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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.

Title: TAD and DAD Author & Illustrator: David Ezra Stein Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books, 2015 Themes: Father/son relationships, frogs & tadpoles, sleeping Ages: 3-7 Opening: My dad has big, buggy eyes,                                       … Continue reading →

New authors looking to get into the publishing business deal will need to have a book proposal to get a publisher or agent to even look at their work.

Publishing consultant Jane Friedman (not to be confused with Jane Friedman, the Open Road CEO/former HarperCollins CEO) outlined some great tips for writing a book proposal. These steps are great insights to help you get started in writing a book proposal. Here is an excerpt:

Editors care about one thing only: A viable idea with a clear market, paired with a writer who has credibility and marketing savvy.Knowing your audience or market—and having direct, tangible reach to them (online or off)—gives you a much better chance of success. Pitch only the book you know has a firm spot in the marketplace. Do not pitch a book expecting that the publisher will bring the audience to you. It’s the other way around. You bring your audience and platform to the publisher.

In less than one week, the winners will be announced at the 88th Academy Awards ceremony. The BookBub team has created an infographic that highlights 9 Book-to-Movie Adaptations.

This year, The Revenant has been recognized with 12 nominations including Best Picture. The movie, based in part on Michael Punke’s 2015 novel, stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass.

We’ve embedded the full image below for you to explore further—what do you think? Follow this link to check out the full list of this year’s Oscar nominees.

MasterClass, an internet educational platform, will host a contest for aspiring writers to collaborate with bestselling author James Patterson. This competition will only be open to students who enroll in Patterson’s MasterClass writing course.

Patterson gave this statement in the press release: “There are a lot of people who have the talent, but haven’t been shown the door to walk through. I’ve been surprised and impressed by the passion, devotion and talent of my students. They inspired me to want to help guide one of them through the publishing process. I’m looking forward to reading the submissions that are skillful, fast-paced and unpredictable.”

The submission deadline has been set for March 22 at 11:59 p.m. PST. Patterson will select the winning co-author on May 24. Contestants who are chosen as semifinalists and finalists will also receive a cash prize. Follow this link to learn more information and read up on all the rules.

The team at TrustEssays.com has created an infographic called “10 Weird Writing Habits of Famous Authors.” The piece features insights into the writing practices of Truman Capote, Ernest Hemingway, and Flannery O’ Connor.

We’ve embedded the full image below for you to explore further—what do you think? To learn more about some of your favorite writers, follow these links to view infographics on “The Day Jobs That Inspired Famous Authors,” “Writing Tips From Famous Authors,” and “Exploring the Careers of Famous Authors.” (via Lifehack)

Has a book ever inspired you to make a prediction about the future? The TED-Ed team has crafted a lesson on “how science fiction can help predict the future.”

The animated video embedded above examines the role of futurists. Over at the TED-Ed website, viewers can access a quiz, a discussion board, and more resources.

In the past, TED-Ed has crafted lessons on “how to write fiction that comes alive,” the hero’s journey, and the oxford comma. What is your favorite story from the science fiction genre?

The National Book Foundation is hosting a free event in New York in February called “Why Reading Matters.”

The live panel will feature a panel with the winners of the 2015 Innovations in Reading Prize. The event is dedicated to discussions on how the book industry, educators, librarians and educators can work together to inspire people to read. The keynote is Mark Hecker, executive director of Reach Incorporated, a non-profit that connects challenged teens to become reading tutors for elementary school students. In addition, a panel discussion will include: Kwame Dawes, founder of African Poetry Book Fund; founders Logan Smalley and Stephanie Kent of Call Me Ishmael, William Johnson, managing editor of Lambda Literary, and Todd Boss, co-founder of Motionpoems.

The event is open to the public on Thursday, February 11, 2016 from 9:30 am – 1:30 pm at the Ford Foundation in New York. Follow this link for more details.

What’s your favorite tragedy by William Shakespeare? Martin Grandjean, a designer, has created an infographic to examine some of The Bard’s most “doomed” characters.

According to Grandjean’s website, the intent behind this project is to present “a network visualization in which each character is represented by a node connected with the characters that appear in the same scenes.” The image features analysis on 11 Shakespearean plays.

We’ve embedded the full image below for you to explore further—what do you think? Follow this link to download a digital copy of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare. (via Electric Literature)

What does HarperTeen have in store for the new year? The EpicReads team has developed a useful infographic called “2016 at a Glance.”

It features a total of 133 books. We’ve embedded the full image below for you to explore further—what do you think?

Immunity of Heads of State and State Officials for International Crimes was the most checked out book from The Dag Hammarskjöld Library at the United Nations last year.

The organization revealed the news on its Twitter account last week. World News Editor/Reporter Hayes Brown pointed out on Twitter that this isn’t something to be proud of given the dictators who are members of the delegation. Vox.com has more about the book:

The book in question isn’t a UN document — it’s a doctoral thesis from the University of Lucerne by Ramona Pedretti, pursuing the question of when heads of state and other government officials can be charged in foreign courts. Generally, she explains, there are two forms of immunity in international law from which heads of state can benefit.

Penguin Young Readers and We Need Diverse Books has established a partnership. The two organizations will host a writing contest to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor. Ethnically diverse writers can submit in their middle grade stories (for readers ages 8 to 14) beginning in April 2016.

Here’s more from the press release: “In 1974, the Council on Interracial Books sponsored a writing contest seeking out diverse voices. Mildred D. Taylor was the winner of the African-American segment for the manuscript that became Song of the Trees (Dial, 1975), her first book. It introduced the Logan family and was followed by Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (1976), which won the Newbery Medal.”

Earlier this week, the publisher released a 40th anniversary edition of Taylor’s book earlier this week. It features new content from Taylor, a foreword written by Jacqueline Woodson, and illustrations by Kadir Nelson. Click on this link to learn more information and read all the rules about the contest.

Do you plan to get a lot of reading done in the new year? The We Are Teachers team has developed a useful infographic called “Read Like a Detective.”

It features advice on how to “look for clues,” “ask questions,” and “making your case.” We’ve embedded the full image below for you to explore further—what do you think? (via Ebook Friendly)

Would you like to take in some writing wisdom? We’ve compiled a list of five TED-Ed videos on how to create captivating fiction, the definition of “orwellian,” pronouns, misused modifiers, and the origins of the English language.

To check out some presentations from the TED stage, the organization has created the “10 talks from authors” playlist. What subjects would you like the TED-Ed team to tackle next?

President Barack Obama and his family will be spending some time in Hawaii for a winter vacation. The Washington Post reports that the White House has unveiled his vacation reading list. If you want to take on this presidential reading challenge, we’ve put together the commander-in-chief’s four books with links to free samples of each title. (via Entertainment Weekly)

1. The Whites by Richard Price
2. Purity by Jonathan Franzen
3. The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
4. The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

Some bibliophiles will be making new year’s resolutions to read more or perhaps even take on a reading-themed challenge. One tool that may prove useful for those who want to stay on track is an infographic by designer Raphael Lysander on the “benefits of reading.”

The image features statistics on how reading can help with stress relief, mental skill development, and forming relationships. We’ve embedded the full image below for you to explore further—what do you think? (via Writers Write)

For some, the day before Christmas will be devoted to last minute gift shopping. If you still need to find a present for the Harry Potter fan in your life, the Pottermore team has created “a visual guide to buying tickets for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”

We’ve embedded the full infographic below for you to explore further—what do you think? The opening date for this London-based theatrical show has been set for July 2016.

The TED-Ed team has crafted a lesson on “the science behind the myth: Homer’s ‘Odyssey.’” The animated video embedded above offers theoretical scientific explanations for some parts of this famous story.

Over at the TED-Ed website, viewers can access a quiz, a discussion board, and more resources. Click here to download a digital copy of the epic Greek poem.

In the past, TED-Ed has crafted lessons on “how to write fiction that comes alive,” the hero’s journey, and the oxford comma. What’s your favorite mythological tale from the Greeks and Romans?

Do you plan to make a resolution to write more in the new year? Designer Raphael Lysander has created the “68 Inspiring Writing Tips From 9 Great Writers” infographic.

The image features advice from several beloved authors including Margaret Atwood, Kurt Vonnegut, and George Orwell. We’ve embedded the full piece below for you to explore further—what do you think? (via Electric Literature)

Book editor David Moldawer has some great advice for authors: Think about the reader experience.

“Reader experience design (or ReadX) is about building a book beginning with the experience you want the reader to have and working backward from there,” he writes in a piece penned for BoingBoing. In the piece, Moldawer explains that by thinking about the reader (instead of say, trying to impress peers), you will write a better book. Here is an excerpt from the essay:

You must constantly remind yourself that your reader is both smarter and less knowledgeable than you assume. (The smarter bit is important. You don’t talk down to your reader. You just explain your topic like you would to an intelligent friend in a totally different line of work.)

The team at BBC Culture asked 82 book critics to name their favorite British fiction books. All of the participants who were polled do not reside in the United Kingdom; they come from the United States, continental Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Here’s more from the BBC: “Each who participated submitted a list of 10 British novels, with their pick for the greatest novel receiving 10 points. The points were added up to produce the final list.”

Altogether, this international group of bibliophiles selected a total of 228 books. Below, we’ve listed the top 10 titles; click on the links to download free eBooks. Did any of your favorites make the cut?

01. Middlemarch by George Eliot (1874)
02. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (1927)
03. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (1925)
04. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (1861)
05. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (1847)
06. Bleak House by Charles Dickens (1853)
07. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (1847)
08. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens (1850)
09. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)
10. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (1848)

Bill Gates has unveiled a list of his favorite books that he read in 2015.

Gates’ six picks include The Road to Character, Thing Explainer: Complicated Stuff in Simple Words, Being Nixon: A Man Divided, Sustainable Materials With Both Eyes Open, Eradication: Ridding the World of Diseases Forever?, and Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. He also decided to give The Vital Question an honorable mention.

Here’s more from Gates’ blog post: “I just looked over the list of books I read this year, and I noticed a pattern. A lot of them touch on a theme that I would call ‘how things work.’…I didn’t set out to explore these themes intentionally, though in retrospect it make a lot of sense since the main reason I read is to learn.” Click here to check out Gates’ 2014 list.

The New York Public Library has installed “The Librarian Is In” booth at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building. The librarians at this booth will provide reading recommendations upon request.

Two staff members, Lynn Lobash and Gwen Glazer, have signed on to work at the booth. Visitors will find it at the 5th Avenue lobby available until Dec. 23.

Lobash had this statement in the press release: “Reading is a very personal thing, and the whole key to enjoying it is to find the right book, the one that gets you excited and interested and unable to stop turning pages. Finding that book and experiencing that joy is a real gift. We’re here to help. This is what librarians do.”

What are the characteristics of an enduring love story? The team at EBook Friendly has created the “Love DNA of Famous Classic Novels” infographic.

The image showcases several popular romance books including Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. We’ve embedded the full piece below for you to explore further—what do you think? (via Electric Literature)

Do you need help picking out your next read? The team at Penguin Random House Canada has created the “What Do You Feel Like Reading?” infographic.

The image showcases books written by several popular authors including Alexander McCall Smith, Jo Nesbø, and Margaret Atwood. We’ve embedded the full piece below for you to explore further—what do you think?