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Dad David, Baba Chris and Me ISBN: 9781905664894
Fuller, Rachel and Merchant, Ed
Published by British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF), 2010
Ben is 8. When he was 4, he was adopted by Dad David and Baba Chris. Baba Chris is so called because he comes from Africa and is black, and Ben is a mixed race child. In this unusual story of a child adoped by two fathers, we learn that Ben's birth parents had not been able to look after him properly and that he had been in foster care before being adopted. He had had anger issues when first living with his adoptive parents, but their understanding and love had made for a close and supportive relationship. Now he just wants to be 'ordinary'. When he starts having problems at school with other children calling him 'gay' because of his unusual family, Baba Chris takes him to talk to his teacher, who is very understanding. She explains there are all sorts of families, and that the important thing is that he is loved and cared for. While the problem doesn't stop completely, Ben learns to deal with it and even to feel sorry for the children who are teasing him. He talks to his two dads about whether he will be gay when he grows up, and they tell him that he will know when the time comes. Ben learns that he can live in a 'special' family while at the same time being 'ordinary', and he hopes some day to have a brother or sister in his special family too. Available from Amazon or the BAAF, Saffron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London, EC1N 8TS.
Age: 6+