Innehållsförteckning för Issue 250 från The Week Junior US

On January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day was observed with ceremonies around the world. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Holocaust and World War II (1939–1945). What is the Holocaust? The Holocaust was the mass killing of 6 million Jewish men, women, and children, as well as millions of others, by the German Nazi party, led by Adolf Hitler. It is one of the most terrible events in human history. Starting in the late 1930s and throughout World War II, the Nazis stormed across Europe, taking over countries and forcing Jewish people to live in ghettos (extremely crowded neighborhoods surrounded by walls, barbed wire, or fences). Jews were also sent to concentration camps (prisons), where millions were killed. The Holocaust ended with the defeat of…

A FUN RUN Gill Punt didn’t just run a marathon in the dark in 14° F weather. She did it while wearing a polar bear costume—and set a world record for fastest ice marathon dressed as a mammal (female). Punt, a teacher from the UK, completed the PolarNight Marathon in Norway in 4 hours, 58 minutes, and 29 seconds. She also raised more than $25,000 for cancer research. “What an exhilarating adventure,” she said. A STINKY SENSATION People lined up for hours to see—and smell—a corpse flower known as “Smelliot” at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York. The rare plant blooms for two to three days every few years, and when it does, it emits an odor “like feet, cheese, and rotten meat,” said one visitor. The strong scent attracts…

Clayton P. Turner, NASA’s new leader of Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), brings more than 30 years of experience at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He spoke to The Week Junior about his love of space and the new position. How did you make your way to NASA? After high school I served in the Army, worked as a recording engineer, and even repaired pinball machines. Years later, I went back to college, graduated, and received a call for an interview at NASA. Seeing a team working on a space project there, I knew this was where I wanted to be. What leadership qualities have helped your career? A good leader brings out the best in people. My experiences in the military taught me how to motivate others…

Advancements in technology are helping researchers learn more about emperor penguins—including how the birds survive in the harsh environment of Antarctica. Emperor penguins are the world’s largest penguin species, typically growing to about 4 feet tall. They live in groups called colonies on Antarctic sea ice, where several layers of feathers help them conserve body heat. In the past, the remote habitat made it difficult for scientists to access and study the birds. In 2009, scientists from the British Antarctic Survey showed that penguin colonies could be identified based on droppings seen in satellite images. Several previously undiscovered penguin colonies have been found using these images since then, and now 66 colonies are known to exist. Satellite data has helped to reveal penguins’ behavior. For example, one 2023 study discovered…

Scientists are working to improve cancer detection by combining the powerful sniffing abilities of dogs with artificial intelligence (AI, when a computer imitates human learning). The results have led to increased accuracy and could mean better treatment outcomes for patients. More than 1.7 million new cases of cancer (a collection of diseases caused by cells that grow out of control) are reported each year in the US. Medical experts say early diagnosis greatly improves patients’ chances of recovering. Researchers are constantly looking for ways to make screening for the disease easier, faster, and more convenient. That’s where the dogs come in. The animals are known for their incredible sense of smell, which is 10,000 to 100,000 times stronger than a human’s. In the past, dogs have been trained to detect…

The ReefLine, an underwater sculpture park and snorkel trail, is coming to Miami Beach, Florida. The project is a community-driven effort that aims to protect and restore the city’s ocean ecosystems. It is being rolled out in phases, with some parts arriving this spring. The founder and artistic director of ReefLine is Ximena Caminos, an art curator (person who chooses art). She got the idea for it because, over the years, efforts to replenish eroding Miami-area beaches have harmed local coral reefs. “Art can be an incredible tool to raise awareness,” she told The Week Junior. For ReefLine, Caminos collaborated with a Miami-based architecture firm and a local art studio. She also received $5 million in funding from the city. The ReefLine sculptures are made by different artists and will…

Carmen Sandiego is a new action-puzzle game. It was recently released for the Netflix Games mobile platform and will be available for the Nintendo Switch, Xbox systems, PlayStation platforms, and PC on March 4. The Carmen Sandiego franchise is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Carmen started out as a slick thief, first appearing in a popular computer game in 1985. Since then, she has been in books, comics, cartoons, TV series, and game shows. She would steal art, artifacts, and even historic buildings, and detectives from ACME Detective Agencies would then look for her. The franchise is known for using mysteries to encourage kids to learn about geography and history. In a 2019 animated series on Netflix, Carmen Sandiego went from thief to hero, cracking tough cases and tracking down the…

Safe Harbor is an animal rescue adventure that explores themes of being new to America, caring about the environment, and the power of music. Here are questions to get a conversation going with friends and family who have also read the book. How would you welcome a student from another country to your school? Does the book’s title, Safe Harbor, apply to more than one character? Why or why not? Why do you think Geetha didn’t stand up for herself at school? How does Geetha’s relationship with her mother improve as the story unfolds? Which character do you think is the best role model for Geetha? Explain your answer. What fun fact did you learn about seals while reading the story?…

A modeling gig under the sea A stunning underwater photo shoot earned a Guinness World Records title for model Ciara Antowski and photographer Steven Haining. The pair dove more than 163 feet down to shoot on a shipwreck off the coast of Florida, beating the previous record by 32 feet. The immense depth required special equipment, including oxygen tanks that Antowski used between poses. After dodging a tiger shark and withstanding a jellyfish sting, they safely returned to shore. “It was all about pushing the limits,” said Haining. Thousands of toys hit the ice More than 100,000 teddy bears took to the ice during a hockey game in Pennsylvania. The Teddy Bear Toss has been a tradition for 24 years. When the Hershey Bears score their first goal at a…

FIND OUT MORE AT JUNIORCOUNCIL.THEWEEKJUNIOR.COM In September, we opened applications for our sixth Junior Council class. The response from children across the US was amazing, and each application was terrific! It was a challenge to make a decision. We are excited for the 12 children shown here to join the Council and have their voices heard. Their work will appear in a future issue of the magazine. To find out more about Junior Council and be the first to know about future applications, visit our website at juniorcouncil.theweekjunior.com. Inspire a child in your life! Give 25 weekly issues of The Week Junior and save 66% off the cover price. ORDER ONLINE AT THEWEEKJUNIOR.COM/JC2025 Or scan to subscribe…

A report released on January 23 found that the European Union (EU, a group of 27 countries that work and trade together) passed a major climate milestone in 2024, using more solar power than coal for the first time. The EU is trying to move away from fossil fuels like coal and gas, which release greenhouse gases (gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere). The report was written by Ember, a nonprofit focusing on clean energy. Overall, 47% of the EU’s electricity last year was created using renewable resources. Solar panels were responsible for 11% of power generation, up from 9.3% the previous year. Wind power made up 17.4% of all energy. Coal accounted for less than 10% of all electricity for the first time, and gas power fell to…

The 2025 awards for best books and digital media for children and young adults were announced on January 27. The American Library Association (ALA), the world’s largest and oldest library association, named the winners. What won the Newbery Medal? The Newbery Medal, established in 1922, is given to the best children’s book of the year. It is named after John Newbery, one of the first people to publish books for children. This year the medal went to The First State of Being, by Erin Entrada Kelly. It takes place in 1999 and explores time travel, friendship, and belonging. Kelly’s work has been honored before. She won the Newbery Medal in 2018 for Hello, Universe, and We Dream of Space was a Newbery honor book (runner-up) in 2021. What won the…

One of the world’s largest waterfalls, Victoria Falls, lies on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in Africa. There, the Zambezi River cascades into a series of gorges made of basalt, a volcanic rock. The sheet of water drops about 355 feet at its steepest point, and its force creates a shimmering mist that can be seen from miles away. The site is part of Zambia’s Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls National Park, which together make up about 26 square miles of land. Animals found in the area include zebras, elephants, wildebeest, hippos, and white rhinos.…

Mark Wanner Animal care expert, Brookfield Zoo Chicago Scientists believe the top reason bats hang is that it makes it easier to take flight. Bats are uncomfortable on the ground, and their legs are not made for running to take off. By hanging upside down, they can simply drop from their branch (roost) and start flying. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about Brookfield Zoo Chicago at brookfieldzoo.org.…

From January 20 to 26, the US Figure Skating National Championships took place in Wichita, Kansas. Competitions were held in singles, pairs, and ice dancing. All four of the reigning US senior champs skated, and three held onto their titles. Amber Glenn won her second women’s singles title in a row, but she faced a big challenge from Alysa Liu, the 2019 US champion. Liu has returned to competing after a nearly three-year break. She was in first after the short program, but Glenn had a strong free skate and ended up finishing 1.46 points ahead of her. The bronze went to two-time US champ Bradie Tennell. In men’s singles, “Quad God” Ilia Malinin dominated the field to secure his third consecutive national championship. He landed a record-tying six quadruple…

Abeloved comic book superhero is starring in a new animated TV series. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man follows teen Peter Parker as he grows into his role as the web-slinging crime-fighter. The show began streaming on Disney+ on January 29, and episodes will be released in weekly batches. Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, first appeared in the 1962 Marvel comic book Amazing Fantasy #15. Since then, the character has been featured in hundreds of comics as well as popular TV shows and films. Although Spider-Man is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a world where superhero stories are interconnected, the new show is not set in that realm. In fact, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man head writer Jeff Trammell told The Week Junior his goal was to“make something…

Pokémon Horizons Season 2: The Search for Laqua (Netflix) In the new season of this show, trainers Liko, Roy, and Dot seek out the remaining Six Hero Pokémon and the land of Laqua. They’ll battle tough Gym Leaders and work on being able to teach Pokémon how to change their forms. Puppy Bowl XXI (Animal Planet) (TBS) (truTV) (Discovery Channel) February 9 at 2 p.m. ET (Max) (Discovery+) This annual event raises awareness of rescue dogs and pet adoption. A total of 142 shelter pups divided into Team Ruff and Team Fluff will try to get chew toys to their end zones. Celebrity Bear Hunt (Netflix) For this new comedic reality competition series, 12 celebrities are put through challenges in a Costa Rican jungle. If they lose, they have to…

(Nancy Paulsen Books) This novel in verse begins when Geetha and her mom move from India to Rhode Island after her parents get divorced. Geetha misses her family and friends in India, and her new classmates make fun of her clothes, the lunch she packs, and how she mispronounces words in English. Every day before she leaves for school, Geetha plays her flute as a way to relax. After a neighbor in her apartment complex complains that the music is too loud, Geetha runs to a nearby beach and begins playing. She notices a seal pup on the shore with a fishing line around its neck. She tries to help but is not sure what to do. Miguel, a boy who attends a different school, calls a marine network to…

The football event of the year, the Super Bowl, takes place on Sunday, February 9, and it is the perfect opportunity to throw a party. Whether you’re a football fan or you’re just looking forward to the commercials, there’s something for everyone. Here’s how to start planning your party. Make the guest list Will your Super Bowl party be for your family, or will you have friends over? Talk to an adult about who to invite, and count how many people you’re expecting. Then reach out to guests and let them know a time to arrive before the kick-off. Encourage guests to wear their favorite team’s colors! Set up the room Start by surveying the space where you’ll be watching the game. Make sure sofas and chairs are angled so…

Congratulations to this year’s winners of the American Library Association awards for excellence in children’s literature (p4). What a talented group of authors and illustrators! Each year when the selections are announced, our executive editor, Mindy, who oversees our books coverage, listens excitedly to find out who won so she can quickly get the news into our pages. This year, we were thrilled when Erin Entrada Kelly’s latest book, The First State of Being, was awarded the Newbery Medal. Her work has been showcased in The Week Junior several times, including last March, when we chose this book as our monthly pick for The Week Junior Book Club. We were pleased to discover that other writers we have featured in The Week Junior, including Kwame Alexander, Chanel Miller, and Jason…

Have you read any books you’ve enjoyed so much you wish all kids knew about them? Contribute to our “50 Books Kids Love Most” list for 2025! The list, with quotes from readers, will be published in The Week Junior in June. We’re looking for at least 100 kids to fill out our voting form. If you’d like to vote, have an adult email us at hello@theweekjunior.com with Books Kids Love in the subject line, and we’ll send the form to you. Happy reading! 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 first name, age, and state with your submission. By emailing your…

A winter storm struck southern states from Texas to Florida, causing record snowfall and icy conditions. About 20 million people were under winter weather advisories. Louisiana issued its first-ever blizzard warning, and the New Orleans International Airport received a record 8 inches of snow. The storm system also led to unusually low temperatures. On January 22, it was warmer in Anchorage, Alaska, than it was in Atlanta, Georgia.…

What you need to know • The Wizard of Oz opened in 1903 as a Broadway musical. In 1939, it became one of the first stage musicals to be adapted into a movie. • The book Wicked, which was based on the show and movie, came out in 1995. It was turned into a Broadway musical in 2003 and adapted into the movie Wicked in 2024. • In its code of conduct, AMC Theaters includes no talking or disruptive behavior, which many people say includes singing. When the movie Wicked came out in November, millions of fans of the popular Broadway musical it was based on flocked to theaters, dressed in colorful costumes. It was a massive hit—and moviegoers loved it—but that hasn’t stopped many from complaining about the experience.…

A recent report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF, a conservation organization) revealed that its researchers identified 234 new species in one Asian region in 2023. This included 173 plants, 26 reptiles, 17 amphibians, 15 fish, and three new mammals across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The new species included a rat-like relative of the common hedgehog, which has been named the vampire hedgehog because of its fang-like teeth. There was also a tiny bat with a leaf-shaped nose. Reptiles included a bright orange-headed crocodile newt and the limestone eyelash pit viper snake, which was named after the scales around its eyes. Experts also found unusual plants, such as a species of ginger with a root that smells like mango fruit. A spokesperson for WWF said, “Each…

The Harriet Tubman Byway is a self-guided tour through history. Near America’s Atlantic Coast, one route tells the story of a woman who dared to make a difference—and the people whose lives were forever changed by her bravery. Who was Harriet Tubman? In 1822, in Dorchester County, Maryland, Araminta Ross was born into slavery. From about the age of 5, Ross and her eight siblings were forced to work in white people’s homes and fields. After marrying a free man and changing her name to Harriet Tubman, she escaped from her enslavers in 1849 and settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The following year, she returned to free some of her relatives and became a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad, helping others escape. By the time of her death at age 91…

A new study found that trees can “remember” having a lot of water and behave differently if their water supply changes, even many years later. The study took place over 20 years, during a period in which the planet became much warmer and drier. In 2003, scientists began giving Scots pine trees in the Pfyn-Finges Nature Park in Switzerland more water than they would have gotten from rainfall alone. Then, in 2013, they stopped giving half of the trees the extra water. In 2023, researchers collected leaf and twig samples from trees that had been getting extra water since 2003, as well as trees that stopped getting extra water in 2013 and trees that had never gotten any extra water. When they examined the samples using an extremely powerful X-ray,…

The NFL (National Football League) conference championship games were held on January 26 and determined who will play in the Super Bowl on February 9. In the NFC (National Football Conference) game, the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Washington Commanders, 55–23, and in the AFC (American Football Conference) contest, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills, 32–29. The Eagles and Chiefs are now headed for a rematch of Super Bowl 57, which was played in 2023. The Eagles were the number two team in the NFC playoffs, and the Commanders were number six. They went 1–1 against each other during the regular season. The Eagles hosted the NFC title game and scored four touchdowns in the first half. The Commanders also scored four times but only had one touchdown and…

Coach’s Name: Mickey Sullivan Sport: Basketball “My coach is always pushing us to do our best and giving us tips about what we can work on. He makes practice fun with both easy and challenging drills that help us become better athletes. He led us to victory in a championship when our team was the youngest in the age group—and we won two years in a row! He made us awesome basketball players. My coach is also my dad, so he is teaching me not only at practice but also at home.” Bizzy, 11, Maryland 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.…

Dan Goodwin In the 1980s, the American rock climber known as SpiderDan scaled buildings that included Chicago’s 110-story Sears Tower (right) and the 114-story CN Tower in Toronto, Canada. Paolo A. Nespoli On Halloween, astronauts aboard the International Space Station dress up. In 2017, European Space Agency astronaut Paolo A. Nespoli (right) posed in a Spider-Man mask and T-shirt. Matteo Villardita An Italian man named Matteo Villardita became famous in 2021 when he met Pope Francis dressed as Spider-Man (right). He visited children’s hospitals wearing the costume, and the Pope praised him for his work.…

“This comedy is about Artie and Diane, a married couple who rarely get the opportunity to visit their grandchildren. When their daughter Alice and her husband ask them to watch the kids while they go on a business trip, Diane agrees, excited by the chance to spend time with her grandchildren. The week is full of chaos, surprises, and joy as Diane and Artie’s easygoing parenting style clashes with Alice’s overly involved approach. I love this film because of the funny way it contrasts the parenting styles of two generations and highlights a deeper message about family connections.” Aashi, 12, California Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other kids? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

Padma Venkatraman is the award-winning author of six books for children and young adults. Safe Harbor is the first one she has written that draws on her previous career as an oceanographer. The Week Junior spoke to her about the book. Why did you write this story? I wanted to write about science in a way that would be fun, lyrical, and beautiful. I was scared that I couldn’t do it because I had so many science facts in my head! What inspired you? I was walking along a beach in Rhode Island when I saw a seal in the sand. As I called for help, the seal returned to the water. Afterward, I thought about what might have happened if the seal had been hurt, and I imagined two…

Word ladder To change the word SHOE into the word RACK, use each clue to fill in a word that is only one letter different from the word before it. If you get stuck, try solving from the bottom up. STEPPING STONES Each figure hides a sevenletter word associated with shopping. To find each one, start anywhere and move in an unbroken path through letters that share a border (no jumping!), using each letter once. (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 29. DO NOT ENTER Draw one continuous path from START to END that goes through every box except the ones containing obstacles. Your path may not cross itself, and there is only one solution. Crossmath Fill each empty box with…

“I set up a lemonade stand at my brother’s baseball game to raise money for people affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. I felt really sad when I saw the devastation on the news, and I wanted to do something to help. A few years ago, my neighbor and I sold slime and lemonade to support the victims of Uvalde and raised $63. This time, I made $79 in profit from selling lemonade. I used my savings to buy all the supplies, like lemonade, ice, and cups, and I sent all the profits from the stand to the American Red Cross. I love reading The Week Junior every week, especially the science articles, and I hope my efforts can make a difference in the world.” Have you done something interesting…

We’d love to see pictures you’ve taken or pictures with you in them! Have an adult email them to us at hello@theweekjunior.com, along with anything you would like us to know about what’s happening in the photo. “We visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and Museum in Japan. We hope for all wars to end soon.” Sarah, 11, and Tenyuu, 9, California “I made the pizza dip from The Week Junior, and it was so good.” McKenzie, 9, Tennessee “I love The Week Junior! I always read it when I’m bored.”Fergus, 10, Alaska…

Teacher’s Name: Julie Beeby School: Edison Elementary School “Ms. Beeby is kind and generous, and she always helps me figure out a word. Whenever I need help, she’s there for me. If she says you’ll get a reward for answering a question, she always gives you that reward. She’s fair and patient. That’s why I think she’s a great teacher.”Campbell, 8, Colorado 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.…

1 In which year did Spider-Man make his comic book debut? a) 1962 b) 1985 c) 1999 a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 2 What NFL team does star running back Saquon Barkley play for? 3 A robot named ECHO is helping researchers study which species of penguins? a) Emperor b) King c) Rockhopper a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 4 In the new video game Carmen Sandiego, what detective agency does Carmen work for? 5 True or false? Scientists trained dogs to roll over if they smelled cancer in samples of people’s breath. True ☐ False ☐ 6 In the book Safe Harbor, what instrument does Geetha play to relax? a) Clarinet b) Flute c) Trumpet a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 7 Experts recently found a type of ginger…