Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 153 i The Week Junior US

On March 14, 10 high school seniors in the US were awarded top prizes in a distinguished competition called the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS). What is the competition? STS is the nation’s oldest and most prestigious youth STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) competition. It was launched in 1942 by a nonprofit organization now called the Society for Science, in partnership with Westinghouse Electric Corporation. In 1998, the technology company Intel began overseeing the competition, and in 2017, the drug company Regeneron took over. Each year, Regeneron awards $3.1 million in prizes to students and their schools. Past winners have gone on to create new companies, lead government agencies, invent medical treatments, and win awards, including 13 Nobel Prizes. What happened this year? Out of 1,929 students who applied…

A MUSIC MILESTONE A report found that in 2022, vinyl records outsold compact discs (CDs) for the first time since 1987. People bought 41 million records and 33 million CDs. Artists like Taylor Swift and Adele helped drive the trend by releasing records on vinyl. A SWEET RETURN After a four-year break, Ben & Jerry’s annual Free Cone Day returns on April 3, when people can score a scoop at the company’s shops around the world. The tradition began in 1979 as a way to thank customers. “We love you too, and Free Cone Day is our favorite way to show it!” Ben & Jerry’s said. DELIVERING THE DOUGH Maggie Mahoney, age 8, collected 10,189 cans of Play-Doh for Blank Children’s Hospital in Iowa, where her sister Riley was treated…

Spain Girls admitted to boys’ choir One of the oldest boys’ choirs in Europe will admit girls and women as members for the first time in more than 700 years. The Escolania choir is from the Santa Maria de Montserrat abbey (a place where monks or nuns live) in Catalonia, Spain. Its members, ages 9 to 14 years, perform every day of the year. A new mixed chamber choir of girls, women, and boys from ages 17 to 24 will perform one weekend a month while the boys’ choir rests. Nairobi, Kenya Protests against president A university student was killed and more than 200 people were arrested in nationwide protests against Kenya’s president, William Ruto. The demonstrations were led by Raila Odinga, who has tried to become Kenya’s president five…

About five hours north of Las Vegas, this state park on the Shoshone Mountain range has one of the country’s largest collections of ichthyosaur fossils. Ichthyosaurs, large aquatic reptiles similar to porpoises, lived there about 225 million years ago, when the region was an ocean. Today, the desert landscape is home to plants such as the Utah juniper and big sagebrush and animals including whiptail lizards, western bluebirds, pronghorns, and mule deer. The park also offers access to the American Discovery Trail, a 6,800-mile trail across the US.…

These “clowns” are some of the most striking fish in the sea. They live among tentacled plants called sea anemones, which provide them with protection and food. In return, the fish clean and help to nourish the anemones. ● LIFE SPAN: 8 years in the wild, 12 in captivity ● HABITAT: Reefs and lagoons ● SIZE: A little over 3 inches long on average ● DIET: Includes algae and zooplankton ● FUN FACT: All clownfish are born as males, but some later become females.…

Just as two people don’t always find the same things funny, scientists have had different theories about why people laugh. According to a recent study, laughter may have helped keep humans safe for thousands of years .Carlo Valerio Bellieni, a researcher at the University of Siena in Italy, reviewed more than 150 studies about humor and laughter over the past 10 years. By combining their results, he concluded that laughter is typically a three-step process. First, there’s a surprising or unusual situation that makes someone confused or scared. Second, they realize the situation is harmless. Finally, laughing lets others know there’s nothing to worry about. Bellieni uses the example of Homer Simpson, a cartoon character from the animated show The Simpsons. When Homer falls off a roof, it seems like…

The USC Fisher Museum of Art in Los Angeles, California, has a new art exhibition by Indonesian artist Mulyana (he uses one name) that combines the crafts of crocheting and knitting with a message about protecting the environment. Mulyana: Modular Utopia is on display through April 13. Modular Utopia has three sections and is filled with crocheted and knitted pieces that make up an underwater world. The area titled Ocean Wonderland includes 5,000 yellow and orange felt fish hanging above a colorful reef. Elsewhere in the exhibition, however, coral and other sea life are made of only gray or white string to represent the effects of polluted water. Mulyana first noticed gray coral during a snorkeling trip in Indonesia. “It was very scary,” he told The Los Angeles Times. Taking…

YouTube has more than 51 million channels on a wide range of topics. If you’re looking for videos to make you smile, these three channels are good places to start. HiHo Kids (youtube.com/@hihokids) HiHo Kids wants to foster curiosity—which can lead to entertaining results. In their “Kids Try” videos, participants taste foods such as onion juice or celebrities’ favorite meals. In the “Don’t You Dare” series, they try to sit still or not laugh while being distracted. The “Kids Meet” videos are educational, but seeing participants grossed out by critters or creeped out by a contortionist (person with a flexible body) in a suitcase will make you giggle. Dude Perfect (youtube.com/@dudeperfect) This channel’s stars are a group of men who compete in wacky challenges. In Oreo Roulette, for example, each…

Were you in school plays? Yes! I liked playing funny characters the most, even if the parts were smaller. What makes you laugh? Physical humor—the style in which comedians use their bodies as part of the act—cracks me up. How did you start writing? While working in comedy, I was trying to be cast in something. When I got a role in a commercial, all I did was walk back and forth. That’s when I decided I wanted to try another creative outlet. Any advice on telling jokes? It’s your take on the world that makes what you say funny. Is there someone who has inspired your writing? Yes, James Patterson, my co-author. He once told me: “Always write as if nobody has to or wants to read anything that you’ve…

How did you get such a cool job? I worked hard, but I also had a lot of fun. If kids think they want to have a job like mine someday, the best thing they can do is read, write, and draw. And share your work! Ask for feedback from your friends and family, and use it to make your work even better. If you could be any comic book character, who would it be? I’d like to be myself but able to spend time in some of my favorite comic worlds. Like the one in Jarod Roselló’s two Red Panda and Moon Bear graphic novels or the one in Aron Nels Steinke’s Mr. Wolf’s Class series. Where do you get inspiration for your ideas? Reading is a big one…

For this week’s humor issue, Drew Barrymore, host and executive producer of The Drew Barrymore Show, edited this “That’s Unbelievable!” page. On her show, Drew likes to highlight many types of news stories, and she particularly likes stories that spread joy and humor. “I love learning new things, and if they are surprising, that’s even more of a thrill!” she said. Here are the four stories she thought were unbelievably fun.…

“I like Garfield because his antics make me laugh.” Rohan, 11, California “What happened when the FBI agent went to sleep? He went undercover.” Daniel, 9, New Jersey “What do stair lawyers deal with? Answer: staircases.” Grace, 8, Texas “Interviewer: What is your profession? Me: I’m a zombie hunter. Interviewer: But zombies don’t exist. Me: What do you think happened to them? Interviewer: (mind blown)” Henry, 10, Tennessee “My family and I listen to Diary of a Wimpy Kid audiobooks on long car rides. They always make us laugh!” Vincent, 12, Arizona “My brother and I think science comics are funny because the jokes are ‘punny.’ Get it? I am holding a picture of my favorite page from a science comic called The Brain.” David, 10 (right), and Michael, 10,…

Protesters filled the streets across France after President Emmanuel Macron raised the nation’s retirement age from 62 to 64. On March 16, Macron used a special constitutional power to push through the change without a vote by parliament (similar to Congress). The retirement age is the age at which someone can stop working and become eligible to receive money from government pension plans. Workers contribute to these funds throughout their lives with money from their paychecks. Macron argues that unless people contribute two additional years of payments, the fund will run out of money. Citizens are angry that they will have to work two years longer and have been demonstrating against the changes since January. Many government officials are unhappy that Macron used his power to push through the change.…

President Joe Biden’s administration has approved a controversial oil drilling project, known as the Willow project, in Alaska. Energy industry officials support it, while others say the project would harm the environment. What is the project? The Willow project, proposed by the oil company ConcocoPhillips in 2020, would extract up to 600 million barrels of oil over 30 years from an additional part of the National Petroleum Reserve. This is an area in the north of Alaska owned by the federal government. After conducting an environmental analysis, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM, US agency that protects land) recommended scaling back from five to three drill sites and building fewer roads and airstrips. Administration officials said the project could move ahead if the BLM’s recommendations were made. Why do some…

With so many options to choose from, picking a book, show, or film to enjoy can be a difficult decision. When it’s time to select something to watch or read, some people decide on a fun comedy, while others go for a captivating drama. Those who like comedies usually enjoy them because they offer goofy gags, funny jokes, and amusing situations. They provide relief from the more serious aspects of life—something everyone needs from time to time. Dramas have a lot going for them, too, including interesting stories, compelling characters, and emotional themes. What do you think? Is comedy better than drama? Yes—laughter is the best medicine Everyone loves to laugh. And studies show that laughter can reduce stress, relieve pain, and improve the immune system. Funny stories make the…

Octopuses are experts at using their flexible arms, which are covered with suckers on one side. Experts at the University of Chicago have discovered that octopus arms are connected in a unique pattern. An octopus has one central brain. But in each of its eight arms, it also has a sort of mini-brain: a group of four intramuscular nerve cords (INCs) that contain neurons (cells that carry information throughout the brain and nervous system). These cords transmit messages down the arm, such as telling muscles when to move. When the researchers looked at young octopuses with a powerful microscope, they discovered that the INCs closest to the suckers did not end in one individual arm. They stretched through the octopus’s body and into another arm on the other side. The…

“How do owls turn their heads all the way around?” Josh, 8, South Carolina Maggie Lubarski Zoo keeper, Potawatomi Zoo An owl can’t fully turn its head 360 degrees, but it can get to 270 degrees. In the owl’s neck, an artery (blood vessel) to the brain passes through big holes in the vertebrae (bones of the spine). The extra room allows the artery to be flexible, so blood can still flow as the head rotates. Do you have a question for a zookeeper? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about Oregon Zoo at potawatomizoo.org.…

Dogs may soon be able to “text” their owners when they want to go outside or play, thanks to the FluentPet Connect. With the system, pet owners record themselves saying words like “outside” or “water,” then program buttons to play recordings of the words. Dogs are then taught to press a specific button with their nose or paw to play a recording. The device sends a message to the FluentPet mobile app, alerting the owner. The company said most dogs can learn two buttons within a month and an average of nine words total.…

For the third consecutive year, Virginia clinched the team title at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Division 1 Championship, held in Knoxville, Tennessee, from March 15–18. With a total of 541.5 points, Virginia dominated the other teams. Texas scored a total of 414.5 points to take second, and Stanford finished third with 333 points. Louisville, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina rounded out the top 10. Kate Douglass led Virginia with three individual wins, touching the wall first in the 200-yard individual medley (IM), 100-yard-butterfly, and 200-yard breaststroke. In all three events, she broke the NCAA, American, and US Open records. She became the first woman ever to swim the 200-yard IM under 1:50 with a time of 1:48.37. Virginia won all five relay…

On March 19, actor, comedian, and writer Adam Sandler received the 2023 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at a ceremony held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. The prestigious award pays tribute to a person’s lifetime of achievements in comedy. The Mark Twain Prize has been awarded since 1998. Previous winners include actors Will Ferrell (Elf) and Tina Fey (Mean Girls, Soul). It is named after Mark Twain (1835–1910), who was a humorist (comedy writer), journalist, and novelist. Born Samuel Clemens, Twain wrote the famous novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), stories about boys growing up in the American South. Twain’s other writing famously used satire, a style that conveys opinions through humor. His…

Summer Camp Island (cartoonnetwork.com) “This is my favorite show. It was created in 2018 by Julia Pott. It is about Oscar, a lovable, huggable elephant who goes on funny misadventures with his best friend, Hedgehog. When they go to their first summer camp, they soon find out that it is not a normal camp. On Summer Camp Island, anything is possible. The moon is alive! The camp counselors are witches! A favorite pair of pajamas can talk! The first couple of episodes are a little strange, but you quickly get used to the quirkiness. This show is destined to make you laugh, and even your parents will love it.” Eddie, 10, Washington Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other kids? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

(Jimmy Patterson) It’s 1991, and Jacky is planning to spend her summer running a game booth at a beach town in New Jersey. But her life changes when a famous Broadway actress offers to pay for her to attend a sleepaway camp for kids interested in theater. At Camp Footlights, Jacky worries she won’t be as talented as the other campers. Her roommate is kind, but a harsh director and a diva camper aren’t. After a call from her sister, Jacky stops comparing herself to the other campers. She focuses on her biggest talent: being funny. Will it be enough to earn her a place in the camp showcase? This book is filled with one-liners and jokes that will make you giggle. It’s the third title in the Jacky Ha-Ha…

You’re Joking Me: Jokes for Kids by a Kid By William Daniel (Revell) Written by a sixth-grader, this book contains more than 400 puns, riddles, knock-knock jokes, and other zingers. The wordplay is especially funny. Here’s a wordplay joke to tell your friends: “What piece of cloth is the sleepiest? A napkin!” Ages 8 and up The Big Book of Belly Laugh Jokes, Riddles, and Puns for Kids By Sky Pony editors, illustrated by Bethany Straker (Sky Pony) In this illustrated book, you’ll get 700 new and classic jokes on topics ranging from food to animals to sports. You might like telling this joke: “What do you call cheese that doesn’t belong to you? Nacho cheese!” Ages 8 and up Laugh-Out-Loud: The Big Book of Knock-Knock Jokes By Rob Elliott…

Use the space below to create your own comic to send to us at The Week Junior (see instructions at bottom of form). If you use pencil, be sure to go over your finished work with ink or marker. Your comic may be published in an upcoming issue! To share this form with us, ask an adult to email it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Extra forms can be found at kids.theweekjunior.com/activities. We may publish some submissions in future issues. (By submitting this form, you give The Week Junior consent to print it in the magazine and online. Please get your parent/guardian’s permission before sending anything to us.)…

Ben Hooper is a reporter for United Press International (UPI) who covers odd news, such as bears taking dips in swimming pools. He spoke to The Week Junior about what it’s like to report on the strange and often hilarious stories going on around the world. How did you start out in journalism? My mother worked for UPI, and growing up I wanted to be a journalist like her. I started at UPI part-time in college, writing short newswire stories. I ended up doing what we called “the quirks section,” which grew to become what is now called “the odd news section.” What do you love most about your job? Interviewing people who are enthusiastic about bizarre things. Talking to everyday people with unusual passions has become my passion. How…

Animals can laugh too. Their “laughter” may not sound like ours, but scientists have learned that many animals make faces and sounds that serve the same purpose as human laughter. A 2021 study by Sasha Winkler and Greg Bryant from the University of California, Los Angeles, found that at least 65 different species make specific noises when they are playing. Scientists call these sounds play vocalizations or vocal messages. Bottlenose dolphins whistle and squawk while they play, elk squeal, and if rats are tickled, they make a high-pitched trill. “When dogs play, they like to bark, growl, and pant really heavy. Monkeys like to make peeps and whistles, and even birds will chirp in a special way,” Bryant told The Week Junior. “The animals are telling each other they are…

California flowers A superbloom, when a high number of wildflowers bloom at once, has begun in California. Officials are urging visitors to be respectful of the plants. One popular site, Walker Canyon, has closed to the public to protect its golden poppies. Horseshoe crabs Horseshoe crabs, which have lived for more than 475 million years, are on the decline. Researchers say the reasons include habitat loss and humans hunting the crabs for food, fishing bait, and use in medical research.…

April Fools’ Day, a day for fun, pranks, and practical jokes, is the most recognized non-religious holiday in the world. Its humorous history started centuries ago. How it began No one knows the exact origin of April Fools’ Day. However, several theories exist. In the late 1500s, King Charles IX decided to move his country, France, from the Julian calendar, which started the new year around April 1, to the Gregorian calendar, which started the year on January 1. News spread through the country slowly, and people who still mistakenly celebrated the New Year in April were called “April fools.” April Fools’ Day has also been linked to the festival Hilaria, which was celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March. People enjoyed feasts, played games, and dressed in…

New research has found that Vikings brought their horses and dogs with them when they sailed to England. The Vikings were warriors from Scandinavia (a part of Northern Europe that includes Norway, Sweden, and Denmark) who raided parts of Europe from the 800s to the 1000s. Historians knew that Vikings had horses, dogs, and pigs. Earlier research had identified animal bones buried more than a thousand years ago at Heath Wood, a Viking burial site in England. But experts thought Viking boats were too small to carry animals and people and that Vikings had stolen animals from locals. To find out more about the animals at the burial site, archaeologists (scientists who study objects left by people long ago) analyzed something in the bones called strontium. Strontium is a metal…

Baseball has been played since the 18th century, but one team has found a way to put a modern, comical twist on the sport. The Savannah Bananas combine traditional baseball with dancing, acrobatic plays, costumes, and stunts for a game they call Banana Ball. The team kicked off a 32-city tour in February and will be playing games across the US until mid-September. The Bananas were founded in 2016 by Jesse Cole, a former college baseball player. In order to lure fans to the team’s ballpark, Grayson Stadium, in Savannah, Georgia, Cole created an environment that was more entertaining than a typical baseball game experience. For example, in the ceremonial first pitch, someone throws a banana, and during the game, the first base coach breakdances. Cole, who attends games dressed…

Coach’s Name: Jen Paske Team: Windy City FSC (figure skating) “Jen pushes me to be the best skater I can be and motivates me to learn new maneuvers and tricks. She teaches me to do skills correctly so I look graceful, not like a pigeon on blades. At competitions, she tells me I am only competing against myself. She believes in me and says I am not skating to get the trophy but to get the awesome feeling I have after a great skate. She’s not just a great coach but a good person too.” Molly, 9, Illinois To nominate a Coach of the Week, send your coach’s name, photo, sport, and team to hello@theweekjunior.com. Include your name, age, state, and a few reasons why your coach is great.…

Songs Adam Sandler is known for his songs performed as comedy bits. He co-wrote a hit for SNL titled “The Chanukah Song,” about the Jewish holiday and celebrities who are Jewish. Dracula’s voice Since 2012, he has voiced Count Dracula in three Hotel Transylvania films. The popular franchise is set in a world where Dracula runs a hotel for legendary monsters. Singer and actress Selena Gomez voices Dracula’s daughter. Family comedies Much of Sandler’s work is for adult audiences, but he has starred in the PG-13 comedies Click and Blended. His production company has also made PG comedies, such as The Zookeeper and Home Team.…

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (In theaters March 31) This new fantasy film was inspired by the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. It follows a team of thieves, each with their own heroic talents, on an epic quest to retrieve a lost relic. It is rated PG-13 for action and violence. Secrets of Sulphur Springs (Disney+) (Disney Channel) March 24, 8 pm ET In season three of this sci-fi series, a new evil ghost is unleashing chaos at the abandoned hotel where Griffin and his family live. He and his friends travel through the hotel’s magical time portal to find out why. Fly Like a Girl (Hulu) The aviation industry is packed with men, but in this inspiring documentary, you’ll meet women and young girls with a passion for…

City Spies By James Ponti “This amazing book is filled with mystery, suspense, friendship, and humor. Read about how a teenager named Sara and other kids in foster care could face juvenile detention but then get the chance to work with a secret group of spies. Their mission is risky and requires a wall climb, a chase, and more. Can Sara and her team succeed? Or will they get caught in the process?” Sienna, 10, Michigan Do you have a book to recommend? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

If you like to draw—and make people laugh—creating comics can be a fun activity to try. A comic tells a story with illustration and words. You can make a single comic or draw a comic strip in several panels (boxes). The Week Junior spoke with comic book author Jarrett Lerner, who said, “Comics combine two languages: the visual and the verbal.” Here, he shares how you can get started. Get inspired The first step to coming up with a comic is to read other comics, whether in comic books, funny graphic novels, or the comics section of a newspaper. “Seeing how other people create comics is a great way to get a feel for the language of comics and the possibilities for them,” says Lerner. As you read the comics,…

Keyword crossword Once you have completed the crossword, transfer the letters in the yellow boxes, in order, into the boxes below to get the answer to the Keyword question. ACROSS 1 Lawn stuff 4 Feared marine creature that can produce up to 30,000 teeth in its lifetime 7 Breakfast associated with a man in Quaker clothing 9 Part of the train that has the engine 11 They’re sometimes referred to as “shades” 16 It flows from a pen 17 Japanese warrior 19 Opponent in a war 20 Hand used by about 90% of people when writing DOWN 1 “Watch out” noise from a watchdog 2 Class in which you might learn to make a collage 3 White mist visible over boiling water 4 In bowling, it’s two standing pins that…

A bagel shop in Queens, New York, has become famous for serving a massive pizza bagel. Topped with homemade sauce, mozzarella cheese, and fresh oregano, the 10-pound bagel takes about 24 hours to create. The staff scoops out some of the dough to make a side of garlic knots with each order. Drew’s take: “Mamma mia, this bagel is BIG! We had one at the Drew’s News desk and it was 10 pounds of amazingness. Five stars!”…

This week we’re all smiles as we bring you our first-ever Humor Issue. We got the idea from YOU, our readers! You tell us every week how much you love our more humorous stories, and you send us all kinds of funny notes and photos. You have a great perspective on the lighter side of the news, and we wanted to give you something special to celebrate that. You’ll find humor-related content throughout our pages—wherever you see our Humor Issue icon. I would like to offer my warmest thanks to Drew Barrymore for guest-editing this week’s “That’s Unbelievable!” page (p27). Everyone at The Week Junior is a huge fan of The Drew Barrymore Show, the program she hosts and co-produces, and especially her fun “Drew’s News” segments. As she told…

1 In which country do children pin paper fish on people’s backs for April Fools’ Day? a) France b) Ireland c) Greece a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 2 What is the name of the NASA mission that will put the first woman on the Moon? 3 Which YouTube channel is about a group of men competing in goofy challenges, such as trick shots? a) HiHoKids b) DudePerfect c) StoryPirates a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 4 True or false? All clownfish are born males. True ☐ False ☐ 5 In what year did the youth STEM competition called the Science Talent Search first take place? a) 1942 b) 1957 c) 1971 a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 6 True or false? Vikings brought their horses and dogs with them…

Spring is a season of fresh beginnings—the ideal time to inspire your child’s natural curiosity with The Week Junior magazine. Every page is written and designed by our experts to get kids reading and learning—and eager to explore the world around them. When your child reads more, it boosts their confidence and gets them talking. You’ll enjoy great conversations in the car, around the dinner table, or wherever you go. We all want to see our children think big, aim high, and be successful. So this spring, give them a head start in life and watch them explore the world around them with a gift subscription to The Week Junior. SAVE 66% Order online today and get a free gift. Visit theweekjunior.com/explore Scan to order…