Working to improve the lives of children has always been a priority for APA through such efforts as the ACT: Raising Safe Kids Program, our advocacy against separating children and parents at the southern border and the many initiatives launched by our Children, Youth and Families Office. One of the most far-reaching ways we are supporting children and youth is through Magination Press, the children’s book imprint of APA Publishing that brings critical concepts of mental health and well-being to a young audience. This effort is a strong example of how applying psychological science can have a tremendous impact on the lives of children and their families.
We know that exposing children to information about mental health is critical for their healthy development. Through Magination Press, APA makes mental health and well-being come alive for them through beautifully illustrated, entertaining stories that are grounded in research and written by psychologists and other mental health professionals. To date, there are 180 Magination titles, covering a vast array of topics, including bullying, depression, fear, trauma, grief and much more.
Not only have children and adolescents alike embraced these books, parents, psychologists and others see them as valuable teaching tools. That’s because, to make these books a useful as they can be, most include notes to teachers, parents and others offering research-based, practical advice on the topics covered.
To further support parents and others, last year APA launched Maginationpressfamily.com, which offers tools and strategies for helping to manage children’s stress and anxiety, as well as tips on mindfulness. This year, we are building on our success, expecting to publish 25 new titles with books on such timely topics as gender nonconforming youth, phobia, dementia and more. New titles coming in 2019 include “Giraffe Asks for Help,” which teaches that it’s OK to lean on others, and “You Are Your Strong,” which helps kids understand big emotions.
One of our strategic goals is to bring psychological science to the public to address the critical issues they face. Magination Press is a great example of how, by translating psychological research, our field can have impact. Please visit the Magination Press website to see for yourself how the collection is raising the visibility of psychology to the public. And the public is noticing: Many of our titles have received noteworthy praise, including a Teachers’ Choice Award, a Mom’s Choice Award and more.
It’s the combined power of psychology and literature that makes Magination Press books special. Happy reading.
