Lucy's Family Tree

* CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book ** Honor Book -- Society of School Librarians International *Identity issues can be particularly troubling for adoptive children and this often makes the family tree assignment many teachers are fond of, truly problematic. Lucy's Family Tree tells the story of how one girl completes her class assignment and in the process discovers that few families conform to the "traditional family" definition she has envisioned.Lucy’s adoption makes her feel as though her family is too “different” for a family tree project at school, but as she realizes that many families are different, she ends up creating a family tree that celebrates both her past and present. The last pages in the book offer helpful alternatives to the traditional family tree project.Teachers will appreciate learning new approaches to designing family trees that are more inclusive of family diversity.