I’m ready to be a little controversial: I think I’m better at recommending books for children and tweens than many parents, despite not having children of my own. And I think I’m better at recommending kids’ books because I don’t have children.
I carry my identity as a child with me into adulthood. That identity is not in conflict with any identity as a parent. I have no ego I’m trying to protect as I choose books for kids. I’m using my compassion for my child self and my adult judgment together. How that translates is that when I’m looking for children’s books, I’m centering the children’s story over the parents’. And this has gotten me in some hot water! I will never forget a disagreement I had at a previous job about choosing children’s books about autism. I was never going to get my interlocutor to agree that we should prioritize children’s books by autistic authors over children’s books written by parents of autistic children. That was quite a few years ago now, but I will still die on that hill.
I have more autonomy for this list of books about adoption for kids and tweens. So I’m delighted to report that very sin...
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