We all know that the nutrients we eat affect our physical health, but what about our mental health? We talk about the connection between the gut and the brain. And, fewer students are learning cursive in elementary and middle school. And some educators worry that this could spell trouble for preserving the billions of handwritten documents in our national archives. Plus, we’re wrapping up our series of summer book recommendations with some of our favorites for kids and young adults. 

Food industry groups want to change the “sell by” and “use by” dates on products in order to cut down on food waste. Today, how to know when something is really expired, and how we can reduce food waste in our own kitchens. Plus, we’ll continue our weeklong series on summer reading. Today we’ll hear about nonfiction from librarians from across the state. And if you’re trying to learn a new language, you should do it as early as possible. That’s part of the reason more daycares and early childhood centers are teaching kids in more than one language. 

On the 21st: We heard members of the Illinois delegation from the floor at the Democratic National Convention. We also received recommendations for political books to add to your summer reading list and talked about Lollapalooza with Chicago musician Evan Weiss from the band "Into It. Over It."

Check out the list of suggested summer books by Champaign librarian Nanette Donahue and magazine writer Carol Felsenthal.

List of Suggested Summer Reading by science communicator Joanne Manaster and Chicago-based science fiction writer Marcus Sakey.