A story’s impact endures long after the final page is turned.
“I think it’s important to not underestimate the power of books,” said Kendra Morris-Jacobson, who knows firsthand just how much reading can change lives. She directs the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center’s (ORPARC) library, which distributes materials to more than 1,000 patrons annually.
Children and youth, parents and guardians, and child welfare professionals alike turn to the specialty library and its more than 6,000 materials to access books, videos, resources, and—ultimately—a roadmap for healing. Such is the magic of “bibliotherapy,” said Morris-Jacobson, which she defined as “the ancient science of treating conditions by prescribing literature as medicine.”
“Turning to books for support and even companionship is very effective,” she said.
Not only can professionals turn to books to guide their work with their clients in the foster and adoptive systems, but they can also provide reading recommendations to those same clients and their families. Morris-Jacobson said that doing so offers multiple benefits, including providing a framework to discuss difficult topics.
“I’d like to divulge a secret: children’s books are really written for adults,” she said. “Children’s literature gives us language, metaphors, and imagery for communicating about complex, emotional topics with kids and, frankly, sometimes even with ourselves.”
Furthermore, these stories can help readers realize that others share their life experiences. “Books serve so many irreplaceable roles: they help us feel seen and heard, they can offer answers or guidance, they illuminate parts of ourselves that we’re not aware of, and they reassure us we are not alone,” Morris-Jacobson said.
While many of the ORPARC library’s offerings relate to or address “the spectrum of needs impacting families raising children and youth in foster care or adoption,” recent expansions to its collection have focused on adding materials that celebrate diversity and represent a broader audience.
“We seek (for) all of our child welfare patrons (to) recognize themselves and/or the children or youth they are caring for,” Morris-Jacobson said. “Representation and inclusivity are essential for a client population like ours who already suffers greatly from many layers of marginalization.”
In recent years, the library’s emphasis on increasing books for everyone (through two new grant-funded projects, ExtensionAlly-ty and the Culture Connection Collection) has boosted circulation by an impressive 80 percent. For Morris-Jacobson, who is certified in therapeutic life story work, this data demonstrates to her that everyone—be they child, teen, parent, or professional—benefits from reading, especially when what they’re reading speaks to them specifically.
She recalled a time a young patron grew excited when she learned the library had numerous age-appropriate books about caring for and celebrating Black hair. “A lot of transracially adoptive or foster parents need support not just in how to care for the hair but also in how to help the child feel proud of and invigorated by their hair,” she said. “In this case, the little girl checked out about 10 books or so about hair, and her mom couldn’t believe how much of a difference it made for her. It was just so impactful for her to see all of these books celebrating her hair. That symbolic presence alone (matters.) Even if the child or adult isn’t reading a particular book, just seeing that it exists on their physical or virtual shelf can be incredibly validating, particularly if it represents some aspect of their life experience.”
How child welfare workers can use the Oregon Post Adoption Resource Center (ORPARC) library in their own work
While the ORPARC library’s programs are intended to serve as replicable models, program supervisor Kendra Morris-Jacobson recognizes that not all organizations have the capacity to create and staff their own repository of thousands of reading materials.
“Fortunately, professionals nationwide outside of our service area can still glean a great deal by simply browsing our online directory, which we make publicly available. They can survey what types of items are available on topics of interest—from cutting-edge new materials to tried-and-true classics—all in a one-stop shop. Using our topical headers and searchable filters, they can narrow down their search quite specifically by age, genre, language, and more. This enables professionals to better know what to search for in their own local area, library system, or bookstore.”
Reading recommendations
Morris-Jacobson has spent much of her career in child welfare. As such, she’s encountered many books that changed her approach to her work. Here are some of her top recommendations for professionals:
1. Reflection Pond: Nurturing Wholeness in Displaced Children by Jaiya John
As an adoptee himself, Jaiya John offers a meditative guide for those raising and serving displaced youth. This invaluable resource explores how to help children who have experienced loss and trauma by reflecting their own beauty and purpose back to them. “I do so adore (this book),” Morris-Jacobson said. “I feel it really reveals the perspective and heart of the child.”
2. The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe by Stephen Porges
This book takes a comprehensive concept—the polyvagal theory, which pertains to the role of the vagus nerve in emotional regulation and fear response—and presents the information in a compact and digestible format. Morris-Jacobson said that this book is a slimmer option that puts into practice the concepts presented in Bessel van der Kolk’s classic and weighty The Body Keeps the Score. “This little volume is a gem,” Morris-Jacobson said. “It communicates how strong the human drive is to seek the psychological and physical oasis of safety.”
3. What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce Perry
A TV legend and a renowned trauma expert partnered to write this book that explores how our early life experiences shape our behavioral patterns. “At this point, we would assume or hope that everyone has read (this book),” Morris-Jacobson said, “But if not, it’s so worth it!”
4. A Practical Guide to Transracial Adoption by Isaac Etter
“I’d like to give a big shout out to (this book),” Morris-Jacobson said. “It’s great for professionals, and it’s great for parents. This little volume is not just a guide. It’s also a charming account of Isaac’s own adoption story.” This book offers insight and action steps about how to help children or youth experiencing foster care or adoption who are of a different racial background than their guardians. The author draws on his own experiences as an adoptee as he walks parents through steps they can take to help children and youth grow up in their own identity.
Morris-Jacobson said this book pairs well with another that Etter published with Terria Roushon Epting called A Practical Guide: Black Hair Care.
5. The Connected Therapist: Relating Through the Senses by Marti Smith
“This (book) is a great way to round out the ever-so-popular trust-based relational intervention (TBRI) approach from a professional perspective,” Morris-Jacobson said.
Published as a follow-up to the books The Connected Child and The Connected Parent, Smith’s book is about an occupational therapist who studied TBRI and discovered its healing potential. She writes about how trauma-responsive research transformed her own therapy practice and then offers readers resources and practical strategies for incorporating sensory-based approaches.
For books for clients, visit this article on the AdoptUSKids blog recommending reading options for children, youth, and families who are involved with foster care or adoption.
6. Raising Kids with Big Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies that Really Work by Robyn Gobbel
“My dear colleague’s new book is not only already a bestseller, it’s a lifesaver,” Morris-Jacobson said.
Gobbel is a trauma clinician, parent coach, and podcaster, and her debut book has received critical acclaim for her approach to simplifying the complexities of interpersonal neurobiology and their impact on relationships and presenting accessible and practical parenting approaches.
“This glittering, neuroscience-savvy resource is a total crowd favorite,” Morris-Jacobson said.
