social emotional learning | Magination Press Family

Moody, Moody Cars

Exploring emotions August 11, 2022 8:12 pm By Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD

Freewheeling! Full of feelings! Traveling near and far. HONK if you see me. I'm a moody moody car! Hop in and ride along as our auto-friends personify the twists and turns of feelings. This rhyming picture book shares various expressive classic cars and invites readers to figure out the emotions, from excited to angry and more, behind the facial expressions. This is a playful, approachable way to teach kids about feelings and emotions and to develop an essential skill as kids travel along in their social world. Hear Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore read her book, Moody, Moody Cars aloud and try finding moody cars here! Read an excerpt from the Reader's Note here.

Go Back to Middle School with Confidence

Friendship August 11, 2022 10:00 am

It's that time of year—families are preparing for kids to go back to school: checking class schedules; figuring out bus routes, walking buddies, or car pools; and organizing after-school activities and snacks. Some kids will be starting or returning to middle school, with its own set of unique social, developmental, and emotional situations. Magination Press has great new books to help get back into the fall routine. “Smart and essential!” —Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Magination Press’s new Kid Confident nonfiction series was developed with expert psychologist and series editor, Bonnie Zucker, PsyD, authentically capturing the middle school experience. These books skillfully guide middle schoolers through those tricky years between elementary and high school with a supporting voice of a trusted big sister or a favorite aunt, stealthily offering life lessons and evidence-based coping skills. Readers of Telgemeir's Guts will recognize similar mental health and wellness strategies, and fans of Patterson's Middle School series will appreciate the honest look at the uncertainty and chaos that the middle grades can bring. Kid Confident offers what kids need to have fun with it all and navigate middle school with confidence, humor, perspective, and feel our mad respect for being the amazing humans they already are. Here’s a look inside Kid Confident #1: How to Master Social Power in Middle School by Bonnie Zucker, PsyD. And here’s a peek at Kid Confident #2: How to Master Your Mood in Middle School by Lenka Glassman PsyD. Check out reviews of the Kid Confident books. The first two Kid Confident books will be released on August 30. Click here to preorder your copy of Kid Confident #1 or Kid Confident #2. More Kid Confident titles will be published in 2023. Check out our other books about school for kids of all ages here.

Making Friends and Nurturing Friendships

Friendship August 2, 2022 10:00 am

The United Nations proclaimed July 30th International Friendship Day. “The resolution places emphasis on involving young people, as future leaders, in community activities that include different cultures and promote international understanding and respect for diversity.” Magination Press books can help kids develop that understanding and respect for diversity with our stories that explore the ins, outs, ups, and downs of friendship. Check out some of our newest titles: Peacock and Sketch by Allan Peterkin, MD A gorgeous peacock hatches an escape from the zoo in search of fame, only to realize that it’s not all that it’s cracked up to be, and that instant stardom can be tough and beauty is more than feathers deep. Check out the book here. Read an excerpt from the Reader’s Note about friendship and social media here. My Story Friend by Kalli Dakos There is the person who tells the story. This is the storyteller. And there is the person who listens to the story. This is the story friend. After a long journey, a child finds someone in this world who will listen to their stories, even the scary ones. Check out the book here. Read an interview with Kalli Dakos about creating My Story Friend here. Band Together by Chloe Douglas Duck loves peace and quiet! When a rowdy band asks him to join the show, he agrees, but gets nervous to perform with them. Why would they want him to play with them? A charming tale about being with friends and making new ones. Check out the book here. Hear Band Together read aloud here. Read an interview with Chloe Douglass about creating Band Together here. Keep an eye out for Better Together, the sequel to Band Together, coming out in September. It’s a classic battle of the band tale, where envy gets side-tracked by the sweet revenge of reconciliation and friendship. Check out the new book here. Too Shy to Say Hi by Shannon Anderson Shelli wants to make friends, but being shy stands in her way. She decides to take brave steps toward breaking out of her shell. Check out the book here. Hear Too Shy to Say Hi read aloud here. Read an excerpt from the Reader’s Note in Too Shy to Say Hi here. Baby Blue by Judi Abbot Baby Blue is a little boy who lives in a blue world, full of blue trees, flowers, and animals. One day, he accidentally tears a hole in the world and a strange light pours in. Through the hole, he can see a world that isn’t blue, and another little person like him. Though Baby Blue is scared, he overcomes his fear and introduces himself to Baby Yellow. Check out the book here. Hear Baby Blue read aloud here. Read an interview with Judi Abbot about creating Baby Blue here. Like Ability: The Truth About Popularity by Lori Getz, MA and Mitchell J. Prinstein, PhD Like Ability is a practical, insightful guide for teens

social emotional learning: 13 Articles

Moody, Moody Cars

Go Back to Middle School with Confidence

Making Friends and Nurturing Friendships