Innehållsförteckning för Issue 166 från The Week Junior US

On June 13, former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty in a Miami, Florida, courtroom to charges related to his handling of classified documents after leaving office. He is the first US President to be charged with federal (national) crimes. Trump is also a candidate for President in the 2024 election. What happened? On June 8, Trump said on social media that he was being indicted (pronounced in-dited), which means to be charged with a crime. The next day, Special Counsel Jack Smith confirmed the news. A special counsel is a lawyer appointed by the US Department of Justice (DOJ, the government’s law enforcement agency) to investigate a case fairly, without any political bias. Smith based the charges on the findings of a grand jury (a group of citizens who…

Paris, France Artwork shown for first time Sketches and paintings by the Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson will be shown in public for the first time this fall at an exhibition in Paris. Jansson is best known for her illustrated stories of troll-like creatures called Moomins. Jansson, who died in 2001 at age 86, also produced paintings, novels, and political cartoons during her lifetime. The exhibition will also showcase the work of other artists who inspired Jansson. Djenné, Mali Children replaster mosque walls Thousands of people gathered recently to repair the walls of the Great Mosque in Djenné. The work is needed every year to protect the Muslim place of worship, which is the world’s largest mud-brick building. The work is done before the start of the rainy season,…

This 76-mile, free-flowing river was designated a National Wild and Scenic River, a place deserving of special protection and recognition, in 1991. It is home to more than 230 waterfalls, including Smith Falls, the highest waterfall in the state. Historic bridges dating as far back as the late 1800s span the river, which is a popular site for canoeing, tubing, and kayaking. About 160 plants and animals, including the Baltimore oriole, Pearl dace fish, and the American bison, live in the area. More than 90 species of butterflies have been seen in the valley.…

Seahorse Researchers discovered that seahorses have a very powerful gulp, which helps them catch prey even though they have no teeth. Instead, two tendons (rope-like body tissues) act like springs and quickly pull in water to suck up their prey. • LIFE SPAN: One to five years in the wild • HABITAT: Shallow tropical waters and reefs • SIZE: Half an inch to about 14 inches long • DIET: Small crustaceans, such as shrimp • FUN FACT: Seahorses don’t have stomachs but eat constantly—up to 3,000 brine shrimp a day.…

Birds The Grand Canyon is home to nearly 450 species of birds, including the peregrine falcon (right), the fastest animal in the world. Mammals More than 90 species of mammals, from bats to bison, can be found in Grand Canyon National Park. Visitors often see elk and mule deer. Bighorn sheep (right) are the largest animals native to the canyon. Reptiles About 48 reptile species, including the yellow-backed spiny lizard (right), live in the park. The Grand Canyon rattlesnake can’t be found anywhere else in the world. Insects There are 1,443 species of invertebrates—most of them insects or arachnids—in the canyon. This includes nearly 300 moth and butterfly species (like the one at right), as well as tarantulas and scorpions.…

Saturn has regained its title as the planet with the greatest number of moons. Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, held the title with 95 moons. However, astronomers (scientists who study space, stars, and planets) recently discovered 62 additional moons of Saturn, bringing its total to 145. The newly found moons do not resemble Earth’s Moon. They’re small—no more than two miles across—and shaped like potatoes. They orbit about 6 million to 18 million miles from Saturn’s surface, and most of them are clustered in groups. Two international teams of scientists, led by Edward Ashton of Taiwan and Scott Sheppard of the US, used a pair of telescopes in Hawaii to capture images of the planet. Then they layered multiple images on top of one another so that…

On June 12, the Denver Nuggets became the 2023 National Basketball Association (NBA) champions after beating the Miami Heat, 94–89, in Game 5 of the seven-game NBA Finals. It is the first title in the team’s history. Entering the playoffs, the Nuggets were the top-seeded (ranked) team in the Western Conference. The Heat were the eighth and lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, and they knocked out the top two teams in the East on their way to the finals. The finals began in Denver, Colorado, on June 1. The Nuggets won the opening game, and the Heat took Game 2. The Nuggets then won Games 3 and 4 in Miami, Florida. In Game 3, Nuggets stars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray each had a 30-point triple-double (reaching double-digits in…

Coach’s Name: Amanda Blaha Team: NOVA Swim “Coach Amanda has always been inspirational and has always cheered us on in everything we find difficult. Whenever we are struggling with something, she always makes sure we do it and our hard work pays off! I have had her for more than two and a half years, and she has consistently been supportive every time I struggled to master a stroke. Despite our time gains, she has always been happy with our swimming.” Amishi, 13, Virginia 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.…

Upside-Down Magic This series by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins launched in 2016. It is set at a school for magic. The first book features a girl whose shapeshifting doesn’t work the way it should. The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez Adrianna Cuevas’ 2020 novel is about a Cuban American boy who can talk to animals. When he moves to a new town, he needs to use his special skill to catch a shapeshifting witch called a tule vieja. Weird Kid In Greg Van Eekhout’s 2021 sci-fi adventure, Jake is a 12-year-old who looks like a typical boy, but he used to be a pile of goo. When his town is filled with goo-filled sinkholes, Jake and his friend try to find out why.…

Our Planet II (Netflix) The award-winning documentary series narrated by world-famous naturalist Sir David Attenborough is back. This season explores why animals migrate. Expect stunning landscapes and close looks at creatures on the move, such as a gathering of walruses in eastern Russia. Stars on Mars (Fox) Mondays at 8 pm ET This new reality competition series features 12 celebrities, including actors and top athletes, living in an environment that simulates life on Mars. They have to complete missions, and one person will be voted out each week. The goal is to be the last star remaining. The Snoopy Show (Apple TV+) Based on characters from the popular Peanuts comic strip, this animated series centers on Snoopy, a cheerful beagle. New episodes find him on a treasure hunt, leading a…

Which character would you most want to have as a friend? Why? What part of the book made you laugh the most? How did being in Paris make each character feel like a new kid? Do you think Jordan should be allowed to go to art school? Why or why not? What are some of the assumptions the book’s characters make based on a person’s race? Is there a situation in the book that you’ve personally experienced? What fun details did you notice in the artwork?…

Get tickets Many libraries offer free or discounted tickets to zoos, aquariums, museums, and baseball games. Take home tech Libraries may lend tablets, chargers, and more. The Brooklyn Public Library in New York loans out laptops to kids ages 13 and up. Learn a hobby Many libraries offer special classes, from knitting to photography. Some work with local astronomy clubs to loan out telescopes for stargazing. Check out gear There are libraries that loan out gear for outdoor fun, from hiking boots to backpacks to camping tents. Play games Many libraries have games, including puzzles and board games, on-site. Some also have workshops to help kids learn how to play chess. They may also host tournaments.…

World’s oldest dog lives it up The world’s oldest dog, Bobi, recently celebrated his 31st birthday. To mark the occasion, more than 100 guests came to a party at his home in Conqueiros, Portugal. Local meats and fish were served, with extra for the guest of honor. A dance troupe also performed. Bobi is a Rafeiro do Alentejo, a Portuguese breed that is typically used to guard livestock. In February, he beat out a chihuahua mix named Spike to claim the title of oldest dog. His owner said the dog has lived so long because of his calm, peaceful surroundings. “Bobi is one of a kind,” he said. A luxurious lifestyle on the go The motor home of the future looks something like a lighthouse crossed with a caravan. A…

Show us your favorite book! If you’re enjoying our Summer of Reading campaign, we’d love to know about it. Take a photo of yourself holding a book you recommend, and tell us why it’s a good read. Have an adult email your submission to us at hello@theweekjunior.com. We will publish a selection of submissions in Issue 171. Our full list of “The 50 Books Kids Love Most “and information about how to win prizes is at kids.theweekjunior.com/summerofreading. Finally, don’t miss our interview with Author Ambassador Jerry Craft on page 23! 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…

How much of this week’s news can you remember? 1 The world’s oldest dog, Bobi, recently turned what age? 2 True or false? There are 95 moons orbiting the planet Saturn. True □ False □ 3 The University of Oklahoma softball team set a college record by winning how many games in a row? a) 33 b) 43 c) 53 a □ b □ c □ 4 What is the term for a species whose ecosystem could not exist without it? 5 When was the first map of the Grand Canyon believed to have been produced? a) 1836 b) 1869 c) 1893 a □ b □ c □ 6 True or false? Brontotheres, also called “thunder beasts,” were the first mammals to grow to large sizes. True □ False □…

Canada is on track to have its worst wildfire season on record, government officials said. Hundreds of fires have burned over 12 million acres across the nation since April. More than 100,000 people have had to evacuate their homes, and hundreds of buildings have been destroyed. Experts say the number of fires is about 25% higher than average due to warming temperatures and drought (long period without rain). When The Week Junior went to press, 445 fires were active in many provinces (similar to states), including Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta. About 1,000 firefighters from the US, France, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa traveled to Canada to help put out the fires. Rain had helped get fires under control in the province of Nova Scotia. Smoke from the fires drifted…

By a vote of 5–4, the Supreme Court (highest US court of law) issued a ruling that upheld a key part of the Voting Rights Act. The decision means that Black voters in Alabama will have a fair opportunity to choose who represents them in Congress (branch of government that makes laws). What is the Voting Rights Act? The Voting Rights Act was signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. It banned any voting practice that discriminated against people based on their race. Before the law was passed, Black Americans in some states faced unfair obstacles to voting, such a paying a tax or taking a literacy test. White Americans didn’t have to follow these steps in order to vote. The act has since been expanded to…

If a character in a book says “Duck,” you might think they’re pointing out a nearby bird. But if they say “Duck!” it’s clear they’re warning someone else to get down quickly, right? Punctuation, such as exclamation points, has been around for thousands of years and is an important tool for conveying meaning. It can indicate the end of a sentence, a pause, a question, or—in the exclamation point’s case—a strong emotion or urgent instruction. But some writers think exclamation points are unacceptable and unnecessary. They say the writing should tell the reader everything they need to know. What do you think? Are exclamation points necessary? Yes—they serve an important purpose! Exclamation points are a valid punctuation mark that can be traced back to a 14th-century Italian scholar. No one…

Experts have found that Juan Fernández fur seals have been exposed to toxic metals but are somehow staying healthy. The rare seals live around the Juan Fernández islands in the Pacific Ocean. A recent study of the seals’ droppings found some of the highest levels of two metals—mercury and cadmium—ever seen in a mammal’s poop. Cadmium is usually poisonous to mammals, but it doesn’t seem to have harmed these seals. The scientists think the seals might be getting the cadmium from tiny plants called phytoplankton, which use the metal to turn sunlight into energy. Bigger creatures called zooplankton eat the phytoplankton. Those creatures are then eaten by fish, squid, and octopuses, which are then eaten by fur seals. Gradually, cadmium builds up in the seals’ bodies. The scientists think the…

“How long do bears hibernate?”Paige, 9, Arizona Kerry Nicholson Wildlife research biologist, Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game It depends on species, cubs, and location. In cold parts of Alaska, brown bears and black bears can hibernate for seven to nine months! Black bears in Florida may hibernate for two weeks. Bears with newborn cubs will hibernate longer. Polar bears with no cubs may not hibernate at all. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the Alaska Department of Fish and Game at adfg.alaska.gov.…

A new study has revealed how brontotheres, a group of mammals known as “thunder beasts,” grew to be as big as rhinoceroses. These extinct (no longer existing) creatures were closely related to horses and the first mammals to grow to large sizes. The biggest of them stood more than 8 feet tall and weighed more than 6,000 pounds. When dinosaurs still roamed the Earth, mammals were small, typically no heavier than 22 pounds. It was after dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago that mammals evolved (changed very slowly over time) to get bigger. Few grew as big, as quickly, as the brontotheres. When they appeared about 54 million years ago in what is now North America, they weighed about 40 pounds, about the size of coyotes. They grew to…

TENNIS The French Open, one of the four most important international tennis tournaments of the year known as the Grand Slams, ended on June 11. The men’s champion was third-seeded (ranked) Novak Djokovic. He now has 23 Grand Slam titles, the most of any male player in history. The women’s singles winner was top-seeded Iga Swiatek, who earned her third French Open and fourth Grand Slam title. SOCCER Manchester City beat Inter Milan, 1–0, on June 10 to win the UEFA Champions League and become Champions of Europe. With the win, they completed a rare “treble,” which is three major tournament wins in a season. WOMEN’S BASKETBALL On June 8, the Connecticut Sun broke the undefeated Las Vegas Aces’ seven-game winning streak with a 94–77 victory. DeWanna Bonner scored a…

At the world-renowned Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, a new exhibit highlights the origins of glassmaking and glassblowing. Dig Deeper: Discovering an Ancient Glass Workshop presents artifacts from Jalame, a 4th-century glass workshop. The exhibit also features an interactive experience. It is open through January 2024. Nearly 60 years ago, scientists from the Corning Museum and the University of Missouri found Jalame’s remains in what is now modern-day Israel. They excavated the site and analyzed the techniques used during that time period to make glass. Their findings have informed much of what people know about ancient glass today. The museum’s exhibit features about 75 objects from Jalame, which are on loan from the Israel Antiquities Authority. Many of the items have never left Israel before. Visitors can…

Planet of Lana is a new sci-fi puzzle game. It is out now for the PC and Xbox consoles. It was inspired by the films of Studio Ghibli, the famous Japanese animation studio that created movies such as Spirited Away and Ponyo, and has a hand-painted visual style. Most Ghibli movies feature a brave young person forced to deal with dangerous events and powerful spirits, and Planet of Lana is no different. You play as a teen named Lana who lives on a beautiful planet. When her village is invaded by a mysterious alien machine army, Lana’s sister, Ilo, is captured. Lana is able to escape the invasion, but instead of simply running away, she and a loyal cat-like companion, Mui, decide to find and rescue her. To free Ilo,…

Was it difficult when your work kept getting rejected? Yes, but it didn’t stop me from making books. I ended up self-publishing more than 25 books before New Kid. When I’d visit schools to promote them, no one had read them in advance. Now I go to a school and there are 300 kids who have read my work. Do you have a favorite letter from a fan? Yes, one reader sent me an email that said, “I love your book so much because your book understands me.” What did you read as a child? I loved comics. But there was nothing I hated more than reading books. I never found a book where I saw myself. I was a grown man reading to my own kids before I realized…

Welcome to the second week of The Week Junior’s Summer of Reading campaign! In this issue, we have an interview with Jerry Craft, one of our Author Ambassadors. His new book, School Trip, is a companion to New Kid, the first graphic novel to win the prestigious Newbery Medal. Gail, one of our senior editors, told me her 11-year-old daughter, Fiona, recently read School Trip and loved it! This week we’ve also included books about shape-shifters, a theme in the new film Nimona, which is based on a graphic novel (p20). When you add these picks to “The 50 Books Kids Love Most” list we published last week, you have even more exciting options for summer reading material. (You can get the list at kids.theweekjunior.com/summerofreading.) If you’re still looking for…

“My family and I loved the no-bake cheesecake bars from the May 26 issue!”Solomon, 9, Maine “I read the issue on The Little Mermaid and found out about the diabetes research in the Science section. I actually have Type 1 diabetes and was really excited to hear the news! Thank you for informing me of the news around the globe!”Shirin, 12, Texas “I love the Animals and the Environment page. I always show appreciation to Mother Nature.”Jasper, 8, California…

A BIG BIRTHDAY The largest crocodile in captivity celebrated what’s believed to be his 120th birthday. Cassius, who is 17 feet 11 inches long, lives at Marineland Crocodile Park in Australia. “He still has a lot of spark in him,” his keeper said. BAKING UP A STATE COOKIE A fourth grader baked a treat so tasty it’s now Alabama’s official state cookie. Mary Claire Cooke won a school contest with her recipe for Yellowhammer cookies, made with local ingredients like pecans, peanuts, and oats. State leaders, including the governor, approved it. SOARING BOOK SALES After a Florida school restricted young readers from accessing one of poet Amanda Gorman’s books, people began buying it in protest—and now she’s on the best-seller list. The Hill We Climb contains the poem Gorman read…

Christian Cooper has been bird watching since he was about 9 years old. Now the birder and science writer, age 60, is highlighting the world of birds in a new National Geographic series, Extraordinary Birder with Christian Cooper. The first season will premiere on Disney+ on June 21. In 2020, Cooper, a Black man, made national news when a white woman falsely accused him of threatening her while he was bird watching in New York City. A video of the incident spread on social media and sparked conversations about racial bias. When they learned what happened, producers at Nat Geo Wild approached Cooper about doing a show on birding. “I became, for a time, the most famous birder in America,” Cooper told The Week Junior about the incident. He said…

About 60 dung beetles have been released into the Etang de Cousseau, a wetland nature reserve on the southwestern coast of France. The insects’ job is to help restore the area’s ecosystem (community of living things that affect one another). The dung beetles are a keystone species. This means they are so important to the ecosystem that it could not exist without them. In the nature reserve, they will eat the dung (poop) of Marine Landaise cows, a breed of free-roaming cattle that live there. This will help to recycle important nutrients in the soil. Dung beetles used to live all over the Landes de Gascogne region, but they disappeared in the 1960s when the number of wild cattle decreased. Because the cows are suited to living in wetlands, their…

Tree conservation Scientists used images from satellites to map every tree in Africa. They found that 30% of the trees aren’t in forests but are scattered across farmland, grassy plains, and towns. The technology could help monitor tree loss around the world. The ocean’s twilight zone Scientists say that life between about 650 and 3,300 feet below the surface of the sea is at risk because of the warming of the ocean. Species living in this zone could decline by up to 40% by the end of the century if temperatures continue to rise.…

In the Arizona desert, a vast canyon cuts through the Earth. Nearly 40 layers of rock stripe its walls red, orange, purple, and pink. How it formed Nearly 2 billion years ago, intense heat and pressure formed the canyon’s “basement rocks.” The area was later covered by a shallow sea and, eventually, sand dunes. Over time, many types of sediment (material moved by wind or water) settled on top and hardened into strata (rock layers). Between 70 million and 30 million years ago, pieces of the Earth’s crust shifted and the region was pushed upward, forming the Colorado Plateau. Then, about 5 million to 6 million years ago, the Colorado River began cutting a channel through the rock. Water and wind gradually eroded more rock to form an enormous canyon.…

The GoBoat 2.0 is a lightweight, inflatable motorized boat designed for fishing, cruising, and exploring on the water. The circular craft, which holds one person, inflates in minutes and was designed to be sturdy enough for a fun game of bumper boats. The GoBoat can be inflated with a hand pump and has three air chambers for extra stability. It’s powered by a five-speed electric motor and cruises for several hours at up to 5 mph. When it’s time to go home, the boat can be deflated, packed up in a bag, and stashed in a closet.…

For the third straight year and seventh time ever, the University of Oklahoma are the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) champions. On June 8, the softball team defeated Florida State University to take the title. Only one other team, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), has ever won three consecutive championships. The victory was part of a 53-game winning streak for Oklahoma, which began in February. It is the longest streak in college softball history. The championship tournament began in May with 64 teams. Oklahoma was the top-ranked team and Florida State was number three. Eight teams made the WCWS, which was played at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. To clinch the title, a team must win two out of three games in…

An animated film based on ND Stevenson’s best-selling graphic novel Nimona is heading to big and small screens. It will be released in select movie theaters on June 23 and arrives on Netflix on June 30. Fans of the book will notice some differences in the film, but the general story remains the same. Nimona is set in a futuristic medieval world where a knight, Ballister Boldheart, has been framed for a crime. He ends up being helped by Nimona, a funny and mischievous teen who is also a shape-shifter who is considered dangerous. “It’s a big, comedic action-adventure with knights, monsters, lasers, horses, and flying cars,” co-director Troy Quane told The Week Junior. “Underneath all this are some honest and amazing characters that have an incredible message about acceptance…

Secrets of Sulphur Springs (Disney Channel, Disney+) “This show has three seasons. It is about the Campbell family and their son Griffin, who move into an old hotel in Sulphur Springs, Louisiana. Everyone thinks the hotel is haunted because a girl, Savannah, disappeared 30 years ago. In the first season, Griffin meets a girl named Harper, and he gives her a tour of the basement. There, he spots a bunker that lets them time travel. Will they use it to save Savannah? Is she really a ghost? I like that the show is scary and that you never know what is going to happen. I also like how they solve mysteries.” Alice, 11, New York Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other kids? Send your review…

The last year in middle school for Jordan, Drew, Liam, and other characters from the award-winning graphic novel New Kid is shaping up to be the most exciting one yet. Jordan, who loves to draw, gets accepted to a prestigious art high school. Plus, the whole gang is going to Paris, France, on a school trip! But the trip gets off to a rocky start. Instead of having the French and art teachers serve as chaperones, a science teacher and the soccer coach fill in at the last minute. Some problems begin at the airport, and there is friendship drama about who will room together at the hotel. Immersed in another culture and language, everyone in the group feels like the new kid. When the mood is going in the…

Summer is a great time to read because it’s all about choosing the books you want to immerse yourself in. With so many options, though, it can be hard to decide which books are right for you. Here’s how to pick the ones you’re more likely to enjoy. Pick a genre Thinking about stories you’ve enjoyed in the past can give you clues about what genres (categories) you prefer. Maybe you like fantasy fiction, which transports you to completely made-up worlds. Or perhaps you like historical fiction, made-up stories based on true events. Nonfiction is another option. Think about the topics that interest you, like a sport you love, a pop culture icon you admire, or an interest you have and want to know more about. Ask for recommendations After…

Word search Can you find all these words associated with mail 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. ADDRESS AIR MAIL CERTIFIED DELIVER EXPRESS FORWARD JUNK MAIL METER OPEN OUNCES PACKAGE P.O. BOX POSTMARK POST OFFICE RETURN SENDER SORTED STAMP ZIP CODE ZONES 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 a single letter changed, like DECODE and DECIDE. (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) Spot the difference These two pictures of the Grand Canyon appear to be the same, but take a closer look. There are actually…

Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Stewart School: Chapel Hill Academy “Mrs. Stewart is the most loving, caring, thoughtful, and funniest teacher you could ever want! She always finds a way to make learning fun for everyone. She can tackle the hardest subject with humor and thoughtfulness. Mrs. Stewart definitely thinks more about her students than herself. I have absolutely loved having Mrs. Stewart as my teacher!” Zoe, 11, Minnesota 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.…