This is a literary town, and not just for adults. NYC is home to not only many amazing children’s book authors and illustrators, but also spirited independent bookstores that sell — and support — their work. Read on to see some of the new fall releases for kids from local writers and illustrators we’re excited about. And don’t forget!: The Brooklyn Book Festival returns as a hybrid event with in-person and online programming from September 26 to October 4. Children’s Day is October 2, and is packed with events at which kids can meet authors and artists for kids of all ages—even some of the people below!

Major Makes History: From the Shelter to the White House 

Harper Collins

From the mind that brought you New York Times best-selling bunny Marlon Bundo (and other animals advocating things like kindness and equity) comes the tale of President Biden’s friendship with his German shepherd, Major, the first shelter dog in the White House. Written by Jill Twiss and illustrated by Maribel Lechuga, the book is told in Major's voice, and is filled with Twiss’ signature humor and heart. Bonus: this picture book for ages four to eight also includes back matter about past presidential pets and information on adopting shelter animals. 

Release date: Sept. 28, 2021
$18.99
Buy it!

Nina: A Story of Nina Simone

G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Queens-based author Traci N. Todd and renowned illustrator Christian Robinson (Last Stop on Market Street) have collaborated on the first-ever American picture book biography of legend Nina Simone. This vibrant and illuminating book tells the story of little Eunice who grew up to become the acclaimed singer Nina Simone and her bold, defiant, and exultant legacy.

Release date September 14, 2021
$18.99
Buy it!

The Vanderbeekers Make a Wish

Clarion Books

The latest in the New York Times best-selling series from Karina Yan Glaser, this book for kids ages eight to 12 follows a Harlem family as they try to find the perfect 40th birthday present for dad. Along the way, they learn a lot more about their mysterious grandparents. The fun and funny tale all goes down in Harlem, the NYC neighborhood Glaser calls home. 

Release date Sept. 21, 2021
$16.99
Buy it!

Make Meatballs Sing

Enchanted Lion Books

Writer Matthew Burgess and illustrator Kara Kramer (both Brooklyn residents) tell the story of artist, nun, educator and activist Corita Kent in this biography for ages six to 12. Made in close collaboration with the Corita Art Center,  it includes reproductions of her colorful works, a chronology, and author and illustrator notes.

Release date Sept. 7, 2021
$18.95
Buy it!

KALEIDOSCOPE

Scholastic

Brian Selznick (author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Wonderstruck and more) is back with Kaleidoscope, a story of two people bound to each other through time and space, memory and dreams. At the center of their relationship is a mystery about the nature of grief and love which will look different to each reader. Selznick brings his masterful storytelling ability to the book, illuminating how even the wildest tales can help us in the hardest times. Recommended for ages 10 and up. 

Release date: September 21, 2021
$19.99
Buy it!

Vampenguin

Simon & Schuster

On a Saturday morning, baby Dracula visits the zoo with his family, where baby Penguin lives with hers. But these intrepid young adventurers are not content with staying in their proper places. Baby Dracula slips into the Penguin House to spend the day eating, swimming, and hanging around, while baby Penguin waddles into the stroller to explore the rest of the zoo. Dracula’s family doesn’t even notice the switch—will they bring the right baby home? 


Release date July 2021
$17.99
Buy it!

Pony

Brooklyn Book Festival

Author of the smash hit Wonder R. J. Palacio's latest is Pony, a coming-of-age adventure that explores what it means to be courageous. After a harrowing night, a boy sets out on a quest to rescue his father, with only a ghost as his companion and a mysterious pony as his guide. 

Release date September 28, 2021
$17.99
Buy it!

Frankie & Bug

Aladdin Paperbacks

Set in the summer of 1987, this coming-of-age story is the debut middle-grade novel from best-selling author Gayle Forman. Bug's looking for someone to hang out with, but mom's busy and her brother is down on the boardwalk with his friends. The only one around is her neighbor's nephew Frankie, and she's less than thrilled. Over the course of the season, two become friends, helping each other learn about family, friendship, allyship, and finding your way in a complicated world. (P.S. the audio book is narrated by Stockard Channing!)

Release date: Oct. 12, 2021
$17.99
Buy it!

The Grandmaster's Daughter

Harper Collins

For the kids who spend a lot of time at the dojo (or watching Cobra Kai), check out this story of imagination and determination from Dan-ah Kim. A picture book featuring a young, female black belt, The Grandmaster’s Daughter is a celebration of teamwork and friendship for fans of The Three Ninja Pigs and Hello, Ninja.

Release date November 9, 2021 
$18.99
Buy it!

Have You Seen Gordon?

Simon & Schuster

The narrator wants to play hide and seek with Gordon and the reader, but kooky Gordon just wants to stand out. This madcap, fourth-wall–breaking picture book from writer Adam Jay Epstein and illustrator Ruth Chan is packed with humor and full, zany spreads with details kids will love to point out time and again. Recommended for kids ages four to eight. 

Note: Chan will be participating in the Brooklyn Book Festival's popular illustrator draw-off event, which is always a good time!

Release date September 28, 2021
$17.99 
Buy it!

Looking for A Jumbie

Harper Collins

Do you believe in jumbies? Naya does, and she sets out to go find one. In this picture book for kids ages four to eight, New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste takes readers on a fun, creepy romp through a forest filled with creatures from Caribbean folklore. Amber Ren provides illustrations. 

Release date September 9, 2021
$17.99
Buy it!

— Mimi O’Connor

Where to Find Family Fun for Fall 2021

Top Seeds: The Best Apple Picking Near NYC

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Praise the Gourd: Where to Go Pumpkin Picking Near NYC

 

Raise your hand if you’re ready for spring! In celebration of all things pastel and pretty, Starbucks just dropped their newest lineup of tumblers, cups and mugs and they’re beyond fit for the impending warm weather.

In addition to the 50th Anniversary Copper Tumblers that are a collector’s dream, the coffee purveyor shared the newest collection of reusable cups that are all about spring. The six-pack comes in blue, pink, purple, coral, mint and dark blue with Easter-inspired prints.

We spied the set at our local Starbucks inside Target for a cool $14.95. Each set comes with fun designs that include Easter eggs, florals, bunnies and more designs to get you excited for winter to be over.

The variety packs include six 16-ounce cups with lids and is dishwasher safe. You can find them at Starbucks, Starbucks inside Target and even on the Starbucks app when you place your order (if your local store carries them).

––Karly Wood

All photos: Red Tricycle

 

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What says “spring time” better than chocolate and lemon? In honor of the impending warmer weather, Dove is launching a special edition of its’ silky smooth chocolate just in time for Easter.

Dove Promises White Chocolate & Lemon Meringue chocolates are the perfect combination of tangy and sweet. Each 6.3 ounce bag coms with 24 chocolates in adorable lemon-themed wrappers.

photo: Target

Can Dove truly pull off the luxurious feel of meringue in this sweet new treat? Only a taste test will tell.

You can find Dove Promises White Chocolate & Lemon Meringue at your fave stores like Target and Walmart during the season for $3.99 a bag.

––Karly Wood

 

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I am an ‘All Things Summer’ kinda gal. I love the beach, endless sunshine, and all sorts of summer shenanigans. For me, there’s nothing a pair of flip flops and a salt-rimmed margarita can’t solve. 

So, when those summer mornings start to get chilly and the sun starts setting earlier, I start to mourn the end of my favorite season. My heart is always very heavy on August 32nd. I have a hard time enjoying autumn’s beauty because all I see is an impending Polar Vortex looming around the corner. WINTER IS COMING!!! I’m fairly confident this will be the winter Jon Snow was warning us about!

A dear friend of mine, one with ‘All Things Winter’ as part of her genetic makeup, sent me a podcast discussing the hygee lifest‌yle. If you haven’t heard of this, hygge is a Danish word that doesn’t have an exact translation into the English language but is more of a feeling of coziness and togetherness. It’s probably better described as a feeling of gratitude, appreciation, and enjoyment of the moments. And here’s where I experienced my AH-HA moment! As a parent coach, it is my job to guide my clients to have a more positive outlook. I help families on a journey to transformational change one small step at a time. Are you seeing the irony here?? My focus has been all wrong and I have been sabotaging myself—okay, winter doesn’t have to be my favorite season, but by all means, I can certainly embrace it and find the good it has to offer. It’s time to take on my personal “Project: Embracing Winter!”

The thing about change is, well, it’s just hard. We’ve all experienced breaking old habits and creating new ones, and it’s downright tough! In order for the change to happen, there has to be a level of awareness, an intentional goal, and motivation to get the ball rolling. And, while we want the change to happen instantly, it’s important to understand that change is more likely to stick with practice, consistency, and a positive outlook. I decided it’s time to take my own advice and learn to change my perspective on winter. 

When I envision how I’d like the next few months to look, all I see is hygge. Allowing myself to slow down and savor the moments—especially the cozy ones! Rather than sulk on the numerous dreary winter days New Jersey seems to offer, I’d like to celebrate the bright, crisp days we do encounter. I’d like to look forward to feeling comfortable while spending time outside in the cold. Ideally, I’d like my family to try new activities outside together…without feeling miserable…and with minimal complaining! In a nutshell, I want to feel like I’m living it up through winter rather than just getting through it. 

After some soul searching, Pinterest surfing, and lots of getting myself mentally psyched, I’m ready to take on “Project: Embracing Winter.” 

1. Reframe is the name of the game! If I’m constantly expecting the worst, the worst is what I will find. Reframing negative thoughts will help me shift my perspective to focus on the good, what’s currently working and the small moments I’m appreciating. BOOM! Automatic gratification! 

2. Inventory the outwear. Time to assess all our winter pieces and order whatever we’re lacking (like super warm socks!) so we can tolerate some extended time in the cold. I’m tossing the idea of dressing to look fashionable, not sure if I ever achieved that anyway! I’m confident we’ll all enjoy the elements more if we are dressed appropriately. There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing, am I right? 

3. ‘Creating cozy’ inside and outside my home. According to Pinterest, you can reinvent any space by adding some blankets (I’m thinking of the heated sort!), pillows, candles, and strands of lights! And, by the way, I’m fairly confident nobody will be in my house for the next few months, so I’m in no rush to take down pretty Christmas lights! 

4. Let’s make a date! My kids always make a summer bucket list, so why not a winter bucket list? We can put an activity on the calendar each week that will include something everyone enjoys (that’s my ‘reduce the complaining’ plan!!). An ideal outing for us could be bundling up, enjoying an easy hike, and sharing some hot cocoa with marshmallows upon our destination. 

5. Let’s get cooking! Finding new recipes that are hearty and comforting that can be enjoyed outside may be a big win this season. Maybe even getting the whole family involved with making dinners like fondue or sushi could be a lot of fun. For outside entertaining, how great would it be to make a s’mores charcuterie board and a hot cocoa station for outside guests!? Yes, please!!

6. Enjoy old favorites in a new way. There are so many activities we enjoy during the summer that could be new winter fun with a twist. I plan to check out some outdoor locations we normally visit during the warmer months like the beach, boardwalk, maybe even an arboretum. With evenings happening earlier in the winter, occasional sunset walks before dinner could be enjoyable. If it’s mild enough, an outdoor movie night would be a great way to spend an evening with family or friends. 

When challenged to make a change, you can resist it and fight every step of the way, or you can embrace the change and make the most of it. While I may not have control over this situation, I do have control over my attitude, perception, and actions (says my inner control freak). It’s certainly not easy to keep your focus on finding the good, but I’m flipping my perspective and taking small steps to make the most of this winter! And, if those tips don’t make me a convert, at least they will help occupy my time as I countdown the days to the first day of summer.

 

Hi! I'm Rebecca from Real Life Parent Coaching. I use my background as an educator to help parents discover & cultivate their strengths and reach their parenting potential. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two kids. I enjoy exploring, being creative & having fun with my crew!

The pandemic has brought about some unique shopping trends this year, and while sales of toilet paper may have calmed down slightly, Instacart has shared some other trends that continue to thrive.

In a new report, the grocery delivery company has found that Americans are prepping for the winter months by stocking up on pantry, freezer, home supply staples, vitamins, supplements and of course, disinfectants. All in all, the trends are not surprising given the impending flu season and America’s battle with the coronavirus.

photo: Anna Shvets via Pexels

Instacart Insights have demonstrated that people are looking for immune boosting products, with searches for products like “Vitamin D” and “Emergen-C” skyrocketing from 2019. Ironically, searches for over-the-counter medicine has dropped by 35 percent from last year. Instacart credits the likely surge of pandemic stockpiling as the culprit, with many American’s having a well-stocked medicine cabinet and no need for more products.

In a new twist, Pine-Sol sales have increased by 98%, likely due to the EPA approving the product as a COVID-19 disinfectant. So what’s the deal with toilet paper? Instacart reports that TP is once again seeing surge in searches, meaning folks are concerned of a shortage and craving a stockpile again.

And finally, searches for products like chicken broth, frozen veggies, oatmeal, juice, and crackers are trending upwards as we head into colder months. Are these indicators of a fear as we settle into the pandemic even further, or just preparation for chilly nights and flu season? We’ll have to wait and see!

––Karly Wood

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Father’s Day.

I became a single parent to three grown children after my wife of 26 years died of ovarian cancer. When Father’s Day looms near, I am hyperconscious of that fact more than, say, on a random Thursday. Hallmark made sure of that.

I am three years into my solo journey now and this recent stretch of time has highlighted the joys and the challenges of parenting for all of us. Confronting the issues of living through a global pandemic and reflecting about all things systemic is just plain “ick.” How do we Dads talk to our kids about these issues while holding emotional space for them and being the steady source of calm?

Amy and I had countless conversations about parenting in her final weeks. It is one of the gifts I feel I received from having the time to be with her at the end stage of her life. Not everyone is as fortunate—if the loss is sudden and unexpected, for example. This pandemic has highlighted how lucky I was to be with my wife up until her last breath, as so many can’t even be in the same room with their loved ones who have perished from COVID related symptoms. COVID: “Coronavirus disease” has put a huge void in all of our lives.

In those super-intimate moments, I would ask Amy how I could be the best parent possible in her absence. How could I handle the milestones and the spaces in between? Amy would think about it long and hard and then say with confidence, “You are an amazing dad. You have such a special relationship with each one of the kids. You don’t need to think too hard about it.  They love and respect you.” She emphasized that I “could do it.” Honestly, I am unsure if I could have without her clear affirmation that we all would be okay.

Parenting kids of any age is often challenging in the best of times. During a global pandemic, that skill is surely tested. It is through that lens that I am practicing gratitude for what I have during this crisis. After living alone for the past year in the Chicago house where Amy and I raised our three children, two of them have returned from Manhattan to quarantine with me. We are all working from this home full of memories and love. The same place where their Mom died in-home hospice.

Having children in their 20’s has permitted me to experience and value my relationship with them in new ways. Intense conversations about how Sweden and Australia have handled the virus, questions about leadership in the face of some very tough decisions in our state and in our country and awareness of being respectful to others by sheltering in place and wearing masks. Of course, we have talked about loss and grief, a shared story in this time, from our unique experience with these topics. But not everything has to be intense all the time, right. We recorded a TikTok dance, our first and only.

As dudes, we sometimes just don’t get certain aspects of parenting. That is not meant to be a sexist statement. I feel as if I was incredibly involved and competent at a lot of child-rearing issues. But there’s something special, even irreplaceable, about a mother-child relationship. Period. My fears at the time my wife died included impending college graduations. I was destroyed, imagining trying to plan the right celebrations, and counsel and guide our kids through career decisions and job searches. How could I navigate them alone? Neither of us contemplated the sequential bombshells that have faced us as a family and as a nation in the past several months.

The unspeakable way George Floyd died shifted most people’s vision of the world we live in as if we all woke up the next morning having suddenly undergone Lasik surgery. As a privileged white father living in America today, talking to one’s children about systemic racism is no easy task, regardless of the kids’ ages. Recent events have exposed that millennials, often considered lazy, possessing a sense of entitlement and dependence upon their parents for too long, are quite the opposite. As leaders of the peaceful protests around the world, these young people—as well as those incredibly thoughtful and intelligent 20 somethings living in my house with me—have truly given me hope for the future. One thing has been exposed to me during this very difficult time; the reshuffling of the traditional roles of parent and child. I am clearly now a teacher and a student.

Amy always knew what to say, when to hug, when to give space, when to be firm, and when to simply love like only a mother can. Fellas, we too have that emotional capacity. Yes, a mother/child relationship is unique and irreplaceable. But so is a father/child relationship, if you give it the best you’ve got and don’t leave the “emotional intimacy” part to the mom because you assume women are better at it.

Despite the fact that being a Dad in 2020 has included the pain of loss that came with a pandemic and the difficulty of exploring how racism became systemic, let’s remember everything that makes our role as a father unqualified magic. As Amy reminded us, we must “always trust magic.”

 

Jason Rosenthal is the subject of an essay written by his late wife, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, called You May Want to Marry My Husband that went viral and was read by millions of readers. Jason now speaks publicly and writes about  issues related to processing grief and finding joy in the midst of pain.

It’s that time of year again: Daylight Saving. On Sunday, we will set our clocks forward one hour and a new study from Carter’s has revealed findings on just how parents feel about the time change.

Not surprising, the study found that 37 percent of parents dread Daylight Saving, with more than 25 percent saying that they would “rather take a long car trip or flight with their children than deal with the time change.” Keep reading to see what else the study discovered.

photo: iStock

Carter’s study discovered that more than half of the parents surveyed agree that they are more affected by the time change than before they had kids, and 47 percent of those with babies six to eleven months old actually dread the impending time of year.

Forty four percent of parents describe their kiddos as “cranky” because of Daylight Saving and almost half of moms surveyed said they feel grouchy. Moms also shared they feel like they need to drink more coffee to get by, have lost a handle on bedtime, have “mom-nesia” and have general feelings of zombiness.

A last finding revealed that 48 percent of parents would love a “magic recipe” to help handle Daylight Saving if they could. Are any of these findings really a surprise to parents who’ve been there, done that? Probably not, but they do remind us that we aren’t alone.

––Karly Wood

 

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Students at Lander Elementary School in Mayfield Heights, Ohio got the surprise of the school year this week. And it all started with a tweet from principal Felecia Evans!

Following an absolutely adorable performance of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” during a student talent show, the elementary school principal tweeted a clip of the cute kiddos—tagging the song’s star.

Lil Nas X saw the tweet and the video, answering back, “when they want a free show.” Evans replied to the tweet with a direct message and the rest is history. Not only was the principal able to keep the exchange (and impending performance) a secret from her students and teachers, but she also shielded Lil Nas X’s planned visit from the media.

Evans told BuzzFeed News, “The day before, the media had contacted me and I said, ‘Unfortunately, we’re not going to make it work.” of course, this was far from true. During an end of the year magic show the principal announced she had one more magic trick for her students—Lil Nas X!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Lil Nas X via Instagram 

 

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She’s an actress and new mama, and now Hilary Duff is something else: engaged! The actress recently announced her engagement to beau Matthew Koma on Instagram and the couple is all smiles.

The absolutely adorable post of the pair reads, “He asked me to be his wife” and features a sweet smooch in internet-artistic black and white. Along with the cute couple moments, Duff also shows off her new engagement ring.

Duff and Koma started dating back in 2017. Rumors swirled of a breakup months after the relationship started. But, obviously, the pair got back together—and it looks like for good!

The actress announced her impending baby joy in June 2018 and gave birth to a daughter, Banks Violet, on Oct. 25. Even though the pair haven’t shared details on their upcoming nuptials yet, we wish them all the best. Congrats to the new-ish parents on their wedding news!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Hilary Duff via Instagram 

 

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