Today the nation is marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11. If you’d like to talk to your child about the attack, you can use our All About September 11 feature as a jumping off point. There are also new children’s books available that you might find helpful to read together. In our latest issue, we recommend a book about the brave first responders, a picture book about a special American flag, and another about honoring the people on Flight 93. —Mindy Walker, Executive Editor

An Ohio construction crew has a new member—a kitten named Komatsu. The cat went viral after a worker rescued her from the engine of a Komatsu brand excavator. The company responded by sending her a tiny vest and hard hat. “This is the cutest cat I’ve ever seen,” said her rescuer. If you have a pet, do you think they would enjoy being part of a construction crew? 

Instead of bread, Chick-fil-A is using maple-flavored waffles for its new sandwich. The Chicken & Waffles Sandwich is stuffed with chicken, bacon, and a honey butter spread. What kind of sandwich would you create using waffles? 

As the school year begins, a nonprofit in North Carolina donated $2 million for classroom supplies for 2,466 teachers. Each year, teachers in the state usually spend about $1,632 of their own money on pencils, rulers, and decor. Have you donated any supplies to your classroom this year?

Does your child love creating imaginative stories? If so, they can enter the Spooky Stories Writing Contest, sponsored by Abrams, the publisher of best-selling Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney. The grand prize winner will have their story published in a future issue of The Week Junior and get to meet Kinney. Submissions will be judged by Kinney and The Week Junior’s editorial director, Andrea Barbalich. The deadline to enter is September 14. Find out how to apply and more at spooky.abrams.link. 

“Unschooled, by Allan Woodrow, is about fifth graders George and Lilly who are best friends and have been looking forward to Spirit Week all year. But they were divided into two different teams—Team Red and Team Blue. The week begins with Lilly accidentally spilling her breakfast on George. Then there are sabotaged costumes, slimed lockers, and class pets held hostage. If Principal Klein finds out, Spirit Week will be canceled. Can George and Lilly get the kids to stop doing pranks, or will this Spirit Week be the worst ever?”  —Eva, 11, Virginia

“A big part of growing up is trying on different identities for yourself the same way you try on hats, and those hats aren’t always going to suit you. I hope kids learn that you can always find your way back to yourself, even if you get a little lost.” —Award-winning children’s book author Beth Lincoln, whose new book The Swifts: A Garden of Vipers will be released on September 22

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