Innehållsförteckning för Issue 124 från The Week Junior US

On August 18, a team of US scientists announced that they had found a way to destroy chemicals that pose a threat to human health around the world. The discovery is considered a breakthrough in the search for a way to rid the planet of “forever chemicals,” which pollute water, soil, and air. What happened? In a study in the journal Science, researchers at Northwestern University in Illinois reported that they had developed an effective and inexpensive method for breaking down chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). PFAS are known as forever chemicals because they don’t break down naturally and remain hazardous for hundreds of years. Scientists had previously figured out how to remove PFAS from contaminated water or soil but, until now, had no safe and effective way…

A FRUITY NEW FLAVOR Girl Scouts have added a flavor to their famous cookie lineup. The Raspberry Rally has a crunchy center dipped in a chocolaty coating. It’s similar to Thin Mints, which the scouts called its “sister cookie.” Rallys will be sold online in 2023. A SPECIAL REUNION Author Jamil Jan Kochai was reunited with his second-grade teacher, Susan Lung, after years of searching for her. Lung came to one of his book readings, and Kochai thanked her for teaching him English when he first came to the US from Pakistan. “All [my] success…started with Mrs. Lung,” he said. BEATING THE HEAT Squirrels across the US have been seen sprawling on their bellies during recent heat waves. Wildlife officials said there’s no cause for alarm—the squirrels are just “splooting”…

Growing up, Stephen “Steph” Curry was told he didn’t have what it takes to make it in pro basketball. He has since won four National Basketball Association (NBA) titles with the Golden State Warriors and broken numerous records. Defying the odds is now the theme of his debut picture book, I Have a Superpower. The book is about a boy who loves basketball and learns that being the tallest or strongest player on the court is not what it takes to win—having heart and determination is. “I wrote this book to inspire the next generation of young readers and show them that truly anything is possible if they dream big and put their minds to it,” Curry told The Week Junior. Curry first picked up a basketball when he was…

Dogs are our oldest animal companions and have probably lived alongside humans for at least 15,000 years. Over many centuries, careful breeding has produced dogs that vary greatly in shape and behavior. All dogs are said to share the same wolf ancestors, but do they? For a long time, scientists have wondered where and when humans and wolves first learned to live together (a process called domestication). However, different approaches to the question have produced different answers. Now a new study suggests an explanation for the confusion. Our modern canine friends may be the descendants of two different groups of wolves that learned to live alongside humans in separate events. An international team of researchers, led by Pontus Skoglund of London’s Francis Crick Institute, collected remains from 72 wolves found…

In the city of Agra, India, one of the world’s most celebrated structures rises from the banks of the Yamuna River. This iconic monument stands 240 feet tall and stretches over 42 acres of land. But its story is even grander than its size. A monument to love The story begins with the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, whose name means “King of the World.” Shah Jahan ruled over much of South Asia from 1628 to 1658. His wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, was known as Mumtaz Mahal (“Chosen One of the Palace”). When she died in 1631, Shah Jahan wanted to keep her memory alive forever by creating a mausoleum (building that houses tombs for the dead). It is said that he was trying to build a resting place for her…

Scientists have designed a glove with suckers on each finger that make it possible to grip and handle slippery underwater objects. The Octa-glove was created by a team at Virginia Tech. The researchers were inspired by octopus arms, which are covered with suckers that help the arms stick to objects. So far, the Octa-glove has been used to pick up a plastic spoon, a small toy car, and a metal bowl. The team hopes that it can eventually be used in underwater rescue missions and for researching marine animals.…

On August 20, the French club team Olympique Lyonnais defeated the Mexican club team C.F. Monterrey, 4–0, to win the 2022 Women’s International Champions Cup (ICC). American Lindsey Horan scored two goals for Lyonnais in the final and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. The tournament was held in Portland, Oregon, at Providence Park, which is the home of the Portland Thorns, a National Women’s Soccer League team. The Thorns were the defending champions, having won the ICC in 2021. This year, they lost to Monterrey on penalty kicks in the semifinals. The ICC is an annual competition among some of the best women’s club soccer teams in the world, such as England’s Chelsea FC Women’s team, which won the 2022 Women’s Super League. Chelsea lost to Lyonnais in…

When Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures were displayed thousands of years ago, they didn’t look like the plain white marble pieces people see today. Instead, they were painted in vibrant hues that have faded over time. The exhibition Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) in New York City is filled with reconstructions of those creations. Chroma is a collaboration between The Met and the Liebieghaus Sculpture Collection in Frankfurt, Germany. It features the work of archaeologists Dr. Vinzenz Brinkmann and Dr. Ulrike Koch-Brinkmann, who have researched and studied polychromy (multicolored ancient sculptures) for decades. The show contains 17 of their reconstructions, including a sphinx they created for The Met. To figure out what art may have looked like, original pieces are examined with…

Ratatouille (2007) (Disney+) This beloved film is set in France and follows a rat named Remy. While his family eats trash, Remy dreams of being a great chef just like his human idol, Auguste Gusteau. When Remy’s rat colony is found in the walls of a country home, all the critters flee and Remy is separated from his family. He ends up in Paris at Gusteau’s restaurant. When he sees a clumsy new hire named Alfredo mess up a soup, he steps in to fix it and Alfredo catches him. After the soup is a success, Alfredo decides to hide Remy under his chef hat so the rat can tell him how to make delicious dishes for the restaurant. Meanwhile, as Remy’s family searches for him, the restaurant owner grows…

(Feiwel and Friends) R.L. Stine, the author of the popular Goosebumps series, has written this new collection of 10 spooky stories. In the first one, called “Welcome to the In-Between,” a boy who is always running late breaks a watch and gets stuck in time. The next tale is about a girl who has to babysit the new neighbor’s children who are poorly behaved. It has a big surprise at the end. Another story centers on a group of kids who find a hole in the ground. What’s inside makes this a heart-pounding tale. Before each story begins, Stine explains how he came up with it. For instance, the babysitting plot was sparked by the experience he and his brother had caring for their younger cousins. You may want to…

Race for the Escape By Christopher Edge (Delacorte Press) Ami’s dad gets her a ticket to an escape room for her 12th birthday. She and four other kids are facing warriors and prehistoric beasts when they realize the scenarios in the escape room aren’t make-believe. Will they be able to save the world and themselves? Ages 9–12 Mr. Lemoncello’s All-Star Breakout Game By Chris Grabenstein (Random House Books for Young Readers) Kyle can’t wait for the start of a TV game show that involves players becoming characters inside a story. The players must solve puzzles in a comic book room, a horror room, and more. This suspense-filled book is the fourth in the Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series. Ages 8–12 The Lost Wonderland Diaries By J. Scott Savage (Shadow Mountain) Celia,…

Crisscross Each of these words about baseball fits into this grid. Can you find where each one goes to complete the grid? Each of these words about baseball fits into this grid. Can you find where each one goes to complete the grid? 4 letters GAME MITT TEAM 5 letters MOUND POP-UP SLIDE 6 letters RUNNER STRIKE 7 letters DIAMOND PENNANT PITCHER SLUGGER 8 letters OUTFIELD 9 letters GRAND SLAM SHORTSTOP 10 letters TRIPLE PLAY ALL THE SAME Each answer contains the letters P-R-O. Those letters have been placed for you. Can you figure out the words? 1. Protective garment for a cook 2. Say “I swear I’ll do it!” 3. Start to grow, like a plant does 4. Teacher of college students 5. Make better Spot the difference These…

“When I first heard about the war in Ukraine, I wanted to help. But I thought whatever I did would not make a difference. Then I thought again and said to myself, every penny makes a difference. I started a fundraiser where I asked restaurants in the town I live in to donate some of their profits from one evening of business to help Ukraine. My goal was to raise $5,000 to give to World Central Kitchen (WCK). I chose WCK because of its reputation—it has handed out more than one million meals in Ukraine. With a percentage of profits from five restaurants and donations from many friends, I have raised more than $9,000 and am on track to raise $10,000.” Have you done something interesting or raised money for…

Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Hamilton School Name: Leverett Elementary “Mrs. Hamilton is a really nice teacher! She lets us play fun learning games, such as Gimkit and Kahoot. She treats us with respect and care. I can always talk to her if I have a problem or a question. I can tell she loves being a teacher, and I wish I could have her next year too!” Beatrice, 9, Arkansas 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.…

The government of Tanzania announced on August 16 that Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain, now has high-speed internet access. Wifi is currently available for the lower two-thirds of the mountain and should be extended to the peak, at 19,341 feet, by the end of 2022. Each year, about 30,000 people try to climb Kilimanjaro, and 80,000 guides and other workers help them. The trek is difficult, and climbers often get hurt. Up to 10 people die on the mountain each year. Government officials said that wifi will increase safety, allowing people on the mountain to more easily communicate with rescue and medical workers. Some mountaineering experts, however, expressed concern that having wifi available on the mountain could pose a risk. Climbers could be distracted by social media or use inaccurate…

On August 8, about 30 agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched Mar-a-Lago, former President Donald Trump’s home and office in Palm Beach, Florida. Agents removed about 30 boxes of materials, including 11 sets of classified documents (sensitive information the government has determined should be kept from public view). This was the first time the FBI had searched the residence of a former President. What led to the search? Under the Presidential Records Act, every document a President generates while in office, whether it is classified or not, belongs to taxpayers and becomes the property of the government on the day the President leaves the job. After Trump left office in 2021, the National Archives (agency that handles the nation’s records) became concerned that documents created during his…

Gérardmer, France Protester drills holes in hot tubs A man in the town of Gérardmer, in northeastern France, has been detected on home security cameras drilling holes in homeowners’ hot tubs around the town, allowing all the water to escape. According to notes left at the homes, he is angry about water being wasted during the country’s drought (extreme lack of rain). His illegal actions are thought to have cost the owners nearly $80,000 in damages. Caceres, Spain Stone circle reappears A stone circle named the Dolmen of Guadalperal that dates back to about 5000 BCE has been spotted in central Spain. The circle, which was first found in 1926 but has been underwater since 1963, was revealed as the water level fell in the Valdecanas reservoir due to a…

Tasmanian kelp forests Forests of kelp had almost vanished from the seas off the Australian island of Tasmania because of warming waters. However, scientists have found a way to grow kelp in tanks that can stand up better to heat and then replant it in the ocean. Grasshopper sparrows Grasshopper sparrows are struggling to adjust to climate change, according to new research. This may be one reason why populations of the bird, which was once common throughout grasslands in North America, have been declining.…

Does it shrink? As visitors enter the main gate (at left) and look through its arches, the domed monument appears to be close and very large. But as they walk closer, it seems to shrink—appearing smaller than people expect it to be. Are the towers straight? The four tall minarets that surround the mausoleum look like they are standing straight up. In fact, they were constructed to lean outward, so that if they ever fell over, they would not damage the mausoleum. Where are the bodies? Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan are buried in the Taj Mahal, but they are not inside the beautiful cenotaphs (false tombs) in the mausoleum’s eight-sided chamber. Their bodies lie on a lower level, beneath the chamber.…

Scientists studying the effects of gardening found that participating in the activity twice a week can improve mental health. A team from the University of Florida studied 32 women between the ages of 26 and 49 who did not have any ongoing medical conditions. None of the women had gardened before. The researchers split the women into two groups. One group participated in gardening, while the other group took art classes. Both groups took part in their assigned sessions twice a week for four weeks. During the gardening sessions, the women performed tasks such as planting seeds, transferring plants to new pots, and tasting edible plants. After each session, participants answered questions measuring their anxiety, depression, and mood levels. They also had their blood pressure and heart rate monitored. While…

The United States Gymnastics Championships was held in Tampa, Florida from August 18–21. The event featured some of the top gymnasts in the country and ended with a close finish in the women’s competition. Konnor McClain, age 17, stunned the gymnastics world by claiming the women’s national all-around championship, narrowly edging out Shilese Jones, age 20. It was McClain’s first time competing in a senior nationals competition. The win came a year after she had struggled with anxiety and relocated from West Virginia to a new training center in Texas. McClain put together eight solid routines over two days to deliver a winning 112.750 all-around total score. “I never thought this could happen—ever,” McClain said. Jones had led the overall women’s competition after the first day of events but dropped…

Coach’s Name: Jason Winters Team: Alabama Crimson Tide (softball) “Coach Jason is an amazing coach. He is always finding new drills to help our team to improve at anything and everything. During our season he is always helping our team stay on track and will never hesitate to make a change to help us get better. He makes the seasons so much fun with his encouragement and positive attitude.” Ellie, 9, California 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.…

Star sculptor Phidias, who died around 430 BCE, was one of the most famous Greek sculptors. He was the artistic director of the Parthenon, an ancient temple in Athens, Greece. Unique craft In the 1st century, Romans used a complicated technique to produce jewelry, platters, and vessels made of cameo glass. The pieces usually had a dark blue background and were covered with opaque white figures. On display The Department of Greece and Rome at the British Museum in London, UK, has one of the world’s largest collections of artifacts from 5000 BCE to the 4th century. It contains more than 100,000 pieces.…

Big Nate (Paramount+) Sixth-grader Nate Wright continues to cause disasters at home and gets sent to detention at school in new episodes of the animated series based on Lincoln Peirce’s popular books. This batch of shows also introduces his grandparents and explores his friends’ backstories. Lost Ollie (Netflix) Inspired by the 2016 book Ollie’s Odyssey, this new four-part series is a hybrid of live-action and computer-generated animation. It tells a heartwarming story about a stuffed bunny that embarks on an epic adventure after he is taken from the boy that owns him. A Cowgirl’s Song (Netflix) In this music-filled film, Hailey and Brooke’s father is falsely accused of stealing, so they ask their grandmother, a retired music legend, to hold a concert so they can raise money to help him.…

When the World Was Ours “This book is about three best friends: Elsa, Max, and Leo. They are living in Nazi Germany, and because of Hitler, they have to move away from each other. Over the course of the book, each character changes from a little kid to a young adult. They hope to meet again, but if and when they do, it won’t be the same. This book has a bittersweet ending. Therefore, I suggest it for ages 11 and up.” Sanvi, 11, Texas Do you have a book to recommend? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com…

Graphic design is an art form that uses design elements, including images and text, to provide people with information. There are examples of it everywhere in daily life, including this magazine. Learning about graphic design can be helpful in many ways. For instance, if you want to make a poster to tell people about an activity you are working on, such as a bake sale or a play, following graphic design principles can make your poster stand out. Here’s how to get started. Recognize graphic design Besides being used to make magazines, graphic design is used to create other products. For instance, the packaging on food and consumer goods, such as shampoo and soap, is created when artists combine images and text. Websites and apps are made using graphic design.…

Many items that you frequently use, such as a TV remote or a calculator, are powered by batteries. Once those batteries no longer work, it’s important to correctly dispose of them. If you put them in your regular trash or recycling, the chemicals and heavy metals inside the batteries can leak and possibly contaminate nearby soil and water. To properly dispose of them, you’ll want to take them to a battery recycling center. Ask an adult to help you go online, or call your local community center to see if this service is offered in your area. You can also try visiting websites like call2recycle.org or biggreenbox.com to find a battery recycling center in your area.…

Inside an “amazement park” The world’s first “amazement park” has opened in Bristol, in the UK. The park, called Wake the Tiger, uses lights, sound, and costumes to transport visitors into a fabulous world. There’s a secret portal leading into magical tunnels, forests, and ice caves—each with a problem: They’re littered with Earth junk. The park’s goal is to inspire people to think and care about the world. Its creative director, Lak Mitchell, says visitors are invited to see the connections between people and the environment—ideally to help transform the Earth. Real OR fake? A tasty sea creature treat They’re slimy, they can sting you, and some are even deadly—not everybody’s idea of the perfect food. Even so, it turns out that jellyfish can be used to make a delicious…

“We brought The Week Junior on our travels to the Canadian Rockies!” Landon and Darren, 9, and Kyla, 7, California “We made paintings and sold them at our neighborhood artist bazaar to raise money for St. Jude Children’s hospital.” Aarna, 8, and Shriya, 9, North Carolina “We went to Chicago for my uncle’s wedding, and when we were there, we noticed the Art Institute’s Cezanne exhibit that we saw in The Week Junior.” Poppy, 9, and Julian, 7, Oregon…

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: Who is your favorite mythological character? “Athena. She inspired me to be brave and wise” “Medusa, because she has hair made of snakes and can turn people into stone.” “Artemis. She plays a really cool role in Percy Jackson.” “Hestia, the one who never fought with her Olympian siblings” In the big debate, we asked: Should people take off shoes indoors? “I think it’s what you are comfortable with” “Yes, it keeps the house cleaner.” “I would aways ask the owners if it is okay to keep them on or not.” “Yes, because houses are a place of comfort.” Now tell us:…

1 A French scientist tricked people on social media into thinking an image of what type of food was a photo of a star? a) Chorizo b) Roast beef c) Pulled pork a □ b □ c □ 2 True or false? The documentary Landis: JustWatch Me follows a teen hoping to make his high school basketball team. True □ False □ 3 How many new emoji are being considered for approval this year? 4 What does the name Taj Mahal mean in the Persian language? a) Grand Palace b) Crown Palace c) Majestic Palace a □ b □ c □ 5 True or false? Millions of years ago, the ancestors of modern penguins lived in warm environments. True □ False □ 6 Stinetinglers author R.L. Stine also wrote what…

On August 20, the spacecraft Voyager 2 marked 45 years in space, becoming NASA’s longest space mission. NASA (the US space agency) launched Voyager 2 in 1977 to study the solar system’s outer planets. It was the first, and remains the only, spacecraft to fly close to Neptune and Uranus. It has also gone beyond the solar system into interstellar space (the space between stars in a galaxy) and is now more than 12 billion miles away from Earth.…

Whether a customer is craving pizza, sushi, or a burrito, it’s at their fingertips with take-out apps such as DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats. All a hungry person has to do is open the app, scroll through an endless number of restaurant options, and have the food delivered to their door. That convenience and variety has made food delivery apps hugely popular, specifically in North America, Asia, and Europe, and especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many users say apps that bring provisions to people make life easier. Other people think they’re bad for local businesses. What do you think? Should take-out apps be banned? Yes—the convenience isn’t worth it Many restaurants say take-out apps are more trouble than they’re worth. Some apps take a huge bite of the money from…

Earlier this summer, the first bison to roam free in the UK after thousands of years were released into the countryside in England. As part of a project managed by two local conservation charities, a small herd of bison is now living freely on a nature reserve. The project’s goal in reintroducing these ancient animals is to transform the surrounding environment—currently a dense, man-made pine forest—back into a natural mixed woodland that can support a rich variety of wildlife. Bison love to eat tree bark. This can help control the growth of pine trees, creating trails through the forest and allowing more sunlight to reach the forest floor. They also love to roll around on the ground, which creates more open spaces. With more sun and space, there will be…

“Are tigers black with orange stripes or orange with black stripes?”Talia, 9, Connecticut MJ Foletta Carnivore keeper, Nashville Zoo Neither! Tigers have what we call true stripes. True stripes mean the pattern on their coat is the same pattern on their skin. If you were to do something crazy like shave a tiger, they would still be striped. An example of an animal without true stripes is a zebra. Zebras are black with white stripes. Do you have a question for a zookeeper? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about Nashville Zoo at nashvillezoo.org.…

Penguins are known for sliding on ice and plunging into chilly seas. But their ancestors led very different lives. Millions of years ago, penguins lived in warm climates and could fly. Now, in one of the largest studies of penguin evolution (changes to a living thing over a long period of time), an international research team has discovered how penguins took to the cold. Scientists believe penguins first lived in modern-day New Zealand and spread out across South America and Antarctica, at a time when the planet was warmer than it is now. “They lived through some of the hottest times in Earth’s history,” said Daniel Ksepka, a paleontologist (scientist who studies fossils) who worked on the study. Then, about 60 million years ago, the birds lost the ability to…

Atalented athlete who was born without legs or hands is the star of a new documentary. Landis: Just Watch Me follows Landis Sims, a teen from Indiana, who dreams of making his high school baseball team. The film is available to rent or own on cable TV and streaming platforms. Director Eric Cochran first spotted Landis when he was a young boy playing baseball at an event. He had prosthetic legs, held his bat tucked against his body, and was smashing balls into the outfield. “I was mesmerized,” Cochran told The Week Junior. The film checks in with Landis over the course of eight years. It shows him getting prosthetics that make it easier to move, working extra hard to improve his skills, and spending time with pitcher Joe Musgrove…

The variety of emoji that people can use on phones, computers, and other devices is about to expand. The Unicode Consortium, the group in charge of choosing the characters, has released a draft of 31 new designs that are currently up for approval. The official Emoji 15.0 list is expected in September. The number of new emoji will be smaller than usual. There were 112 new ones added in 2021 and more than 300 in 2020. Design ideas are submitted from people around the world, but because there are so many emoji already, the need for more is shrinking. Among the designs under consideration are a hair pick, a folding hand fan, maracas, and a shaking face. There are also “pushing” hands, with one that faces the right and one…

Did you love scary stories growing up? When I was a kid, there were these great comic books called Tales from the Crypt. They were really scary, and I loved them. Why do you add humor to your stories? Whenever a scene I’m writing starts to get too scary, I throw in something funny. I don’t want a story to be too intense. I also think humor and horror are very closely related. I think they get the same kind of reaction. Did you always want to be a writer? I wanted to be a cartoonist. I really wanted to draw comic books, but I couldn’t draw. So I had to be a writer. Zombie or mummy? I would definitely vote for mummy. I don’t like zombies. Favorite season? Summer.…

Canva Use the free version of this app to design creations like greeting cards, posters, and fliers. Start with a blank page to create your own design, or try one of the templates for inspiration. Desygner This free program offers easy-tofollow advice on how to combine images and text with its fun backgrounds. You could use it to make fliers and posters, for example. Google Drawings If you or a family member has a Google account, this program is available for use. You don’t have to download an app. It allows you to add your own images and text to make a design. Inkscape This free program features a drawing pencil tool. You can use it to create your own drawings or add special arrows or underlines to bring attention…

Our team cheered when we learned about an exciting new discovery made by researchers at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois (p2). After many years of effort and experiments by many scientists, this team found a way to break down harmful “forever chemicals.” This is a big deal because these chemicals pollute water, soil, and air and have been linked to serious health problems, including cancer. An interesting aspect of the story is that one of the researchers, Brittany Trang, initially thought the solution she was asked to try was “too simple.” Fortunately she tried it anyway—and was greatly surprised when it worked. What did you think of this news? Have you ever succeeded at something you were skeptical about? I would love to know. Write to me anytime at hello@theweekjunior.com.…