The opening of a locally owned shop of any kind is cause for celebration, especially when so many NYC stores are shutting their doors. But for lit lovers, the arrival of a new indie bookstore feels like a national holiday. That’s why we’re thrilled to hear that eagerly awaited Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene opens to the public this Saturday, October 24. Come by at 10am for storytime with Michelle Knudsen, author of the adorable (and bestselling) picture book Library Lion. There will be book-related goodies and prizes for the kids (and a champagne toast for grownups who return to the store at 7pm), but we think the real treat is the fact that city bibliophiles of all ages have a new haven, just in time for curl-up-with-a-good-book season.

Today, bring the brood to Cobble Hill Cinemas for a cinematic introduction to classical music with a screening of Beethoven Lives Upstairs. The live action flick follows a little boy who learns to love classical by listening to his upstairs neighbor, the great Ludwig Van Beethoven, play.

Although the star-studded reading of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are is our official event pick of the day, if you’re free this morning and in the Times Square area, you should check out the Wintuk Sneak Peek and Hula Hoop Contest (whether or not you have the kids with you!) The Cirque du Soleil extravaganza is gearing up for its annual holiday run, so the over-the-top promotion has to start. Today’s offering includes a performance by spin-master Elena Lev, followed by a free hula-hoop workshop. Rumor is there will also be prizes for the participants, so start shaking your hips!

You may have heard a rumor that Time Out Kids is following in the steps of our weekly sister mag and doing a “Sex Issue.”  Well, yes and no.

Our November guide to at-home sex education will be visually tasteful—even cute!—so there’s no need to hide it from the fam. However, we will tackle some explicit topics that you won’t find in the national parenting publications (as you may have noticed, they target a largely conservative readership).

Why are we doing it? In August, the United Nations announced it’s working on guidelines for schools worldwide, suggesting that sexuality curricula begin at age 5. And yet sex ed isn’t part of the required coursework in NYC public schools. It baffles us that one of the most culturally enlightened cities in the world would have no standardized sex ed.

So we asked ourselves, how do progressive city parents talk with their kids about sex? We want our children to be smart, sensitive and satisfied—in every way. But where do we start? And when? Is there anything parents shouldn’t talk about with little ones?

We went to the top experts in the fields of child development and sex education, and learned there’s a whole movement afoot: sex-positive sex ed. The gist is that parents should create a foundation of positive feelings about sexuality at a very young age—that our bodies are lovely and amazing, that there are many kinds of families: two mommies or two daddies, a mixed set or single parents. (The bummer caveats about pregnancy and STDs and hook-ups who don’t call back are important, but they can wait a little longer.)

We just put the issue to bed on Friday, so I can give you a peek at what we’ll be covering:

• The Big Talk: What to say, and when, from birth (seriously) to age 12

This is where you’ll find all you need to know about awkward subjects like toddler masturbation, playing doctor on playdates and what not to tell your kids.

• Is my kid gay? A very New York story of boy princesses and butch little girls.

• Parents’ roundtable discussion

We invited six city parents into our office to chat about what’s normal, what freaks them out and how not to mess up your kids (at least when it comes to sex).

You’ll want to devour this issue right away, so stay tuned for more info on exactly when it’ll be reaching newsstands and mailboxes.

The folks at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum really know how to party. If you’ve ever attended one of their shindigs, you know what I’m talking about. So it’s not surprising that their Halloween happenings are scarily good. Today BCM kicks off the Monster Mash Festival, a three-week long celebration of the sweetest holiday. In a tasty tie-in, chocolate milk is co-sponsoring the bash. In addition to taking a peek at all the fearsome fun the institution has on tap this October, kids will be invited to try out chocolate milk recipes and answer trivia questions posted by @MilkMustache on Twitter for a chance to win prizes. Don’t forget to come in costume!

If your kid’s ever wanted to meet Mary Poppins herself, today’s her chance to do it! Diva-turned-writer Julia Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, will be reading from their latest book Julie Andrews’ Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble at 5:30pm today. A few rules, of course (the world’s most beloved nanny can’t make it to easy on you!): Wristbands will be given out starting at 9am, and you must buy a copy of the  book in order to obtain one. And leave those vintage Playbills at home: The former Broadway star won’t be signing any memorabilia. If you adhere to these directions, you’re sure to have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious time!

While the weather won’t feel like summer the way it did yesterday, the temperature is still mild, so the last thing kids (and parents!) want to do is run home after school. So don’t! The venerable Chelsea dance center Joyce Theater is holding a preview of its fall lineup in Bryant Park this evening starting at 6pm. Six troupes will perform during the free 90-minute program, including Ballet Hispanico Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet and Parsons Dance and Rioult. It’s a great way to expose the kids to some complimentary culture…and continue to enjoy the great outdoors.