Book Review: The No Panic guide to adopting a teen

No Panic! How to Adopt an Older Child is a practical, hands-on guide, navigating readers through the sometimes complicated process of adopting an older child, from inception of the idea through to a final transformation into a happy, forever family. Covering topics such as how and when to decide to adopt, fundraising, picking agencies, domestic vs. international adoption, parenting your new child, and transitioning into a new family dynamic, No Panic! is an honest, positive, and uplifting account.

Full of usable tips and tricks, resources, and ideas, parents are empowered to follow their hearts on integrating a new family member completely and permanently. Above all, No Panic! is an incredible love story in which one American family and one Ukrainian teenage boy fall in love, changing the course of both of their lives forever.

Bethany M. Gardiner, M.D. is a seasoned homeschooling mother with over a decade of experience in homeschooling her own children and teaching co-op classes for other homeschoolers. A National Merit Scholar that was accepted into the Honors Program at the University of Florida, she graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Mathematics and a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Statistics. Following college graduation, she attended medical school at the University of Florida and graduated with Honors in 1994. After completing medical school, Dr. Gardiner did her internship and residency at the University of Florida's Urban Campus in Jacksonville, Florida where she received the Resident Student Teacher Award. Upon completion of her residency, Dr. Gardiner joined Interlachen Pediatrics in Orlando, Florida. She is a board certified pediatrician and an internationally board certified lactation consultant. In addition to her homeschooling activities, Dr. Gardiner is very involved in volunteer work, including serving as a leader of her daughter's girl scout troop for the past seven years and a merit badge counselor for her son's Boy Scout troop. Currently, Dr. Gardiner lives in Utah where she enjoys hiking, whitewater rafting, reading, traveling, and writing. She remains maried to the same man she met as a freshman in college 25 years ago.

MY REVIEW:

I first picked up this book because one of my high school friends is a social worker. She recently went on Facebook asking those who were able to sign up to be foster parents. While I'm not in the financial place for it, I really want to foster and adopt children in the future.

I also really admire this friend of mine and wanted to see if this book would be worth her time or of interest to her.

And I was so, so hoping I could. But let me start off with the good points.

Pros: This book has a good message. It's an important message. Teenagers are not 'too old' or 'too hard' to adopt. They need love just as much as any infant. I can stand behind that.

Cons: Have you ever read something by a person who doesn't write every day? They just don't have a grasp on their literary voice. Reading this brought me back to my high school days, peer editing the paper of a jock who wouldn't write unless his graduation depended on it.

This book has such a great message--it's definitely a message everyone needs to hear. The writing style is just not my cup of tea.

Star rating:
3 of 5