Innehållsförteckning för Issue 114 från The Week Junior US

Thousands of UK residents are participating in the world’s largest-ever pilot program to try out a shorter work week. For the next six months, 3,300 workers at 70 companies will work four days a week rather than five to assess their levels of productivity and happiness. What is happening? Employees will work 32 hours instead of the usual 40, but they will be responsible for the same amount of work and receive their full salary. The program will look at whether workers are less stressed, better rested, and more fulfilled when they work fewer hours, and whether that leads to greater job productivity and satisfaction. The experiment is being run by nonprofit groups 4 Day Week Global and 4 Day Week UK Campaign, the UK-based research group Autonomy, and researchers…

A SPECTACULAR SAIL Kenichie Horie, an 83-year-old from Japan, became the oldest person to sail alone nonstop across the Pacific Ocean—60 years after he was the first person to make the journey. “Don’t let your dreams just stay as dreams,” Horie said. LIVING IN STYLE Feathered friends are flocking to 33 designer birdhouses at New York City’s Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The designs in the “For the Birds” exhibit include a bird library, a “Birdega” modeled after a bodega (mini-mart), a bird condo made of recycled objects, and a “food cart” created from pieces of a real cart. HIDDEN TREASURE Vicky Umodu already felt lucky to find a free set of used furniture online. Then the California woman discovered more than $36,000 inside a chair cushion. Umodu returned the money to…

Jenna Bush Hager goes on a book trip every day. As she reads, she travels the world and meets new characters. It’s why she fell in love with reading and why she’s so passionate about sharing books with others. The co-host of NBC’s Today with Hoda and Jenna founded the Today book club Read with Jenna. Now Hager has a new list of recommendations just for kids. The Read with Jenna Jr. Summer Reading List, which is on Today’s website, features 27 books, with memoirs like Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson and new novels like Falling Short by Ernesto Cisneros. This summer Hager will talk to some of the authors on the Today show. Hager, 40, was born in Texas. She is the daughter of former President George W.…

Researchers have put together the largest-ever collection of photos of wildlife in the Amazon. The Amazon, in South America, has the world’s richest level of biodiversity (variety of living things in an area) and the biggest rainforest in the world. The collection consists of more than 154,000 photos of 317 different species. Researchers say the information gathered will help them understand the impacts of habitat loss, climate change, and other human activities on wildlife in the Amazon. The photos were taken using camera traps. Camera traps are cameras placed in the wild with a sensor that can pick up when animals are nearby and lead the camera to take a picture without disturbing them. The traps became a popular way of studying animals in the wild starting in the 1990s…

Spotted hyenas These African predators are adapting to shifts in weather patterns. Scientists thought hyenas would be forced to travel farther for food and neglect cubs. But studies found they are spending just as much time with their young. Flamingos A fox broke into the outdoor bird habitat at the Smithsonian National Zoo and killed 25 flamingos and injured another three. The injured flamingos are being treated at the zoo’s veterinary hospital while the rest have been moved indoors.…

Researchers working in the Southeast Asian country of Laos say they’ve discovered a rare fossil tooth from an extinct human species called the Denisovans. The new find seems to show that this mysterious species—which is known only from a handful of remains—lived across a much larger area than experts thought. The discovery was made by a team of scientists and explorers at a narrow opening called Cobra Cave, where a local boy had reported seeing bones embedded in the crumbly rock. When French explorer Eric Suzzoni made the first trip into the cave in 2018, he brought out a jumble of animal bones, along with a small molar (a grinding tooth from the back of the mouth) that has a more wrinkled surface than molars of modern humans. Based on…

Museums and organizations across the country are honoring the 50th anniversary of Title IX, a federal law that guarantees women and men the same opportunities in education. Title IX (pronounced “Title Nine” because IX is the number nine in Roman numerals) had a significant effect on school sports and increased opportunities for girls to play on teams and become more competitive athletes. One exhibit is at the Paley Center for Media in New York City. It is an organization that looks at the ways television, radio, and other forms of media affect society. For ESPN Fifty/50, the Paley Center worked with sports network ESPN to put together videos, photos, and artifacts that highlight the fight for equality and key moments in women’s sports from the past 50 years. The Paley…

Word ladder To change the word JUNE into the word BUGS, use each clue to fill in a word that is only one letter different from the word before it. If you get stuck, try solving from the bottom up. STEPPING STONES Each figure hides the name of a seven-letter thing that’s red. To find each one, start anywhere and move in an unbroken path through letters that share a border (no jumping!), using each letter once. DETOURS Draw one continuous path from START to END that goes through every single square without crossing itself. For squares with signs, you may only enter at the arrow’s base, and you may only make a turn in the direction of an arrow shown. Sign in, please Fill each empty box with a…

“I am a Tenderfoot with BSA Troop 491. While completing the merit badge of Citizenship in the Community, I dedicated eight hours of community service to the nonprofit organization Leave It for the Pooch. Its mission is to raise awareness about homeless, neglected, and needy animals, unite the rescue community, and raise money for animal welfare groups. All the money it collects goes to helping animals in need. I set up cat and dog food drives and was able to collect 583 pounds of cat and dog food, $580.25, and other items that animals need. I chose to do this because I like to help animals and they need people like me to survive.” Have you done something interesting or raised money for a cause you care about? Whatever you’re…

Teacher’s Name: Mr. Watling School: Nativity Catholic School “Mr. Watling is a very kind assistant teacher. One of my classmates gave him a joke calendar, so every morning he shares a joke to start us off laughing and ends the day with a pun. He challenges us to always do the right thing and guides us if we are unsure. He is without a doubt an ‘eggcellent’ person, and my classmates and I are so lucky to have him in our grade. Thank you, Mr. Watling.”Elliot, 10, Virginia 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.…

An extreme drought (lack of rainfall) has uncovered a major piece of history in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. In January, amid record low levels of rain, Iraqi authorities took water from the Mosul Dam reservoir to keep crops alive. As the dam’s water level dropped, the well-preserved remains of a 3,400-year-old city emerged. Archaeologists (scientists who study objects left by people long ago) knew of the site, called Kemune, but had been able to only partially investigate it during a drought in 2018. This time, a team rushed to examine and map most of the ruins. They found a multi-story building where goods were stored, a defensive wall and towers, and hundreds of artifacts, including more than 100 clay tablets from approximately 1365 BCE. Experts believe the city might…

Across the country, food banks are calling for donations of food and supplies. The leaders of these nonprofit groups, which collect and distribute food to people in need, said their food banks are running low on inventory due to the start of summer and the high cost of food. What is happening? Summer is typically a challenging time for food banks. Many of the school groups and community organizations that give to food banks take breaks at this time of year, resulting in a decrease in donated food. Individual donors or families may not remember to donate if they are traveling or on vacation. Summer can also be a time of increased demand because schools are not open to provide meals to students. Why is the need increasing? More people…

Benahavis, Spain Town evacuated after wildfire Thousands of people have been evacuated from the town of Benahavis, in the mountains of southern Spain, following a wildfire. The fire, which began on June 8, has spread because of hot weather and winds. Emergency services, including the fire department, have been sent to the site. Authorities have provided tents and temporary accommodations for people who needed them. La Paz, Bolivia Former president sentenced to jail Jeanine Anez, a president of Bolivia from 2019–2020, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for being involved in a coup (an attempt to replace a government by force). Anez has been found guilty of plotting with Bolivia’s army and police to force out the former president, Evo Morales, in 2019, in order to take power.…

In 2021, Bear Rocks and Allegheny Front Preserve in West Virginia was named the 600th National Natural Landmark, a program that encourages protection of the nation’s natural heritage. The preserve is considered special because of the way plateaus (flat landscapes that rise out of the surrounding area) have formed out of mountain landscapes over millions of years. While the region has been harmed by decades of deforestation (cutting down trees), red spruce trees are once again thriving. Sandstone boulders dot the landscape, and golden eagles soar in the skies above.…

The 154th running of the Belmont Stakes, one of the most important horse races of the year, was held at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, on June 11. It was the final leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, a set of three major races that also includes the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. The Belmont Stakes is one and a half miles long, making it the longest of the three races. It is nicknamed “The Test of the Champion.” There were eight horses in this year’s race. Mo Donegal, the horse that was given the best odds of winning just before the start, came in first place. He was ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. Nest, the only filly (young female) in the race, placed second. She was…

One of the main characters in the popular Toy Story films is the Buzz Lightyear toy. Now a new Disney-Pixar film, Lightyear tells the story about the fictional movie character that inspired the toy. The film has been released in movie theaters across the country. Fans of Toy Story know Buzz as a Space Ranger who thinks highly of himself. Lightyear director Angus MacLane said he got the idea for the new film because he had spent 20 years wondering where Buzz came from. “I wanted this film to be separate from Toy Story,” he said. “I thought of it more as a prequel.” The film begins with Buzz and his space crew stranded on a distant planet. They are there due to a poor decision Buzz made. He tries…

Labyrinth (1986) Available to rent or buy on all major platforms Sarah is a teen who lives with her dad, stepmother, and baby brother, Toby. She loves a fairy-tale book called The Labyrinth. One night, she’s stuck at home babysitting Toby. After she wishes goblins from the book would take him away, he vanishes. Then, an evil goblin king, Jareth (played by music legend David Bowie), appears. He says he trapped Toby in his castle and Sarah has 13 hours to rescue him. To do so, she must navigate his immense labyrinth (maze). If she fails, Toby will become a goblin. Sarah has only her own wits to use until the labyrinth’s strange but friendly creatures, Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus, help her out. As Jareth tries to interfere in…

Hitting the road in a helicopter Two US Coast Guard pilots from Alabama are taking their work on the road. Maggie Morgan and Blake Morris purchased a retired helicopter online and spent more than 900 hours converting it into a recreational vehicle, complete with a kitchen, bed, and TV. When they took the “helicamper” out for a drive, fellow motorists approved. “People would honk and roll down their window and ask what it was,” Morgan said. “Or they’d give us a big thumbs-up.” Real OR fake? Saying “neigh” to out-of-office emails Iceland is introducing a new service that lets horses respond to work emails. When employees are out of the office, they can entrust their correspondence to a horse trotting around on a giant keyboard, typing nonsense replies with its…

June 23, 1868 Patent is granted for first typewriter On June 23, 1868, the first mass-produced typewriter, invented by Christopher Latham Sholes of Wisconsin, was granted a patent (sole right to sell an invention). It resembled a miniature piano. Sholes later invented the QWERTY keyboard, which was named for the first six keys on a typewriter’s top row of letters. To this day, computers arrange those letters on a keyboard in the same way.…

The pool rental site and app named Swimply was launched in 2018. During the Covid-19 pandemic, when many public pools and recreation facilities temporarily closed, many people used the site to rent pools in other people’s backyards for a few hours of fun. Even as many facilities have reopened, pool rental continues to be in demand by people who want to rent them and by pool owners who like to bring in extra income for their families. But some people say there are too many risks and that renting out a backyard pool is not a good idea. What do you think? Should people be allowed to rent out swimming pools? Yes—pool rentals are a great idea Pools are expensive to own. It costs money to open a pool, maintain…

Researchers have discovered that in homes where three or more cats live, the pets learn their feline friends’ names. Scientists at Kyoto University in Japan studied 48 cats. Of those, 29 lived in “cat cafés” with many cats, and 19 were household cats. The household cats lived with at least two cats for a minimum of six months. For the study, the researchers showed the cats photos of their feline roommates. They also played an audio recording of the cat’s owner or a researcher calling the correct cat name or a fake one. When researchers called the fake name, the household cats looked at the images longer. Scientists believe this is because the cats were confused when the wrong name was called and had expected to hear the correct one.…

Casey, 8, Connecticut Manny Ezcurra Curator of fish and invertebrates, Monterey Bay Aquarium A shark’s jaws grow as the rest of the creature grows. Teeth size will also vary depending on the food they eat. Some sharks, like great whites, might eat much larger and more mobile animals, so they would need larger teeth to capture their prey during ambushes. Do you have a question for a zookeeper? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the Monterey Bay Aquarium at montereybayaquarium.org.…

Scientists have taught self-piloting drones to fly in groups and navigate complex environments such as forests. It’s the first time a swarm of drones has independently flown in an uncontrolled environment, where they didn’t know the obstacles in advance. Drones can fly well in open space, but until now it has been hard for them to fly through crowded areas unless they’re controlled by a person. A team at Zhejiang University in China has created drones that can fly together in a swarm and change course to avoid trees and other hazards—including other drones. The scientists were inspired by the way birds fly in packs through dense woods. The researchers built drones that are about the size of a human hand and tested them in a variety of environments, including…

For the second year in a row, the University of Oklahoma won the National College Athletic Association’s Women’s College World Series (WCWS). On June 9, they defeated the University of Texas, 10–5, in Game 2 of the series to take the title. The softball championship tournament began last month with 64 teams. Oklahoma was ranked as the top team. They had been very tough opponents this year. Most of their wins were a result of the mercy rule, which automatically ends a game when a team is leading by eight or more runs after five innings. They only lost once during the regular season, and the team that beat them was Texas. Eight teams made it into the WCWS, which was played at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium…

Coach’s Name: Macky Bergman Organization: Steady Buckets (basketball) “Coach Macky always pushes us to be the hardest workers! He runs intense workouts that’ll have you sore for a few days. However, he’s very supportive, and without him I wouldn’t know how to play basketball. He gives me the determination I need to work harder and become a better basketball player!” Jackson, 13, 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.…

Original character Before the Toy Story character’s name was decided, he was called Tempus of Morph and Lunar Larry. In early sketches, Larry wore a spacesuit with an “LL” on it. Inspiration for his name American astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin inspired Buzz Lightyear’s name. Aldrin flew on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969 and was one of the first two men on the Moon. Over his career, Aldrin spent more than 12 days in space in all. Space trip In 2008, a Buzz Lightyear figure was sent to the International Space Station. It stayed in orbit for more than 450 days. The figure is now on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.…

Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens (Disney XD)(Disney Now App)(Hulu) This is a spin-off of a popular Japanese anime franchise set in a world where people compete in battles using special playing cards. In this series, 5th grader Yuga Ohdo has created a new dueling method, but a mega corporation that controls the games wants him stopped. Hidden Lives of Pets (Netflix) This documentary series visits pets with remarkable skills around the world and explains the animal science behind them. You’ll learn what enables fish to play soccer in their tank, how medical detection dogs can save the lives of their owners, and more. Surviving Summer (Netflix) Summer, a rebellious New York teen, is sent to live with family friends in a small Australian town in this new drama series. She’s resistant to the…

This week we are excited to kick off our Summer of Reading program (p12). When our team first met to discuss it, we knew we wanted our summer book list to be based on titles children recommend. Each week, the book reviews that readers write and submit to us at hello@theweekjunior.com show us that kids have the best ideas about what other kids might want to read. You do a great job, and the children across the US who shared their favorite books for our Summer of Reading program gave terrific suggestions. From fantasy to realistic fiction to mystery and more, I hope you discover a book that you can’t put down. And don’t forget to enter our sweepstakes! You could win books and a video call with one of…

“I made the chickpea salad for my mom as breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day. I was inspired by the recipe from the magazine. My mom was very happy and enjoyed the breakfast!”Aakanksha, 10, Ohio “I did the Marble Maze from the May 27 issue. Making the maze was fun, and I love looking at it and feeling proud. Thank you!”Joyner, 10, Oregon “I love doing gymnastics! In my spare time, I love reading The Week Junior. Someday I want to be an Olympic gymnast like in the Winter Games magazine issue.”Avery, 9, California…

Sign up and follow @theweekjuniorus on PopJam, a social media platform for kids 7–12. Ask an adult to download the app from iTunes or Google Play. We asked: In honor of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, what is your favorite word? “My favorite word is kindness. It has the power to change people’s lives.” “Imagination, because it can take you far.” “Onomatopoeia is so fun to say!” “Dog, because dogs are my favorite animal.” In the big debate, we asked: Should schools get rid of class rank? “No, you should be appreciated for all the hard work you put into school.” “Yes, because students can feel bad.” “Maybe teachers can make custom books for each student with their very own rank.” Now tell us: What was the best book you…

1 Who voices Buzz Lightyear in the upcoming movie Lightyear? 2 True or false? Scientists found a way to grow tomatoes with more vitamin A. True ㋿ False 3 Following a drought, scientists explored a 3,400-year-old city in what country? a) India b) Iran c) Iraq a ㋿ b ㋿ c ㋿ 4 True or false? Vicky Umodu found $36,000 in the cushion of a used chair she got online. True ㋿ False 5 How old was singer Billie Eilish when she learned she had Tourette’s syndrome? a) 6 b) 8 c) 11 a ㋿ b ㋿ c ㋿ 6 True or false? The Andean bear is the only bear species native to South America. True ㋿ False 7 Wilma Mankiller was the first female principal chief of what tribal…