Innehållsförteckning för Issue 187 från The Week Junior US

The winners of the 2023 Earthshot Prize were announced at a ceremony in Singapore on November 7. The recipients were honored for their work in addressing environmental challenges. What is the Earthshot Prize? William, the UK’s Prince of Wales, created the prize in 2020 to support businesses and organizations that are finding innovative ways to repair and protect the planet. The prize was inspired by former US President John F. Kennedy’s Moonshot challenge, which spurred innovation in science and technology and sent humans to the Moon. The Earthshot is awarded in five categories focused on specific goals: protecting and restoring nature, reviving our oceans, cleaning our air, building a waste-free world, and fixing our climate. Each winner receives about $1.2 million to fund their projects. The 15 finalists were chosen…

This remote park is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its large ice field and spectacular glaciers. Most people visit by boat, since nearly one fifth of the park is water. The rest includes rugged mountains, non-tropical rainforests, and more than 1,000 glaciers. The park serves as a research site where scientists study plant and animal life. Glacier Bay has lots of wildlife, including mountain goats, humpback whales, harbor seals, and tufted puffins. Spruce and hemlock grow near the mouth of the bay, and wildflowers bloom in the mountains.…

Experts at Bristol Zoo Gardens in the UK used technology to study the sounds of West African dwarf crocodiles. They discovered that they make some strange noises, including sounds similar to howling wind and a cow mooing. ● LIFE SPAN: 50 to 100 years ● HABITAT: Swamps, rivers, streams, and forests ● SIZE: Up to 5 feet long ● DIET: Small animals like fish, insects, and shrews ● FUN FACT: Crocodiles have a set of see-through eyelids that can protect their eyes underwater.…

Sweet Emma Barrett This self-taught pianist and singer was a pioneer of jazz and a trailblazer for women. She began playing publicly at age 12 and continued for 70 years, becoming one of Preservation Hall’s most beloved bandleaders. She was known to wear a red cap and bells that jingled as she played. George Lewis Clarinetist George Lewis helped lead the revival of traditional jazz in New Orleans and around the world. He became a regular performer and bandleader at Preservation Hall, toured in Europe and Japan, and played with nearly every local jazz musician during his career. Punch Miller Also known as “Kid Punch,” this talented instrumentalist and vocalist was best known for his nimble trumpet-playing. He was a regular player at Larry Borenstein’s gallery and one of the…

One of the most famous paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa, is known for its subject’s mysterious smile. Now scientists are uncovering some of its secrets, including the methods of the artist who created it, Leonardo da Vinci. Researchers from the French National Centre for Scientific Research used x-ray and infrared radiation to analyze a tiny speck of paint from the top right edge of the painting. Though the sample was no thicker than a human hair, the scientists were able to determine the paint’s chemical makeup. The team found that the paint contained a rare compound called plumbonacrite. Da Vinci likely formed this material by mixing lead oxide powder with oil in order to create a thick, fast-drying base layer of paint. Plumbonacrite has been found in other…

On November 1, the Texas Rangers won Major League Baseball’s World Series for the first time in the team’s history. They beat the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games, which included an exciting 5–0 victory at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. The Rangers were the oldest Major League team to have never won a World Series. This year’s matchup was an unlikely one. Both teams finished in second place in their divisions and entered the postseason as Wild Cards. In the playoffs, the Rangers were seeded (ranked) fifth out of six teams in the American League while the Diamondbacks were seeded sixth out of six teams in the National League. They both went undefeated in their Wild Card and Division Series games, then pulled out deciding Game 7 wins in their…

Coach’s Name: Fabian Lopez Team: Hawthorn Woods Elite (Soccer) “He is one of the best coaches you could ever have. He reminds us that the score doesn’t matter, only how hard you work. When we lose, he motivates us by telling us how hard we worked and to keep working hard. When we win, he tells us to remember it doesn’t mean we’ll win the next one. He tells us to keep our head in the game and focus, which helps us try hard. Our whole team has improved because of him.” Alexa, Hailey, and Madelyn, 10, Illinois 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.…

The Croods: Family Tree (Hulu) (Peacock) Season eight of the series based on The Croods films has begun. In the new episodes, expect a wild “Dare Game” played by the Crood and Betterman kids and a competition that brings out Grug Crood’s competitive side. There will also be a big feud between the parents. Spy in the Ocean, a Nature Miniseries (PBS) (PBS App) (YouTube) This documentary series stars 30 fake sea creatures built with hidden cameras. They look so realistic that they can blend in with wild animals and record interactions. The “Deep Trouble” episode that premieres on November 15 includes marine iguanas and mantis shrimp. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Netflix) This film, a sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which came out in theaters in May, was a…

Hidden Truths gives readers a lot to think about when it comes to making mistakes, honesty, and forgiveness. These questions can help you talk about the book with others who have read it. Do you think Dani would have reacted differently to Eric’s confession if he had told her sooner? Why or why not? What would you say is the difference between lying and hiding the truth? Do you have more empathy for Dani or Eric? Explain your answer. How did Dani let Eric down as a friend? What kinds of bullying are portrayed in the story? Do you think Dani and Meadow’s friendship will last? Why or why not? Which of the story’s many twists surprised you the most and why? JOIN THE WEEK JUNIOR’S BOOK CLUB Watch a…

What you need • Pipe cleaners• Pine cones• Scissors• Colored cardstock paper• Hot or white glue Instructions 1. To make arms or legs for all the animals, hold a single pipe cleaner at both ends and pull the center down between the scales so that the middle is buried in the cone. Pull the two ends down and use scissors to trim each end to your desired arm or leg length. 2. To make the lion, add two sets of legs as described above. For the mane, cut a small doughnut shape out of paper and slip it over the top of the pine cone. Cut V shapes all around the outside of your circle to make it look like the fringe of a lion’s mane. Glue on a piece…

A trip down memory lane A 94-year-old man in the UK made an amazing find. Malcolm Stern was trying to create a 3D model of the car his father once owned, a yellow 1930 Talbot Darracq. While searching for reference photos, Stern found his dad’s original car on an auction website. He said the vehicle looked like a “wreck,” but he bought it and spent about 1,000 hours restoring it. “Many people get old cars, but this one is different,” said Stern. “I think my father would be very proud.” The perils of snail mail A mailbox in the town of Lewdown, in the UK, has been overrun by snails with an appetite for letters. Residents say the snails have been there for at least a year, snacking on people’s…

“I sailed solo from Falmouth, Cape Cod, to Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard, and back in my sailboat! I wanted to do something different and challenging before my 11th birthday. When I arrived at the Black Dog dock in Vineyard Haven, I ate cookies with my parents and met great people. Then I started to sail back. The waves were big, and the wind was heavy on the way back. I got a little off course but changed my heading and made it to Falmouth Harbor. It was awesome riding the waves. I am going to continue to sail and come up with new adventures. One day I hope to sail in the Olympics.” Have you done something interesting or raised money for a cause you care about? Whatever you’re up…

1 The new movie Trolls Band Together features flashbacks to Branch’s time in what boy band? a) BroOut b) GoBro c) BroZone a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 2 Researchers recently discovered a rare compound called plumbonacrite in which famous painting? 3 In the book Hidden Truths, Dani makes her school’s team in which sport? a) Baseball b) Basketball c) Football a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 4 True or false? Preservation Hall in New Orleans got its name because it was helping to “preserve” jazz music. True ☐ False ☐ 5 Hellen Obiri, the 2023 New York City Marathon winner, also won the marathon in which other city this year? a) Boston b) London c) Tokyo a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 6 What species of tree was chosen…

The US Senate (one half of Congress) stirred controversy this year by first relaxing and then formalizing the dress code for lawmakers. Yet the question of what people should wear has come up many times before and in many other situations. People used to dress up to see a play, fly on a plane, go to work, or attend social events. Now these spaces are often a mash-up of formal finery, stretchy “athleisure,” old T-shirts, ripped jeans, and sneakers. Some say this change in standards is for the best, while others think the acceptance of laid-back attire is bad for society. What do you think? Has casual dressing gone too far? Yes—appearances do matter It’s fine to wear sweatpants and T-shirts at home or to the grocery store. But when…

Did you know that earthworms help to create healthy soil and play a major role in growing our food? Scientists knew the animals were important, but new research has revealed that the creatures help grow 6.5% of the world’s grain (such as rice, corn, and wheat)—making them one of the world’s greatest grain producers. Worms make soil healthier by eating dead plants. As they digest the plants, they produce the nutrients other plants need in order to grow. Worms also help soil capture and keep water, and their movements create tunnels that help plants grow roots. To see what effect worms had on grain, researchers compared global maps of earthworm populations with maps showing soil quality and how well crops grew in different areas. However, other living things in the…

Josie, 9, New Jersey Mandi de Mestre Professor of equine medicine, Baker Institute for Animal Health Horses’ ancestors were called Sifrhippus sandrae. They lived in North America about 55 million years ago, and some traveled to different parts of the world. The modern domesticated horse can be traced to about 4,200 years ago, and the wild Przewalski’s horse originated in Kazakhstan. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the Baker Institute for Animal Health at vet.cornell.edu/baker.…

Does alien life exist? It’s a question many people have tried to answer. Now scientists have identified a new method for finding extraterrestrial (originating outside Earth) life-forms using artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a type of program that allows a computer to learn from experience and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. AI works by taking in vast amounts of data, then making predictions based on it. The research team used their AI method to analyze different materials and determine whether they were biotic (a living thing) or abiotic (not a living thing). The AI was also able to tell whether a biotic sample was currently living or a fossil (impression or trace of ancient plants or animals). To train the AI program, the researchers gave it data on…

Every five years, the cultural and philanthropic institution Getty teams up with museums and institutions in Southern California on an event called PST Art. Getty has announced that the next edition of the event will be PST Art: Art & Science Collide, running from September 2024 through January 2025. With more than 60 exhibitions and works by more than 800 artists, it will be the largest art project in the US. The idea behind PST Art was that museums and institutions working together could “address a subject that was too vast for any one institution alone,” said Katherine E. Fleming, who runs the J. Paul Getty Trust. The next edition looks at art and science in new ways and cover topics such as climate change, visual technologies, and cosmology (the…

Dave the Diver is a new hybrid role-playing and business management game. It was recently released for the Nintendo Switch, Mac, and PC. In the game, Dave goes scuba diving, looking for fish and underwater treasure during the day and running a popular sushi restaurant at night. Players are tasked with helping him do both. Although each part is equally important, the key to Dave’s success lives underwater. Right from the start, players dive into the ocean’s vast Blue Hole and hunt for fish that Dave will serve in the restaurant. The Blue Hole has six different levels and areas, which players unlock as the game goes on. Each level is filled with new kinds of fish and animals, including angelfish and megamouth sharks, and the sea creatures get harder…

Where did you draw inspiration for the character Dani? Growing up with two older brothers, I never liked being told I couldn’t do something. Dani represents any child who has been confined to a label or stereotype and wants to break through. How can kids handle a mistake? Everyone is going to make mistakes. What you do afterward is what matters. Focus on giving a sincere apology and see if you can learn from the experience. Did you always want to write? I didn’t consider writing as a career until I was older. When my son was in fourth grade, we read Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and I said, “I want to write books for kids that make them…

After a big meal like Thanksgiving dinner, there are often lots of leftovers. It’s a good idea to use them up before they spoil, not only to avoid food waste but so they don’t end up in landfills—both of which help the environment. When you have a lot of remaining food, you may want to get creative. You can use leftovers to make new dishes, such as a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce or s’mores layered with pumpkin pie. Challenge your family to see who can come up with the best recipe! Another option is to portion out the leftover food into small containers and freeze them. You can defrost them later and warm them up for quick lunches or easy dinners.…

A BAT-TY BEAUTY A bat named William ShakespEAR won the US Bureau of Land Management’s 2023 Bat Beauty Contest, which honors the best-looking bat photographed on public land. The annual event encourages people to protect the animal. A CHAMPION CHEESE A blue cheese from Norway beat out more than 4,500 competitors to take first place in the World Cheese Awards. Judges commended the winner for its “creaminess” and “fruity overtones.” “This means so much to us,” said Maren Gangstad, who makes the cheese with her husband, Ole. CROSSING THE FINISH LINE Kevin DiLegge, who uses a wheelchair, and Matt Burdette, who has pushed him in many races, became the first duo to finish the 31.07-mile Marine Corps ultramarathon. The athletes, known as Team Kevin, started competing as a pair in…

After becoming one of the top field hockey athletes in the US while playing for the University of North Carolina (UNC) in Chapel Hill, Erin Matson is now the team’s head coach. She got the job two months after graduating from UNC. At age 22, she became the youngest coach to lead a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sport. Matson, who grew up in Pennsylvania, began playing for the UNC field hockey team as a freshman in 2018. She helped lead the Tar Heels to four NCAA championships and five Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) titles. She was a three-time winner of the Honda Sports Award for field hockey player of the year. Now 23, Matson is in her first year as the team’s leader. Besides coaching, she manages…

For many years, the Caribbean island of Redonda was a bare rock with very little wildlife on it. Thanks to local environmental groups, it has now been restored to its former state and was recently named a protected area by the government of Antigua and Barbuda. Redonda was once a haven for wildlife. In the 17th century, people set foot on the island for the first time and found that guano (poop) produced by seabirds was useful for making fertilizer to help farm crops grow. Humans began to mine the guano, and with the people came goats and black rats—invasive species that did not originally live there. Although humans eventually stopped collecting guano and left the island, the goats and rats stayed behind. They ate many of the island’s plants…

Sumatran rhinos A Sumatran rhino has been born in an Indonesian national park. The baby girl weighed about 60 pounds at birth and has yet to be named. Her arrival brings hope for the critically endangered species—fewer than 80 are left in Indonesia. Antarctica Plants, moss, and algae are growing on the icy continent, and sea ice levels are at record lows due to high temperatures in the region. Scientists predict that by 2100, there will be three times as much ice-free land on Antarctica.…

In New Orleans, Louisiana, one little performance space is keeping musical traditions alive. Discover Preservation Hall. Jazz is born New Orleans is considered the birthplace of jazz. The musical style has its roots in the city’s Congo Square, where enslaved people gathered to play songs from their home countries. A mix of music from Africa, the Caribbean, and the southern US developed, and jazz emerged as its own genre at the turn of the 20th century. By the 1950s, though, rock ’n’ roll had the spotlight. As jazz venues closed, E. Lorenz “Larry” Borenstein invited local musicians to play in the courtyard of an art gallery he owned. Soon, nightly concerts were held there. A place to play At the start of the 1960s, Allan and Sandra Jaffe, a newlywed…

Students at Rice University in Texas designed a device to help people with mobility challenges drink water without assistance. Named RoboCup, the device was developed with Gary Lynn, who cannot use his arms or legs and runs a nonprofit for people with similar challenges. RoboCup attaches to a wheelchair and has a water bottle with a flexible straw. The user activates a sensor that moves the straw toward their face so they can drink, then away again. The team will keep working on RoboCup to adapt it for many different users.…

The 52nd running of the New York City Marathon took place on November 5. It is one of the six major marathons in the world. The 26.2-mile course winds through all five boroughs of New York City and ends in Central Park. About 50,000 people competed this year. Two racers from Switzerland won the wheelchair division. Marcel Hug finished first in the men’s race with a time of 1:25:29 and became the first man to win all six major races in one year. The women’s winner, Catherine Debrunner, set a course record with a time of 1:39:32. It was her first time in the race, and she finished more than eight minutes ahead of her closest competitor. Before race day, there was excitement about the combination of runners in the…

Three years after the last Trolls movie was released, the film’s popular characters are back in a new music-filled action-comedy. Trolls Band Together, the third film in the franchise, arrives in movie theaters on November 17. The main Trolls characters are practical Branch and upbeat Poppy. The new story flashes back to Branch’s childhood when he was in a boy band, BroZone, with his brothers. The group broke up and the brothers lost touch, but when Branch learns that his brother Floyd has been kidnapped by evil pop stars, he has to reunite the family to save him. The adventure is told through fun, colorful animation that is bolder and wilder than in the earlier films. “We felt like we could push even further than we’ve gone before,” director Walt…

The Sandlot PG (Major streaming platforms or rent on demand) “This movie is totally awesome! It’s about a bunch of kids who play baseball in a sandlot. One of them has a baseball signed by Babe Ruth, and it goes over a fence where a huge crazy dog is lurking. The kids try different ways to get it back, like using a bunch of vacuums. My favorite character is Ham. He is so funny, and he has a special jump when they go to the swimming pool—the ‘Hammonball.’ I like the movie because it is really funny and I like baseball. One of the lessons in the movie is that you should be brave and stand up to things that scare you.” Liam, 10, Ohio Do you have a film or…

By Elly Swartz (Delacorte Press) After years of hearing “you’re good for a girl, but not good enough to make the squad,” Dani lands a spot on her school’s baseball team. The sixth-grader is on cloud nine after her first team meeting. Then everything changes when a fire breaks out while on a camping trip with her best friend and neighbor, Eric. He pulls Dani to safety, but her leg and shoulder are badly hurt. At the hospital, Dani learns that she won’t be able to play baseball and will need to use a wheelchair until her body heals. At first, everyone thinks Eric is a hero for saving Dani’s life. Later on, Eric, who has a disorder that interferes with his ability to concentrate, confesses that he may have…

Your family may have special traditions, particularly during this time of year as the holidays approach. Whether making cookies, walking around the neighborhood to enjoy colorful lights, or watching a favorite holiday movie, these traditions can help you feel closer to the people you love. You can enjoy established traditions or create new ones together. Here’s how to get started. Consider current traditions Think about the traditions your family already has, then write them down. For example, a shared tradition might be going to a favorite ice cream stand on vacation every summer. This time of year, you may have several traditions centered on upcoming holidays. They could include making a cherished family recipe, posing in front of your home every year for a family photo, or getting new matching…

Keyword crossword Once you have completed the crossword, transfer the letters in the yellow boxes, in order, into the boxes below to get the answer to the Keyword question. (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) ACROSS 1 Disappear like a magician’s assistant 4 It’s between the * and the # on a phone’s keypad 8 A dog, cat, hamster, or bunny, for example 9 Ask for 10 Location for a chimney 11 What shampoo becomes when used in the shower 13 Small, two-piece bathing suit 15 Imaginary slanted line through the Earth that it rotates around 18 Central part of a cell or an atom 20 ___ gift (present that’s meant to be funny) 21 Solemn promise, like one spoken in a courtroom 22 Metallic object that…

When we sent this issue of The Week Junior to the printer on November 7, Election 2023 was underway across the US (p5). Elections that take place in odd-numbered years typically don’t receive as much attention as elections in even years because the President and most members of Congress are not on the ballot. But odd-year elections are important nonetheless because they determine who will hold power and make decisions in the states and communities where they occur. More than 70 races are happening in New York, the state where I live, for example. Mayors, county executives, city council members, and state Supreme Court judges will be chosen. Elsewhere in the US, races for governor and state legislature are being decided. When this issue went to press, the polls were…

Frankie, who is 11 years old and in sixth grade, told us her school is special because it offers “Funuary.” This is when the homerooms battle to earn the most points by doing fun activities. She also likes that her school is project-based and kids can focus on what they want to learn about. 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 on this page in future issues. RIDDLE OF THE WEEK What can you put in a bucketful of water to make it lighter? A hole IT’S YOUR TURN Email your news, views, and photos to hello@theweekjunior.com. We want to…

“I love the books by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz. I was so excited to see them in The Week Junior! I’ve had their new book pre-ordered for months.”Clara, 11, Georgia “I was inspired by Fat Bear Week and decided to make Fat Bear Cupcakes! They were fun and delicious!”Phoebe, 12, California “I love reading The Week Junior every week!”Anahita, 9, Massachusetts…

Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Susan Loftus School: Burning Tree Elementary “Mrs. Loftus was an amazing teacher. She really helped put spirit into physical education and made it very fun. She cheered us on no matter what we did. This year she passed away, and everyone at Burning Tree Elementary School misses her. We think she was a great teacher who impacted many lives.”Patrick, 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.…