Available: http://www.famart.de/2-kinderbuch-di.html

Y nosotros--¿de dónde venimos?

Y nosotros--¿de dónde venimos? 
by Isabel Carmen Rodríguez García.
illus. by M. Luisa Guerrero 
Language: Spanish 
[Alicante] : ONG por la No Discriminación, 2008. 
[22] p. il. col. 30 cm. 
ISBN: 9788493624408; 8493624403 
Summary: Isabel, junto a su pareja, Elisa, siempre tuvieron claro que un día sería madres. Imaginó cómo le explicaría a sus hijos, cuando llegase el momento, de donde venían... “¡Les contaré un cuento!, que es el mejor medio para llegar a ellos”. 
My annotation: This story begins one night during bedtime story time when the author’s children ask, “Mama, we have two mothers?” “You already know you do,” she responds. “Then where did we come from?” her son follows up. So begins this gentle story of how two women, Elisa and Isabel, loved each other very much, lived together for many years, and wanted to start a family. At first they did not know how they could start a family and after several months they decide to visit their gynecologist. She explains to them that she could give one of them “injections” so that they could become pregnant. They decide Isabel would carry the baby. The couple is very disappointed though that it takes so many tries to have a baby, but after several attempts, Isabel finally becomes pregnant and they just know it is going to be a boy. They are very happy. There is no mention of a donor in this book, nor a description of how babies are made with sperm or eggs, and the vagina is referred to as a “special hole where babies come from their mother’s bellies.” The story ends when her son asks again, “Mom, why hadn’t you told us this story before?” And mom responds, “The truth is, I did not know if you were ready to hear it,” echoing the concerns of many mothers who had their children via ART. The book takes a family-building approach because the author emphasizes wanting to start a family with her partner and employs the labor of love script because in this book, their child was conceived in love. There is no mention of a "helper" or the use of "spare parts." Because of the lack of specific vocabulary in this book, it is not especially recommended for older children but rather young children ages 3-5. It is only available in Spanish.
Available: http://www.buscalibre.com/y-nosotros-de-donde-venimos-isabel-carmen-rodriguez-ong-por-la-no-discriminacion/p/hf48hny
Available: http://www.trabajemosporelmundo.org/ong-nd/editorial_nd_conjunto.html

Before you were born : our wish for a baby

618.178
RG134 .G75 2004
Before you were born : our wish for a baby 
by Janice Grimes
illustrations by Mary Moye-Rowley 
Language: English 
Webster, Iowa : X, Y, and Me, ©2004. 
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 22 cm. 
ISBN: 0975502883; 9780975502884
$14.97
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Review: Each book in this series presents a different conception story. Written by a nurse, this is the story of a baby bear who loves to hear the story of how he was born. Though mommy and daddy bear had trouble having him, they were finally able to have him with the help of a “nice man called a donor.” Excellent illustrations. High-quality paper.

others in the series:
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of An IVF Baby
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of A Frozen Embryo
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of Donor Insemination
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of A Donor Egg
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of Donor Sperm (IVF)
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of A Gestational Carrier
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of Surrogacy
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: The Story Of A Donor Embryo
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: A Baby Conceived For Female Partners
Before You Were Born…..Our Wish for a Baby: A Baby Conceived For Male Partners
Available: http://xyandme.com/

The baby kangaroo treasure hunt, a gay parenting story

The baby kangaroo treasure hunt, a gay parenting story
written by Carmen Martínez Jover
illustrated by Rosemary Martínez.
Language: English
[S.l.] : Carmen Martínez Jover, ©2009.
16 pp.
ISBN: 6070008464; 9786070008467
$17.00
Summary: A sweet children's story of how two kangaroos: Jack and Sam, a gay couple, have their own baby by means of an egg donor and surrogacy. Using kangaroos in the story enables children to easily understand the methods related to their conception in a simple and loving way.
Available: http://www.carmenmartinezjover.com/librocanguro.html
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Kangaroo-Treasure-parenting-story/dp/6070008464/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1338465488&sr=1-1

Why I'm so special: a book about surrogacy with two daddies

Why I'm So Special: A Book about Surrogacy with Two Daddies
by Carla Lewis Long
illustrated by Tyler Simone Newman
edited by Bryna Jean-Marie
Language: English
AuthorHouse, 2011
40 p. ; col. ill. ; 22 x 22 cm.
ISBN: 9781468500073; 1468500074
My annotation: Narrated by the daughter of a gay couple, the unnamed child recounts the story of how her two daddies met in college, fell in love, got married, and wanted to start a family. She explains that the only way her daddies could have a baby of their own was through the help of a “special doctor” and a surrogate. Surrogates, she tells us, “are very special ladies who can carry babies in their tummies for daddies.” The two men visit an agency and are introduced to Polly, who would agree to become their surrogate. After a trip for all three to Paris, they go back to the special doctor who puts the “baby in Polly’s tummy so that it could start to grow.” Whose sperm is used is not mentioned. Nor is it mentioned whether an egg donor was used or whether the surrogate used her own egg. Nonetheless, the surrogate gives birth to a baby girl and the surrogate hands over the child to her two daddies. This book takes a family building approach and employs the “helper” script. The very good illustrations are by a nine-year-old child. Recommended for ages 3-5 because it is a very cursory introduction to surrogacy.
Available: http://www.carlalewislong.com 
Available: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Im-So-Special-Surrogacy/dp/1468500074

En busca del atesorado bebé canguro: Un cuento de paternidad gay

En busca del atesorado bebé canguro: Un cuento de paternidad gay 
by Carmen Martínez Jover 
illus. by Rosemary Martínez 
Language: Spanish 
[S.l.] : Carmen Martínez Jover, ©2009. 
31 p. : col. ill. ; 22 cm. 
ISBN: 9786070008696; 6070008693 
Summary: Es a través de los cuentos que como padres pueden explicar a los hijos como fueron concebidos. En Busca del Atesorado Bebé Canguro, un cuento de crianza de hijos gay, explica como un par de canguros: Jack y Sam, una pareja gay, empiezan su búsqueda para tener un hijo y lo hacen a través de una donadora de óvulos y una madre subrogada. 
Translation: It is through stories that parents can explain to their children how they were conceived. A Baby Kangaroo Treasure Hunt, a gay parenting story, explains how a pair of kangaroos: Jack and Sam, a gay couple, start a treasure hunt to have a child and they do this through an egg donor and a surrogate mother. 
Available: http://carmenmartinezjover.com/esp/index.php/libros/en-busca-del-atesorado-bebe-canguro-un-cuento-de-paternidad-gay

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

The Library of Congress Finally Acknowledges Donor Offspring: (But this is only a beginning)

In 2009, I published an article for the American Fertility Association entitled, "Librarians at a Loss to Help Donor Offspring," which I just last month reworked for the AASL blog. In it, I talked about the difficulty identifying books for parents and donor offspring children due to a lack of recognition by the Library of Congress in the form of an official subject heading. In 2010, Patricia Mendell and I published an article in Children & Libraries about self-published children's picture books about assisted reproductive technology. It included an extensive annotated bibliography of about 38 titles which was the entire number of books that we were able to identify at that time. (The number of children's books on that topic has since doubled).

The list was significant because, other than the list first published by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and compiled by Elaine Gordon, PhD and Ellen Speyer, MFT and the ASRM Education Committee, there was no other comprehensive list of children's books on this subject. As a librarian, such a list should have been a breeze to compile. I figured I would start with ASRM's list and then search for those books in the Library of Congress, see what subject headings were assigned to catalog them, and then create a new list. Well, it turned out, that would be impossible as the Library of Congress had no subject headings for "Donor offspring," "Children of gamete donors, or "Children of surrogate mothers," let alone subject headings for children of egg donors, sperm donors, or embryo adoption. Having already identified a few titles about these subjects that were included in the Library of Congress, but not cataloged as such, I wrote to them and suggested they create a new subject heading, "Donor-conceived," defined as individuals who have been created via sperm, eggs, or embryos donated by another person (a gamete donor). I also figured that since I myself was a librarian, my suggestion would have some influence. This is what I wrote:
There are many subject headings for "Children of --", i.e. Children of celebrities, Children of rabbis, Children of single parents, etc., but there are no subject headings for "Children of sperm donors" or "Children of surrogate mothers" or any of the assisted reproductive technologies. As a librarian, I have identified over 40 children's and YA books that have major characters who are the children of sperm donors, egg donors, etc., which is crucial to the plot and purpose of the book. Yet there is no subject heading under which to search for these books. My lists are here: http://booksfordonoroffspring.blogspot.com and here: http://yabooksfordonoroffspring.blogspot.com if you would like to see the books I've identified. There are more than enough to constitute the creation of a new LC subject heading. I would love to hear back from you on this as well. I'm a huge fan of the LC and I am at your site every day for my work.
However, this is the response I received:
We have not had the need to establish a heading for the children of sperm donors, as we have not cataloged any items that specifically focus of that topic. The existing headings have been adequate for the items that we've cataloged. We establish new headings only as they are needed for cataloging new works being added to our collection.
Not deterred, I wrote back to them:
How about "Artificial insemination, Human -- Offspring" or "Surrogate mothers -- Offspring?" These subject headings focus on the parents who produce these children, but there are no subjects yet for the donor-conceived. For example, the book: Sperm Donor Offspring: Identity and Other Experiences by Lynne W. Spencer, has as its subject headings: "Sperm banks -- United States" and "Artificial insemination, Human" but other than the title, the average patron might not know that this is a book about donor offspring if they were searching for a book that addressed the specific concerns of donor offspring.
And this is what they wrote back:
Our practice has been to use headings such as "Artificial insemination, Human" and "Surrogate motherhood" to catalog works on this topic.
That was in April 2009. Fast forward to June 2012 when I received a letter from noted radical librarian Sanford Berman, who is to the Library of Congress what Socrates was to ancient Athens and who is the subject of his own biography, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sandy Berman But Were Afraid to Ask. He read our article in Children & Libraries in August 2010 and himself wrote to the Library of Congress on our behalf suggesting they add the subject heading "Donor offspring" based on the extensive list of children's books put forth in our article. His letter informed me that the Library of Congress had finally decided to create a new subject heading for "Children of sperm donors." I jumped out of my chair when I read this! While some would like to believe that this announcement by the Library of Congress marks the beginning of an official public acknowledgement recognizing the existence of families created with the help of donors, the reality is that once again the rights of the donor-conceived are still being only partially represented and totally misunderstood. It is clear that the Library of Congress, in creating this new subject heading for "Children of sperm donors," has shown that they lack a genuine understanding of the donor offspring created with gamete donation, but also the implications both medically and psychologically surrounding the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART), as they also use the subject heading "Test tube babies" for children conceived via in vitro fertilization (IVF) even though they are created in petri dishes and not test tubes.

While their new subject heading follows their own convention for "Children of --," as in "Children of gay parents," and "Children of single parents," (two official LC subject headings), it is less than adequate and quite limiting for librarians trying to help these families find resources, as only one group of donor offspring is represented - children of sperm donors. If the subject heading must be listed under children, then it should be entitled "Children of gamete donors." Other variants then could be "Donor-conceived" or "Donor offspring."

While some will feel positively now that the Library of Congress has at last begun to acknowledge children created through donation with the assistance of another person, my colleague and co-author Patricia Mendell is less optimistic. "As a mental health practitioner who has been working in the field of reproductive medicine for over 25 years, the decision by the Library of Congress to create a subject heading for only one group of donor offspring is not only disappointing and frustrating, but hurtful and offensive to the thousands of donor-conceived individuals and their families who have been created with the help of assisted reproductive technologies."

When I decided to write to the Library of Congress in 2009, it was clear that they needed to create an all encompassing subject heading for the donor-conceived. Also, using the subject heading "Donor-conceived" would be the best and most accurate subject heading since it would recognize all individuals created with the help of a donor. The subject heading "Children of sperm donors" used for "Sperm donors' children," seems to imply an ownership or affiliation that may or may not feel accurate to the donor-conceived.


 
While the next step might be to get the Library of Congress to create subject headings for "Children of egg donors," "Children of surrogate mothers," and "Children of embryo donation," we would suggest instead that they look at the subject heading "Donor-conceived." Although it was possible to find some of this material using the existing Library of Congress subject headings like "Infertility," and "Artificial insemination -- Human," there was nothing that identified the experience of being a donor offspring. Books such as Janice Grimes' book series, Before you were born: our wish for a baby were cataloged as "Artificial insemination -- Human." And the Iréné Celcer series, Hope and Will have a baby was cataloged with "Infertility," and "Test tube babies" as subject headings. These subject headings were wholly inaccurate and inadequate. So how to find these books will remain a big challenge if one is looking for books about those conceived via surrogate mother, egg, and embryo donation.

I plan to continue to write to the Library of Congress and share with them the books that I have discovered without the help of a Library of Congress subject heading, urging them to create further change in how they catalog their books for this population of children. We know that of the many children's books on this subject, over 95 percent have been self-published, but many have not been sent to the copyright office of the Library of Congress. We would ask that these authors register their books and in so doing put pressure on the Library of Congress that they must, and need to, have a subject heading for "Donor-conceived."

 This post was co-authored with Patricia Mendell

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Librarians at a Loss to Help Donor Offspring

I do research. It might be why I became a librarian. I love to look things up, and then I enjoy the thrill of finding what I am looking for. I also enjoy looking things up for other people. But one of my favorite things to do is to look up subjects that are hard to find. But first you have to find subjects that are hard to find, and then try to find them. Well, I stumbled upon one. It’s books for and about donor offspring. What are donor offspring? They are children conceived via sperm or egg donation.

In 2003, I read a book review in Booklist of the book, Donuthead, by Sue Stauffacher. In the review, it was mentioned that the main character’s mother had had her son via artificial insemination. Serendipitously, I mentioned this to a friend who had an interest in this topic and she said, can you find me other books like that? Excited to perform a search, I said, “sure.” (I actually consider searching a hobby). So of course the first thing I did was go to the Library of Congress. I was going to take a look at their subject headings and just follow them and it would lead me to similar books. Well not so fast. It didn’t happen that way at all. The subjects listed for Donuthead were:

Friendship
Courage
Fear
Self-actualization (Psychology)
Single-parent families
Mothers and sons 

Where were the subject headings telling me that the main character was donor-conceived? There were none. Okay. Dead end. I wasn’t expecting that. Where do I go next? I decided to broaden my search by doing a keyword search. Of course this was an option from the beginning, I just wasn’t happy about it. I thought this would be easy. I searched the term “donor offspring” as that is what adults conceived via gamete donor call themselves. A search for this term turned up one book, Experiences of donor conception : parents, offspring, and donors through the years by Caroline Lorbach. I looked at the subject headings and decided to use those to again narrow my search. I found as subject headings:

Human reproductive technology
Infertility – Treatment
Reproductive health

This was not helpful. I was looking for juvenile fiction similar to Donuthead in which the main character was a “donor offspring.” I wanted to impress my friend with my searching skills. Maybe there were no other books? Could be. Long story short, there were other books. The trick was to use so many different keywords to actually find them, but I did find some. But why no uniform subject headings for books that were essentially all about the same subject? I wrote to the Library of Congress about this myself. I gave them the list of all the books I had found that were written for children, and that were in their catalog, who were donor offspring and this is the response I got:
We have not had the need to establish a heading for the children of sperm donors, as we have not cataloged any items that specifically focus on that topic. The existing headings have been adequate for the items that we’ve cataloged. We establish new headings only as they are needed for cataloging new works being added to our collection.
Why were they not responsive? And from a librarian no less? A little reading on the Library of Congress turns out that they have a history of not being responsive to adding or changing their subject headings. Have you heard of Sanford Berman, Library of Congress gadfly? Turns out he’s been battling the Library of Congress to change its subject headings for years so that real people, not just librarians, can find what they are looking for. He actually cited me in an article I wrote so I decided to write to him, and I was happy to hear that he not only read my article in Children & Libraries, but employed his gadfly expertise to lobby them to add a new subject heading. I suggested “Children of sperm donors,” or “Children of egg donors,” or “Children of gamete donors.” Surely these children need representation in the Library of Congress as the Library of Congress subjects headings are the “de facto standard for libraries,” as Hope A. Olson states in her book, The Power to Name. Isn’t it in naming something that we acknowledge that something, someone exists? The existence of these children were not acknowledged by the Library of Congress. At the time I wrote to them, I had discovered thirteen children’s books that were written either for donor offspring children, or about donor offspring children. Thirteen! (And I have since found so many more). And maybe thirteen doesn’t sound like a lot, but did you know that the Library of Congress has just one book on the children of epileptics, yet this category of people gets its own subject heading? Same for the children of clergy in England, the children of coal miners in France, and the children of mentally ill mothers, to name a few. Just one book each! Yet I had identified so many more for the subject I was proposing be added, but the Library of Congress does not budge on these matters apparently. So where does this leave us? It leaves us with people like me who love to look for the hard-to-look-for. I have ended up having to use up to thirty different keywords to find books that could be found with just one subject heading: “donor offspring,” or, to follow Library of Congress conventions, “Children of gamete donors.” But I have managed. To date I have found about seventy-six books written for donor offspring children, and I have found about fifteen books written for young adults, and boy has it been fun searching for the unsearchable. I will continue to publish about this as nobody else is, and maybe the Library of Congress will eventually listen.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

The boy who cried fabulous

The boy who cried fabulous
by Lesléa Newman
illustrated by Peter Ferguson
Language: English 
Berkeley, Calif. : Tricycle Press, ©2004.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 24 x 26 cm.
ISBN: 9781582461014; 9781582462240  
Worldcat summary: A young boy's fascination with everything he sees around him causes him to be late and upsets his parents, until they come to realize his special gift.

http://www.lesleakids.com/index.html

A fire engine for Ruthie

A fire engine for Ruthie
by Lesléa Newman
illustrated by Cyd Moore
Language: English
New York : Clarion Books, ©2004.
32 p. : col. ill. ; 26 cm.
ISBN: 0618159894; 9780618159895  
Summary: Ruthie's Nana suggests playing tea party and fashion show during their visit, but Ruthie is much more interested in the vehicles that a neighbor boy is playing with as they pass his house each day.
http://www.lesleakids.com

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The Roos: baby's new friend

The Roos: baby's new friend
by David Baker
illus. by Timothy Au
Language: English
Lulu.com, 2006
18 pp.
ISBN: 9781411691230; 1411691237
Summary: Continuing the series of two daddy-roos and their life with their child. 
Available: http://www.lulu.com/shop/david-baker/the-roos-babys-new-friend/paperback/product-317097.html

What can you do with two mommies?

What can you do with two mommies?
by Tara Theresa Hill
illus. by Anthony Ndreu
Language: English
Lulu.com, 2012
37 pp.
ISBN: 9781105506499
Summary: Annie is a little girl growing up in a house with two Mommies and a big, orange cat named Pumpkin. Annie has always had two Mommies. But when Annie’s new best friend, Emily, starts asking why she doesn’t have a Daddy, Annie starts wondering if her parents are different from other kids’ parents. As Annie talks to Emily about her life with Mommy Susan and Mommy Sharon, they both discover that in the end, it is love that makes a family.
Available: http://www.lulu.com/shop/tara-theresa-hill/what-can-you-do-with-two-mommies/paperback/product-20003722.html

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Operation marriage

Operation marriage
by Cynthia Chin-Lee
illus. by Lea Lyon
Language: English
Oakland, CA : PM Press, 2011.
[32] p. : col. ill. ; 29 cm. 
ISBN: 9781604864229; 1604864222
Summary: Set in the San Francisco Bay area months before the passage of Proposition 8 banned gay marriage in California, this heartwarming picture book tells the humorous story of two stubborn kids who take matters into their own hands.
Available: http://www.reachandteach.com/s/operation_marriage

Saturday, February 18, 2012

My mommy is a boy

My mommy is a boy
by Jason Martinez
illustrated by Karen Winchester
Language: English
Lulu.com, c2008
13 pp.
Summary: "My Mommy Is A Boy" is a short story of a little girl who is explaining to the reader why her female-to-male transgendered mommy looks like a boy. She explains the gender transition process in simple terms easy for a child to understand. The message she portrays is simply, that, no matter what her mommy looks like on the outside or how people portray her family, her mommy loves her unconditionally. The target audience for this book would be children of all ages.
Available: http://www.lulu.com/shop/jason-martinez/my-mommy-is-a-boy/paperback/product-2984570.html

My two super dads

My two super dads
by Bronny Fallens
illus. by Muntsa Vicente
Language: English
Elwood, Vic. : The Little Train Publishing House, 2011.
1 v. (unpaged) : col. ill. ; 21 cm. 
ISBN: 9780987107015; 0987107011 
Summary: Families come in all different shapes, sizes and makeup these days. This family has two dads and shares the story of day to day life: cooking, games and fun all around!
Available: http://www.bronnyandmuntsa.com/childrens-books/my-two-dads/

Loved by two : for children with two mums

Loved by two : for children with two mums
by Michelle Forte
Language: English
Brompton, S. Aust. : Eye Dropper Designs, 2012. 
1 v. 
ISBN: 9780987264909; 0987264907 
Summary: A special story and activity book for children with two mums. "Loved by Two" is a short poetic book, written for families with two mums! It explains to children that you can be loved by two mums, and that it is normal! There is also a special activity section at the back of the book - designed to be completed by the children and their parents together and to create special memories that will be remembered forever. It is predominantly aimed at younger children - from early readers through to self readers, however children older then this have also been benefitting from the book as they learn about different family structures. The illustrations in this book are also a great tool for teaching children from other family structures about children with two mums, so they can see what a family like this might look like. If your family fits this scenario, or if you want to teach your children about how other family structures may differ from their own, then this book is perfect for you! 
Available:

Two dads for you : for children with two dads

Two dads for you : for children with two dads
written and illustrated by Michelle Forte
Language: English
Brompton, S. Aust. : Eye Dropper Designs, 2012.
1 v.
ISBN: 9780987264916; 0987264915
Summary: A special story and activity book for children with two dads. "Two Dads for You" is a short poetic book, written for families with two dads! It explains to children that you can be loved by two dads, and that it is normal! There is also a special activity section at the back of the book - designed to be completed by the children and their parents together and to create special memories that will be remembered forever. It is predominantly aimed at younger children - from early readers through to self readers, however children older then this have also been benefitting from the book as they learn about different family structures. The illustrations in this book are also a great tool for teaching children from other family structures about children with two dads, so they can see what a family with two dads might look like. If your family fits this scenario, or if you want to teach your children about how other family structures may differ from their own, then this book is perfect for you! 
Available: