Did you know that November is National Adoption Month, and tomorrow is National Adoption Day?

This year, that has a special meaning in my family. You may have noticed a small addition to my OOM bio in the last few months…”Dad to baby Lydia.” They may be only four small words in a bio, but adopting Lydia has brought a completely new and wonderful magic to my life every day. I’m happy to say that Lydia’s adoption was finalized earlier this month, and my family now officially includes one adorable 7-month old girl. (Yes — I’m embracing the bragging parent role…sorry!)

You don’t spend two years on a journey to adopt without realizing just how many people’s lives have been touched by adoption. My agency gave us a list of prominent adoptees when we started the program, but I also began to see examples of adoption in books, too! The stories range from the not-so-positive, like Snow White’s and Harry Potter’s experiences, to Anne’s adoption by the Cuthberts in Anne of Green Gables. 

Of course, the list doesn’t end there. Many other literary characters were cared for by characters other than their biological parents. Here are just a few from classic stories:

• Jane Eyre
• Huckleberry Finn
• Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights
• Pollyanna 
• and of course, Little Orphan Annie!

There are so many others that could be added to this list, like Ted from Lisa Yee’s Absolutely Maybe! What other characters do you know of that are adopted?