An English instructor from Eastern Illinois University is a Winnie-the-Pooh scholar, and he will be delivering a lecture on the character at Illinois State University.

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. 

All this week we spoke with librarians, authors and bookstore owners from around the state to share summer book recommendations. Here's our full list of those recommendations categorized under fiction, non-fiction and children's/young adult books.

On The 21st: "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," "I, Tonya" and "The Shape of Water." Do you know the movies you’re going to watch this film season? Plus, book suggestions for the holidays. 

On the 21st: We speak with NYU professor and media critic Jay Rosen about the role of reality, facts, and the American press in 2017. We also meet the Urbana author of a new nonfiction book about the racehorse named Alexandra.