Innehållsförteckning för Issue 205 från The Week Junior US

On March 12, 10 high school seniors from across the US were awarded top prizes in a prestigious competition called the Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS). A total of 2,162 students competed this year. What is the competition? STS is the country’s oldest and most distinguished youth STEM competition. It was started in 1942 by a nonprofit organization now called the Society for Science, in partnership with Westinghouse Electric Corporation. In 1998, the computing company Intel began running STS, and in 2017, the drug company Regeneron took over. Each year, Regeneron awards $3.1 million in prizes to students and their schools. Past winners have gone on to start companies, lead government agencies, invent medical treatments, and win major awards, including 13 Nobel Prizes. How does the contest work? Any US…

A RECORD-BREAKING BERRY A blueberry grown in Australia has been declared the world’s heaviest. Weighing 20.4 grams (.72 ounce), it’s about 70 times heavier than the average wild blueberry. One of the growers called it “something very special.” A GOLDEN DISCOVERY A 14-karat gold Lego piece donated to a Pennsylvania thrift store has been auctioned for $18,101. Only 30 of the one-inch masks from Lego’s Bionicle line were made in 2001. The store will use the money from the sale to support its mission of helping people overcome challenges. CELEBRATING WORDLE Wordle, the hit game in The New York Times in which players guess a five-letter word, reached its 1,000th puzzle. To celebrate, the Empire State Building was lit up in Wordle colors. The paper also held a series of…

Dr. Alex Schnell has spent her career studying sea life, particularly the lives of octopuses. She is the producer and principal storyteller of the new National Geographic documentary series Secrets of the Octopus. It premieres on NatGeo on April 21 and on Disney+ and Hulu the next day. Schnell grew up in Sydney, Australia, and told The Week Junior that she spent time after school exploring the sea along the rocky coastline. She studied marine biology in college and then attended the University of Cambridge in England, earning her doctorate in the psychology of cephalopods—the group of animals that include octopus, cuttlefish, and squid. Secrets of the Octopus is the third installment of NatGeo’s Secrets of… franchise, which is in collaboration with renowned filmmaker James Cameron. The first was Secrets…

A report has pointed to the importance of protecting the world’s migrating species—those that regularly travel to another location in order to survive. Migrating animals might be looking for food, better weather, or a mate. They include mammals such as whales and gorillas; amphibians, like toads; reptiles, including turtles; insects; fish; and birds. The State of the World’s Migratory Species report was created by the United Nations (UN, a group of 193 nations working together). In 1979, members of the UN signed an agreement to protect 1,189 migrating species. The recent report looked at the health of those protected species and found that nearly half of their populations are getting smaller and more than one fifth are at risk of extinction. Migrating species face many threats because they often move…

Snakes Snakes have evolved more quickly than other reptiles, a study found. This ability has made it easier for them to adapt to their changing environment by altering their body shapes and diets. Experts say snakes are still evolving today. Right whales North Atlantic right whales are becoming smaller in size over time. Research found that this is making it less likely for females to give birth to calves. Experts are concerned about the health of these critically endangered creatures.…

Miami is a city rich in culture and history. Get to know the place that local residents have dubbed “the Magic City.” History of Miami The name Miami comes from a Native American name for a local river, “Mayaimi” (“big water”). A small, peaceful tribe called the Tequesta lived in the region that is now Miami for centuries until the Spanish claimed it in about 1566. The Tequesta died as a result of settlement battles and disease brought by Europeans, with few survivors by the 1800s. In 1821, the US acquired Florida from Spain. Ohio native Julia Tuttle moved to the area in 1891, buying land and donating it so others could settle there. In 1895, she convinced railway executive Henry Flagler to extend a train line from Palm Beach…

A company in Switzerland has invented a new robot that can move within the canopy of a tree, allowing researchers to explore harder-to-reach forest areas. Named Avocado after its shape, the robot was inspired by the movements of flying squirrels and ballooning spiders. Avocado is fastened to a tree branch or drone and can be raised or lowered on a cable. Small propellers on both sides help it move left or right. A camera collects data and also helps Avocado spot obstacles, like branches, and move away from them.…

A new immersive museum celebrating children’s books has opened in North Kansas City, Missouri. The Rabbit hOle is located in a 99-year-old warehouse and has more than 30 exhibits featuring characters and scenes from beloved stories. The museum was created by Pete Cowdin and Debbie Pettid, who used to own and operate a local children’s bookstore. Like the Rabbit hOle, the shop was filled with 3D art related to books. Pettid said a goal for the museum is “to connect people to children’s books and their creators in fun and discoverable environments.” Visitors enter through a burrow belonging to an original character, Fox Rabbit—a fox raised by bunnies. He is known as the museum’s “true founder” and “guiding spirit.” Each book highlighted inside the Rabbit hOle was chosen based on…

The Spiderwick Chronicles PG (Prime Video, Paramount+, or rent on other platforms) “A boy named Jared Grace and his family move into their great-great uncle Arthur Spiderwick’s house and experience something insane! At first they don’t know, but there are goblins surrounding the house. Jared finds a book his uncle wrote about magical creatures. A warning says it should not be read, but he opens it anyway. Mulgarath, a shape-shifting ogre who leads the goblins, wants the book, and eventually they get past a protective barrier around the house. Can the family defend themselves? Find out!” Gianna, 10, New York Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other kids? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

(Carolrhoda Books) Despite being a musical genius, Rosie hasn’t played the violin in more than two months. Her entire life has revolved around lessons, practices, and performances. Now she’s “on strike” because she doesn’t have any good friends. Her parents are upset with her choice. What they don’t realize is that music still swirls in Rosie’s mind. The seventh grader has synesthesia, a condition that allows her to experience sounds as textures and colors. Rosie hasn’t told anyone about it but wonders if someone in her family has it too. Instead of attending music camp in the summer, Rosie goes to her grandparents’ house. She and her mom are staying there for six weeks because Rosie’s grandma is sick. While exploring her grandparents’ backyard, she discovers a shed with a…

Minecraft: How to Draw Illustrated by Joe McLaren (Random House Children’s Books) The book begins with step-by-step instructions on how to draw mobs, plants, and structures from Minecraft. You’ll finish by putting everything together in a scene. Using graph paper can make it easier to sketch your Minecraft creations. Ages 6 and up New Kid Sketchbook By Jerry Craft (Clarkson Potter) Jordan, the main character from the graphic novel New Kid, introduces this book, which explains how to create speech bubbles, single-panel comics, and entire comic pages. It comes with a ruler you can use to draw straight lines for comic panels, and there’s plenty of space for your doodles. Ages 8 and up The Official Harry Potter How to Draw By Isa Gouache, illustrated by Violet Tobacco (Scholastic Inc.)…

A huge rabbit has hopped into the spotlight after videos of him in a miniature car were shared online. Alex the Great, who lives in California and weighs 30 pounds, was rescued by Kei Kato and Josh Row in 2020. He became a certified therapy animal, visiting hospitals and airports to calm sick patients and nervous flyers. “He makes people feel better,” Kato said, “and he loves the attention.” When he is not volunteering or cruising around in his car, Alex attends charity events and San Francisco Giants baseball games. “He truly just loves people,” Row told ABC News.…

Ben, age 8, of Maryland likes that in a democracy people get to vote and be involved. He hopes that all people have the freedom to vote because it’s important for their voices to be heard. As a reader of The Week Junior, you may have opinions about your hopes for the US. If so, we want to hear them! Go to kids.theweekjunior.com/activities to download a form, like the one at right. 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.…

1 What character is the “guiding spirit” of the new museum The Rabbit hOle? _________________________ 2 True or false? For many years, scientists thought dinosaurs were strong swimmers. True □ False □ 3 Rosie goes on strike from playing what instrument in the book The Color of Sound? a) Harp b) Piano c) Violin a □ b □ c □ 4 Which sea creature has marine biologist Dr. Alex Schnell spent her career studying? _________________________ 5 In the video game Princess Peach: Showtime!, who leads the Sour Bunch? a) Grape b) Cherry c) Lemon a □ b □ c □ 6 Which animal has the longest migration? a) Wildebeest b) Monarch butterfly c) Arctic tern a □ b □ c □ 7 True or false? Rugby players in the UK…

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to be the Presidential nominees for the nation’s two major political parties on November 5, Election Day. The contest is a rematch of 2020, when Biden, a Democrat, defeated Trump, a Republican. What happened? On March 12, Biden became his party’s presumptive (expected) nominee when he won the Democratic primary in Georgia. A primary is a nominating contest that a political party holds in many states to determine a candidate for office, such as for President. Hours later, Trump became the presumptive nominee for the Republicans when he won the Republican primaries held in Georgia, Mississippi, and Washington. The nominations will become official at the parties’ conventions this summer. Why is this race historic? This is the first time the…

The Columbia River Gorge sits near the Cascade Mountain Range in Oregon. The gorge, which is a steep valley between the mountains, is 85 miles long and almost 4,000 feet deep. It was shaped by floods and volcanoes thousands of years ago. In 1986, President Ronald Reagan established part of the gorge as a National Scenic Area, which is protected by the federal government. The area is known for its waterfalls and hundreds of wildflowers like daisies and buttercups. Bobcats, black bears, beavers, pikas, and Northern spotted owls also live there.…

2024 UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS…

The Casagrandes Movie (Netflix) This new movie features the family from Nickelodeon’s The Casagrandes. Ronnie Anne is turning 12 and is upset when a surprise trip to Mexico ruins her birthday plans. But when an ancient preteen demigod appears, she must prevent it from destroying the world. Wonka (Max) The hit 2023 movie musical about candymaker Willy Wonka from the Roald Dahl book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now streaming. A young Wonka hopes to open his own candy shop, but an evil trio behind the world’s top three chocolate stores wants to stop him. Critter Fixers: Country Vets (NatGeo) (Disney+) (Hulu) Longtime friends Dr. Vernard Hodges and Dr. Terrence Ferguson are busy veterinarians in rural Georgia. This new season of their reality series follows the doctors and their…

What is synesthesia? Synesthesia causes a person’s senses to become combined and connected in ways that are not typical. For example, a person with synesthesia might taste colors or feel sounds. Why did you want to write about synesthesia? I wanted to shed light on the fact that our brain differences can be our superpowers and that being neurodiverse can be a great thing. Did you play an instrument growing up? Yes, I played the viola and harp, and I was a classically trained singer. How is Rosie similar to other children? Rosie is not sure how to fit in with her peers, and she wants to figure that out. I think most kids can relate to that feeling. What would you do if you could time travel? I’d go…

Pickleball is a sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong and is played on a court. It’s a simple game for beginners to learn and can be played competitively. It is also the fastest-growing sport in the US. If you’ve wanted to try playing it—or improve your game if you already play—here’s how you can get started. Get what you need The only equipment you need for pickleball is a paddle and the Wiffle-like ball that’s used in the game. Pickleball courts are much smaller than tennis courts—20 feet wide by 44 feet long. To find a court to play on, use the Pickleball+ app, or go to the USA Pickleball Association’s court locator website. With an adult’s supervision, you can even use sidewalk chalk to make a…

Reusable straws help the environment because they keep single-use plastic straws out of oceans and landfills. There are several types of reusable straws you and your family can consider when looking for the ones that work for you. For example, silicone straws are durable, soft, and temperature-resistant for both cold and warm drinks, and come in bendy shapes. Bamboo straws are plant-based and biodegradable and will last for many uses. Stainless steel straws are easy to clean and won’t retain the taste of your beverages. Whichever straw you choose, give it a frequent scrubbing with a straw brush to clear it of any drink residue.…

I am so impressed with the winners of this year’s Regeneron Science Talent Search (p2). Out of thousands of entries to the nation’s most prestigious STEM competition, 10 talented high school students received the top prizes. The submissions, which were judged on criteria such as scientific rigor and original thinking, focused on artificial intelligence, cancer treatment, and other complicated subjects. I can only imagine how much time, thought, and effort the students put into completing the projects. They—and everyone who competed—should be congratulated for their dedication, determination, and desire to improve the world. I agree with Maya Ajmera, the president of the organization that has been overseeing the awards for nearly 80 years. She said, “The remarkable intellect and ingenuity of these students serves as an inspiration for us all.”…

“I loved reading The Hoboken Chicken Emergency from The Week Junior’s 50 Books for 50 States list for Read Across America.”Sutton, 8, New Jersey “I read two books from the Read Across America feature. I thought Frindle, set in New Hampshire, was a page-turner! I give it a five-star review! The Marvellers, set in Louisiana, was very good too. I would recommend it, 10/10.”Lorenzo, 9, Illinois “I loved reading The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow about a girl who moves from Manhattan to Connecticut and solves a mystery about a Victorian house. It is spooky but interesting.”Hannah, 8, New York…

Last month, a famous weather-predicting groundhog did not see his shadow—which, according to legend, means an early spring is on the way. Many people celebrated. They’re ready to shed their winter jackets, take in spring’s lush greenery, and enjoy seasonal holidays like Holi, Nowruz, Easter, and Passover. Other people want to skip right ahead to fall, when the trees put on a magnificent show of vibrant gold, orange, and purple leaves. They love cooler air, pumpkin spice, and fall holidays like Halloween. In one study, 45% of respondents said fall is their favorite season, while spring was in third place. So what do you think? Is spring a better season than fall? Yes—goodbye, cold winter Spring is all about new beginnings. After a long, dreary winter, there’s nothing better than…

Adam, 9, Minnesota Rebecca Roland Public affairs specialist, National Park Service Insects have many ways to communicate. Some, like grasshoppers and beetles, make sounds. Others, like fireflies, emit light. Bugs may also use repeated movements, vibrations, or body colors to convey messages, but the most common method is to release a chemical signal or smell. 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.…

For many years, scientists have believed that some dinosaurs could wade and paddle around in the water, but they did not think the creatures were strong swimmers. A recent study of dinosaur fossils discovered in what is now Africa have challenged this theory. The fossils came from a group of dinosaurs called hadrosaurs. They are known as duck-billed dinosaurs because their snouts were shaped like a duck’s bill. These creatures first appeared in what is now North America during a period known as the late Cretaceous, between 100 million and 66 million years ago. The fossils were from the skull, arm, and leg of three hadrosaur species, one smaller and two larger. The team of researchers think the skull belonged to an entirely new species, named Minqaria bata. It was…

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 UConn was named the tournament’s overall top-ranked team as they look to become the first back-to-back men’s champion since 2007. Another contender for the title is Purdue, led by senior center Zach Edey (averaging 24.4 points per game). Experts also point to Houston as a popular pick to make a deep run in the tournament, thanks to their relentless defense. They’ve held their opponents to the fewest points per game in Division 1 basketball.…

Princess Peach: Showtime! is a dramatic new action-adventure game. It is out now exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. Fans of Super Mario games know Princess Peach as one of Mario’s friends and the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. In games released in the US in the 1980s and early 1990s, she was called Princess Toadstool. Back then, her main role was being kidnapped by the villain Bowser and rescued by Mario. Since then, Peach has starred in her own game, 2005’s Super Princess Peach, and has been a playable character in games such as Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. Showtime! begins with Peach visiting the Sparkle Theater with friends to see a new show. Before it gets started, a portal opens up to deliver an evil sorceress named Grape…

”This book is about a boy named Rob who finds a tiger in the woods behind the motel where he lives. Rob is sad and lonely, and he is bullied and doesn’t have any friends. So finding the tiger gives Rob the power of the tiger. The story is dark and gloomy, but in some parts it is heartwarming and sunny. This book would be awesome to read in your free time.” Julia, 10, South Carolina Do you have a book to recommend? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

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. ACROSS 1 Sport with equipment that includes the parallel bars 8 Pathway between sections of seats in a theater 9 South American animal with very soft wool 10 What a circus performer may swing on 12 It flows from a pen 13 Furniture tested three times by Goldilocks 14 Odd and unusual 17 Punctuation mark between items in a list 18 Sound that might alert firefighters 20 They’re sometimes referred to as “shades” DOWN 2 It’s oui in French and sí in Spanish 3 Female equivalent of a nephew 4 Figure out the answer to 5 Kind of restaurant where you…

“I believe the unconditional love and affection of dogs can be powerful in helping children deal with stress and anxiety. That’s why I worked to bring Indy, a therapy dog, to my school twice a week. I spoke to experts, dog breeders, and other schools that had successfully implemented such a program and created a proposal that would work for my school. I then presented it to my principal, who was very supportive. I think every school can benefit from having a therapy dog on campus. ” Have you done something interesting or raised money for a cause you care about? Whatever you’re up to, we want to hear about it at hello@theweekjunior.com. JOKE OF THE WEEK How can you spot a dad joke? The punchline is always apparent.…

Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Redfoot School: Normal Park Museum Magnet School “Mrs. Redfoot is my favorite teacher. She always makes sure everyone is included. She is really funny, too. She helps me when I am confused and makes me feel more confident. Mrs. Redfoot makes fourth grade learning fun! I love it when she reads a book to the whole class. We recently read Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie: The Oregon Trail Diary of Hattie Campbell. I wish she could be my teacher every year.” Georgia, 10, Tennessee 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.…