Table Talk: Going Back To School

This week's Family Dinner Table Talk, from HuffPost and The Family Dinner book:

It may seem like summer vacation only just started, but in some parts of the country, students are already going back to school.

While there are plenty of exciting things about starting a new school year -- like buying fresh school supplies, meeting a new set of classmates and starting classes in subjects you've never tried before -- it's OK to be a little disappointed that vacation's almost over. Tonight, let's talk about the highlights of our time off (and what we still have planned) -- as well as our hopes and expectations for the coming year.

Questions for discussion:

• What's the most exciting thing you did (or are still planning to do) this summer?
• What's one thing you're looking forward to about the new school year?
• What's one thing you're nervous about?

In her cookbook, The Family Dinner, Laurie David talks about the importance of families making a ritual of sitting down to dinner together, and how family dinners offer a great opportunity for meaningful discussions about the day's news. "Dinner," she says, "is as much about digestible conversation as it is about delicious food."

We couldn't agree more. So HuffPost has joined with Laurie and every Friday afternoon, just in time for dinner, our editors highlight one of the most compelling news stories of the week -- stories that will spark a lively discussion among the whole family.