Empathy | Magination Press Family

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

Home

Empathy April 12, 2022 3:30 pm By Tonya Lippert, Ph.D, LCSW

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✩ “Shines a light on the hidden problem of unhoused children…A compassion-and-action-awakening book.” – Booklist In the brown house, Claire and Wes were home. But home turned to nowhere and nowhere turned to anywhere. Then somewhere finally came, and finally, always. This lyrical story is timely and thoughtful, depicting the life of two children thrust into homelessness and uncertain housing situations. Throughout, the duo is challenged by uncomfortable new places and inquiries from strangers, but ultimately, never lose their optimism or determination. Read an excerpt from the Reader's Note providing guidance for talking with children about homelessness. Hear Tonya Lippert read Home aloud.

Finding Home: Children and Homelessness

Empathy February 9, 2022 10:00 am By Tonya Lippert, Ph.D, LCSW

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HOME by Tonya Lippert, PhD, LCSW depicts the lives of two children thrust into homelessness and uncertain housing situations as they move out of their house, to a motel, to a shelter, and finally another more permanent home. Throughout, the duo is challenged by uncomfortable new places and inquiries from strangers, but ultimately, never lose their optimism or determination. They have each other, no matter at home, nowhere, anywhere, or somewhere—always. Here’s an excerpt from the Reader’s Note. I wrote HOME with the hope of increasing empathy for homeless families and children. I wrote it to encourage caregivers’ discussions with children about homelessness that would remind children that we are all connected and all worthy of love, safety, and dignity. I even envisioned grown-ups reading this book to homeless children, sharing that I was born into homelessness and grew up to write this book, letting children know that they, too, can grow up to better lives. It’s helpful for grown-ups to talk honestly and openly about homelessness and what it means to children and families to live without a home of their own. Families can be homeless anywhere. When people lose their homes they tend to move toward towns and cities. Some have enough money for hotels and motels. When they have no more money for them, they might stay with friends or family. Or, if they have no one to stay with, they might go to shelters. During disasters such as floods, schools, sports arenas, and other large places might become temporary shelters. People who are unwilling or unable to stay at any of these places might go wherever they can find a place that is hidden from other people and adverse weather to sleep. When talking to children about homelessness, be honest about its causes. Research indicates that the leading causes are 1) poverty (not having enough money) combined with 2) lack of affordable housing. In other words, it comes down to money. Yes, there are some people who are homeless for other reasons, however, the reality is that the biggest factor is money: how little one has and how much homes cost. Rather than blaming homelessness on individuals, we’d do better to change its causes. Many people work to help children and families who are homeless. And you can too! To learn more, explore the places below. The Homeless Families Foundation offers ideas about how to help. Project Nite Nite donates a book, blanket, and stuffed animal to homeless children. To research and better understand homelessness, visit the National Center on Family Homelessness.