Innehållsförteckning för Issue 203 från The Week Junior US

On March 1, thousands of people gathered in the streets of Moscow, the capital of Russia, to mourn Alexei Navalny. The leader of the movement against the Russian government died in a Russian prison on February 16 at age 47. What happened? The services for Navalny were held at a church and nearby cemetery, with his parents and close aides in attendance, as well as officials from other nations, including the US and France. Outside, large crowds of mourners showed their support for Navalny, who gained worldwide recognition for criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin in a country where it is illegal to speak out against the government. The mourners, who traveled from across Russia to attend and risked arrest for being there, tossed flowers and chanted “Freedom for Russia!” and…

HOPE FOR A SPECIES A François’ langur monkey was born at Whipsnade Zoo in the UK. Babies of this endangered species are born with orange fur that turns black as they age. The little one “really is a ray of sunshine,” a zookeeper said. A LONG AND HAPPY LIFE At the age of 114 years and 217 days, Elizabeth Francis of Houston, Texas, is the oldest person in the US and fifth-oldest in the world. Francis lives with her daughter, who is 94, and has led a life focused on family, friends, and religion. Her advice for a long life: “Love everybody.” HONORING A BEST FRIEND In a recent episode of The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart tearfully told viewers that his family’s beloved dog, Dipper, had died. In his…

Pizza and pasta may be hallmarks of Italian cuisine, but they are also longtime favorites in the US, regularly topping the list of Americans’ favorite dishes. Both are inexpensive, versatile, readily available to make or order, and fun to eat with a crowd of family or friends. Many people say that a slice of fresh pizza layered with melted cheese and a variety of toppings is the perfect food. But others say nothing beats a plate loaded with pasta. In all its shapes and flavors, it can be used in so many dishes that it deserves to be the champ. What do you think? Is pizza a better meal than pasta? Yes—it’s perfect, simple, and delicious Pizza is a casual meal you can eat with your hands anywhere, anytime—at a…

Georgia O’Keeffe was an American painter who became famous for her striking depictions of desert landscapes and close-ups of flowers. Find out more about this extraordinary artist. Her early life O’Keeffe was born in 1887, on a farm near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and was the second of seven siblings. When her mother noticed that O’Keeffe was interested in painting fruits and flowers, she arranged for an art tutor to nurture her daughter’s talent. O’Keeffe pursued a formal art education in Chicago and New York City, learning traditional painting techniques, and became an art teacher. In her creative work, she wasn’t feeling challenged. A turning point came when she was introduced to the ideas of artist Arthur Wesley Dow, whose style valued artists’ original thought over imitation. This pushed her career…

A company in Finland has created a paste made from animal bones that can be added to meat products. SuperGround grinds up fish or chicken bones, which would typically go to waste. The material is briefly heated to a high temperature, then ground again into a paste. The paste, which has extra nutrients like calcium, is added to foods such as chicken nuggets or fish sticks. That increases the amount of the food by up to 40%, feeding more people without using any more meat. Reducing meat consumption is better for the environment.…

From now through May, a group of performers are bringing a show that is a new kind of circus to theaters and performing arts centers across North America. 360 Allstars, which originated in Australia, includes BMX bike tricks, breakdancing, and a hip-hop soundtrack. 360 Allstars was created by Gene Peterson, who drums and plays the keyboard in the show. He told The Week Junior that when he was imagining the production, he had one question in mind: “How many different types of awesome can I get onstage?” His goal was to “reinvent the circus” by replacing traditional circus arts, such as juggling and acrobatics, with “contemporary street style.” He called the result “a really uplifting show that’s fun and spectacular and full of high energy.” The performers touring the US…

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure PG (Max, Hulu, Prime Video, or rent) “Bill and Ted are high school boys trying to start a band. They have dismal history grades and are about to flunk out of school. If they do, Ted will be sent to military school and they’ll never start their band. They meet a guy who takes them back in time to meet famous historical figures. The boys then bring the people to school for a presentation. I loved this movie so much. My sister and I were Bill and Ted for Halloween! The movie is super funny and well worth it. In the words of Bill and Ted, it is ‘most excellent!’” Ginny, 11, Washington Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other…

By Erin Entrada Kelly (HarperCollins) Ridge travels 200 years back in time to his favorite year in history—1999. To time travel, Ridge uses a device that hasn’t been tested, so he isn’t sure where he’ll land. He ends up in Delaware, where he meets Michael and Gibby, who live in the same apartment building. Ridge tells them that he is from the year 2199, but they don’t believe him. When a major world event that Ridge said is going to happen takes place, they change their mind. Michael wants Ridge to tell him about Y2K, a widespread computer glitch that is expected to cause problems on January 1, 2000. Michael is anxious about Y2K and has been stockpiling food and supplies so he and his mom can survive it. Ridge…

Poetry is a creative way to express your ideas and views in words. Many writers enjoy poetry because there are no real rules to writing a poem. Even so, there are some useful guidelines that can help you write poetry. Here’s how to get started. Keep reading The best way to become a better writer is to be a reader first. Reading poets’ work can help you explore what kind of poetry you might like to write. Ask a teacher for recommendations, or visit your local library and ask a librarian to guide you to the poetry section. Some books about poetry to check out include Swimming Upstream: Middle School Poems by Kristine O’Connell George, Honeybee by Naomi Shihab Nye, and Soccerverse: Poems About Soccer by Elizabeth Steinglass. Pick a…

A favorite backpack can get dirty pretty quickly when you use it often. If you haven’t given it a deep clean all year, now is a good time. Open it up, empty the contents, and turn the bag upside down outside to shake out any crumbs. Scrub any stains with a stiff brush. Many nylon and canvas backpacks can go in the washing machine (ask an adult first). Wash yours on a weekend, then leave it out to dry. When you repack, organize the inside by grouping similarly sized items together: Put a laptop and notebooks in the largest compartment and pens and pencils in a smaller pocket. Keep your bag neat by going through it at the end of each day and getting rid of things you don’t need.…

The Week Junior is teaming up with The Drew Barrymore Show to spotlight kids who are making a difference in their community. Are you donating time or raising funds for an important cause? Have you started a program to provide food to people in need, make books available to kids, or help the environment? If so, we want to hear from you! First, write a short paragraph about what you are doing. Then have an adult email it to us, along with a photograph of you in action, to hello@theweekjunior.com. Please include your first name, age, and state. Your submission may appear in a future issue of the magazine.…

Singer and actress Ariana Grande is set to have a big year in 2024. On March 8, she released her seventh studio album, Eternal Sunshine, and this fall, she will star as the witch Glinda in the first part of a two-part movie adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Wicked, which is like a prequel to The Wizard of Oz. Grande, age 30, was born in Boca Raton, Florida. She began singing and acting as a child and made her Broadway debut at age 15. Soon after, she joined the cast of Victorious, a Nickelodeon series about a performing arts school. As a singer, Grande’s impressive vocal range and signature blend of R&B and pop brought her fame. She released her first studio album, Yours Truly, in 2013, and six…

A surprising hero has come to the rescue of California’s salt marshes (wetlands near ocean coasts), according to a new study. Sea otters are saving the day by stopping crabs from damaging the habitat. The study used decades of data collected at Elkhorn Slough, a salt marsh in Monterey County, California, that is home to the state’s largest sea otter population. During the 18th and 19th centuries, sea otters were hunted for their pelts (fur coats) and almost went extinct. Since laws were created to protect them, their numbers have steadily grown. They returned to Elkhorn Slough in the 1980s. Salt marshes support a wide variety of wildlife, soak up carbon dioxide (a gas that contributes to climate change), and prevent pollution from washing out to sea. But they are…

Petunia No. 2 Georgia O’Keeffe was a master of florals. One of her first attempts was this 1924 oil painting, Petunia No. 2. O’Keeffe’s depictions of large flowers encouraged viewers to discover details they might have overlooked. Manhattan Measuring about 7 feet high by 4 feet wide, this iconic oil painting was created by O’Keeffe in 1932, when she was living in New York City amid an increasing number of shimmering skyscrapers. Hibiscus with Plumeria This 1939 oil painting is one of 20 that O’Keeffe made during a visit to Hawaii. She was invited by a private company to paint the islands’ scenic beauty and made stops at Oahu, Kauai, and Maui. Canyon No. II The desert fascinated O’Keeffe. This 1965 work captures the vivid reds and browns of a…

Monica Thieu won the Jeopardy! College Championship in 2012, when she was 18 years old. Now she conducts research on trivia experts at Emory University in Georgia. In a recent study, she found that experts like her are good at remembering not just facts but also where and how they learned them. For the study, Thieu and her colleagues had participants of various trivia skill levels take a Jeopardy! audition test. About half of them qualified as trivia experts. Next, participants were given virtual “tours” of museums with exhibits on subjects like dinosaurs. The exhibits featured placards of information on a topic and photos related to it. After the tours, participants were quizzed on how many facts and photographs they remembered. Those who had been labeled trivia experts were more…

More than 650 top track and field athletes from more than 130 countries gathered in Glasgow, Scotland, to compete at this year’s World Athletics Indoor Championships from March 1 to March 3. It is one of the final major track and field meets before the upcoming Paris Olympics. There were 26 events at Worlds, split evenly between men’s and women’s divisions. Among the athletes were 18 gold medalists from last year’s competition and seven reigning Olympic champions. This year, athletes from the US won 20 medals, which included six golds, nine silvers, and five bronzes. The team with the second highest number of golds was Belgium, with three. The first American to claim gold was shot putter Ryan Crouser. He had won the last two outdoor world championships, and this…

Coach’s Name: Hailey Johnson Organization: Seattle Gymnastics Academy “Coach Hailey is the best coach in the world because she is funny and kind. She pushes us to our limits. If the rest of the group is doing something that is too easy or too hard for you, she will give you something at your level to work on. She always encourages us. She has helped me through my whole gymnastics career. Recently, I hurt my ankle. Coach Hailey found new ways for me to exercise and learn without making my ankle hurt.” Zorayda, 9, Washington 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.…

Cirque du Soleil This group originated in Quebec, Canada. It has several shows on tour in the US, and a new one with a country music theme will open in Nashville, Tennessee, in July. Blue Man Group The blue-painted performers in this show don’t speak, but they do play drums, splash paint, and engage in funny antics with the audience. There are permanent shows in Boston, Chicago, New York City, and Las Vegas. Circus Smirkus The performers in this troupe are kids ages 11 to 18. They tour New England during the summer and show off skills in acrobatics, wire walking, juggling, and clowning.…

Pokémon Horizons (Netflix) An all-new Pokémon TV series follows a girl named Liko, her friend Roy, and their Pokémon partners, Sprigatito and Fuecoco, as they travel to collect new Pokémon. They will encounter familiar characters such as Captain Pikachu and new groups such as the Rising Volt Tacklers. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Prime Video) This 2023 animated action-comedy is based on the popular franchise about brothers who live in New York City’s sewers and are trained in martial arts. They want to live above ground but must first stop a criminal and win over the humans. MasterChef Junior (Fox) (Hulu) The competition for chefs ages 8 to 13 is back for a new season, with surprise challenges including one in which the kids have to create barbecue recipes.…

Set in the past and the future, The First State of Being explores time travel while weaving in themes of honesty, friendship, and belonging. These questions can help you talk about the book with friends and family who have also read it. What do you find most fascinating about Ridge’s life in the future? Do you think Michael is a good person? Why or why not? How did Michael’s outlook on life change after Ridge encouraged him to focus on the First State of Being? If you knew something bad was going to happen in the future, would you warn others about it? Why or why not? Do you like the way the book includes the past and future? Why or why not? Would you rather be a 12-year-old in…

Crisscross Each of these words associated with jewelry fits into this grid. Can you find where each one goes to complete the grid? 3 letters GEM PIN 4 letters GILT 5 letters BEADS CHAIN FACET POSTS STUDS WATCH 6 letters BROOCH 7 letters CLIP-ONS EARCUFF TIETACK 8 letters CRYSTALS ENGRAVED PRECIOUS STERLING 10 letters BIRTHSTONE SIGNET RING ALL THE SAME Each answer contains the letters L-I-P. Those letters have been placed for you. Can you figure out the words? Take five Five 5-letter words that mean “big” are hidden in this grid. For each one, the first letter is somewhere in the first column, the second is somewhere in the second column, and so on. Can you find all five? SUDOKU To complete the grid, place the numbers from 1…

I smiled when I read this week’s story about which dog breeds live the longest (p11). The article reports on the results of a UK study, which found that certain criteria—in particular, being small and long-nosed—make it more likely that a dog will live a long life. My family’s dog, Mac, fits the bill. At a weight of 25 pounds, he is small. And although we don’t know his exact heritage, he looks like he may be part dachshund, which would make him long-nosed. Even by the standards of the study, though, Mac has lived an unusually long life. The breed identified as living the longest was the Lancashire heeler, at 15.4 years. Mac turned 16 in January and is healthy for his age. When we adopted him from a…

“I love to read The Week Junior the moment I get it. I liked the recent story on the People page about Mia Armstrong and how she thought her Down syndrome was amazing.”Naomi, 8, Pennsylvania “When I saw the cherry blossom craft in The Week Junior, I thought it would be a lot of fun to make. It was a great decoration for our house! Thank you for sharing the activity!”Riley, 8, California “The How To section of The Week Junior inspired me to borrow cookbooks from the library so I can make my own dishes and pastries.”Edward, 8, Oregon…

Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Hargis School: Central Park Elementary “Mrs. Hargis is an exceptional teacher who always goes above and beyond to help her students. She is incredibly encouraging and rewards good behavior, creating a positive and motivating learning environment. Mrs. Hargis is also a talented artist who enriches her lessons with creativity. I am grateful to have had her as my teacher.” Arjun, 10, 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.…

March 14, 1942 First patient receives penicillin On March 14, 1942, Anne Miller became the first person to be successfully treated with penicillin, which was a new medication at the time. She had blood poisoning caused by a bacterial infection, and the penicillin saved her life. Today, penicillin continues to be used to treat bacterial infections, such as those in the ears and throat. It is estimated to have saved more than 200 million lives.…

Rebecca Roland Public affairs specialist, National Park Service Crocodiles in the wild can live between 30 and 70 years. This huge gap exists because a crocodile’s life span depends on its species and habitat. Smaller species live 30 to 40 years, and larger species can live 60 to 70 years. The species that lives the longest is the saltwater crocodile. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the National Park Service at nps.gov.…

Researchers believe they have found evidence of a hidden ocean on Mimas, one of Saturn’s major moons. This discovery could provide insight into the origins of life in our solar system. Saturn has 146 moons orbiting it. The biggest is larger than the planet Mercury, while the smallest is about the size of a sports stadium on Earth. Mimas, which was first discovered in 1789, is about 250 miles wide. Experts used to think Mimas was mostly made out of solid ice and rock. In 2014, astronomers noticed its orbit around Saturn was wobbling. A wobbly orbit can happen if the core of the moon is shaped like a football. It can also be caused by a huge liquid ocean beneath the moon’s surface. At first, many astronomers argued against…

Although many of the biggest sports games are released for consoles such as the Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, there are plenty of games that sports fans can play on phones and tablets, too. One of the most fun mobile games is Ping Pong Fury: Table Tennis. To play, you swipe on the screen to smash the ball—you can even add spin like an expert. You can compete against phone-controlled opponents or online friends. Another racket sport game that is easy to play is Mini Tennis. You compete in matches to unlock players and improve their skills. In both games, you can access new equipment and gear as you go along. This summer, the Olympic Games will take place in Paris, France, and Summer Games Heroes will help you get…

The Week Junior spoke to Erin Entrada Kelly, author of The First State of Being. In 2017, she won a Newbery Medal for her book Hello, Universe. She proudly displays the top literature award in her home in Delaware, which is where The First State of Being takes place. If you could travel back in time, what year would you choose? I would visit myself as a child in the 1980s and tell her everything is going to be OK. What was your favorite book when you were growing up? One of my favorites was Very Worried Walrus by Richard Hefter. It was the first time I encountered a character who worried as much as I did. How did you come up with the idea for this book? I first…

A reunion recently took place between the world’s tallest man and shortest woman. Sultan Kösen of Turkey stands 8 feet, 2 inches tall—four times the height of Jyoti Amge of India, who at just over 2 feet tall is also the world’s shortest actress. Kösen holds another title for having the largest hands. The pair first met on a Guinness World Records TV show in 2013, and they recently met up again in California. As they posed for photos together, Guinness World Records said the two were “all smiles.”…

“I recently had the opportunity to attend a US Senate hearing, and it was a really cool experience. The session was held in an office building near the US Capitol, and we had to go through security. The room was very fancy, with lots of wood and symbols of the US. I had read about some of the topics the senators were discussing in The Week Junior, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. I thought it was interesting that each person in the hearing had only five minutes to talk. I also noticed that they could walk in and out as they wanted. I was lucky enough to meet Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, who was the chairwoman of the committee.” Have you done something interesting or raised money…

1 In the book The First State of Being, Ridge travels back in time to what year? a) 1999 b) 2009 c) 2019 a □ b □ c □ 2 On which Saturn moon have scientists found evidence of a hidden ocean? _____________________ 3 Which team did the US defeat in the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup quarterfinals? a) Colombia b) Costa Rica c) Paraguay a □ b □ c □ 4 True or false? The Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum is located in Texas. True □ False □ 5 Who created the circus called 360 Allstars? a) Daniel Price b) Gene Peterson c) Heru Anwari a □ b □ c □ 6 In which city is Albert Einstein College of Medicine located? a) New York b) Chicago c) Sacramento a…