Innehållsförteckning för Issue 247 från The Week Junior US

Jimmy Carter, who served as US President from 1977 to 1981 and later became a champion of human rights and peace, died on December 29 at age 100. Carter, a Democrat, was the nation’s longest-living former President. What were his early years like? James Earl Carter Jr. was born on October 1, 1924, in the small town of Plains, Georgia. His parents operated a peanut farm and store, and he grew up in a home without electricity or indoor plumbing. After graduating first in his high school class, Carter attended the US Naval Academy, graduating in 1946. He married Rosalynn Smith, who was also from Plains, in 1946, and the couple had four children. He served for seven years in the Navy before returning to Plains to manage the family…

At 98 years old, sculptor Thaddeus Mosley, who has been celebrated for his abstract yet detailed wood sculptures, continues to shine in the art world. His work is currently featured in Following Space: Thaddeus Mosley and Alexander Calder, a new exhibit being shown at the Seattle Art Museum in Washington. The exhibit pairs Mosley’s wood pieces with the sculptures of famous modern artist Alexander Calder (1898–1976) and is on view through June 1. Mosley grew up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, outside Pittsburgh, where he now lives and has a studio. After high school, he served in the US Navy before studying English and journalism at the University of Pittsburgh. While in college, Mosley’s interest in art was sparked by visits to the nearby Carnegie Museum of Art. As a sculptor,…

Humans aren’t the only animals that like to go for a ride. Scientists who trained rats to drive found that the experience sparked joy in the rodents. Neuroscientists (scientists who study the brain) at the University of Richmond, in Virginia, taught rats to drive “cars” made of plastic cereal containers, using cereal as a reward. The rats grabbed a wire to control the vehicle. Later, they upgraded to robotic rat-operated vehicles (ROVs) with driving levers. The rats eagerly hopped in their ROVs and pressed the lever. Over time, Kelly Lambert, who led the research, noticed that the driving rats would run up to the side of their cages when she entered the room, like a dog that is excited when its owner comes home. She wondered whether the rats were…

Coach’s Name: Luke O’Connor Team: LA United Football Club (soccer) “Coach Luke is an amazing coach and such an optimist. When we’re losing, he tells us to keep our heads up, pretend the score is 0–0, and we can still win. At training, he always has a smile and tries to make drills fun and challenging. He has so much belief and faith in me, always tries to make me feel valued, and has given me more confidence. His motto is ‘Get a bit better every single training session and you’ll be great in the game.’ ” Hendrix, 11, California 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…

Two classic stop-motion animation characters are starring in their first feature-length film in more than 16 years. Wallace, a quirky inventor, and his clever dog, Gromit, are back in Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, an action-comedy from Aardman, the animation studio that created the Shaun the Sheep and Chicken Run films. The film was recently released on Netflix and was nominated for a Golden Globe (top entertainment award) for best animated motion picture. Wallace and Gromit, who are made of clay, were created by British animator Nick Park. They have starred in shorts, TV specials, and a film that won an Oscar (top film award). The stories often revolve around Wallace’s backfiring inventions and Gromit saving the day. In Vengeance Most Fowl, Wallace makes a“smart gnome,” Norbot, to help…

OUR JANUARY BOOK CLUB PICK Radiant By Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (Dutton Children’s Books) In this novel written in verse, set in 1963, Cooper is the only Black student in her fifth-grade class. She often tells her siblings that she wishes she were white so her life would be easier. For example, Cooper’s classmate, Wade, has bullied her since they were in second grade. This year, his desk is next to hers. He’s mean and even makes racist remarks to her. Their teacher, who has a reputation for being strict, never catches Wade in the act. But she punishes Cooper for coloring in a library book and gives her a failing grade on a spelling test because of her penmanship. When asked about her parents’ jobs, Cooper lies and says her…

Crisscross Each of these parts of a car fits into this grid. Can you find where each one goes to complete the grid? 4 letters GEAR HORN LOCK 5 letters DOORS TRUNK 6 letters ENGINE LIGHTS MIRROR PISTON 7 letters SUNROOF 8 letters DEFOGGER GAS GAUGE ODOMETER SEAT BELT 13 letters CRUISE CONTROL STEERING WHEEL ALL THE SAME Each answer contains the letters A-G-O. Those letters have been placed for you. Can you figure out the words? (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) All the same hint: In word 5, the letter after the O is G. Spot the difference These two pictures of zebras appear to be the same, but take a closer look. There are actually five differences. Can you see them? Take five Five…

“When I was getting ice cream one day, I saw a sign for a nonprofit that works with children in foster care. We reached out to the group and asked how we could help. They said we could collect stuffed animals and books for them to hand out to children during the group’s holiday party. We created a flyer and then went to a printing shop to get 200 copies made. We passed out the flyers to oura cause you care about? neighbors and local businesses. When we got our first donation, we were so proud and motivated. After that, we decided to have a bake sale, which helped raise $800. We used the money to buy more stuffies and books, bringing the total number of donations to 434 books and…

Leaders from across the US and the world, as well as everyday citizens, paid tribute to former US President Jimmy Carter after his death, praising his strength of character and life of public service. “Carter’s leadership contributed significantly to international peace and security,” said António Guterres, head of the United Nations. Pope Francis, commitment…to reconciliation and peace between peoples, the defense of human rights, and the welfare of the poor and those in need.” US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden said Carter was “a man of great character and courage, hope, and optimism.” Former President George W. Bush described Carter’s humanitarian work as “an example of service that will inspire Americans for generations.” Tributes to Carter were seen outside the Atlanta, Georgia, headquarters of the Carter Center,…

Fashion trends are said to come and go over the years, and this may be true for orcas as well. Whale watchers and researchers recently spotted a behavior that was previously seen in the 1980s: Some of the whales are sporting dead salmon on top of their heads like a hat. Last October, a photographer captured a picture of a 33-year-old male orca known as J27, nicknamed “Blackberry,” carrying a salmon on its head. Blackberry is a member of an orca population called the southern resident whales, which live off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Researcher Deborah Giles told NBC News that in early November she also saw a southern resident whale with a salmon on its head. The sightings reminded some observers of the year 1987, when a…

The final games of the 2024–25 NFL (National Football League) regular season took place over the weekend of January 4. Several of them played an important role in determining who made the postseason, as well as the seeds (rankings) in the playoffs. There are two conferences in the NFL—the NFC (National Football Conference) and the AFC (American Football Conference)—and each one has four divisions (East, West, North, and South). Every division winner makes the playoffs, and the three remaining teams with the best records in each conference earn wild card spots. Many teams clinched playoff spots before the season-ending Week 18, but three division titles and one AFC wild card spot were still up for grabs. One of the key games on January 4 was between the Baltimore Ravens and…

The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos (Netflix) In the final set of episodes for the current chapter of this show, the heroes must unite forces of good, uncover mysteries, and prepare to confront evil Aaravos before he plunges the world into darkness and unleashes the spirits of the dead. All Creatures Great and Small (PBS App) (PBS.org) (PBS) The beloved series based on best-selling books by James Herriot, an English veterinarian, is back for a new season. It begins in 1941 with James returning home from serving in the UK’s Royal Air Force and rejoining his team as they navigate wartime life while caring for animals. StuGo (Disney Channel) January 11 at 8 p.m. ET This new animated series follows six middle schoolers who are overachievers. After a mad scientist…

Vaunda Micheaux Nelson is an award-winning writer of children’s books for kids of all ages, from early readers to young adults. Radiant is her first novel in verse. The Week Junior spoke to her about what inspired her to create it and her path to writing it. Did the idea for Radiant stem from your childhood? Like Cooper, I am Black and attended a primarily all-white school, and it did cross my mind that life would be easier if I were white. But I am grateful for my experiences because ultimately I came to a place where I feel like I can fit in anywhere. When did you start writing? I began writing when I was 9 or 10—but it wasn’t always stories. For example, I wrote songs to play…

Bathe in the scent of donuts The beauty brand Native recently banded together with Dunkin’ restaurants to create a “hole” new line of donut-inspired body care products. Now customers can sprinkle some sweetness into their daily routines with classic scents like Boston Kreme, strawberry frosted, and blueberry cobbler. The aromas are available in limited editions of Native’s deodorant, body wash, and lotion, as well as bottles of shampoo and conditioner. One social media user said, “Do people want to smell like a donut or cookie? I think they actually do.” A game-changing Scrabble win Last month, Nigel Richards defeated about 150 competitors to win the Spanish World Scrabble Championships—even though he doesn’t speak any Spanish. The New Zealand man has been playing the word game competitively in English for nearly…

The US Congress, the branch of government that makes laws and consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, began work on January 3. New members were sworn in, and leaders were elected for the two-year session, which will end in January 2027. What happened? In the Senate, 34 of the 100 members were newly elected or had been re-elected in November to a six-year term. They were sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris, who serves as President of the Senate. The new Senate is made up of 53 Republicans and 47 lawmakers who are either Democrats or Independents who vote with the Democrats. This marks a shift in control from the previous session, when Senate Democrats had more seats. In the House, 434 representatives took their oath…

The start of a new year is a great time to reflect on your life. You can look back on the past 12 months and also think about what you want to accomplish going forward. That’s why many people make New Year’s resolutions and set goals for themselves, whether that’s breaking a habit, making a change, or taking up a hobby. For example, in 2025 you might promise to clean your room more often, start a sticker collection, cook dinner for your family, or hang out more with friends in real life. But other people say these promises only add pressure to our lives. What do you think? Should we make New Year’s resolutions? Yes—small steps lead to big results New Year’s resolutions help you clarify what you want to…

From toothbrushes and shampoo bottles to furniture and toys, plastic is used to make many everyday items—but only about 9% of the plastic we use is recycled. The rest is burned or tossed into a landfill. When plastic waste is burned, it releases gases that harm the environment. If it gets thrown away, it often makes its way into the ocean, where it can take hundreds of years to biodegrade (break down) and harms marine wildlife. To help tackle the plastic waste problem, scientists have developed a type of plastic that will break down in seawater. Biodegradable plastics are ones that break down naturally. Currently, however, existing biodegradable plastics don’t break down completely in the sea. Instead, they break up into tiny pieces called microplastics, which are often eaten by…

The new year has brought new excitement to the world of NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division 1 basketball. Each team is now playing more opponents from their own conference, creating key matchups as they eye the end of the 2024–25 regular season in March. Several teams, including three women’s teams in the Big 10 Conference, began 2025 with undefeated records. One of them was UCLA (the University of California, Los Angeles), the top team in the country. On January 4, they beat the University of Indiana, 73–62, to move to 15–0 for the season. UCLA center Lauren Betts led the way with 25 points and 12 rebounds. There was a thrilling SEC (Southeastern Conference) women’s game on January 5 between 15th-ranked University of Tennessee, which entered undefeated, and ninth-ranked…

Last year, National Geographic released A Real Bug’s Life, a TV series that drew viewers into the lives of insects. The show, which was recently nominated for a Children’s & Family Emmy Award (top honor in television), is returning on January 15 with five new episodes on Disney+. It is narrated by actress, rapper, and comedian Awkwafina (real name: Nora Lum). A Real Bug’s Life was inspired by Disney and Pixar’s animated movie A Bug’s Life, a comedy adventure set in the insect world. The first four episodes of the new season focus on insects that live at the beach, in ponds, in forests, and in Australia. The fifth one is about how the series was made. Tim Cockerill, a zoologist who worked on the series, told The Week Junior…

The list of emojis available to people on their phones, computers, and smart devices continues to expand. This year, characters being rolled out include a fingerprint, a harp, and a splatter. Recently, a new batch of emojis went under review for potential release in 2026. The organization in charge of choosing characters and designs is the Unicode Consortium. Its Unicode Emoji Subcommittee has proposed a total of 164 new emojis featuring nine new designs. They include an orca, an apple core, a treasure chest, a landslide, a trombone, a ballet dancer, and a hairy Bigfoot-like creature. There is also a “fight cloud,” which is a puff with a lot of action around it, as well as a face with bulging eyes—ideal for reacting to wild or unexpected news. Changes to…

In this issue, our first of 2025, we pay tribute to Jimmy Carter, the former US President who died on December 29 at age 100. He led a remarkable life. After growing up in a house in Georgia that had no electricity, Carter attended the Naval Academy, became a state politician, and set his sights on the Presidency. He was elected to that office in 1976 and served one term. Carter will be remembered most, however, for what he did after that. He returned to the modest home where he had lived before moving to the White House and devoted himself to humanitarian causes for the next 40 years. He represented, one US lawmaker said, a “consciousness of caring.” You can find out more about his life, the reaction to…

1 In the new movie Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, who takes control of Wallace’s robot? 2 True or false? Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. True ☐ False ☐ 3 Orcas in the Pacific Northwest have recently been seen carrying what on their heads? a) Salmon b) Shrimp c) Starfish a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 4 Which team won the final game of the NFL’s regular season? a) Detroit Lions b) Minnesota Vikings c) Pittsburgh Steelers a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 5 Thaddeus Mosley is an artist who makes sculptures out of what material? 6 True or false? Scientists who trained rats to drive found that the experience made the rodents unhappy. True ☐ False ☐ 7 In the new book Radiant, what grade…