biracial families: 4 Articles

Celebrate the Holidays with Family

families December 15, 2021 10:00 am

Winter holidays often mean time spent with family. Breaks from school and work allow people to travel to see or to host family or friends. Celebration and tradition mark the season. Magination Press has published more than 50 books that honor and explore families of all kinds and the situations they experience. Here are some of our stories about families. When Nana Dances by Jane Yolen and Maddison Stemple-Piatt Nana can make any object a dancing partner. An umbrella, a broom, even a rake! Both onstage and off, she can shimmy, she can mambo, and do the bunny hop. She’s won prizes and can dance to grandpa’s music or to her own beat. But nothing is more special than when grandma dances with her grandchildren. This fun story is filled with the movement, energy, and laughter that comes when kids dance with their grandparents. "A cadenced celebration of grandparent-grandchild relationships.” —Publishers Weekly Read an interview with the authors. That Missing Feeling by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater Mia’s life feels split in two after her parents get divorced—even her cat and dog now live in two separate places. When she’s at her dad’s house, Mia misses her mom’s jokes and singing. And when she’s at her mom’s house, she misses her dad’s laugh and cooking. Mia just can’t quite shake that missing feeling. Sometimes that missing feeling makes her angry. And sometimes it makes her sad. One day when Mia visits her Grandpa, he gives her a notebook to write her feelings. Mia keeps her notebook wherever she goes, writing about happy and sad memories. And soon her notebook becomes a way to balance that missing feeling. And also a home for her heart. “A sweet beginner’s guide to keeping calm.” —Kirkus Reviews Read an interview with the author. The Heart of Mi Familia by Carrie Lara, PsyD Follow a young girl as she works with her abuela and her grandma to create a wonderful birthday present for her brother that celebrates her multicultural family and honors both sides and generations of her family. This follow up to the award winning Marvelous Maravilliso: Me and My Beautiful Family is a must-read for all families. “Bicultural kids will feel seen in this sweet family story.” —Kirkus Reviews Hear The Heart of Mi Familia read aloud. Oh Brother! By Alberto Pellai, MD, PhD, and Barbara Tamborini This charming story about a new addition to the family will help older siblings appreciate their expanded family. The little brother has arrived, and all he does is sleep and cry! He doesn’t play ball or swim or do anything a little brother is supposed to do. And he takes up all the parents’ time. But the little brother smiles when his big brother makes faces and claps when he plays the drums. Maybe being a big brother will be great? Read an excerpt from the Reader’s Note. Papa, Daddy, & Riley by Seamus Kirst Riley is Papa’s princess and Daddy’s dragon. She loves her two fathers!

Celebrate the Holidays with Family Eileen Hanning 2021-12-13T17:46:18-05:00

Celebrate Grandparents

families September 9, 2021 10:00 am

Grandparents’ Day is celebrated the first Sunday after Labor Day. Grandparents and children share a special connection. Magination Press has several books exploring this special relationship. When Nana Dances by Jane Yolen and Maddison Stemple-Piatt Nana can make any object a dancing partner. An umbrella, a broom, even a rake! Both onstage and off, she can shimmy, she can mambo, and do the bunny hop. She’s won prizes and can dance to grandpa’s music or to her own beat. But nothing is more special than when grandma dances with her grandchildren. That Missing Feeling by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater Mia’s life feels split in two after her parents get divorced. When she’s at her dad’s house, Mia misses her mom’s jokes and singing. And when she’s at her mom’s house, she misses her dad’s laugh and cooking. Mia just can’t quite shake that missing feeling. Sometimes that missing feeling makes her angry. And sometimes it makes her sad. One day when Mia visits her Grandpa, he gives her a little blue notebook saying, “When I write about Grandma, I am sad but I am happy too. She is gone, but you are here. Life changes, and writing helps me think about these changes. My notebook is a home for my heart.” Read an interview with the author My Singing Nana by Pat Mora My Singing Nana is a compassionate tribute to families dealing with Alzheimer's Disease. It explores a child’s experience as his grandmother begins to lose her memory. This story celebrates the ideals of family, heritage, and happy memories, showing kids that no matter how their loved one might change they always have ways to maintain their special connection. Read an excerpt with strategies to help kids understand and cope with a loved-one’s dementia Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music by Michael Genhart, PhD When both grandpas, Abuelo and Opa, visit at the same time, they can’t understand each other’s language and there is a lot of silence. The grandson’s clever thinking helps find a way for everyone to share the day together as two cultures become one family. Listen to Accordionly read aloud Read a piece by Dr. Genhart about creating the book The Heart of Mi Familia by Carrie Lara, PsyD Mommy’s family came from Europe, a long time ago. Daddy’s family came from Central America when he was a little boy. There are lots of differences between my mommy’s culture and my daddy’s cultura, but lots of things are the same too. Visiting both her grandma and her abeula, a little girl creates a birthday present for her brother that celebrates both sides of her family and all generations. Listen to The Heart of Mi Familia read aloud Read a piece by Dr. Lara about embracing cultural identity Explore other books about families

Celebrate Grandparents Eileen Hanning 2021-09-07T22:54:00-04:00

Books for BIPOC Mental Health Month

Mental Health July 7, 2021 10:00 am

July is BIPOC Mental Health Month. It was created in 2008 to bring awareness to the unique struggles that underrepresented groups face related to mental illness in the communities of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. Magination Press has several stories that may be helpful to BIPOC communities. Many of our stories feature biracial or multicultural families. Accordionly: Abuelo And Opa Make Music by Michael Genhart When both of a boy’s grandpas, Abuelo and Opa, visit at the same time, they can’t understand each other’s language and there is a lot of silence. The grandson’s clever thinking helps find a way for everyone to share the day together as two cultures become one family through an unexpected shared musical talent. This unique book includes a bonus fold-out and a note from the author sharing the true story of his own family. Hear Accordionly: Abuelo And Opa Make Music read aloud here. Lulu The One And Only by Lynnette Mawhinney Lulu loves her biracial family. But being a mix of her Mama and Daddy always brings around THAT question. Lulu hates THAT question. Her brother inspires her to come up with a “power phrase” so she can easily express who she is, not what she is. Includes an Author’s Note, sharing her experience as a multiracial person. Here Lulu The One and Only read aloud here. Read an excerpt from the Author’s Note here. My Singing Nana by Pat Mora "Always amigos!" This book is a compassionate tribute to families dealing with Alzheimer's Disease. The story celebrates the ideals of family, heritage, and happy memories, showing kids that no matter how their loved one might change they always have ways to maintain their special connection. Read an excerpt from the Note to Parents here. Marvelous Maravilloso: Me And My Beautiful Family by Carrie Lara Our colors make us beautiful and unique. Mommy says it is part of our culture and the big word diversity — diversidad. This award-winning story explores what color means within the dynamics of race, ethnicity, and culture, and is told from the point of view of a young interracial child. Includes a Note to Parents and Caregivers. Hear Marvelous Maravilloso read aloud here. The Heart of Mi Familia by Carrie Lara Follow a young girl as she works with her abuela and her grandma to create a wonderful birthday present for her brother that celebrates her multiculturalism and honors both sides and generations of her family. This follow-up to the award winning Marvelous Maravilliso: Me and My Beautiful Family is a must-read for all families. Hear The Heart of Mi Familia read aloud here. Read an excerpt from the Readers’ Note here. Something Happened In Our Town: A Child's Story About Racial Injustice By Marianne Celano, PhD, ABPP, Marietta Collins, PhD and Ann Hazzard, PhD ABPP Emma and Josh heard that something happened in their town. A Black man was shot by the police. "Why did the police shoot that man?" "Can police go to jail?"

Books for BIPOC Mental Health Month Eileen Hanning 2021-07-06T23:50:39-04:00

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