Author: Lisa Mungovan

A 5th-grader in Texas named Orion Jean, has a huge challenge ahead of him. He wants to donate 100,000 meals to people in need, before Thanksgiving! Orion is leading the “Race to Kindness,” by asking people to donate packed meals, and a positive message, to drop-off points in Texas and Oklahoma. He’s already gathered 4000 meals!

Bats can carry lots of viruses, which gives them a bad reputation. But they also eat mosquitoes and other pesky bugs, and they’re important pollinators, like bees. They’re also considerate of other bats in their colony. When a bat gets sick, it practices social distancing, so it doesn’t pass the disease to everyone else.

Halloween season is a fun time to try out spooky treats. Maybe you’d like feetloaf. It’s made like meatloaf, but shaped like feet, with onion toenails. How about caramel onions? They look like caramel apples, to trick your family! Trick-or-treat cupcakes can be filled with a chocolate, salsa, jelly, or mustard surprise!

Today is Make A Difference Day. You could do something helpful for your family, or useful in your community. You could participate in marches to make major changes in the country, or give a smile to someone who looks sad. No matter how big or small your actions are, you can make a difference.

Chocolate lovers, today is your lucky day. It’s Chocolate Day! People have been eating chocolate, made from the seeds of cacao trees, for 4000 years or more. Be sure to watch some cartoons while you enjoy your chocolate, because it’s also Animation Day. Create your own stop-motion video or flip-book animation!

Do you freak out when bees come near you? Stay calm, and they’ll probably buzz off, unless you’re dumping buckets of bees on your head! Ruan Lingming is a Chinese daredevil, who earned a world record for heaviest mantle of bees. He managed to get over 140 pounds of bees, to stay on his body!

California’s Highway 1-O-1, separates the Santa Monica Mountains from the Palo Comado Canyon. To help animals get across it safely, Los Angeles is building a large wildlife overpass. The bridge of land, will be covered in trees and bushes, so that large animals like mountain lions, can stay hidden as they cross the road.

2 small dinosaurs discovered a few years ago, had bat-like wings. But penguins and ostriches could tell you, that doesn’t mean they could fly! After studying the Yi qi and the Ambopteryx longibrachium, dinosaurs that lived 160,000,000 years ago, paleontologists believe they would’ve been horrible at flying, or even gliding. They just hung out in trees.

For over 10 years, scientists have suspected there was water on the Moon. They’ve finally confirmed it, using a special telescope. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, was able to detect wavelengths that are specific to H2O. Now they have to pinpoint the location. Craters lying in permanent shadows, might hold icy lakes!

Today is Black Cat Day. They’re always dressed for Halloween! Black cats have a harder time getting adopted, so consider giving one a home with you! It’s also Cranky Co-Workers Day. Bring them a treat to make them less irritable. If you’re the one who’s always cranky, let everyone know it’s your special day!