One of the appeals of the children’s book community is that it offers support and encouragement to its members. Organizations such as the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and consultants such as Emma D. Dryden of Drydenbooks, provide valuable services to newbies and professionals alike.

SCBWI-authors Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi offer tips on their blog, The Bookshelf Muse. They’ve also compiled The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression, which offers alternative ways of describing emotions, so writers don’t have to get stuck on using the same expressions over and over. As they put it, “This book comes to the rescue by highlighting 75 emotions and listing the possible body language cues, thoughts, and visceral responses for each.” Click on the links to learn more—then buy the book!