Not sure how to research

[ColoradoKate]

It sort of depends on how old she is (and how internet savvy), but you could invent a local newspaper that has archives online, and she could search the archives for articles about stolen babies that would fit the time frame. Or are you needing her to try to get more info than was published in the articles?

Hospitals have to respect patient confidentiality, so I don't think they could tell her anything, and I don't think the police would, either--they would be the ones asking her the questions, if she seemed to know something about stolen babies!

But the articles might have names of witnesses, and maybe the address of the babies' real parents. If your MC is old enough, she could go interview witnesses and neighbors and the parents.

[Mikki S]

Paula,

A kidnapping that is never resolved is still an open case.  A lot would depend upon how old the twins are now, and how old they were when they were kidnapped ( or "stolen." )  The police would not put the names of witnesses out for the news media to get hold of, and definitely not addresses for them or the parents.  You also have to consider your idea of why there would be witnesses in the first place...if someone saw the children being kidnapped, the case would likely have been solved and the twins returned to their real parents.

Newspaper archives from the city they were kidnapped from would be your best bet.  They might give you the neighborhood the parents lived in, but absolutely not addresses of anyone involved.  You could have her track down the original detectives involved in the case, and have her talk to them...telling them who she is and why she thinks her twin sisters were not legally adopted.  They might help her, and they might not.  But in real life, IF they believed what she was saying, the first thing they would do would be to go to her parents, so if you don't want her parents to know what she is doing, she has to stay away from the authorities.

Maybe you should do some research on some of the children in real life who have been kidnapped, and how those cases were worked and then resolved ( or not.)  For example, one of the most famous was Adam Walsh, then there's Polly Klaas in 1993, Jaycee Lee Dugard in 1991, and Carlina White who was kidnapped from a hospital at 19 days of age, and reunited just recently with her real parents, after 28 years.  Finding out how detectives worked these cases, and how the media responded with their articles, might help you with your story.

[texastigger22001]

Wow a lot of good information and so much to think about. As far as finding something new idea SarahLee no offense but I don't give up that easy. It may take me a while but I will get this story written.

[texastigger22001]

Sarah no offense taken. I didn't mean to be rude it that is how it came across. I am just not a quitter. My husband has always asked why don't you ever give up. My answer because then I would fail badly. At least if I fail because I just couldn't get it then I didn't really fail I just learned what not to do.

By the way you did not butt in. I asked a question and you answered it.

I hope that makes since.

LOL

Paula

[Mikki S]

With a character this age, wouldn't this be more of an adult story than for YA, considering that YA usually runs from age 12 to 18?

[Mikki S]

Okay, sit back and relax!  Let's think this through.  You have a MC who has twin sisters, and who now thinks they were not adopted, but ended up with her parents as a result of having been kidnapped...or stolen.  She wants to find out if this is true.

I believe you've got the makings of a good middle grade or younger YA story here.  For example:
1. Katie is 12 years old. She is a good kid,  very intelligent and also, very nosy.  One day, being totally bored, she decides to explore her father's office, which is also the library, but is off limits to her and her 2 year old twin sisters.

2.  Katie moses around, and finally decides to look in her father's files, something she knows she is forbidden to do.  In a few minutes, she finds a file on the twins.  A receipt for $50,000 but for no reason she can see.  A letter from someone who says he is an attorney but it's not on letterhead.  One birth certificate with two female names on it.  Katie knows that every person born has to have his or her own birth certificate, so she knows this is not right.

3.  She looks around some more, pulls out another drawer and realizes there is something taped underneath.  She pulls at it, and it tears off in her hand.  It is an old poster, the kind people leave on telephone poles for lost dogs.  Only this one is for two kidnapped babies, who happen to have the same names she saw on the birth certificate.

4.  She can't believe her parents would kidnap babies, but maybe...maybe...pay for them?  She knows she can't go to them and ask questions or she will be in serious doodoo, but maybe she can get out her detective hat ( which she has worn more than once to find stray pets and even a lost book for one of her friends) and do some snooping...er...investigating on her own.

Can you take it from there?  Do you see what I mean?  This could be a light hearted and funny/serious story about a nosy kid who wants to know where her twin sisters came from, and gets into all kinds of trouble trying to find out.  It doesn't have to be something deep and serious to make a good story, and to be appropriate for a middle grade or younger YA kid.

Of course, this is just a suggestion !

[Rick Starkey]

WOW! I love the Idea.  Just a thought, but what if, through all her snooping, she finds that she was taken also...
Just a thought.