As a parent of an 11 and 15 year old, I have found that my job as Mom has changed quite a bit. That made me think, there are a lot of parents out there who have had to change. That's why when I found these kits I realized that I would be foolish not to purchase these, because we need to adapt and think in different ways. I'm hoping that this is one way that we can do this.

Here are the kits that I purchased:
All About Dinosaurs Kit
Electronics, Coding & Bots Kit
Engineering Gears and Mazes Kit
Everyday Science Kit
Examine Science and Nature Kit
Explore the Outdoors Kit
I Love Animals Kit
Yoga for Mindfulness Kit

Each kit has different items that make the learning experience more interesting. While we don't have all of them ready to check out, we have a few and we are getting more of them ready. We want to make sure that we can make change easier for parents and I think this is one of those ways.

Depending on the popularity we will make sure to get more (unless we run out of space!)

A big thank you to you parents who are having to change and adapt your jobs as parents. You are all awesome!

Cathy

I love comic books. I love that there are now so many topics ... not just superheros, but non-fiction, classic literature and real life happenings! I love that I can learn a little bit about dinosaurs or physics and a second later I can read the Babysitters' Club. Too much fun for one day. :) We have a HUGE collection of comic books just waiting at Chili for you, from Disney to Iron Man. Here are some suggestions that I have been reading recently:

Guts
by Telgemeier, Raina
Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on?

Bats : learning to fly
by Koch, FalynnEvery volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you.
This volume: In Bats, we follow a little brown bat whose wing is injured by humans on a nature hike. He is taken to a bat rehabilitation center where he meets many different species of bats. They teach him how they fly, what they eat, and where they like to live.

Cheshire Crossing
by Weir, Andy
What happens to Alice when she comes back from Wonderland? Wendy from Neverland? Dorothy from Oz? The three meet here, at Cheshire Crossing -- a boarding school where girls like them learn how to cope with their supernatural experiences and harness their magical world-crossing powers. But the trio -- now teenagers, who've had their fill of meddling authority figures -- aren't content to sit still in a classroom. Soon they're dashing from one universe to the next, leaving havoc in their wake -- and, inadvertently, bringing the Wicked Witch and Hook together in a deadly supervillain love match. To stop them, the girls will have to draw on all of their powers... and marshal a team of unlikely allies from across the magical multiverse.

This whole year should have been Dear Diary Day. So much craziness going on you should have been keeping record of it. I tried to get my kiddos to do it, but could not convince them. I, however write in a journal every night. I do it electronically, but I use a stylus, because I like the act of writing. Since many of you have electronic devices for school, you could do it that way, or just use a notebook! Easy peasey.
It doesn't all have to be words either. It can be doodles or taped on images If you're going the electronic route, emojis, photos or other images could be used.
Need some ideas when writing your diary? Here are some books:

Diary of a wimpy kid : Greg Heffley's journal
by Kinney, Jeff
Can't start with anything but this "classic" ...
Greg records his sixth grade experiences in a middle school where he and his best friend, Rowley, undersized weaklings amid boys who need to shave twice daily, hope just to survive, but when Rowley grows more popular, Greg must take drastic measures to save their friendship.

The Night Diary
by Veera Hiranandani
(this one is available on Overdrive right now!)
It's 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders.
Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn't know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it's too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can't imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together.
Told through Nisha's letters to her mother, The Night Diary is a heartfelt story of one girl's search for home, for her own identity...and for a hopeful future.

Diary of Sarah Gillespie : a pioneer farm girl
by Huftalen, Sarah Gillespie
Twelve year old Sarah Gillespie and her family struggled to make a life for themselves on the Great Plains. Crops and animals needed constant care. Neighbors depended on one another for survival. Through it all, Sarah wrote down her experiences in a diary. Read her story, and learn about the American frontier from someone who lived on it.

Dear America series
I thought my soul would rise and fly : the diary of Patsy,a freed girl
by Hansen, Joyce
This is just one of the many in this series that uses diary format to discuss what life would be like for kids during that time period.
Patsy, an orphaned slave with a bad leg and a quiet nature, is considered slow by the Davis family. But Patsy's smart -- smart enough to learn to read and write on the sly. After the Civil War ends and slavery is abolished, Patsy believes Master Davis's promise to pay the former house slaves and to educate the slave children. But when the master ignores his promise to establish a schoo, and the Freedmen's Bureau cannot provide a teacher, Patsy steps in to teach the students to read and write.

So today Miss Valerie asked me to create one of our book bundles with my favorite books ... apparently I'm hungry! HAH! All the books I picked had to do with food!

Dinosaur Kisses - He eats all the animals he tries to kiss.
Very Hungry Caterpillar - He eats everything.
Strega Nona - Big Anthony makes use of Strega Nona's pasta pot and makes some for everyone in the town, but then it backfires!
Red Hen - Anyone going to help the Red Hen make cake? Don't think so!
Edwina the Dinosaur Who Didn't Know she was extinct - Thank goodness she didn't know, she makes the best cookies!
Bear Wants More - He is hungry for berries, but there's never enough.
Drat That Fat Cat - He's so hungry he eats something that goes a little haywire in his belly.
There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly - I love this specific one because the illustrations are so awesome and there are cut outs in the illustrations so you can visibly watch her belly get bigger.
Kitten's First Moon - He wants that Moon that looks like a bowl of milk and darn it, he's going to get it!

Let me know if you get hungry after reading these books too! They're DELICIOUS!

Now is a good time to be happy ... we need some happy time. :) I love jokes that little kids tell, so share them!
My recent favorite: What did the one nut say to the other nut when they ran after them? I CASHEW!
Check out some of these joke books!

Disney princess joke book
by Carbone, Courtney
Knock, knock. Who's there? A brand-new joke book featuring the Disney princesses With over 100 jokes and humorous illustrations of Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Tiana, Rapunzel, Jasmine, and Merida, this 64-page paperback joke book is truly pun-of-a-kind.

Goofy jokes & giggles
by Keller, Charles
Did you hear about the thief who stole a truck full of elastic? He was put away for a long stretch. Jokes, riddles, and wacky illustrations will keep kids howling. Want more? Man: Have you got something to cure fleas on a dog? Pet shop owner: I don’t know. What’s wrong with the fleas? You won’t stop laughing!

You must be joking : lots of cool jokes
by Brewer, Paul
Children love to be funny and to swap cool jokes. All of the classic joke formats -- jump jokes, knock-knocks, riddles, visual puns, and many more -- are included and grouped by themes that reflect childrens's interests and lives including technology, monsters, aliens, families, school, and silly book, movie, and song titles. Each chapter ends with a "half-joke," so that readers can test their growing skills by making up a punch line. Full-page drawings by Paul Brewer accompany each section, and spot art throughout the book punctuates the jokes with visual humor. The 17 ½ tips at the end of the book help the reader to develop confidence and a personal style of telling jokes. Also included are guidelines for writing funny jokes. Some of the author's favorite lines submitted by readers will be posted on youmustbejoking.net. This collection of over 200 jokes and silly art will appeal to the class clown and stand-up performer in every child.

I'm not sure where it will be or when it will be up next, but the Rochester Museum and Science Center has a traveling exhibit called "Take it Down! Organizing Against Racism."

About the Exhibit: 
What is racism and how can it hide in plain sight? Explore the story of one local carousel panel and join in the meaningful dialogue it encourages on individual, institutional and structural racism.

In 2016, a panel featuring racial "pickaninny" artwork was removed from the Dentzel Carousel at Ontario Beach Park in Rochester, NY, after being on display for over 100 years. This issue generated controversy in our community and activists have created an exhibit around the piece to show how pickaninny art perpetuates racism by denying the humanity of black children.
Presented in partnership with the City of Rochester, this exhibit is an important opportunity to learn from the past and work together to promote social justice for all. Join in the conversation by viewing the panel at one of its future community locations or participate in one of the partner programs. 

When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir, Khan-Cullors, Patrisse,bandele, asha;
A memoir by the co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement explains the movement's position of love, humanity, and justice, challenging perspectives that have negatively labeled the movement's activists while calling for essential political changes.

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, Kendi, Ibram X.;
A comprehensive history of anti-black racism focuses on the lives of five major players in American history, including Cotton Mather and Thomas Jefferson, and highlights the debates that took place between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and antiracists.

The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America, Rothstein, Richard
This "powerful and disturbing history" exposes how American governments deliberately imposed racial segregation on metropolitan areas nationwide.

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Alexander, Michelle
Once in a great while a book comes along that changes the way we see the world and helps to fuel a nationwide social movement. The New Jim Crow is such a book. Praised by Harvard Law professor Lani Guinier as "brave and bold," this book directly challenges the notion that the election of Barack Obama signals a new era of colorblindness. With dazzling candor, legal scholar Michelle Alexander argues that "we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it." By targeting black men through the War on Drugs and decimating communities of color, the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control—relegating millions to a permanent second-class status—even as it formally adheres to the principle of colorblindness. In the words of Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the NAACP, this book is a "call to action."

We have been exploring our collection finding titles to support anti-racism and we've also added to our collection. Here are some titles that we are adding to our collections for kids. Some we have and some are on their way. Have a look!
Don't worry. Tomorrow I'll post all our teen books, then Friday I'll post our adult books. Don't want to totally boggle your minds with all the awesome titles we're getting. :)
Any books that you've read recently supporting anti-racism? Let us know!
Curious about the term "anti-racist" vs non-racist? Check out this article in the Smithonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Pretty fascinating.

AntiRacist Baby by Kendi, Ibram X.
Take your first steps with Antiracist Baby! Or rather, follow Antiracist Baby's nine easy steps for building a more equitable world.

With bold art and thoughtful yet playful text, Antiracist Baby introduces the youngest readers and the grown-ups in their lives to the concept and power of antiracism. Providing the language necessary to begin critical conversations at the earliest age, Antiracist Baby is the perfect gift for readers of all ages dedicated to forming a just society.

I Am Enough by Byers, Grace
This is a gorgeous, lyrical ode to loving who you are, respecting others, and being kind to one another-from Empire actor and activist Grace Byers and talented newcomer artist Keturah A. Bobo.

We are all here for a purpose. We are more than enough. We just need to believe it.

Finding Langston , Cline-Ransome, Lesa
Discovering a book of Langston Hughes' poetry in the library helps Langston cope with the loss of his mother, relocating from Alabama to Chicago as part of the Great Migration, and being bullied.

As Brave As You , Reynolds, Jason
Genie and his brother, Ernie, leave Brooklyn for the first time to spend the summer with their grandparents in Virginia -- in the country! When he figures out that Grandpop is blind, Genie thinks he's the bravest guy ever. But he never leaves the house. Then Ernie won't learn how to shoot. Is bravery only about proving something? What about owning up to what you won't do?

Some Places More Than Others , Watson, Renée
A heartwarming and inspiring middle grade novel about finding deep roots and exploring the past, the present, and the places that make us who we are. 'Some of the places I am still getting to know, some of these places I have known all my life. All of these places made me, are making me.' All Amara wants for her birthday is to visit her father's family in New York City - Harlem. She can't wait to finally meet her Grandpa Earl and cousins in person, and to stay in the brownstone where her father grew up. Maybe this will help her understand her family - and herself - in a new way. But New York City is not exactly what Amara thought it would be. It's noisy, crowded, confusing, and her cousins can be mean. Plus her father is too busy working to spend time with her and too angry to fix his relationship with Grandpa Earl. Amara can't help wondering, even if she does discover more about where she came from, will it help her know where she belongs?

Black Brother, Black Brother , Rhodes, Jewell Parker
A powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition.
Donte wishes he were invisible. As one of the few black boys at Middlefield Prep, he feels as if he is constantly swimming in whiteness. Most of the students don't look like him. They don't like him either. Dubbed the "Black Brother," Donte's teachers and classmates make it clear they wish he were more like his lighter skinned brother, Trey. Quiet, obedient.

When an incident with "King" Alan leads to Donte's arrest and suspension, he knows the only way to get even is to beat the king of the school at his own game: fencing. With the help of a former Olympic fencer, Donte embarks on a journey to carve out a spot on Middlefield Prep's fencing team and maybe learn something about himself along the way.

The Season of Styx Malone , Magoon, Kekla
Meet Caleb and Bobby Gene, two brothers embarking on a madcap, heartwarming, one-thing-leads-to-another adventure in which friendships are forged, loyalties are tested . . . and miracles just might happen.

Caleb Franklin and his big brother Bobby Gene are excited to have adventures in the woods behind their house. But Caleb dreams of venturing beyond their ordinary small town.

Then Caleb and Bobby Gene meet new neighbor Styx Malone. Styx is sixteen and oozes cool. Styx promises the brothers that together, the three of them can pull off the Great Escalator Trade--exchanging one small thing for something better until they achieve their wildest dream. But as the trades get bigger, the brothers soon find themselves in over their heads. Styx has secrets--secrets so big they could ruin everything.

One Crazy Summer , Williams-Garcia, RitaEleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past.

When the girls arrive in Oakland in the summer of 1968, Cecile wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who knock on her door. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education.

Love Will See You Through: Martin Luther King Jr.'s Six Guiding Beliefs (as told by his niece), Watkins, Angela Farris
The niece of Martin Luther King, Jr. reveals six timeless and universal principles that encompass the civil rights leader's greatest legacy: Love will see you through.

Growing up as the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., Angela Farris Watkins witnessed firsthand the principles and values that "Uncle M.L." practiced and lived by throughout his fight for equality. Drawing from experiences and episodes both personal and well-known, Dr. Watkins artfully details the guiding beliefs of one of the greatest men in history. Including "have courage" and "love your enemies," these six hallmarks of virtue and nonviolence reinforce the truth that "the universe honors love" and will inspire readers of all ages.

On the Playground: Our First Talk About Prejudice (The World Around Us), Roberts, Dr. Jillian
Using illustrations, full-color photographs and straightforward text, this nonfiction picture book introduces the topic of prejudice to young readers.

Young Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past and Present, Wilson, Jamia
This book brings together 52 icons of colour from the past and present in a celebration of achievement.

Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America, Easton, Emily
America has been molded and shaped by those who have taken a stand and said they have had enough. In this dynamic picture book, stand alongside the nation's most iconic civil and human rights leaders, whose brave actions rewrote history.
Join Samuel Adams as he masterminds the Boston Tea Party, Ruby Bridges on her march to school, Colin Kaepernick as he takes a knee, and the multitude of other American activists whose peaceful protests have ushered in lasting change.

Brave. Black. First.: 50+ African American Women Who Changed the World
Hudson, Cheryl

Harriet Tubman guided the way.
Rosa Parks sat for equality.
Aretha Franklin sang from the soul.
Serena Williams bested the competition.
Michelle Obama transformed the White House.

Black women everywhere have changed the world. Published in partnership with curators from the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, this illustrated biography compilation captures the iconic moments of fifty African American women whose heroism and bravery rewrote the American story for the better.
They were fearless. They were bold. They were game changers.

Woke: A Young Poet's Call to Justice, Browne, Mahogany L.
Woke: A Young Poet's Guide to Justice is a collection of poems to inspire kids to stay woke and become a new generation of activists.

Historically poets have been on the forefront of social movements. Woke is a collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.

Brown Girl Dreaming, Woodson, Jacqueline
In vivid poems that reflect the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, an award-winning author shares what it was like to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s in both the North and the South.

I love my best friends to pieces and today is a day that I can celebrate how much I care! What a perfect day for the New York Times to come out with this article: How to Hug During a Pandemic. Made me want to run out and hug them right away.
Also perfect, and I don't know if Miss Jill (one of my besties) knew today was Best Friends Day, but she made craft kits (which we hand out at Chestnut Ridge sometimes during their lunch distribution) containing friendship bracelet directions and floss. PERFECT! Want to make your own friendship bracelet? Check here!

Best friend next door
by Mackler, Carolyn
Two girls who share a birthday and palindromic names struggle with respective parental challenges and loneliness while gradually overcoming their differences to become close friends.

20 best friend tales (DVD)
Twenty best friend stories in one film that includes stories such as Happy Birthday Moon and Wallace's List; and more.

My best friend
by Hutchins, Pat
Despite differences in abilities, two little girls appreciate each other and are best friends.

Making friends
by Gudsnuk, Kristen
Danielle needs a perfect friend, but sometimes making (or creating) one is a lot easier than keeping one!

Yum! Doughnuts! What's your favorite doughnut? My favorite is usually the apple fritter, but Leaf and Bean has blueberry lemon fritters that are DEELISH-OUS! More important ... how do you spell donut? (apparently you're not supposed to spell it this way because it has a red squiggle under it, but that's normally how I do.)
Here are some books about making and eating doughnuts that we have at Chili!

The Amish baking cookbook
by Varozza, Georgia
Georgia Varozza partners with experienced baker Kathleen Kerr to create a cookbook filled with recipes associated with the Plain life: baked goods. This delicious collection, which includes recipes for cookies, cakes, pies, and breads, inspires you who love all things Amish to roll up your sleeves and start baking!

Round is a pancake
by Baranski, Joan Sullivan
All around are round things such as a doughnut, a button, a coin, cookies, and the spots on a wee ladybug as the townspeople prepare a feast for their king.

Okie Dokie Donuts : "open for business!"
by Eliopoulos, Chris
Good morning Welcome to Okie Dokie Donuts. Run by pastry pioneer and cunning culinarian, Big Mama Okie Dokie Donuts is the best little donut shop in town What's her secret? Big Mama rolls in a heaping serving of love into each of her hand-made creations Loyal customers can't get enough of her tantalizing turnovers. But running a donut shop isn't easy Trouble is always poking holes in Big Mama's fun. But as long as our large and lovely heroine has friends and plenty of chocolate icing, nothing can stop Okie Dokie Donuts from reaching the highest levels of becoming a pastry powerhouse.

T. Rex time machine
by Chapman, Jared
Two very hungry dinosaurs discover a time machine and are instantly transported to America in 2018, where they are delighted to find themselves surrounded by food (including pizza and doughnuts), but soon less excited to find themselves surrounded by policemen with guns--so they escape to the time machine, not knowing where it will take them next.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Suzanne Collins
Hoopla: https://www.hoopladigital.com/title/11950543

Set in the backdrop of the 10th Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes revolves around the adventures of a teenage Coriolanus Snow, who would go on to become the illustrious president of Panem. Falling on hard times, he is tasked with mentoring District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird for the 10th Hunger Games.

Luckily the reader made this book. I'm only about halfway through, but I really care about Coriolanus Snow... whom I should really hate with a passion. Something must happen because so far he is such a caring, wonderful person ... just looked up who reads it ... Santino Fontana, the actor who plays Hans in Frozen.. so he pretends to be nice, when in reality he's a conniving creep. Found that an amusing choice.
He is so sweet to Lucy Gray Baird and wants to be so nice to her, when later on in his life, as President Snow he was a horrible, horrible person. Its so curious how young people can be changed so drastically as they become adults.
So far, its really good! I enjoy it quite a bit. I hope you will too.