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About Eileen Hanning

Eileen Hanning, M.Ed., has more than twenty years designing reading curriculum for underserved kids and training for their parents and social service providers about reading and child development. Her passion for children’s books and hands-on learning has lead her to review children’s books, learn, research and write about education, child development and toxic stress, and to create her own consulting company, ReadLearnReach, where she serves a variety of clients with their curriculum, children’s book and writing needs.
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Don’t Hug the Quokka!

Bodily Autonomy December 6, 2022 3:00 pm

The quokka hops. He smiles, too. That quokka may be cute, but does it want a hug? The quokka says “No!” The quokka provides a lighthearted and friendly introduction to the concept of consent, explaining that even the most adorable creatures might not want a hug—unless they say so! Consent is an important topic for parents to introduce to young children, but it can be tricky to do so in a way that’s clear without being frightening. This book is funny and cute, but has a clear message that you have to ask before touching someone else—it’s a good place to start for young kids. Read an excerpt from the Note to Parents and Caregivers. Hear the author, Daniel Errico, read Don't Hug the Quokka! aloud.

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Don’t Hug the Quokka! 2022-12-02T20:31:39-05:00

Stand Up to Bullying with Books

Bullying October 6, 2022 10:00 am

October is Bullying Prevention Month. Magination Press has published several books about the experience of bullying and how to respond to it, as well as resources for being a leader, good citizen, and for being resilient. This year,  the LBGTQ+ community is experiencing increasing challenges, so we start off with books about allies and inclusion. Books about LGBTQ+ Allies and Inclusion The Mother of a Movement: Jeanne Manford--Ally, Activist, and Co-Founder of PFLAG by Rob Sanders tells the story of Jeanne Manford, the co-founder of PFLAG. While marching in the June 1972 Christopher Street Parade, she had the idea to form a group to help parents and families of LGBTQ+ people. Check out the book. Hear Mother of a Movement read aloud.   They're So Flamboyant! by Michael Genhart, PhD is a fun and funny bird’s-eye tome to individuality, community, and harmony that follows the reactions of a neighborhood full of birds when a “flamboyance” of flamingos moves in. Check out the book. Hear They're So Flamboyant! read aloud. Read an excerpt from a note from the author here. Eveyln Hooker and the Fairy Project by Gayle E. Pitman is an evocative biography that tells the story of Evelyn Hooker, the extraordinary woman behind the research, advocacy, and allyship that led to the removal of the “Homosexuality” diagnosis from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Check out the book. Read an excerpt from the "How to Be an Ally" section here. Books about bullying Lulu the One and Only by Lynnette Mawhinney, PhD explores the experience of being multiracial, explains microaggression, and provides a resilient response. Check out the book. Read a post about supporting your biracial child from the Author’s Note here. Hear Lulu the One and Only read aloud here.  Baxter and Danny Stand Up to Bullying by James M. Foley, DEd follows a pair of friends, Baxter and Danny, as they encounter and learn how to stand up to bullies. Check out the book.  Read an excerpt from the Note to Parents and Other Caregivers here. Books About Helping Make Your World a Better Place Kid Confident #1: How to Manage Your SOCIAL POWER in Middle School by Bonnie Zucker, PsyD discusses the dynamic of social power, equal and unequal, in the context of friendships and with unfriendly peers. Readers learn how to be more assertive and how to create more self-confidence and balance the power in their friend groups. Check out the book. The Hero Handbook by Mark Langdon shows kids how to be the hero of their own story and discover their own hero journey. Heroes take chances, do hard things, and sometimes even change the world. To become a hero, kids can surround themselves with supportive people, boost their self-esteem and self-awareness, find their passion, and have the courage to make things happen. Check out the book. Read an excerpt from The Hero Handbook here.   Stand Up!: Be an Upstander and Make a Difference by Wendy L. Moss, PhD, ABPP provides strategies to become a “positive bystander,” someone who stands up for themselves and others. Two of

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Stand Up to Bullying with Books 2022-10-05T13:33:34-04:00

October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month

learning differences October 4, 2022 10:00 am

October is Learning Disabilities and Dyslexia Awareness Month, but kids with learning differences experience challenges every day. Magination Press has more than twenty books to support your child with learning differences, from preschool through college. Here’s a small selection: Picture Books Brilliant Bea by Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich is an endearing and empowering story that demonstrates that a learning difference like dyslexia doesn’t define who you are. Despite her struggles with reading and writing, Beatrice is a natural and brilliant storyteller. This book is set in EasyReading, a dyslexia-friendly font. Check out this book.  Hear Brilliant Bea read aloud. Read an excerpt from the Reader's Note.  My Wandering Dreaming Mind by Merriam Sarcia Saunders. LMFT provides a “positive scaffold [that is] a hopeful launch pad for progress…. This fills a needed bibliotherapy niche for families, therapists, and school counselors…. A positive spin for all those who struggle with executive function and those who love them.” —Kirkus Reviews  Check out this book.  Hear My Wandering Dreaming Mind read aloud. Read a post about supporting a child with attentional issues featuring an excerpt from the Note to Parents and Caregivers from My Wandering Dreaming Mind. My Whirling, Twirling Motor by Merriam Sarcia Saunders, LMFT “reinforces that [the child’s] being overactive and impulsive is not intentional and does not make him bad. The young narrator eventually internalizes his parents’ focus on his accomplishments, rather than his challenges, and he wonders what positive things he will do tomorrow…A must-have for young readers with any type of behavior difficulty and their caregivers.”  —School Library Journal (Starred Review)   Check out this book. Books for older kids The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success by Joshua Shifrin, PhD, is an easy-to-use guide that will help with key study skills to improve reading, writing, math, listening, memorization, concentration, and more! Bite-sized tips and tricks, journal prompts, and advice for challenges help kids with ADHD recognize how they learn best and act on that knowledge. This accessible, straightforward, and relatable guide to key study skills for kids with ADHD features a cast of characters with ADHD to enliven the lessons. The author covers an array of areas where kids with ADHD might struggle academically to help kids recognize how they learn best and act on that knowledge.  See the book here. Read an excerpt from The Homework Squad’s ADHD Guide to School Success here. Putting on the Brakes: Understanding and Taking Control of Your ADD or ADHD, Third Edition by Patricia O. Quinn, MD, and Judith M. Stern, MA  continues to be the go-to resource for kids with AD/HD. This essential guide — celebrating its 20th year in print — is loaded with practical ways to improve organization, focus, attention, time management, and scheduling, as well as studying and homework skills. Importantly, kids will also find strategies for making friends, controlling emotions, and being healthy. Putting on the Brakes gives kids with AD/HD the tools they need for success in and out of school and a plan to manage all types of attention disorders. See the book here. Learning To Slow Down And

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October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month 2022-10-03T16:28:47-04:00