Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 185 i The Week Junior US

As the war between Israel and Hamas entered a third week, officials cleared the way for the first humanitarian aid to reach the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian territory where Hamas is based. Global leaders and organizations continued to seek paths to peace as thousands of people around the world held protests to call for an end to the conflict. What is happening? President Joe Biden, members of the US Congress, and heads of other countries traveled to the Middle East to meet with leaders of Israel and nearby Arab nations. They were trying to negotiate an agreement for humanitarian aid—which is desperately needed by people and hospitals in Gaza—to cross the border from Egypt. The talks were also aimed at convincing Hamas to release the more than 200 hostages it…

SPOTTING A RARE SPECIES Whale watchers in Monterey Bay, California, recently spotted a “super rare” white orca, according to Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The orca, nicknamed Frosty, was swimming with its pod and described as “beautiful.” A LONG-AWAITED RETURN A book has been returned to a Larchmont, New York, library after 90 years. Joanie Morgan found Youth and Two Other Stories by Joseph Conrad, which was due on October 11, 1933, among her stepfather’s belongings in Virginia. She sent it back, and the library waived the $5 late fee. A FAMILY FLIGHT Cynthia Heck, age 72, has been a Southwest Airlines flight attendant for 20 years. Hannah, her 24-year-old granddaughter, pursued the same career—and was thrilled to discover who she would be working with on her first flight with Southwest:…

Jacqueline Woodson—who has written more than 30 books for children and adults and has received four Newbery Honors (top children’s literature award)—is passionate about telling stories. Remember Us, her new book geared to ages 10 and up, is a novel in verse that combines memories from her childhood in Brooklyn, New York, with historical events that took place during the late 1970s. In the book, it’s the summer before seventh grade for Sage. She loves playing basketball and must also navigate changing friendships while homes and businesses are being burned down in her Brooklyn neighborhood of Bushwick, a true event that took place in 1977. Woodson, age 60, told The Week Junior that the story “is about a time that people have forgotten about.” The Bushwick fires is a topic…

Male palm cockatoos, also known as goliath cockatoos or great black cockatoos, have a special way of attracting a mate—they play the drums for them. The males make their own drumsticks and tap trees in a rhythmic way, with each individual using a unique drumming pattern. Scientists had already known about the cockatoo’s musical methods, but they recently discovered something new: Each male cockatoo crafts their drumstick in their own individual style. They do not copy each other, but fathers probably teach their stick-crafting skills to their male offspring. A team of experts at Australia National University, led by Professor Rob Heinsohn, found that some birds like using sticks that are short and chunky, while others prefer long, thin ones. Still others favor seed pods. The crafty cockatoos whittle the…

Almost 2,000 years ago, Pompeii was a vibrant Roman city. One fateful day, a volcanic eruption buried Pompeii in ash, leaving historic ruins that hold discoveries still being made today. What was Pompeii? Pompeii was an ancient seaside city in southern Italy, near what is now Naples. The first mention of Pompeii in the historical record dates to 310 BCE, and the city came under Roman rule in 80 BCE. Pompeii prospered due to the growth of high-quality crops such as grapes and olives, and its population grew to between 10,000 and 20,000 people. A popular cultural center would have been the amphitheater, where gladiator fights and chariot races were held. The people of Pompeii likely didn’t know they lived in the shadow of a volcano, one that hadn’t erupted…

Researchers from Cornell University in New York have designed eyeglass technology that can read lips and convert silently mouthed words into smartphone commands. EchoSpeech has speakers that send soundwaves around the user’s lips and mouth. When the user speaks silently, they change the movement of the soundwaves. Microphones pick up the changes and convert them into a command that’s sent to an app on the user’s phone. The team hopes the tech can one day be used to help people who have lost the ability to speak.…

The final games of the 2023 MLS (Major League Soccer) regular season were played on October 21. It was known as “Decision Day,” and 28 of the league’s 29 teams were in action to determine the final standings and who would claim five open playoff spots. FC Cincinnati clinched the MLS Supporters Shield, the award for the best record, in early October. It was their first Shield, and they are the favorites to win the championship. This season, changes have been made to the MLS postseason format. The playoffs will feature 18 teams, the most in the league’s history. In the Eastern and Western Conferences, the teams in eighth and ninth place will play one Wild Card match to begin. After that, the first round will be a best-of-three series.…

After being closed for a two-year renovation, the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in Washington, DC, is welcoming visitors again. The institution, which first opened in 1987, calls itself “the first museum in the world solely dedicated to championing women through the arts.” Historically, museums have been filled with artwork made mostly by male artists. Although some progress has been made since the NMWA was founded, its director, Susan Fisher Sterling, told The Week Junior that “women continue to be overlooked by museums and undervalued by the art market.” Female artists from the past and present are represented in the NMWA’s collection, which spans six centuries. Unlike many museums, pieces from the collection are grouped in displays by theme, not chronologically. Katie Wat, the NMWA’s chief curator, told…

The Absent-Minded Professor G (Disney+ or rent on demand) “This movie from 1961 is set at fictional Medfield College, where Professor Ned Brainard invents a material called ‘flubber.’ It can make people and things bounce and fly high. At first, no one is interested in it except a corrupt businessman. He wants to steal it because it can make cars fly and that will make him super rich. At one point, the professor and the woman he loves fly in an old Model T Ford that has flubber in its motor. They go over landmarks in Washington, DC. I like the movie because who wouldn’t want a flying car? There was a remake in 1997 called Flubber.” Marco, 13, New York Do you have a film or TV show to…

By Jenn Bishop (Chronicle Books) After moving to Cincinnati, Ohio, for her dad’s basketball coaching job, Rory is worried she’ll have a hard time finding a good friend in eighth grade. She connects with Abby, whose dad coaches a rival basketball team. When the teams play each other, Rory and Abby notice their dads don’t shake hands when the game ends. The girls ask their fathers what’s behind their unsportsmanlike behavior, but neither one wants to discuss the matter. By talking to other family members, Rory and Abby learn that when their dads were young, they were best friends and teammates. But what happened? And will the girls, who are both pursuing their own hoop dreams, make the same mistake their fathers did? Packed with emotion, this fast-paced story grips…

The Baby-Sitters Club: Stacey’s Mistake By Ann M. Martin, illustrated by Ellen T. Crenshaw (Graphix) This story is set in New York City, where Stacey lives. Her friends are coming for a sleepover and a babysitting job. In this graphic novel version, it’s fun to see the characters with New York City in the background. Ages 8–12 Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library: The Graphic Novel By Chris Grabenstein, illustrated by Douglas Holgate (Random House Graphic) This graphic novel brings to life the story of a group of seventh-graders who must find their way out of a library. The overall plot is similar to the original, and the drawings of the library’s wild details make the story feel new. Ages 8–12 Keeper of the Lost Cities: The Graphic Novel Part 1…

Ingredients • Kosher salt• 12 lasagna noodles• 4 tablespoons butter• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage, plus small leaves for garnish• One 15-ounce can of butternut squash puree• ½ cup heavy cream• Freshly ground black pepper• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese• 1 egg, beaten• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese Instructions 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. With an adult’s help, drain them well. Spread noodles on a baking sheet, then pat dry with a paper towel. 2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the tablespoon of sage and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the squash puree and heavy cream and cook until the sauce…

Cracking the world egg record Four budding young scientists in Pennsylvania have broken a world record as part of a school project. Jeffrey, Matthew, Charlie, and Derrick took part in the egg-drop challenge, an experiment that involves dropping an egg without it breaking. After making a contraption using cardboard, plastic straws, and a small parachute, they successfully dropped the egg from a height of 43 feet, 8 inches. “We learned that nothing is impossible,” they told Guinness World Records. A fuzzy fashion show Walking in high heels is hard enough, so imagine adding a giant pom-pom to the outfit. At Paris Fashion Week, a model dressed as a big ball of fur bumped her way down the catwalk. The costume had eye holes, but model Mi’jon Woods told CNN she…

Enter our Winter Cover Contest! If you would like to see your artwork on the cover of The Week Junior, now is your chance! We are accepting entries for our 2023 Winter Cover Contest. At right is the winning cover from our 2022 contest. The drawing form and consent form that are needed to enter can be found at theweekjunior.com/activities. Entries will be judged on creativity, originality, and how well they reflect the winter theme and The Week Junior. Be sure your artwork is in color! When you’re done, have a parent fill out the consent form. The consent form and a digital image of your artwork should be emailed to covercontest@theweekjunior.com. The deadline to apply is November 8! JOKE OF THE WEEK What school subject do you witness when winter arrives?…

Teacher’s Name: Joshua Smith School: Vestavia Hills Liberty Park Elementary “Mr. Smith is the best teacher—no, not the best, he is supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!! He makes learning exciting. He shares his hobbies and life stories with us. He even makes time to attend our sports games on the weekends! He is the most amazing fifth-grade teacher.”Pernilla, 10, Alabama Nominate your teacher for Teacher of the Week! Send your reason for the nomination, a photo of your teacher, and your school’s name and address to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

Voters in Poland turned out in record numbers on October 15 to remove from power the political party that has controlled the nation since 2015. The Law and Justice Party, known as PiS, will be replaced by a group of three parties: the Civic Coalition, Third Way, and Confederation. In Poland, voters choose members of Parliament (similar to the US Congress). The party or group of parties with the most seats in Parliament has a majority and sets up a new government. PiS received 35.4% of all votes, while the group of three had a combined total of 53.7%, giving them a majority of seats. Donald Tusk, head of the Civic Coalition, is likely to become prime minister. Poland’s president, Andrzej Duda, is part of PiS and will stay in…

Republican members of the House of Representatives (one half of Congress) are engaged in a dispute over who will lead their party and serve in the chamber’s highest-ranking position, Speaker of the House. For the first time in US history, the role of the speaker has gone unfilled, leaving Congress unable to pass laws. What is happening? Republicans hold a majority of seats in the House. They have 222, compared to the Democrats’ 212. This means that the leader of the Republicans also serves as Speaker of the House. The House has been without a permanent speaker since October 3, when members voted to force Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, out of the role because he worked with Democrats to pass a temporary federal budget. Since then, the House…

Conqueiros, Portugal World’s oldest dog dies Bobi, the world’s oldest dog, has died at the age of 31 years and 165 days. Bobi, a Rafeiro do Alentejo breed, was born in May 1992 and lived in the village of Conqueiros. He took over the title of world’s oldest dog from an Australian cattle dog named Bluey, who lived to age 29. Bobi also holds the record for the world’s oldest dog ever. His owner, Leonel Costa, credited Bobi’s long life to “good food, fresh air, and lots of love.” Mexico City, Mexico Skeletons parade through streets Thousands of people in Mexico City took part in the Parade of the Catrinas, a festive procession of skeletons. The parade is an event leading up to the Day of the Dead, a holiday…

This state park has eight major springs with pristine, clear water. They all feed into the Ichetucknee River, a popular spot for tubing and kayaking. While exploring the waters, visitors can spot manatees, river otters, and a variety of birds. The park is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, a network of 500 sites across the state, and has birds such as red-headed woodpeckers, limpkins, egrets, and American kestrels. Animals such as the gopher tortoise, Sherman’s fox squirrel, Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, and Ichetucknee siltsnail also live in the park.…

Snow leopards The number of snow leopards in Bhutan has risen from 96 to 134 over the past seven years. A national study, using hidden cameras, found these top predators in new areas—a sign that conservation efforts have been successful. Hellbender salamanders Male hellbender salamanders, which typically are caring fathers, have been eating their young. Researchers believe destruction of forests in the eastern and central US may have reduced their food supply and led to the behavior.…

A massive asteroid struck Earth 66 million years ago, killing off about three quarters of all living species. That included all dinosaurs that were non-avian (not birds) and many plants. A new study has found, however, that angiosperms (plants that produce flowers) not only survived the asteroid and its aftermath but may have even thrived. Scientists study fossils (preserved impressions or traces of ancient plants or animals) to learn about a species and how it evolved (changed very slowly over time). But that’s harder with ancient plants because they tend to break down rather than fossilize. Instead, researchers from the UK and Mexico looked at what are known as evolutionary trees, which are models that track the evolution of different species. They used models that included a total of about…

On October 18, the Las Vegas Aces won the WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) championship for the second year in a row. They beat the New York Liberty, 70–69, in Game 4 of the best-of-five WNBA Finals, which was played at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Aces are the third team in WNBA history to repeat as league champions. The most recent back-to-back champions were the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001 and 2002. The Aces ended the regular season with the best record in the league, and the Liberty finished in second. The Liberty are one of the WNBA’s original teams and were looking to win their first championship. They did not lose two games in a row all season, but the Aces stopped that streak in…

Coach’s name: Eric Wenzel Team: Garden City Thunder (youth football) “Coach Wenzel is energetic, loud, and helps us improve every day. He encourages us to play with pride and tells us that working hard is the key to everything. He reminds us, ‘Don’t be a finger, be a thumb.’ Fingers try to blame others, but when players act like a thumb they are saying, ‘I take responsibility to make this team better.’ His motto is ‘Get better every day!’ His lessons on the field also help us improve outside of football.” Patrick, 8, New York 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.…

Messi Meets America (Apple TV+) Lionel Messi, one of the greatest soccer players in the sport’s history, shocked the world earlier this year when he joined Inter Miami CF, a Major League Soccer team based in Florida. This new documentary series gives an exclusive look at his first season with the team. Lego Marvel Avengers: Code Red (Disney+) The Lego and Marvel universes come together in this new animated special featuring Lego versions of the heroes who make up the Avengers. The group assembles to save New York City from the evil Red Skull and his Hydra forces and get help from an unexpected ally. Unicorn Academy (Netflix) In this new series, a teen named Sophia is invited to attend the Unicorn Academy boarding school. To become a unicorn rider, she…

Did you play basketball? I played in sixth grade for one year because I’m tall. I wore glasses back then, so it was a short-lived experience. Do you have other favorite sports? I played softball, and then I got into running in high school and started running marathons. What do you think is the message of this book? I hope kids take away the importance of friendships. They are worth the time and effort it takes to solve any problems when they come up. What writing advice do you follow? To become a better writer you have to read a lot and read a wide variety of things. What do you like about living in Cincinnati, Ohio?…

Libraries are some of the most magical places on Earth. They provide a wealth of knowledge, offer an escape into other worlds, and create opportunities for everyone. If you are new to using libraries, or even if you use the library regularly, you might be surprised to learn how much—beyond supplying amazing books—they can do for you. Here’s how to get started. Get a library card To take out anything from your local library, you first need a library card, which gives you borrowing privileges to check out books and other items. (Some libraries offer cards in different designs.) The library will have rules about how many items you can borrow and for how long. When it’s time to return them, you can bring them back or you may be…

CONSERVE ELECTRICITY With fewer hours of daylight and more time spent indoors, you may be using more electricity in your home. This could include turning on lights as it gets dark, watching TV, using a computer, charging devices, or heating up food in the microwave. It’s important to remember that electricity shouldn’t be wasted and doing so can harm the environment. This is because most of our electricity is made using methods that can cause pollution. To help save electricity—and lower your family’s electric bill—you can turn off computers, TV, and lights when you’re not using them. Unplug devices when they’re charged too.…

When there is so much going on in the world that is difficult to make sense of, it can help to take a break and read something just for fun. I found myself doing that many times while our editorial team was putting this issue together. I smiled when I turned to page 3 and saw the Amazing Week story about the library book returned after 90 years, for example, because it happened in the town I live in! As someone who enjoys cycling, I felt great when I read about the new study showing the mental health benefits of bike riding (p5). I found myself getting lost in our special report on a truly fascinating subject—the ancient Roman city of Pompeii (p12). And I loved looking at the photos…

“We really liked making your cookies and cream crispy treats in Issue 177.”Jake, 9, New Jersey “I love reading The Week Junior before going to bed every night. Here is a picture of me reading all about the Rubik’s Cube.”Nipun, 10, Washington “I love to challenge myself each week with the puzzles!”Rutledge, 10, Iowa…

1 Paige Heyn, the youngest US competitor at this year’s Pan American Games, is participating in what event? a) Basketball b) Skateboarding c) Swimming 2 True or false? Air-conditioning in homes accounts for 6% of energy use in the US. 3 A recent study found that the number of snow leopards in which country has risen to 134? a) Nepal b) Bhutan c) Bangladesh 4 The National Museum of Women in the Arts first opened in what year? 5 Which of the following could be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame this year? a) Rubber duck b) Dominoes c) Pogo stick 6 True or false? The US is the only developed country that does not widely use the metric system. 7 Before the Las Vegas Aces clinched the…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, the agency that monitors weather) has predicted that this winter will be warmer than usual, with more rain in some areas. This is because El Niño, a powerful climate pattern of warming sea surface temperatures, will be in the US at the start of winter. Northern states can expect warmer temperatures and less precipitation. Southern states may have wetter days with average temperatures.…

There is only one developed country in the world that doesn’t widely use the metric system: the US. Many people have argued for years that America should switch to the metric system. They say it’s important for traveling abroad, doing business with other countries, and preparing children for careers in science and medicine, which rely on metric measurement. One way to make sure kids learn the metric system is for schools to teach it. But most Americans want to keep using the imperial system because it’s what we know and it’s more practical for everyday use. What do you think? Should US students learn the metric system? Yes—kids need to know it Nearly the entire world uses the metric system, and many STEM fields rely on it, even in the…

Niue, a tiny Pacific island nation, has announced a creative new plan to protect its environment. The island’s leader, Dalton Tagelagi, is asking individual people or companies to sponsor sections of the ocean in order to protect it from threats such as illegal fishing or plastic waste. Sponsors will pay $148 per square kilometer (about 0.39 square miles) of ocean, and that will protect it for 20 years. There are 127,000 units of ocean available for people to sponsor. Niue’s government will buy 1,700 of them to represent each of the island’s citizens. It hopes to raise more than $18 million to protect the other sections of water. Tagelagi said that people who live on Niue have always had a very close relationship with the sea. “We live off the…

Sara Morgan Senior keeper, Oregon Zoo Monkeys have always had tails, at least as far as we know. Fossils dating back 66 million years—the oldest on record—show primates with full-fledged tails. Three red-tailed monkeys live at the Oregon Zoo, and they use their tails to balance and hold on as they leap from branch to branch. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about Oregon Zoo at oregonzoo.org.…

Scientists at Stanford University in California have developed a special paint that offers a simple, colorful, and clever way to prevent houses from overheating. Normally, the exterior of a house absorbs heat from the Sun, which raises the indoor temperature of the building. The new paint, however, is engineered to reflect the Sun’s heat off the outside of the house, which means the interior doesn’t heat up as much in the first place. Nearly 90% of all US households use air-conditioning, which requires a lot of electricity. In fact, cooling residences accounts for 6% of all electricity use in the US and costs Americans about $29 billion a year. Preventing homes from heating up as much will reduce the need for air-conditioning to pump cool air into the building. That…

A new documentary series on Netflix, Life on Our Planet, is tracing the extraordinary evolution of plant and animal life on Earth over the past 4 billion years. The show combines realistic-looking computer-generated imagery (CGI) to virtually travel back in time and depict species that were wiped out during five events of mass extinction. Life on Our Planet was made by the team behind the award-winning series Our Planet and the world’s leading visual effects (VFX) company, Industrial Light & Magic. Series producer Dan Tapster told The Week Junior that no one had tried to tell a complete story about Earth’s evolution since world-famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough made Life on Earth in 1979. More discoveries about the planet have been made since then, and modern CGI has made it…

The Master’s Pupil is a new artistic platform game. It is available for the Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac. The game is based on the artwork of 19th-century French artist Claude Monet. He helped develop Impressionism, a style that depicts an artist’s own view of a scene (usually outdoors) plus its colors and light. The Master’s Pupil was produced by amateur programmer Pat Naoum, who lives in Australia. He worked alone on the project, which took him seven years and more than 2,000 hours to create. He hand-painted every image, then scanned the paintings into his computer, where he used code to turn them into a moving game. The game is a platform side-scroller that asks players to solve puzzles as they make it through 12 different levels. The action…

The Kingdom of Fantasy By Geronimo Stilton “This book is part of an exciting series about a mouse who goes on adventures in a different world. It starts with him going to bed and being woken up by a dragon or a friend he has met on a previous visit. Each time this happens it is because he has been called on by Blossom to save her and the kingdom. In this book, do you think Geronimo will be able to save Blossom?” Vicky, 10, Texas Do you have a book to recommend? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

Bats The Joanina Library at the University of Coimbra in Portugal is filled with live bats. The bats are welcome to hang—they eat bugs that could damage the library’s books. Karaoke It must be seen as the ultimate study break! The Tikkurila Library in Vantaa, Finland, has a soundproof karaoke room with thousands of songs. Fishing gear Lots of libraries in New York, including the Honeoye Public Library in Rochester, loan out fishing poles and tackle boxes to beginner anglers. Dividing line The Haskell Free Library and Opera House has a thick black line running down the middle that separates Quebec, Canada, from Vermont. A visitor can stand with a foot on each side of the line and read a book in two countries at the same time.…

Crisscross Each of these rocks and minerals fits into this grid. Can you find where each one goes to complete the grid? 4 letters MICA TALC 5 letters AMBER CHALK FLINT 6 letters GNEISS JASPER QUARTZ SCHIST ZIRCON 7 letters DIAMOND EMERALD 8 letters OBSIDIAN SAPPHIRE 10 letters AQUAMARINE BLOODSTONE ALL THE SAME Each answer contains the letters V-I-A. Those letters have been placed for you. Can you figure out the words? (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) Take five Five 5-letter synonyms for “young person” are hidden in this grid. For each one, the first letter is somewhere in the first column, the second is somewhere in the second column, and so on. Can you find all five? SUDOKU To complete the grid, place the numbers…