Innehållsförteckning för Issue 295 från The Week Junior US

Officials from several nations, led by the US, are working to reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine. The conflict began when Russia invaded its neighboring country in February 2022 in an attempt to take control of it. What is happening? In its role as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, the US revealed a 28-point peace plan in November. That plan triggered a period of intense diplomatic activity. Initially, political experts said the plan favored Russia, but US officials met with Ukrainian officials in Switzerland on November 24 and Florida on November 30 to hear Ukraine’s demands and refine the proposal. This included a discussion of how to keep Ukraine safe from any future aggression by Russia. On December 1 and 2, Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine,…

A SWEET TRIBUTE Krispy Kreme has released five holiday doughnuts honoring the classic Peanuts comic strip on its 75th anniversary. Among the tasty treats are tributes to Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and Woodstock. A WINNING DOG Soleil, a Belgian sheepdog, beat out 1,900 competitors to take home the top prize of Best in Show at the National Dog Show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Thanksgiving Day. “Soleil loves the energy, and she feels it,” her handler said. “That’s her magic.” ATHLETIC HONORS Mondo Duplantis, a pole vaulter from Sweden, and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, a US sprinter, were named World Athletes of the Year at a track and field awards ceremony in Monaco. “I have a lot of joy that I hope to spread on the track,” he said. “Track and field is…the best…

Etymologist Susie Dent, who is based in the UK, writes the “Word of the Week” column for The Week Junior. Her first novel, a mystery titled Guilty by Definition, was recently released in the US and became an instant best-seller. Dent spoke to The Week Junior about her career. When did your interest in words start? I sometimes think words found me rather than the other way around. Before I could read, I would stare at shampoo bottles, marveling at the exotic-looking letters on their labels. What do you love most about words? They’ve had the most extraordinary journeys across continents and languages. “Week” comes from German, “bungalow” from Hindi, and “passport” from French. I love tracing their roots and seeing how they have evolved. How would you describe your…

Coral reefs are one of Earth’s most important ecosystems (groups of plants and animals that affect one another), yet around the world many of these habitats are declining. So scientists from the Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) were pleasantly surprised when they recently found reefs off the coast of Uruguay that appear healthy and full of ocean life. Coral reefs form when animals called corals attach themselves to hard surfaces and then grow and expand. These reefs support about a quarter of the life in the ocean by providing food and shelter. They are at risk of dying out because of rising ocean temperatures and other factors, such as overfishing, pollution, and damage caused by humans and boats. To investigate the health of reefs off the coast of Uruguay, scientists from…

Leatherback sea turtles After efforts were made to rebuild beaches damaged by hurricanes Helene and Milton, leatherback sea turtles have been nesting in Florida in record numbers. A recent count found 2,021 nests, the most ever recorded. Amazonian butterflies Researchers say butterflies in the Amazon rainforest are losing color and becoming dull and brown. As people replace colorful native plants with drab crops like eucalyptus and oil palms, butterflies are evolving duller coloring to blend in.…

The low-key lifestyle of sloths has been a source of fascination for human researchers. Let’s find out more about these rainforest dwellers. What are sloths? These mammals are related to anteaters and armadillos. They live in Central and South America, where they spend almost all their time in the treetops of tropical rainforests. Some species hang horizontally from tree branches, while others sit in the forks of trees. Sloths come down from their trees to poop, but since they are highly vulnerable to predators on the ground, they do so only about once a week. The animals are famous for their slow, seemingly lazy lifestyle. In fact, the word “sloth” means “lazy” in many languages, including English. Two toes or three? There are two kinds of sloths—two-toed and three-toed, identified…

A recent study has upended what scientists thought they knew about a distinctive feature at the Moon’s south pole, called the South Pole–Aitken (SPA) basin. The findings could be helpful for NASA’s upcoming Artemis III mission, which aims to land astronauts near the lunar south pole. The SPA basin is the largest impact crater on the Moon, spanning about 1,200 miles from north to south and 1,000 miles east to west. It is believed to have formed about 4.3 billion years ago, when a giant asteroid struck the Moon. The powerful impact also released chemicals from below the Moon’s surface. Previously, scientists believed that the asteroid was coming from the south when it hit and carved out the SPA basin. In the new study, however, a team led by Jeffrey…

From November 15 to November 26, the 2025 Summer Deaflympics were held in Tokyo, Japan. The event is an international sporting competition for athletes with significant hearing loss. This year’s competition featured 2,911 athletes from 79 countries. None of them are able to hear a conversation at a typical volume in their better ear without a hearing aid or other device. The Deaflympics originated as the International Silent Games. It was the first global sporting event specifically for athletes with disabilities. The first Silent Games was held in 1924 in Paris, France, and had athletes from nine European nations. Like the Olympics, the Deaflympics has Summer and Winter Games. There were 21 sports at this year’s competition. At the end of the games, Ukraine led all nations with 99 medals,…

Coach’s Name: Waylissa Night Sport: Cheerleading “Coach Way is an amazing coach and cheerleader. I’ve had her for three years, and they’ve all been incredible. She pushes us to do more than we think is possible for ourselves. I’ve been thrown in the air and carried people while they ‘fly.’ She encourages us to compete and helps us be the best we can be. If we are not doing our best, she pushes us to be better. She’s also there for us when we’re sad or hurt, and she lets everyone be themselves.” Veronica, 11, New York 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.…

Lego Marvel Avengers: Strange Tails (Disney+) In the latest Lego special with minifigure Avengers, Hawkeye and the other heroes take on a social media influencer. When she unleashes mind-controlled cats, the Avengers must team up with the Catvengers—Tigra, Black Cat, and White Tiger—to save the day. Next Level Baker: Holidays (Hulu) (Fox) Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay hosts this holiday spin-off of his competition series Next Level Chef. As professional, home, and social media bakers create festive treats, they try to avoid being demoted to the show’s bottom-level kitchen where the cooking conditions are tougher. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Disney+) This film is based on the third book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It follows Greg Heffley as he…

What inspired this book? I knew readers loved my Mr. Lemoncello’s Library series, so I wanted to create a new puzzle mystery series. And when I was about 14 or 15, my older brothers took me on a road trip to the Grand Canyon. Did you enjoy puzzles growing up? Yes—my mom was an expert at jigsaw puzzles, so we often had a puzzle out. I also liked board games. Is any character like you? Like Benjamin, I was a chubby kid and I was always trying to be funny. What message does the book send? We all have talents that can help each other. Together, we can make a mosaic that we couldn’t as individual puzzle pieces. How do you spend your free time? We recently adopted a dog,…

During the holiday season, many people enjoy hosting or attending a party called a cookie swap or cookie exchange. Everyone brings a batch of cookies to trade and goes home with sweets to enjoy. Here’s how you can plan one of these fun events. Create the guest list Decide who your guests will be and ask an adult to help you invite them to the party. You could draw an invitation that explains how the party works and take a photo of it to send to everyone. On the invitation, you’ll want to include how many cookies each person should bring. For example, if you’re inviting 12 guests, you might ask each individual to bring 24 cookies. This way, each person can take home two cookies that other people made.…

One way to make friends, relatives, teachers, or neighbors feel extra special during the holidays is with a delicious gift made by you. As you are baking cookies and other treats, you can plan to make extras and set them aside as gifts. After you make the cookies and they are completely cool, sort them into tins, which can be enjoyed and used again by the recipient. Or wrap a few cookies in a new kitchen towel and tie it with a ribbon. Be sure to attach a card so they know it’s from you! You might write a simple message like, “Wishing you a sweet holiday season!” You could also decide to share a gift of holiday cookies with a local food pantry.…

For anyone who isn’t sure what “Wondrous Wordsmith” in the top right corner of our front cover means, it’s a reference to Susie Dent, who is profiled in this week’s People section (p9). Susie, an etymologist based in the UK, is so knowledgeable about words, in fact, that she has been called “the human dictionary”! She also refers to herself as a “word detective.” She is a best-selling author and a famous face on a TV game show, and we are also honored that she writes our Word of the Week column in The Week Junior (p4). Every week, she takes a look at our lineup of articles and chooses a word that appears in one of them, then explains the origin of that word in her column. I always…

To celebrate The Week Junior’s fifth anniversary in 2025, we called on readers to tell us about five good deeds they’ve done. Clara, a 12-year-old from Utah, sent us the form shown at right. Her good deeds include donating food, helping to carry groceries, and adding books to mini libraries. We’ve enjoyed reading every form we have received this year. Thank you for sending them to us! If you have helped a neighbor or performed a kind act and want to write about it, you can fill out the form as a keepsake. Go to kids.theweekjunior.com/activities to download it. 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…

Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Denning School: Willowbrook Elementary “Mrs. Denning is the best teacher ever! Even though we might get a little talkative, she is always patient with us. Mrs. Denning makes lessons fun in many different ways. For example, she once wore a queen’s crown while we were learning about the Middle Ages. There is so much more to say about how great she is!”Molly, 9, Iowa 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.…

Jakarta, Indonesia, is the world’s most populous city, with 42 million inhabitants, according to a recent report by the United Nations (UN, a group of 193 countries). Dhaka, Bangladesh, is second with nearly 40 million people, and Tokyo, Japan, is ranked third, with a population of 33 million people. Nine of the top 10 cities are in Asia. This marks a major change from the last report. That study, issued in 2018, found that Jakarta was 33rd, with about 10.5 million people, while Tokyo was first, with about 37.5 million people. The change is due to a recent adjustment in the UN’s methodology, which allowed for more consistent counting of populations across different countries. According to the report, populations have become increasingly urban, with 45% of the world’s 8.2 billion…

The National Park Service (NPS) announced that it will begin charging visitors from outside the US higher fees to enter 11 national parks, including some of the most visited locations. What happened? The NPS is implementing what it’s calling an “America first” policy. In addition to standard entrance fees, tourists who are not US residents will pay $100 to visit these national parks: Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion. Annual park passes will increase to $250 for international tourists but remain at $80 for US residents. On certain days, such as Memorial Day, US residents will now be able to visit the parks at no cost. Why were the changes made? Doug Burgum, secretary of the Department…

This national park in southern Iceland covers nearly 14% of the country. It contains Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajökull, as well as 10 volcanoes—two of which are active. This combination of fire and ice has created dramatic landscapes, including glacial lagoons, lava fields, mountains, and waterfalls. In fact, Iceland’s highest peak, the 6,900-foot-tall Hvannadalshnúkur, is located in the park. Tall birch forests fill some parts of the park, while others are covered by carpets of moss. Arctic foxes, harbor seals, pink-footed geese, and about 2,000 reindeer live in the area.…

Naked mole rats are small rodents that live up to 40 years, far longer than other similarly sized rodents, and are unusually resistant to cancer and other ailments. A new study uncovered a possible explanation for these “superpowers,” as some people call these traits, and the findings could one day improve human health and extend lives. Native to east Africa, naked mole rats are wrinkly, pink, nearly bald rodents that form colonies and live in underground burrows that can extend for miles. Each mole rat is about 3 inches long and weighs between 1 to 2.5 ounces, with tiny eyes and enormous front teeth. They can survive up to 18 minutes without oxygen. Scientists from Tongji University in Shanghai, China, found that mole rats’ sturdiness and longevity are probably connected…

Paula Moltzan AGE: 31 SPORT: ALPINE SKIING “Have fun. If you don’t have fun, it’s not worth it. Pick a sport that brings you joy, and find your community inside it.” Chloe Levins AGE: 27 SPORT: BIATHLON “My best advice for kids is to do as many sports as you can for as long as possible. I think versatility is key. In college, I continued to play golf alongside the start of my biathlon career. I think it’s been a huge performance advantage.” Jack Wallace AGE: 27 SPORT: SLED HOCKEY “To achieve whatever dreams or goals you have in life, you have to put in time and work. You’re going to get out as much as you put in.” Brenna Huckaby AGE: 29 SPORT: PARA SNOWBOARDING “Things are going to…

A new exhibition at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, is shining a spotlight on some of the world’s most impressive and important insects. Ants: Tiny Creatures, Big Lives looks at different species’ special traits and behaviors, the architecture of their nests, and what they smell like. There are up to an estimated 20,000 different ant species in the world, and Daniel Ksepka, the museum’s curator of science, told The Week Junior, “They’re remarkable for so many reasons.” For example, they help clean up nature and bring air and organic matter into soil. One thing Ksepka especially loves is that they are eusocial, which means they are part of an organized society with defined roles. “Most ants work for the collective good,” he said. The exhibition is filled with models…

Yooka-Replaylee is a new 3D platform game. It is available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation systems, Xbox platforms, and PC. This game is a redesign of Yooka-Laylee, which came out in 2017. The title combines the name of the two main characters, Yooka (a chameleon) and Laylee (a bat who rides on Yooka’s head). The pair are treasure hunters who live in a sunken ship they’ve turned into a house. During a treasure hunt, Yooka and Laylee find a magical book called the One Book and bring it back to their home. The game’s villain, Capital B, is a greedy bee who wants the book and its powers. An evil scientist, Dr. Quack, helps him retrieve it by vacuuming all the books in the world into Capital B’s headquarters, Hivory…

Across the Desert By Dusti Bowling “This story is about a girl named Jolene who loves watching a livestream of a girl flying her ultralight aircraft to explore the desert. One day, while Jolene is watching the livestream, the aircraft crashes. Nobody believes Jolene when she tells them what she saw, so she decides to go into the desert herself to find and save the girl. Anyone who loves adventure should read this book.” Chloe, 10, Massachusetts Do you have a book to recommend? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

Baked goods aren’t the only items to trade! Here are more ideas for holiday swaps. Crafts For a crafts swap, you and guests can decide to exchange crafts you’ve made, such as holiday decorations, or share supplies you don’t need. Board games You may have games or puzzles at home that you no longer use, and your friends likely do, too. Gift each other “new” ones at a swap! Books Once you’ve finished a book, someone else may enjoy it. Gather your friends for a book exchange so you can all discover new authors and series.…

Keyword crossword Once you have completed the crossword, transfer the letters in the yellow boxes, diagonally from top right to bottom left, into the boxes below to get the answer to the Keyword question. ACROSS 1 Gathering of a large number of people 4 The drier you get, the wetter this becomes 7 Color that indicates “stop” or “don’t” 8 Decision of “guilty” or “not guilty” 9 AirPods may be found in them 10 Open field with tall grasses 13 Artwork drawn permanently on skin 15 Once in a ___ moon (rarely) 18 Result of violating a sport’s rules 19 It’s swung at home plate 20 Color that Kermit sings about being 21 Animal an equestrian rides DOWN 1 ___ events (things happening now) 2 Tell the waiter what you…

First Lady Melania Trump revealed the 2025 White House holiday display with the theme of“Home Is Where the Heart Is” on December 1. The East Wing was decorated in prior years, but because that portion of the White House was torn down this year to make way for a ballroom, the decorations were moved to other areas. The display includes 75 wreaths, 51 Christmas trees, more than 2,000 strands of lights, and over 25,000 feet of ribbon.…

Whether they’re furry, scaly, or slinky, pets can be an exciting addition to a classroom. Often, students get to have fun naming the animals before taking on the responsibility of caring for them. Depending on the type of animal, kids sometimes even get to hold the pets—with a teacher’s supervision, of course. While class pets can be cute and cuddly, many people are concerned that they’re also a distraction for students and an added responsibility for teachers. And organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have raised concerns about the well-being of animals in schools. What do you think? Should we stop having classroom pets? Yes—school is for learning Classroom pets are adorable, but that’s exactly the problem. Students will want to play with them all day, rather…

Many people look up to their brothers and sisters. Now researchers have discovered that some birds also look to their siblings as role models—even more than they look up to their parents. In the wild, small songbirds usually depend on their parents for 10 to 14 days before leaving the nest. After that, birds acquire life skills through direct experience or by observing other feathered friends. Scientists at the University of California, Davis, and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior studied 231 great tit songbirds, including 103 juveniles, for 10 weeks. They presented the birds with a puzzle that required sliding a door left or right to reach a tray of mealworms. After one set of young birds figured out how to get the reward, about 94% of the…

Tiasa Adhya Director, The Fishing Cat Project, Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance Among the 40 members of the cat family, two have partially webbed feet: the fishing cat and the flat-headed cat. This feature helps these cats thrive in wetland ecosystems. Their webbed feet help them catch fish and provide traction while walking in mud. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the Fishing Cat Conservation Alliance at fishingcat.org.…

Naked mole rats take on specific roles within their colonies, including tunnel diggers, foragers, and toilet cleaners, a new study found. They are one of two mammal species known to be eusocial, which means they demonstrate advanced social organization. Under their system, the queen reproduces while other colony members perform tasks. Researchers at the University of Tokyo studied five colonies of about 20 mole rats each. They attached microchips to the animals and put detectors in the colonies. The scientists continuously monitored the animals to see where they went and who they spent time with. The breeding animals—the queen and a few males—mostly stayed close to one another, while the workers divided themselves into six groups and took on different tasks.…

Billions of people worldwide lack access to clean drinking water. To address this problem, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed a water-harvesting device that pulls moisture from the air without a power source. The window-size panel has a glasspane and a layer of hydrogel that looks like bubble wrap. The hydrogel traps water from the air. The water then flows down the glass, through a tube, to be collected. The device was successfully tested in Death Valley, California, one of the driest regions in the US.…

The college football regular season ended on November 29. It was marked by Rivalry Week, an exciting tradition that features many teams across the US facing their biggest foes. The most anticipated matchup was between Big Ten conference rivals Ohio State University, the number one team and reigning national champions, and the 15th-ranked University of Michigan. Ohio State came into the November 29 contest with a 12–0 record and hopes of finally beating Michigan after four years of losses in what is known as “The Game.” Although Ohio State got off to a slow start, they eventually ended Michigan’s streak with a 27–9 victory. In a major Southeastern Conference (SEC) showdown the night before, 16th-ranked University of Texas made a big second-half comeback to beat third-ranked Texas A&M, 27–17. It…

Two years after Percy Jackson and the Olympians—the TV adaptation of Rick Riordan’s best-selling books—made its debut, the series is returning for a second season. The first two episodes premiere on December 10 on Disney+ and Hulu, and new episodes arrive weekly on Wednesdays. Riordan’s stories are set in modern times but rooted in Greek mythology. As fans know, they revolve around teen demigod (half-god and half-human) Percy and his friends from Camp Half-Blood. The author told The Week Junior he thinks one reason Percy Jackson has been so popular is because it’s about friendship and wish fulfillment. “Which of us has not wanted to believe that maybe our real parent was a god?” he said. In season one, Percy and fellow campers Annabeth, a demigod, and Grover, a satyr…

The Wild Robot PG (Netflix or rent on other platforms) “This movie, based on the book by Peter Brown, is about a robot, Roz, who gets stranded on an island. She finds a goose egg and cares for it. When it hatches, she names the gosling Brightbill and raises him. At first, the animals on the island are scared of Roz, but they slowly come to like her and start treating her like one of their own. After the robot factory that Roz came from picks up her signal, they send robots to take her back, but the animals fight to keep her. The story has many heartfelt and funny moments. I think it is a great movie.” Violet, 10, Massachusetts Do you have a film or TV show to…

By Chris Grabenstein (Random House Books for Young Readers) Benjamin, a 12-year-old puzzle enthusiast who is self-conscious about his weight, would love to be as cool as his college-bound, athletic brother, Ethan. When their parents see the distance growing between them, they give Ethan a pickup truck for high school graduation on the condition that he take Benjamin on a road trip to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. At the journey’s start, Benjamin and Ethan have no idea about the incredible detours ahead of them. When they stop for breakfast at a pancake house, the mysterious game-maker Ms. Pennypickle recruits them as competitors in a thrilling race that could win them $1 million. The brothers will have to put aside their differences and rely on Benjamin’s brainpower to be…

An Anthology of Christmas By Auriol Bishop (DK Children) This keepsake book features beautiful photographs and fun facts related to Christmas. Find out why the traditional tree is usually a pine, spruce, or fir, the origin of holiday wreaths, and more. The foil on the cover makes it feel special. Ages 7 and up The Essential Christmas Classics Collection By various authors (Aladdin) This three-book set contains a mix of famous tales, such as ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Nutcracker, as well as lesser-known works. One holiday story is by famous novelist Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), author of Little Women. Ages 8 and up The Festival of Lights Edited by Henry Herz (Albert Whitman & Company) The 16 engaging stories and poems by Jewish authors in this book…

Ingredients ● 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting● ¾ teaspoon baking powder● ½ teaspoon kosher salt● ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature● ¾ cup sugar● 1 egg● 1 teaspoon vanilla extract● Icing, sprinkles, nonpareils, or other cookie decorations of your choice Instructions 1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and set on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to incorporate them. Reduce the mixer’s speed to low and blend in the flour mixture one third at a time. 2. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead a few times. Divide the dough in half,…

Sweet twist on cheesy chips A festive but controversial new snack flavor is here for the holiday season. The limited-edition Gingerbread Doritos, released only in the UK, merges the worlds of sweet and savory with a tortilla chip crunch. One reviewer on social media said the chips remind them of cinnamon toast, while another said they’re giving “sweet and salty popcorn vibes.” Others were less enthused, saying “Ew” and “Chuck these in the trash.” There’s no word yet on whether they can be used to build gingerbread houses. Pair rows across the Pacific Ocean Two women have made history by crossing the world’s largest ocean in a rowboat. Jess Rowe and Miriam Payne spent 165 days rowing 7,948 miles nonstop from Peru to Australia. During the day they rowed together,…

“I was inspired to do my fundraiser after reading about two girls in Colorado who raised money for flood relief. I wanted to do something that would help people who couldn’t help themselves. The reason I picked St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is because it operates on donations. It provides care to kids whose families can’t afford hospital fees. I raised more than $300 for St. Jude. Even though hospital fees are thousands of dollars, this will help.” 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. RIDDLE OF THE WEEK What has a top and a bottom but no middle? A bagel…

“I always love doing the puzzles in The Week Junior! They make my day!”Layla, 9, Illinois “We tried a recipe in The Week Junior, and the breakfast quesadilla was egg-cellent!”Keshav, 7, California “After reading The Week Junior, my family and I went chasing fall colors. It was such an amazing experience!”Maya, 8, Texas…

1 True or false? Zootopia 2 set a record for the highest international box office opening by an animated movie. True ☐ False ☐ 2 A recent expedition discovered ocean life in coral reefs off the coast of which country? a) Uruguay b) Guyana c) Nicaragua a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 3 Who is the villain of the video game Yooka-Replaylee? ______________________ 4 The Olympic torch was first used in the modern Games in what year? a) 1896 b) 1928 c) 1964 a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 5 True or false? In a recent study, nearly all young songbirds learned to solve a puzzle from their parents. True ☐ False ☐ 6 What is the title of the new exhibit dedicated to ants at the Bruce Museum? ______________________ 7…