Innehållsförteckning för Issue 152 från The Week Junior US

Residents of countries that prioritize women’s rights tend to live longer, according to a new study. The research is believed to be the first to link gender equality with the length of people’s lives. What happened? The new study, released in the science journal PLOS Global Public Health, found that both women and men are likely to live longer in countries that adopt policies that advance women’s rights. A team at the George Institute for Global Health in Australia and Imperial College London, in the UK, examined data from 156 countries. It was gathered between 2010 and 2021 by the World Economic Forum (WEF). The team used it to develop a global gender gap index, which let them see how gender policies affect people’s life expectancy (the average time a…

AN IMPRESSIVE DISCOVERY A clam found in Florida was named Aber-clam Lincoln after calculations showed it was 214 years old—and born the same year as Abraham Lincoln. Experts returned the mature mollusk to the sea. “He’s earned the right to stay out there,” said one. VEGAN TREATS The Hershey’s candy company has updated two classics. The first plant-based Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, made with oat milk chocolate, goes on sale this month. A second vegan treat, an oat chocolate candy bar with almonds and sea salt, will hit store shelves in April. THANKING A VOLUNTEER Arlene Cole, age 92, is being honored for her long service as a volunteer weather observer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Every day for 65 years, Cole has recorded the high and low…

In recent years, a string of major museums have “gone free,” allowing people to view their exhibits without paying an admission charge. Reactions to the change have been mixed. Some people are celebrating the increased access, while others are concerned about how a loss of admission fees could affect museums. After the Hammer Museum in California dropped its ticket fee, attendance rose by about 15%, and the number of repeat visitors also increased. However, the Hammer and other museums have had to raise money from private donors to make up for lost income. What do you think? Should museum admission be free? Yes—art belongs to all of us Museums are like libraries of art, culture, and history. They belong to the public, and everyone should be able to visit. When…

Goffin’s cockatoos are rather clever. A study has revealed that these bright birds can use a set of tools and pick out the right tool for a task. Only two other species are known to be able to do this: humans and chimpanzees. Two years ago, researchers in Austria learned that cockatoos could craft their own tools from tree branches. The team recently studied 10 cockatoos to see if they understood how to use the tools. The birds were given a box with a cashew nut inside and then were offered two different tools. One was short and sharp, and the other was long and flexible. First, the birds had to slice through a thin paper barrier. Then they had to push the cashew out of the box. Six cockatoos…

Orchids are some of the most popular flowers in the world. The plants are prized for their uniquely shaped and brightly colored blooms. But there’s more to orchids than meets the eye. How orchids evolved The first orchids appeared 112 million years ago, when dinosaurs still walked the Earth. Orchids have evolved (changed very slowly over time) in ways that helped them survive for so long. Like most flowering plants, orchids rely on birds and insects to carry their pollen from one flower to another, which lets the plants reproduce. Pollen is usually powdery and falls off in flight, but about 64 million years ago, orchids evolved to have sticky balls of pollen that don’t fall off. Some orchids have creative ways to stick their pollen onto insects, such as…

After hearing five seconds of a song, listeners can tell if they will like it, according to new research from New York University (NYU). A team led by Pascal Wallisch, a data scientist at NYU, asked 643 people to listen to clips of 260 songs. The songs spanned a variety of genres, such as classical, jazz, hip-hop, and rock, from artists such as Beethoven, Elvis, and Nirvana. The team divided the songs into 3,120 clips of about five, 10, or 15 seconds that sampled different parts, like the intro or chorus. Listeners were asked to rate how much they liked a particular song or clip, from “hate it” to “love it.” They were also asked to describe how many times they had listened to a song before, ranging from “never”…

NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW What’s happening Each spring, the top college basketball teams play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament, also called March Madness. The field is made up of teams that won their conference tournaments and those chosen for their strong regular-season records. The winner of each game moves to the next round. Men’s teams to watch Alabama is the overall top-ranked team for the first time in the program’s history, but several experts have picked Houston to win it all. Keep an eye on Houston’s star freshman Jarace Walker, who may be drafted by the National Basketball League this year. Meanwhile, Jalen Wilson (averages 20.1 points per game) will try to help last year’s champion, Kansas, become the tournament’s first repeat champions since 2007. Another top contender…

Chang Can Dunk, one of the first young adult films with a main character who is an Asian male, is now on Disney+. The new comedy is an inspiring story about a basketball-obsessed teen. The movie follows Asian American high school student Chang (played by Bloom Li), who plays in the marching band and loves Pokémon and basketball. Hoping to impress his peers and his crush, he bets his school’s star basketball player that he can make a slam dunk by the last game of the season. Chang has 12 weeks to learn how to do it. The mission helps him gain confidence, learn to stop caring about what other people think of him, and strengthen his relationship with his mother. The film was written and directed by Jingyi Shao,…

Figment 2: Creed Valley is a new action-adventure musical game. It is out now for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox systems, and the PC. The first Figment game was released in 2017 and had a concept similar to the film Inside Out. It was set in the world Figment, which is actually a person’s mind. The main character, Dusty, used to be the voice of courage. Along with his optimistic friend Piper, he explored Figment, solved puzzles, and fought creatures representing nightmares. In Figment 2: Creed Valley, the nightmares are back. This time, they have broken the mind’s Moral Compass (what helps a person know the difference between right and wrong). Dusty and Piper travel across Figment and make stops in the parts of the mind that control abilities…

Is Leeva based on anyone? Yes, she’s based on what’s best about kids—she’s smart, funny, kind, and brave. But I’ve never known a child who was treated the way Leeva was. Did you have any pets growing up? Yes, we always had pets in our house—lots of them. Mostly dogs and cats, but after reading the classic children’s book Heidi, I insisted on raising a goat too! What helps you write? Something about swimming seems to free my mind, so I swim almost every day, and while I’m in the water, I always do my pre-writing. What do you like most about writing middle-grade books? Maybe everything! I love that middle-grade readers are the best readers in the world. Favorite pie to make? Right now, it’s key lime pie made…

Baseball Hand-eye coordination is important for being able to hit a baseball and send it flying. This same skill applies to hitting a golf ball off the tee. Soccer Running up and down a soccer field builds lower-body strength. This can help you be stable and strong for swinging your golf clubs. Soccer can also help build the endurance to play a full 18-hole game of golf. Tennis When you swing a tennis racket, you’re rotating your arms and shoulders. These are the same kinds of movements you need to comfortably handle a golf club. Kayaking Propelling a kayak through the water using a two-sided paddle can bolster your upper-body strength, which can help you develop a more powerful golf swing.…

Word search Can you find all these African countries in the grid? They are hidden horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and can be forward or backward. When you’re done, read the remaining letters to get a bonus message. ALGERIA BENIN CAMEROON CHAD EGYPT ERITREA GHANA GUINEA LIBYA MADAGASCAR NIGER RWANDA SENEGAL SIERRA LEONE SOMALIA SUDAN TOGO ZAMBIA FILL IN THE BLANKS Fill in the blanks in each sentence with two words so the second word is the same as the first word with the letters ER added at the end, like TOW and TOWER. 1. I thought the———— I captured was a butterfly, but when my ——————examined the wings, she pointed out how plain-colored they were. 2. Everyone told Dad he ——————warm up before he tried weightlifting, but now he’s injured…

If you want to share what’s great about your school, go to kids.theweekjunior.com/activities to print out a form. Fill it out, then have an adult email it to us at hello@theweekjunior.com. We’ll feature some of the submissions we receive on this page in future issues. IT’S YOUR TURN Email your news, views, and photos to hello@theweekjunior.com. We want to hear from you! To have your letters, photos, nominations, recommendations, or ideas considered for inclusion in the magazine, please include your full name, age, and state with your submission. By emailing your submission to us, you give The Week Junior consent to publish it in the magazine and online. Please get your parent/guardian’s permission before sending anything to us.…

Teacher’s Name: Mandy School: Homeschooled “I’m homeschooled and I think my mom should be Teacher of the Week to show how awesome she is. My entire school day only lasts about two hours, and I do things like math and language arts. I get a lot of time to do what I want during the day. I also have some other lessons because I like climbing and playing the violin and piano. My day is always pretty fun because of that.” Willow, 10, Maryland 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.…

A new study found that there are more than 170 trillion plastic particles in the world’s oceans, marking a major increase in plastic pollution over the past 15 years. Plastic pollution occurs when single-use plastics, like bags and straws, or fishing equipment, like nets, end up in the ocean. These items break down into smaller pieces called microplastics, which resemble confetti on the water’s surface and harm the environment, wildlife, and people. Scientists studied about 12,000 samples taken from the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea between 1979 and 2019. The highest rate of increase occurred after 2005, when global plastic production increased. The team urged government leaders and the plastic industry to make fewer plastic products to begin with, use more recycled materials, and improve manufacturing…

A late-winter storm has struck huge areas of California, bringing extreme rain and snow that has flooded roads, damaged buildings, and triggered rescues and evacuations. The storm followed a winter in which California has been repeatedly hit by heavy rain and snowfall. What happened? Starting March 10, the coastal ranges of central California and the lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains were hit by heavy precipitation (snow and rain) from atmospheric rivers. An atmospheric river is when water vapor from the ocean gets swept up by wind currents and is carried for thousands of miles in the air, appearing like rivers in the sky. Higher in the mountains, the storm dumped one to two feet of snow. What were some of the effects? In Monterey County, more than 8,500…

After more than 30 years in the US Senate (one half of Congress), Dianne Feinstein of California is retiring. She has announced she will serve out her current term but will not seek reelection in 2024. As the longest-serving female senator in US history, she has played a major role in American politics. Feinstein, age 89 and a Democrat, was raised in San Francisco, California, and attended Stanford University. Her career included many firsts. She was the first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (the city’s governing body) and served as San Francisco’s first female mayor from 1878 to 1988. In 1992, she was elected California’s first female US senator. Some of Feinstein’s work in California involved improving its water systems and decreasing forest fires. In the…

Scientists around the world are working together to protect coral from disease and the effects of global warming. In indoor tanks, researchers are breeding different types of coral so they can return the strongest ones to the ocean. Coral reefs have been called “rainforests of the sea” because they are home to millions of species of fish, crabs, clams, starfish, squid, sponges, lobsters, sea turtles, and more. Coral reefs also provide a barrier along coastlines to protect the land from waves, storm surges, and floods. Scientists estimate that since 1950, the planet has lost half of these important reefs. The greatest threat to the reefs is climate change (long-term changes in weather patterns, largely due to human activities). Corals look like plants or rocks but are actually small, soft animals…

Cheetahs Twelve cheetahs have arrived in India from South Africa. Along with a group of eight cheetahs from Namibia, they are part of a project to restore the species’ population in India, where the last native wild cheetahs died out in 1952. Eurasian lynx Without help, Eurasian lynxes could disappear from France within 30 years, according to new research. An estimated 150 of the wild cats live in France’s Jura mountains. Illegal hunting and car accidents are among the reasons for their decline.…

Expert codebreakers have deciphered letters written in code by Mary, Queen of Scots, a 16th century Scottish queen. Also known as Mary Stuart, she was queen of Scotland from 1542–67 and queen consort (wife of the king) of France from 1559–60. Mary was famously imprisoned in England in 1568, by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I. At the time, Roman Catholics and Protestants (two branches of Christianity) were fighting. Mary was Catholic and Elizabeth was Protestant. Mary wrote to her supporters from prison using a code made of symbols. The letters were smuggled out by trusted advisers. After 19 years in prison, Mary was accused of taking part in a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth. She was executed (killed as a punishment for a crime) in 1587. The team of codebreakers…

Over the years, several books by award-winning author Kate DiCamillo have been turned into films. The latest one is The Magician’s Elephant, which is now in select theaters and streaming on Netflix. The film is based on the 2009 book of the same name. The story is set in Baltese, a town that lost hope after a war. The main character is a kind orphan named Peter. His family died in the war, but he believes his sister is alive and wants to find her. He visits a fortune teller, who mysteriously says to “follow the elephant.” He’s confused at first, but soon her message makes sense. Producer Julia Pistor told The Week Junior she wanted to adapt the book into a movie because it was a “wonderful story about…

“This is the first of a nine-episode Star Wars saga. In the films, the Jedi Knights have been the guardians of peace in the galaxy for thousands of years. A longtime enemy is on the rise, and two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, are on a mission to rescue the queen of the planet Naboo from grave danger. Along the way, they discover Anakin Skywalker, a young slave boy on the desert planet of Tatooine. I love the perfect blend of science fiction, action, and comedy that this movie series provides.” Nina, 13, Texas Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other kids? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

By Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Matthew Cordell (Balzer + Bray) Leeva is age 8 or 9, but she doesn’t know her exact age because her parents have never told her. Her mom is the town’s mayor and her father is the treasurer, and they only want power, fame, and money. They forbid Leeva from leaving the house and don’t let her go to school. One day she sneaks out and discovers the library. She’s so happy to see a place with books. There, she meets Mrs. Flowers, the librarian, who has trouble walking and needs an elevator to do her job. But Leeva’s mom has kept the library from installing an elevator. As Leeva sneaks out and visits places, she realizes that her parents are truly awful. She tries to…

Akim Aliu: Dreamer By Akim Aliu and Greg Anderson Elysée, illustrated by Karen De la Vega and Marcus Williams (Graphix) Akim Aliu, a Canadian who played in the National Hockey League, tells his inspiring story. As a child, he was the only Black player on his team and wasn’t welcomed. As a professional, he also endured racism. Ages 12 and up Play Like a Girl By Misty Wilson, illustrated by David Wilson (Balzer + Bray) When Misty Wilson was in seventh grade, she was the only girl on her school’s football team. This memoir (story of her life) shows how her passion for football affected her friendships. Misty’s friends tell her that playing football is “weird,” and she feels confused about staying on the team. Ages 8–12 Hoops By Matt…

What you need Recycled plastic tennis ball container or metal coffee can Permanent marker Chopstick or small twig Pushpin and nail Scissors String Can opener Acrylic craft paint Paintbrush Hot glue gun Bird seed Instructions 1. To make a bird feeder out of a tennis ball container, first make “perches” for the birds to stand on as they eat. With the marker, make two dots across from each other on the container. With adult supervision, use a pushpin to pierce each dot to make a hole, then carefully poke with the nail to enlarge. 2. Continuing with an adult’s help, rotate the tip of a scissors’ blade to enlarge holes just enough to stick a chopstick or twig in. Push chopstick or twig through the holes, so it extends a…

The world’s most delicious sport Tony Gemignani is a pizza athlete who competes in the sport of pizza acrobatics. It involves tossing, spinning, and performing gravity-defying tricks with mounds of pizza dough. “It’s hard,” he said. “You’d be surprised.” Pizza acrobats are judged on factors such as creativity, skill with the hands, and the difficulty of their routines. Gemignani’s ability to twirl dough up to 15 feet in the air has earned him 13 championship titles at world pizza competitions and several Guinness World Records titles. “It’s so rewarding,” he said. Real OR fake? Cat beats castle in tourist vote There’s a new king in the Polish city of Szczecin. Gacek, a tubby black-and-white cat who hangs out on Kaszubska Street, has become the city’s most popular tourist attraction. After…

“Reading The Week Junior helped pass the time while waiting in line at the new Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios.”Cameron, 10, California “This was my first dish that I made all by myself. The veggie miso fried rice from your How To page was very good!”Winston, 12, New York “I can’t wait to read my new book from the Reader Recommends section.”Frances, 10, Vermont…

How much of this week’s news can you remember? 1 A group of cheetahs recently arrived in what country in an effort to restore the animal’s population there? a) India b) South Africa c) Namibia a □ b □ c □ 2 Michelle Yeoh was the first Asian woman to win an Academy Award in what category? 3 What is the name of the main character in the video game Figment 2: Creed Valley? a) Piper b) Dusty c) The Jester a □ b □ c □ 4 True or false? It takes at least a minute for people to know if they will like a song. True □ False □ 5 Codebreakers recently deciphered letters written by what historical royal figure? 6 Which instrument did legendary jazz musician Wayne…

March 23, 1857 First commercial elevator is used On March 23, 1857, the world’s first commercial passenger elevator gave people a lift up five floors of a department store in New York City. It was designed by Elisha Otis and powered by a steam engine. The creation of elevators is believed to have helped make the building of skyscrapers possible. Today, there are more than one million Otis elevators and escalators in operation worldwide.…

This forest’s 894,836 acres are a gateway to three of the five Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, and Huron—and also include islands, lighthouses, and scenic trails. Its Point Iroquois Lighthouse and Peninsula Point Lighthouse are in the National Register of Historic Places. Peninsula Point is also a popular place to view monarch butterflies and migratory birds. In the mornings, chickadees, nuthatches, and other birds create a “woodland concert” near the Au Train Songbird Trail. Other wildlife in the forest include black bears, gray wolves, coyotes, whitetail deer, eagles, and hawks.…

Sara Morgan Senior keeper, Oregon Zoo “Why do tortoises have a little head and a big body?”Lucy, 10, California To stay safe from predators, a tortoise retracts its head into its body using strong neck muscles. Its head needs to be small enough to fit comfortably inside its shell. Even giant tortoises—the largest of the species—have pretty small heads compared with how large their shells and bodies are. Do you have a question for a zookeeper? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about Oregon Zoo at oregonzoo.org.…

Cap_able created clothing to block facial recognition, a computer technology that identifies people in photos or in real time. It can be used to unlock phones and track employees at work. Some people, however, prefer not to be identified. The clothing uses bright, complicated patterns that facial recognition programs interpret as an animal print, such as that of a giraffe’s fur or a zebra’s coat. Once the computer matches the pattern to an animal, it does not bother to scan the face for a human match.…

Because of Winn-Dixie In this film, Opal moves with her father to a small town. A friendly stray dog helps her make friends, land a job, and become part of her new community. Flora & Ulysses This funny movie revolves around a girl named Flora who rescues a squirrel she names Ulysses. He ends up gaining superhero powers and helps her look at the world in a new way. The Tiger Rising Rob, a boy whose mother has died and who is bullied at school, is at the center of this magical drama. It follows what happens after he finds a caged tiger living in the forest behind his home.…

Kiff (Disney+) This new comedy series is set in a world where animals and magical oddballs lead lives like humans do. It centers on upbeat squirrel Kiff and her chill best friend Barry, a bunny. In each episode they navigate school, relationships, and drama in the community of Table Town. Restaurants at the End of the World (NatGeo) (Disney+) In this new documentary series, chef Kristen Kish travels the globe to discover the people, cultures, and secret ingredients behind restaurants in remote locations. She visits an island off the coast of Maine as well as Panama, Norway, and Brazil. We Lost Our Human (Netflix) Ham, a pet dog, and Pud, a pet cat, wake up one morning to discover that every human on Earth has disappeared. They set out on…

By Gordon Korman “This is one of the best series I have ever read. The main characters, Eli, Amber, Tori, and Malik, live in a town called Serenity. When Eli and his friend Randy ride their bikes out of town, something weird happens. Then Randy moves, and leaves a note saying the town is ‘fishy.’ This book is great for anyone who likes suspense, adventure, and daring with a touch of humor.” Mabel, 12, Montana Do you have a book to recommend? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

More than 66 million people around the world play golf. Many people say they enjoy the sport because there are endless possibilities—you can play a short game or a long one, and every golf course is different. People of all ages can take part, too, so you can play with anyone from your friends to your grandparents. Here’s how to get started. Know the basics The basic premise of golf has remained the same since the game was invented hundreds of years ago. Using metal sticks called clubs, players take a stroke (swing) to hit a small ball into holes on a golf course. Courses typically have 9 or 18 holes and can have challenging obstacles like sand traps and ponds. The winner is the player who hits the ball…

As the weather warms up, consider riding your bike more often to get around your neighborhood instead of asking family members to drive you places. By hopping on a bike, you’ll be getting fresh air and exercise and helping the environment too. Unlike motor vehicles, bicycles don’t use up resources like gas and fuel or cause air or noise pollution. You could consider asking other kids in your neighborhood if they would like to bike to school, into town, or to weekend activities with you. Be sure to wear a helmet, obey traffic laws, bring a bottle of water, and lock up your bike safely at your destination.…

This year marked the 95th time the Academy Awards honoring excellence in film have been given out, and more than 18 million people watched the ceremony on TV (p5). I always enjoy seeing which actors, actresses, directors, musicians, special effects experts, and other professionals win the top honors. I also enjoy watching the nominees and other guests walk the red carpet (which was a champagne color this year) before the awards, dressed in their finest. It was especially fun to see Pinocchio and Marcel the Shell, stars of two movies nominated in the Best Animated Feature Film category, participate in the festivities. (I thought Marcel looked quite dapper in a tuxedo and dress shoes!) What is your favorite film and why? We invite you to share a movie review using…