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Books are not only a great resource for developing reading skills, they are also a fantastic way to help kids develop healthy feelings and relationships. In the coming weeks, the First Book Marketplace will feature a collection of hand-picked books that address key aspects of social and emotional development.

In addition to the books, First Book has partnered with Molina Healthcare to provide helpful resources that teachers and parents can use to tie these engaging stories to healthy living. Teaching kids how to interact with others and manage their own emotions is an essential part of their development, just as important as their intellectual or physical development. These carefully curated books and resources are designed to do just that.

Here’s a sneak peek of the kinds of books and tips you can expect in the collection!

I Can Help by David Hyde Costello

A little duck gets lost until a helpful monkey comes along to lend a hand.

Brainstorm a number of situations that children may find themselves experiencing in which they need to ask for help. Next, identify who are the appropriate people in their family, school or community to ask for help in those situations. Examples could include calling 911 for firefighters in the case of a fire, talking with a teacher or parent for homework help, and visiting a doctor or school nurse if they are sick. This activity can be extended by role-playing. For example, one child can pretend to see a fire and call a firefighter for help. Then another group of children can pretend to be firefighters who come and put out the fire.

My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison

Paula knows Maggie is a great friend, but when Veronica says mean things about Maggie, Paula doesn’t stand up for her.

Letter writing, even when one doesn’t plan to give the letter to the addressee, can be a great tool for processing feelings and thinking through how to handle a conflict. Have the children write a letter from one of this story’s characters to another (such as from Maggie to Paula), explaining how that character’s actions made her feel. Encourage students to try letter writing (even without giving the letters) when they face conflicts with their friends to help them express their feelings and think through how they would like the situation to be resolved.

For more books and resources from First Book and Molina Healthcare, please visit the health and wellness section on the First Book Marketplace.

The post Sneak Peek: Resources For Social & Emotional Development appeared first on First Book Blog.

Yoga isn’t only for adults. More American parents are introducing their children to the ancient practice which originated in India. Preliminary studies show it is beneficial for reducing stress and improving mood. Certified yoga instructor and author Susan Verde wrote I Am Yoga, a picture book which helps children explore mindfulness through relationships and movement. The book is one of several kid lit collaborations between Verde and the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. His relaxed illustration style helps convey Susan Verde’s message of peace, stillness of mind, and tranquility.

Reflecting the swelling ranks of adult yogis, a growing number of kids are now doing yoga, as health experts, researchers and educators note the promise of initial research suggesting the ancient meditative movement practice may help little ones relieve stress, calm anxiety and improve mood – along with helping address ADHD, without drugs.

Susan Verde and StoryMakers host Rocco Staino were joined by — via satellite —  kid lit singer and songwriter Emily Arrow. Arrow has written and performed songs based on children’s books. Together, Verde and Arrow collaborated on a song and music video for I Am Yoga. Emily Arrow’s song lyrics draw heavily from the book. Arrow’s latest CD, “Storytime Singalong, Volume 1”, is a combination of songs based on popular kid lit and tunes for young readers.

Watch Susan Verde’s interview at the Westchester Children’s Book Festival.

We’re giving away three (3) prize packs including of copy of Susan Verde’s picture book, I AM YOGA and Emily Arrow’s STORYTIME SINGALONG, VOL. 1 CD. The giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on May 25, 2016. ENTER NOW!

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ABOUT ‘I AM YOGA’

I Am Yoga
Written by Susan Verde, illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds
Published by Harry N. Abrams

An eagle soaring among the clouds or a star twinkling in the night sky … a camel in the desert or a boat sailing across the sea yoga has the power of transformation. Not only does it strengthen bodies and calm minds, but with a little imagination, it can show us that anything is possible. New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H. Reynolds and author and certified yoga instructor Susan Verde team up again in this book about creativity and the power of self-expression. I Am Yoga encourages children to explore the world of yoga and make room in their hearts for the world beyond it. A kid-friendly guide to 16 yoga poses is included.

ABOUT SUSAN VERDE

Susan Verdeis an award-winning children’s book author, elementary educator, and a certified children’s yoga instructor. Her books highlight the unique manner in which children see the world. Her stories focus on their interactions with their surroundings with emphasis on problem solving in a calming and mindful way. Susan’s books are used to teach children how to express gratitude and to support each other.

Susan became a certified kids yoga instructor and children’s book author, after several years in the education field. “Her stories inspire children to celebrate their own, unique stories and journey. Her writing also inspires adults to let their inner child out to dream of infinite possibilities… and maybe come out for a spontaneous game of hopscotch every now and then.”

Susan’s latest book, The Water Princess, will be published in late 2016. The book is another collaboration with he bestselling, award-winning, author and illustrator, Peter H. Reynolds. Peter and Susan have collaborated on The Museum, You & Me, and I Am Yoga. Susan lives in East Hampton, New York with her three children and dog.

Read more, here.

CONNECT WITH SUSAN VERDE
Website | Twitter

ABOUT ‘STORYTIME SINGALONG, VOLUME 1’

Storytime Singalong, Volume 1

Emily Arrow is the 2015 winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Children’s Category for her song “The Curious Garden Song”. The song was inspired by the book THE CURIOUS GARDEN by Peter Brown. Emily was also a finalist in the 2015 Great American Song Contest and the 2014 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Emily Arrow creates literature inspired music for children, cultivating an appreciation and love for singing, songwriting, literature, and art. She performs storytimes of her original music regularly in Los Angeles at Once Upon A Time Bookstore and Children’s Book World. Emily is touring in support of the album at schools, bookstores, and libraries around the country!

Click here for a track listing.

ABOUT EMILY ARROW

Originally from Ohio, Emily played the piano, read a lot of books, and led a neighborhood “kids only choir.” Fast forward to now and…she’s still silly, she still sings incessantly, and she still loves books! She is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston and earned her graduate-level teaching certification in Orff-Shulwerk Levels I & II. After graduating Emily became a K-6 music teacher at a performing arts-based elementary school in Los Angeles. During her time teaching, she found that her passion was collaborating with the library, art, and technology departments. Which led her to her current career as a kidlit singer/songwriter!

Read more, here.

CONNECT WITH EMILY ARROW
Website | Twitter | YouTube

CONNECT WITH KidLit TV
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StoryMakers
Host: Rocco Staino | Executive Producer: Julie Gribble | Producer: Kassia Graham

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The post StoryMakers | Susan Verde and Emily Arrow appeared first on KidLit.TV.

मीनोपोज या प्री मीनोपोज के बारे मे जानकारी का अभाव महिलाओं को और ज्यादा तनाव ग्रस्त कर देता है. पर ये जानना बहुत जरुरी है कि बीमारी नही है मीनोपोज पर क्या है मीनोपोज  बेशक, ये भी एक कठिन दौर  होता है जब बेहद रक्तस्राव होने से कमजोरी आ जाती है और बहुत लक्षण महिलाए को तनाव मे डाल देते हैं.

कल एक पार्टी में मेरी पुरानी सहेली मिली. मिली क्या असल में मैने ही उसे ढूढा. एक किनारे पर चुपचाप बैठी थी. मुझे भी उसने सूखा सा हैलो बोला. यहां वहां की बात करने के बाद जब मैने उससे उसका हाल चाल पूछा तो उसने बताया कि कुछ समय से पता नही उसे क्या होता जा रहा है . कुछ करने का मन नही करता एक अजीब तरह की बेचैनी सी  महसूस होती है. उसे न भूख लगती न ही कहीं जाने की इच्‍छा होती है कई बार  आधी रात को पसीने से तर हो जाती हूं और नींद खुल जाती है कई बार सारी सारी रात नींद ही नही आती तो कई  बार दिन मे बहुत नींद आती है. कई बार दस दस दिन रक्तस्राव होता है तो कई बार तीन तीन महीने हो जाते हैं रक्तस्राव ही नही होता.  मैने इस बात को जरा भी गम्भीरता से नही लिया. उसे बताया कि यह भी एक तरह का चक्र है जिसमे हम महिलाओं को धर्य और संयम के साथ  दो चार होना पडता है अब इसे सहर्ष स्वीकार कर लें या तनाव बना कर रखें ये अपने हाथ मे है. उसने बताया कि डाक्टर भी उसे यही कह रही थी. अल्ट्रा सांऊड भी करवाया है वो भी ठीक है …

मैने जो नेट पर पढा था या जो अपने अनुभव थे उसे बताए कि उसे अपना ख्याल कैसे रखना चाहिए

Women in Menopause Need Foods With These Minerals and Vitamins

 

Plenty of things change as women approach menopause. Fortunately, some undesirable consequences like bone loss and hot flashes may be reduced with a few diet changes.

Menopause is a difficult time for many women. It can be a little reassuring to know that the foods you put on your shopping list can make a difference, and can help restore some sense of normalcy to your life. Read more…

मीनोपोज में सबसे ज्यादा जरुरी है कि खुद को व्यस्त रखें.. खुश रखे अपना ध्यान अच्छी बातों में लगाए और सबसे ज्यादा जरुरी खान पान पर ध्यान देना है आयरन और कैल्शियम का सही सेवन बहुत जरुरी है क्योकि कई बाद बहुत ब्लीडिंग होने से शरीर में कमजोरी आ जाती है सही मायनों में क्या है मीनोपोज प्रश्न आपको तंग नही करेगा और वैसे भी  जिंदगी को pause नही करता मीनोपोज …

महिलाओ की छोटी छोटी समस्याओं के बारे में गायनाकोलोजिस्ट रचना सांगवान से लिया मेरा एक इंटरव्यू एक वीडियों

The post क्या है मीनोपोज appeared first on Monica Gupta.

Chocolate Banana Strawberry Pineapple (Etc.) Green Smoothie

Here’s today’s experiment:

• 1 handful sprouts
• 2 large Swiss chard leaves
• 3 dates
• 4 frozen strawberries
• 1 frozen banana
• 3 frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 heaping Tablespoon peanut butter
• 2 heaping teaspoons cacao
• About 1 cup water (up to the Nutribullet fill line)

Taste review: Looks like a chocolate smoothie, tastes a little more gardeny than that. I started with just half a banana and no dates, and it wasn’t sweet enough. I think I could have gotten by with just one teaspoon of cacao. I’m kind of sick of the taste of dates. Will be looking for other ways to sweeten. But overall, not bad! And very, very filling.

Health review: After just a few days of one green smoothie a day, my skin already looks so much better–healthy and clear in a way it hasn’t for months. And my digestion: wow. I won’t go into detail, but let’s just say it’s meeting my need for spring cleaning.

The key, though, is these smoothies have to taste good. This is a voluntary activity and if it’s not fun I won’t do it. Which is why I’m experimenting with flavors. And why I’m reporting to you about those experiments, so that if you’re in the green smoothie mood, you can do it in an enjoyable, non-punishing way. Because we’re against punishment here on the blog.

Carry on, Greenies!

As you may have been able to tell from my recent photos and posts, I was skiing up until a few days ago. Just arrived home to the desert where it’s already 92 degrees. It’s a little . . . jarring. Dogs are looking at me like, “What the–?” and while they’re busy shedding as much of their fur as possible–I’ll be able to knit a new Labrador in about a week–I’m taking my own measures to adjust to the almost summer.

It’s a two-phase action plan: Clean my house, clean my body.

Believe it or not, the body part of it is much simpler. All I have to do is switch out of winter eating mode (soups, sandwiches, pastas, sweets, sweets, more sweets) and turn to my old friend the green smoothie.

Also known as Baby Poop.

Why Baby Poop? Because if you saw the way one of my green smoothies has traditionally looked–dark brown, sometimes brownish-red, with hints of green flakes–you’d say, “Yeah, good luck with that, think I’ll have a salad.” But for some reason, I’ve been out of the salad mood for about a year now. Can’t explain it. So I’m just going with it.

The thing that’s going to banish the baby-poopedness look of my smoothies from now on is that tomorrow I’ll be getting this nifty machine that actually has a proper motor. I discovered while skiing that that’s been the whole problem with my green smoothie life. I just haven’t had enough power.

I made that discovery by watching someone else make one for me. The things she put in there! (To be discussed below.) And by the time she poured it into a cup, the liquid was this beautiful, light green, and instead of tasting gritty and *good for me,* it tasted smooth and delicious, more like a dessert. Which, see above re: winter diet, sold me.

But even better, the smoothie fixed me.  Day after day I’d stumble into that place, start croaking out ingredients–”Dates! Cashews! Oh my gosh I’m about to pass out–coconut! More fat! Bring it!”–and the lovely proprietoress, Gretchen, would keep adding and adding (see below) and then give me basically a cup full of green medicine.

I have never recovered from a big physical effort more quickly and more deliciously. That’s what I’m saying. That’s why I’m trekking down the Green Smoothie Way.

I’ll be experimenting with new recipes as I go, and I’ll post some of the best ones here, but let’s start with the Skiing Kicked My Butt recipe that got me through:

• Big handful of unsalted cashews
• Normal handful of unsalted sunflower seeds
• One heaping teaspoon peanut butter
• Big handful of dates (about 5)
• One banana, preferably frozen to give the drink some thickness
• Big handful of strawberries, also preferably frozen
• Normal handful of blueberries (optional–makes the color a little weirder, but tastes good)
• Two heaping teaspoons cacao (unsweetened cocoa powder will do) (also optional, but wow)
• One teaspoon coconut (optional, but yum)
• Three huge leaves of kale or Swiss chard, stems and all, ripped into pieces and layered on top
• About 1/2  to 1 cup of peach, pear, or apple juice
• About 1 1/2 cups pure water–start with 1 cup, then add more as you assess the thickness. Some people like their smoothies thicker, some more liquidy. You’re the boss.

I tried this in my regular blender, but no. Baby poop. I’ll take a photo of the proper green smoothie once I try it with my new machine tomorrow. You’ll see. Fresh and spring-looking.

Onward, green smoothiers!

I'm beginning to think that living here in Abu Dhabi is hazardous to my health. Or at least it would appear that way.

I write this on the last leg of yet another sickness. This week, I've been miserable: coughing, sneezing, fever, chills, sore throat, no voice...the works. I honestly think I had a relapse from last week. I went to the doc last week when it first began. Doc offered two or more days off work, but I only took one. I got the meds prescribed, but I didn't take them as often as told. Then, instead of taking the 3-day weekend to rest, I went to Sri Lanka instead.

The result? Being sick this whole week. I hate being sick. I couldn't even enjoy the three days off work my doc gave me this week cos I was sick. BLEH!

I've been sick while living here more than I've ever been in my entire life. As a child & teen, on days I didn't feel like going to school, I'd wish for sickness to overtake me, but to no avail. I rarely got sick. But now? I feel like I'm always sick.

I'm told it's the change in climate: the desert...the sand. It doesn't help that they don't have filters for the vents here. So all the yuckiness floating around the air in my apt, I'm breathing in. YUCK!

Whatever it is, it's making me sick. Literally. It sure does put a dent in things.

Will I find relief? Stay tuned...

Gerald Klickstein is Professor of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and a renowned classical guitarist. His book, The Musician’s Way: A Guide to Practice, Performance, and Wellness, is a roadmap to artistic excellence which provides an inclusive system for all instrumentalists and vocalists to advance their musical abilities and succeed as performing artists.

When I play, I make love – it is the same thing.
-Arthur Rubinstein, pianist

If you’ve read much about performing, then you’ve probably run into the terms “peak performance,” “flow,” and “being in the zone.” Those synonymous labels refer to a zone of optimal functioning, an ideal inner state in which a performer achieves maximum fluency with minimum effort. When you’re having a peak experience with your music, your creativity seems boundless, and, technically speaking, you feel as though you can’t miss.

Discussions of peak performance now appear widely, and all of the talk has spawned a problematic myth. The premise of the myth is that all high-level performances are peak performances and that, therefore, unless a musician attains a peak inner state on stage, the performance falls short. Nothing could be further from reality.

Musicians deliver inspired performances when they’re in all sorts of inner states. Sometimes things flow easily, sometimes they don’t, and a performer works harder to execute with artistry and precision. Being in the zone is pleasant, but it’s beside the point. Art is the point, emotion-laden, penetrating art, irrespective of whether the musician is in the zone.

To put it another way, when you perform, the music and the audience are what count. Whether you’re cruising effortlessly or working through every phrase isn’t relevant to the music’s impact or the audience’s experience. An analogous example would be the athlete who scores a winning goal. The team is victorious, and no one cares whether the scorer was in the zone or whether she wrestled with a throbbing headache and a loosely tied shoe. Correspondingly, when an audience is transported by beautifully presented music, it’s unimportant whether the musician performed with ease or had to content with distracting thoughts and a stubborn itch. Of course, every performer wants to be as free as possible on stage. But if you can’t perform well unless you’re in a peak state, then you can’t function as a professional musician.

To reach professional standards in your music making, you have to be able to prepare such that you don’t require ideal circumstances to play or sing expertly. You need the flexibility to adapt to varied internal and external situations and then perform without a fuss. The musicians who lack preparatory skills fall apart when things aren’t just so. After going bust on stage, they often claim that in an earlier practice session they were in the zone and performed flawlessly. Actually, their fragile learning creates only an illusion of control. Because of their belief in the peak-performance myth, however, rather than improving their preparation skills, such musicians look for extraneous ways to induce a zone-like sate in which their flimsy foundations might somehow hold up.

To counter the peak-performance myth, I propose the thorough-preparation principle: When you prepare thoroughly, you don’t need to be in the zone to excel in performance, yet your security provides you with the most direct route into the zone (not that being in the zone matters). For example, if you’re a thoroughly prepared string player performing in a cold church and your fingers feels tiff, you don’t despair. You breathe and lead yourself through the music. Your fingers may by icy, but your spirit catches fire, and the music soars. Were you in the zone? Nobody cares, including you.

The peak-performance myth infects countless budding artists with a self-defeating attitude toward public performance. First, musicians may wrongly believe that getting into the zone is essential to performing. Second, instead of celebrating concerts as unique events, they rate them as peak or not peak, and by default, as either acceptable or unacceptable. It’s perfectionism by another name.

To make the most of a performance, the key is to be open to your experience and to discover new things in both the music and yourself. Author Jack Kornfield wrote, “This capacity to be open to the new in each moment without seeking a false sense of security is the true source of strength and freedom in life.” It’s also the true source of artistry on stage.

That brings me back to the quotation that begins this section. For Arthur Rubinstein, performing and lovemaking were of the same stuff. What did he mean by that? For one thing, I think he was conveying the sense of immersion that an artistic performer enjoys on stage. That is, when you hold someone closely, you don’t judge; you hug and let your emotions take over. As you perform, adopt an equally accepting attitude. Prepare thoroughly, and then embrace the music, audience, and performance situation, whatever they bring. Your listeners will thank you for it.

A thief breaks out of jail to track down the sleuth who put her there – Dinah Galloway. Problem is, the thief is a former actress known as “the queen of disguises” for her cunning costume changes. In Melanie Jackson’s Queen of Disguises, Dinah Dinah knows she’s being stalked, but by whom?

Our heroine already has enough on her plate without the addition of revenge served cold: the red-headed 12-year-old is a finalist to sing in commercials promoting beautiful British Columbia. The deal is, to clinch the job, Dinah has to get fit at a wellness retreat on Salt Spring Island. Veggies? Exercise? Yech! Grudgingly, though, Dinah allows that her lifestyle could be a little healthier. Off to Salt Spring she goes, along with the two other finalists: one friendly, the other the last word in sulky. Her buddies Talbot and Pantelli make their usual disruptive appearances, along with Dinah’s ever-anxious mother and cool, elegant sister Madge. Hoping to shed not only pounds but her vengeful pursuer, Dinah learns the meaning of personal best – that it truly is how you play the game, not whether you win.

ISBN 978-1-55469-037-4

$9.95 Cdn

www.orcabook.com

1.800.210.5277