From the Cover of Friends, Bullies and Staying Safe: The Adoption Club Therapeutic Workbook on Friendship by Regina M. Kupecky:

“Friendship is so complicated! The children of The Adoption Club think they are friends—they go to the same school and belong to The Adoption Club.

But what does it mean? Are there different types of friendships? How should you respond to teasing? It’s time for The Adoption Club to explore the confusing world of friendship and bullying.

Written for counselors and therapists working with children aged 5–11, as well as adoptive parents, this workbook is designed to help children explore friends, staying safe and social skills. It is one of a set of five interactive therapeutic workbooks featuring The Adoption Club written to address the key emotional and psychological challenges adopted children often experience. Together, they provide an approachable, interactive and playful way to help children to learn about themselves and have fun at the same time.”

Regina M. Kupecky, LSW, has a Master’s Degree from John Carroll University. She has worked in the field of adoption for over 30 years. She currently works with children with attachment disorder and their families at The Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio (www.abcofohio.net) and conducts training nationally and internationally on many adoption and attachment-related topics. Regina is the co-author with Dr. Gregory C. Keck of the best-selling books Adopting the Hurt Child and Parenting the Hurt Child.

Grade:

Transfiguring Adoption awarded this book 4 Hoots out of 5 based on how useful it will be for a foster/adoptive family. [Learn more about our Hoot grading system here]

Transfiguring Adoption’s Thoughts:

The target audience is adopted children. Adoptees in the book represent foster care, domestic, kinship, and international adoptions by single, married, and same-sex parents. This is one of a series of therapeutic workbooks by Regina Kupecky (our interview with Regina Kupecky). Our child (adoptee) reviewer found it helpful and encouraging to read about the hard times the characters in the book were going through and difficulties they had in relationships with peers. The reviewer could particularly relate to difficulties related to making and keeping friends when moving frequently. The reviewer stated that the book shows adoptees what they need to do to make friends and how to handle teasing and bullying related to adoption and said that the questions in the workbook “are outstanding.” The book utilized a circle diagram resembling a target to discuss levels of closeness in relationships. The child reviewer  described the visual as “nice” and “outstanding” and stated that it helps “for you to organize people.” Overall our reviewers found the book helpful and recommend this book along with the other books in this series.

It’s Your Turn:

Use the therapeutic discussion questions and activities in the book. Then keep the discussion going with others.

1. What did your family like or dislike about this book?
2. Was this book helpful for your family?

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