31 for 21: Day 19 A Good Book(s)

On a day like today when it is gloomy and consistently raining, all I want to do is curl up on the couch and read a good book. Which made me think... I actually haven't been able to fully read a book from cover to cover in a long time, I think the last time I came close was on the cruise. Anyway I decided to make a list of the top 5 books I think anyone who has a child with Down Syndrome should read or has a family member who has Down Syndrome (grandparents, other extended family and even friends) So here it is... My only pointer is to have a box of tissues near by for the memoirs.

Bloom: Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir by Kelle Hampton, a memoir about Kelle's second daughter Nella, writing about her fears and pain of the life she had expected for her daughter. And how she learned to "Find beauty in the unexpected"

       Kelle also has a blog which you can follow at http://www.kellehampton.com/

Good and Perfect Gift, A: Faith, Expectations, and a Little Girl Named Penny by Amy Julia Becker (a good friend of mine) writes about her daughter Penny and how her faith revealed how much of a blessing Penny is to her and her family.

      Amy Julia also has a blog which you can follow at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thinplaces/

Road Map to Holland by Jennifer Graf Groneberg, is a mother's journey of the first two years of her son's life, after finding out that one of her twin boys was diagnosed with Down Syndrome
     and Jennifer's blog http://jennifergrafgroneberg.wordpress.com/

I also suggest...

Babies with Down Syndrome: A New Parents' Guide edited by Susan J. Skallerup

I've joked about this being the manual for having a child with Down Syndrome, the great thing about this book is you can flip through and find the answers to anything you might have about having a child with Down Syndrome. 

Last but not least on my top 5 list

Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children with Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives and

Gifts 2: How People with Down Syndrome Enrich the World by Kathryn Lynard Soper and Martha Sears. Both books are a must read the stories are short and heart felt, and as I said before have some tissues near by. 

I hope that you are able to read at least on of these books as I feel like they have helped me get to where I am with the loving and acceptance of my Precious Piper.  Could that be a future book title? who knows...