The Case Of The Maybe Babies by Victoria Pade released on May 25, 1995 is available now for purchase.

The Glides of Fort Cloud, Wisconsin, are a Spectacularly Dysfunctional Family. Rusty and Judy did the best they could when raising their three children, yet nothing turned out the way they planned. The Glide parents have just about resigned themselves to the fact that their kids will never live up to their expectations -- when a ray of hope comes in the form of a new baby. Judy's heart soars as Gretchen announces that she and her disturbingly hirsute boyfriend, Ray, are expecting their first child. But it soon becomes clear that Gretchen proposes to raise her child in her own way, absent any indication of its sex: no pink or blue nursery, no baby dolls or trucks, no -- to Judy's horror -- traditional male or female names. In order to be a part of their grandchild's life, Rusty and Judy must first come to terms with their daughter -- and to do that, they must look at themselves and their family with new eyes. Written with daring and humor and with the confidence of a seasoned novelist, Tenaya Darlington's debut is a funny, heartwarming, and insightful look at the real meaning of family.

Will I live with my parents again? Will I stay with my foster parents forever? For children in foster care, the answer to many questions is often "maybe." Maybe Days addresses the questions, feelings, and concerns these children most often face. Honest and reassuring, it also provides basic information that children want and need to know, including the roles of various people in the foster care system and whom to ask for help. An extensive afterword for adults caring for foster children describes the child's experience, underscores the importance of open communication, and outlines a variety of ways to help children adjust to the "maybe days"—and to thrive. From the Note to Foster Parents and Other Adults: The enormity of adjustment that children in foster care are asked to make is hard to over-state. Children in foster care may experience and express a range of feelings, many of which may emerge during the reading of this book. Multiple feelings may occur at the same time and may include: Relief and a sense of safety Happiness and a sense of enjoyment Sadness Anger Fear or worry Confusion Guilt Shame Loneliness Sense of loss ​Some children respond well to verbal discussion about their feelings....Keep in mind that asking questions and encouraging activities can be useful for some children, but it is not always necessary and is never a substitute for simply listening.

From the groundbreaking, bestselling author of The End of Nature, a controversial and provocative book arguing that to help the planet we should begin to voluntarily limit our numbers. Bill McKibben's books and essays on our environment -- physical and spiritual -- have shaped and spurred debate since The End of Nature was published in 1989. Then, he sounded one of the earliest alarms about global warming; the decade of science since has proved his prescience. Now, in Maybe One, he takes on the most controversial of environmental problems -- population. We live in a unique and dangerous time, he asserts, when the planet's limits are being tested and voluntary reductions in American childbearing could make a crucial difference. The father of a single child himself, McKibben maintains that bringing one, and no more than one, child into this world will hurt neither your family nor our nation -- indeed, it can be an optimistic step toward the future. Maybe One is not just an environmental argument but a highly personal and philosophical one. McKibben cites new and extensive research about the developmental strengths of only children; he finds that single kids are not spoiled, weird, selfish, or asocial, but pretty much the same as everyone else. McKibben recognizes that the transition to a stable population size won't be easy or pain-free but ultimately is inevitable. Maybe One provides the basis for provocative, powerful thought and discussion that will influence our thinking for decades to come.

To breed or not to breed? That is the question twenty-eight accomplished writers ponder in this collection of provocative, honest, soul-searching essays. Based on a popular series at Salon.com, Maybe Baby offers both frank and nuanced opinions from a wide range of viewpoints on parenting choices, both alternative and traditional. Yes: "I've been granted access to a new plane of existence, one I could not have imagined, and would not now live without."—Peter Nichols No: "I can sort of see that it might be nice to have children, but there are a thousand things I'd rather spend my time doing than raise them."—Michelle Goldberg Maybe: "As we both slip into our mid-thirties, my own personal daddy dilemma has quietly taken on an urgency that I frankly didn't expect."—Larry Smith From infertility to adoption, from ambivalence to baby lust, Maybe Baby brings together the full force of opinions about this national, but also intensely personal, debate.

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

Many people find the road to having a family is not the smooth one they always expected. Whether there is an unforeseen physical problem, the lack of a suitable partner, or no problem that can be diagnosed, many people wind up seeking help. Pamphlets and brochures are handed out, but there is also a whole world of emotions and decisions to be worked through by all those involved, and this book explores that aspect of this complex process. From coming to terms with not being able to provide your partner with a child that belongs to just the two of you, or cultural resistance to the idea of IVF or donors, to the growing numbers of single women and same-sex couples who wish to become parents every bit as much as heterosexual couples, this book looks into the range of options and emotions to be thought about, with the long-term good of the hoped-for child always at front of mind. The author, who went through her own infertility trauma, later worked as a counsellor at a fertility clinic for almost 20 years, and has talked to many people in many different circumstances, shares a wide range of experiences in these pages. There are case studies throughout, and each chapter ends with two practical bullet lists: Things to Think About; and Things That Might Help.