Table of contents for Issue 276 in The Week Junior US

On July 18, the US Congress (branch of government that makes laws) passed a bill canceling $9 billion in funding for public broadcasting and foreign aid. The bill was approved in the Senate (one half of Congress) by a vote of 51–48 on July 17 and the House of Representatives (other half of Congress) by a vote of 216–213 the next day. Nearly all Republicans voted for it, while no Democrats supported it. What type of bill was it? It was a special type of legislation called a rescissions bill, which is rarely used. (Rescission means cancellation.) The Constitution (highest US law) gives Congress, not the President, the right to set budgets and decide on spending. A rescissions bill, however, allows the President to propose canceling funds that Congress has…

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added 26 new cultural and natural sites to its World Heritage List. According to UNESCO, which is run by the United Nations (group of 193 nations), the list includes natural or historic places chosen for their “outstanding universal value to humanity.” It encourages the conservation and preservation of sites for the benefit of people all over the world. Natural landscapes added this year include the Gola Rainforest National Park and Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, the list’s first sites from Sierra Leone in Africa. Animals such as the African forest elephant and pygmy hippopotamus live in the area. The first listing from Guinea-Bissau, also in Africa, is a marine ecosystem where rare species like green and leatherback turtles live. Prehistoric sites…

Located in New Zealand’s Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound is a body of water 9.9 miles long that opens into the Tasman Sea. About 7 million colonies of coral grow deep in the Sound, including 60 varieties of black corals, rare red corals, and gigantic bubblegum corals. Closer to the surface, Fiordland penguins, some of the rarest penguins in the world, swim among bottlenose dolphins and seals. The surrounding area is made up of rocky peaks on which more than 700 native plant species, including beech and totara trees, can be found.…

Quolls and possums Two marsupials have made a comeback 10 years after they were reintroduced to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park in Australia. Brushtail possums (above) are common in other Australian regions, but western quolls live only in a small area. Clownfish A study found that clownfish are getting smaller as they adapt to rising heat. Scientists measured wild clownfish when ocean temperatures rose and found that they had become lighter and shorter, requiring less food and oxygen to survive.…

Researchers may have finally solved one of America’s most enduring mysteries: what happened to the settlers of Roanoke Island, the legendary “Lost Colony” of about 120 people that disappeared in the late 1500s. The answer may lie with two large piles of iron flakes found on Hatteras Island, about 60 miles south. In 1587, an expedition left England and sailed to Roanoke Island, in what is now North Carolina. The voyage was part of a British effort to establish outposts in what the English called the New World. Within a few months, however, the colonists were struggling to survive, and John White, their governor, sailed back to England to seek help. But when he arrived, England was about to go to war with Spain, and his return trip was delayed.…

Three years ago, author Aaron Blabey’s popular characters from the Bad Guys book series became movie stars, and now they’re heading back to the big screen in a new animated comedy. The Bad Guys 2 arrives in theaters on August 1. As fans of the books and the first film know, the Bad Guys are Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Mr. Piranha, and Ms. Tarantula, a gang of thieves who have given up their lives of crime. Living as good guys can be challenging, but that is one reason the characters are entertaining. “Villains who become heroes are double the fun,” Pierre Perifel, the director of both films, told The Week Junior. The first film borrowed elements from Books 1 through 4 in Blabey’s series, and the new one…

Donkey Kong Bananza is a new platforming adventure game. It was recently released exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2. The first Donkey Kong game was built for big arcade consoles and was released in 1981. It was a major hit that turned Nintendo into a top video game company. In the game, Mario (then called Jumpman) had to rescue his girlfriend, Pauline, from the Donkey Kong character. In Donkey Kong Bananza, DK, as he is often called, is on a trip to Ingot Isle, where apes have just struck gold. He wants to get his hands on the golden bananas, which are broken into Banandium gems, but he ends up getting sucked underground during a storm. Even worse, thieving monkeys who are part of the evil Void Company steal the…

Why did you write the story from Jason’s point of view? In the first book, Jason was the character who was deeply flawed. In later books, he earned back the trust of readers, but he still had this air of suspicion about him. I wanted this book to show who Jason really is. How would you describe Jason? I like how Jason is honest and vulnerable. His character is a reminder that we might not know what other people are going through or what their lives are really like. Did you intend for Front Desk to be a series when you wrote it? When I finished the first book, I knew the story wasn’t finished because the immigrant experience is so complicated. The first book is about survival. In later…

What you need ● Used food cans● Craft paint and paintbrush● Acrylic primer (optional)● Hammer and nail or pebbles● Found objects, like plastic caps, buttons, clothespins, straws, and rubber bands● Craft glue, superglue, or hot glue● Tiny magnets● Potting soil and a plant Instructions 1. Clean the cans and remove their labels. 2. Paint the cans in colors of your choice. You may need to apply several coats for a deeper color. (If you want to cover up patterns, paint with acrylic primer first.) 3. Create a place for water to drain. An adult can make a few drainage holes in the bottom of the can with a hammer and a nail. Or you can add a layer of pebbles to the bottom to make a drainage area. If you…

A famous lodge and other structures on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona have been destroyed by wildfires. The North Rim will be closed to visitors for the remainder of the 2025 season, the National Park Service (NPS) announced. How did the fires start? A lightning strike on July 4 sparked what has become known as the Dragon Bravo Fire. While firefighters were working to manage that blaze, a second fire—the White Sage Fire, also caused by a lightning strike—began burning on July 9. At first, Dragon Bravo was contained by firefighters and was allowed to burn as a way to benefit the land. (Wildfires can promote ecological renewal and clear dense vegetation, reducing future fire risk.) But unexpected high wind gusts, exceeding 40 miles per…

What you need to know ● Before the mid-1800s, people in the US filled bathtubs by hand and whole families took turns using the same water—which was usually cold. ● Indoor plumbing began to be installed in the homes of wealthy Americans in the 1840s and 1850s. ● Many people couldn’t afford their own bath, so public bathhouses were popular in many cities and towns. ● Showers were first invented in the 1700s but didn’t become popular in the US until about the 1930s. We turn on the tap and hot water comes out. It seems so standard that we forget that it has taken thousands of years to achieve this feat of plumbing. Baths date back to the Indus Valley civilization in what is now Pakistan between 2500 BCE…

Scientists have found that a type of flowering plant called snapdragons can “greet” bees by producing more nectar when they are nearby. This sugary substance entices the insects to land on their flowers for a sweet snack. The bees then transfer their pollen from one flower to another in a process called pollination, which allows plants to reproduce. For the study, researchers recorded the buzzing noises made by different insect species when they beat their wings. They played the sounds to snapdragons to see how they would react. In response to the buzz of the snail-shell bee, which is a very good snapdragon pollinator, the plant produced more nectar than usual. The nectar was more sugary, too. This didn’t happen when other sounds were played. Since only certain insects get…

Craig Saffoe Large carnivore curator, Smithsonian’s National Zoo A bone structure called the hyoid connects to the windpipe in a cat’s throat. In lions, tigers, and jaguars, this bone is stretched out. In snow leopards and small cats, it’s curved like a fishhook. This makes sounds come out very differently: “roaring” for big cats and “meowing” for smaller cats. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the Smithsonian’s National Zoo at nationalzoo.si.edu.…

Born on August 18, 1587, Virginia Dare was the first child ever born to English parents in the Americas. Her parents were among the settlers who left England for the Americas and established the “Lost Colony” on Roanoke Island, which at the time was part of Virginia. Dare’s mother, Ellinor White Dare, was the daughter of the colony’s governor, John White. Nine days after Dare’s birth, White left the island, sailing back to England to find help. By the time he returned to Roanoke, everyone—including his daughter and granddaughter—had vanished. Little is known about Dare’s life other than her disappearance along with the other Roanoke settlers. Today, Dare County, North Carolina, which includes Roanoke Island, is named after her, and she has been honored on a US postage stamp (above).…

The world’s first robot kickboxing tournament took place in China, with G1 robots made by the company Unitree. The humanoid (human-like) machines are 4 feet tall and weigh about 77 pounds each. They competed in teams and in one-on-one contests. The G1s, which can throw different punches and kicks, were controlled by humans. They’re highly flexible, and their hands can grasp and adjust grip strength. The robots use artificial intelligence to make decisions in real time and improve their balance and movement.…

The 2025 WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) All-Star Weekend took place on July 18 and July 19 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The festivities concluded with the All-Star Game, a matchup between teams captained by WNBA stars Napheesa Collier of the Minnesota Lynx and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever. Team Collier won, 151–131. In the first night of action, Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty won the three-point shooting contest, and her teammate Natasha Cloud placed first in the skills challenge, a timed obstacle course. The All-Star Game starters were chosen by a mix of fan voting, players, and the media. Collier and Clark received the most fan votes, which is how they became captains. When the teams hit the court to warm up before the game,…

prominent artist, children’s book author, and A activist who died last year is being celebrated with a new exhibition at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia. Faith Ringgold: Seeing Children highlights the artwork Ringgold created for her picture books, which includes the award-winning Tar Beach. Ringgold was born in 1930 in Harlem, New York, and rose to fame in the 1960s for her paintings and posters supporting Black identity and equal rights. In the 1970s, she began making“story quilts” that depicted Black lives and history. Her first children’s book was Tar Beach, which was based on a quilt. Andrew Westover, an educator and curator (person who selects art) at the High, told The Week Junior that a goal of the exhibition was to welcome people into Ringgold’s “magical”…

The Who Was? Show (Netflix) “This is an amazing show that helps kids learn new things. The host, Ron, is silly and goofy, and doesn’t always get things right, but that’s what makes this show so interesting and engaging! Each episode focuses on two famous historical figures, such as William Shakespeare and King Tut. A team of actors and comedians brings these characters to life with funny sketches, jokes, and cool facts about who they were and what they did. This show makes history fun and easy to understand for kids of all ages! If you love learning, this is the next level for you!” Brynnleigh, 11, Texas Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other kids? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

By Kelly Yang (Scholastic Press) In the latest book from the popular Front Desk series, Jason is an aspiring chef who is trying to make peace with his past. Several years ago, he stole money from the cash register at the motel his father owns so he could pay classmates to stop bullying him. He deeply regrets his actions and wants to make things right for the family of the motel manager whom his father fired, but he’s scared to admit what he did. Jason is also having trouble being honest with his new girlfriend Mia, the main character in the previous Front Desk stories. When Mia asks him who he was cooking for at the motel’s restaurant, he lies and tells her that the patrons are famous restaurant critics.…

Amusement parks, with their thrilling rides and live entertainment, are loads of fun. But they can also mean long wait times, crowds, and pricey food and drinks. If you’re visiting a theme park this summer, plan to get the most from your visit with a few smart strategies. Here’s how you can get started. Do your research Before you and your family head to the park, check out its website for information that can help you plan your day. Check for locations and times for character meet-and-greets and live performances. Many parks allow you to make reservations for popular rides in advance, so have an adult check the park’s policies. Find out if you’re allowed to bring your own refillable water bottle and snacks to avoid high prices and long…

You may notice litter on the ground around your neighborhood. Picking it up while you’re outside on a walk is a great way to help keep your local environment clean and protect animals that could be harmed by trash. First, be safe. Always go with at least one adult, and invite family and friends to join you. Protect your hands with a pair of thick gloves, and if your family has one, you can also bring a litter-grabbing pickup stick. Steer clear of picking up anything that looks sharp or unsafe. You can carry one bag for trash and another bag for recyclables. When you’re done, have an adult send us a photo at hello@theweekjunior.com. We may publish it in a future issue!…

Crafty cardboard creations You might think of cardboard boxes as boring packaging, but one designer has turned them into brilliant creations. Sam Wilde has been crafting with cardboard since 2012. He started out by making a toy boat for his daughter, and now his designs have been used as sets and props in theater productions. His creations include puppets, dinosaur masks, doll houses, and a motorcycle. He uses old boxes from local stores, so his models and masks are eco-friendly. “I LOVE IT!” he wrote about his whimsical work. Fancy footwear for hot dogs Crocs are a popular choice of footwear for humans, but now it seems that animals are also wearing them. At the Club World Cup, an international soccer tournament that recently took place in the US, dogs…

“My family loves watching Jeopardy! together. I love trivia, but the questions can be difficult for kids to answer. That’s why I started the Little Brainiacs podcast with my mom—to make trivia fun for kids. Making the podcast has been such a cool experience. We had to come up with a name, design the logo, and learn how to record and edit. Each episode features fun trivia questions about categories including animals, space, history, and even toys and desserts. At the end, there’s a “Listen Up Challenge” to see if kids caught all the fun facts. I love making the podcast!” 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.…

“We enjoyed the sweet peach smoothie. It was delicious!”Elle, 12, and Jett, 9, Florida “Every time I look at The Week Junior cover, I am intrigued!”Carson, 11, Wisconsin “The interactive art museum in Around the World reminded me of a museum I visited recently in Edinburgh, Scotland.”Samaira, 9, New Jersey…

A MIGHTY BIG SALE The largest piece of rock from Mars that has ever been found on Earth sold at auction for $5.3 million. The 54-pound meteorite traveled 140 million miles before landing in the Sahara Desert in Africa, where it was found in 2023. AN OLYMPIC REVEAL The gold, silver, and bronze medals for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Italy have been revealed. The medals are divided into halves to represent the Olympic athletes and “all those who have walked beside them along the way,” organizers said. ADOPTION INSPIRATION In the new movie Superman, the hero adopts a dog named Krypto. After the film opened in July, online searches for “adopt a dog near me” increased 513%. Although Krypto is computer-generated, he is based on…

Outstanding players, teams, and achievements in sports were celebrated on July 16 at the 2025 ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, California. The ESPYs, which stand for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly, are given by ESPN, the sports media company. This year’s event was hosted by comedian Shane Gillis. The award for Best Team went to the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL (National Football League), who won the Super Bowl this year. Head coach Nick Sirianni accepted the trophy with players. Simone Biles, the world’s most decorated gymnast, was honored with two awards for her gold-medal achievements at the Paris Olympics last summer. She won Best Championship Performance after being the only woman nominated in that category. She was also named Best Athlete in women’s sports. NBA (National Basketball Association)…

Chef and activist Chad Houser has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the James Beard Humanitarian of the Year award, a prestigious culinary honor in the US. The award recognizes leaders who use food to create positive social change. Houser was recognized for his work with Café Momentum, a nonprofit restaurant in Dallas, Texas, that trains and supports young people coming out of the juvenile justice system. Raised in North Texas, Houser discovered his love of cooking as a teen, working in local restaurants. He attended community college in Dallas, earning a degree in food and hospitality service before spending 17 years working as a chef, including co-owning the fine-dining restaurant Parigi. In 2008, Houser volunteered to teach an ice cream–making class at a Dallas County juvenile detention center…

Sulphur-crested cockatoos have been taking turns drinking from public water fountains in Sydney, Australia. This is the first time researchers have spotted this puzzling behavior in these wild birds. Cockatoos, a highly social type of parrot, are known for being smart. They have been seen using their versatile claws and tough beaks to find food and manipulate objects, such as flipping open garbage can lids to feast on the leftovers inside. In 2018, an Australian researcher was surprised to observe cockatoos sipping from a drinking fountain at a sports field. She wanted to explore this complex behavior, so her team tagged 24 birds living in a reserve in western Sydney and installed cameras at a local drinking fountain. The fountain was operated by twisting a handle to release a stream…

The Great Lakes are a group of five lakes—Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Ontario—in the northern US near the Canadian border. They stretch for 94,000 square miles across eight US states—Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The lakes make up about 84% of North America’s surface freshwater and are a source of drinking water for more than 30 million people. Thanks to the lakes’ five main ports—Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Duluth, and Milwaukee—they also help support the US economy as a key transportation route to move goods. Let’s find out more about these significant bodies of water. Lake Huron By surface area, Lake Huron is the second-largest Great Lake and the world’s fifth-largest lake. It is surrounded by Michigan and Ontario, Canada, and has the longest shoreline…

Axolotls are salamanders that have the ability to regenerate limbs, organs, and even parts of their brains. Their bodies know which limb to regrow and how much of it to regenerate, so they don’t create an entire arm when they only need a new hand. A new study sheds light on how this happens. Axolotls have a chemical in their bodies called retinoic acid, which sends a message to cells to begin regrowing limbs. James Monaghan, a biologist (scientist who studies living things) at Northeastern University, recently found that there are different amounts of retinoic acid in different parts of the amphibians’ bodies. For instance, axolotls have more retinoic acid in their shoulders than they do in their hands. Monaghan and his team determined that the amount of retinoic acid…

On July 18, the MLB (Major League Baseball) season resumed after the league’s four-day All-Star break. The regular-season action is set to end on September 28, and many teams are currently in close competitions for the 12 playoff spots. When the second half of the season began, the Detroit Tigers, who play in the American League (AL) Central, had the best record across the entire MLB. With a 2–1 victory over the Texas Rangers on July 20, they became the first team this season to record 60 wins. As the Tigers aim for their first AL Central title since 2014, four teams are battling for the top spot in the AL East: the Toronto Blue Jays, who jumped into first right before the break; the New York Yankees, who represented…

Coach’s Name: Anne McAndrew Callahan Team: CAT Aquatic Team (swimming) “Coach Anne is amazing. She is very nice, gives us confidence in and out of the water, pushes us to do our best, and works hard to help us get all of our strokes and make them as good as they can be. If you’re upset about a time or something else, she is very kind. When she’s not coaching on the pool deck, she’s swimming herself. She always checks our times and placings even if she is away. She is the best!” Grace, 10; Jillian, 10; Lulu, 11; and Emmy, 11, Connecticut 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…

Listening station In one area, visitors can pick up a vintage rotary phone (right), a style with a dial instead of push buttons, and hear recordings of children reading aloud from Ringgold’s books. Life-size doll The main character in Tar Beach is an 8-year-old girl named Cassie, who lives in Harlem and dreams about flying over New York City rooftops. The museum has a giant doll version of the character (shown at right). Special location In Tar Beach, Cassie creates a tent fort on her roof. Using that as inspiration, the museum set up an area where visitors can lie beneath a starry fabric sky (right) and watch an overhead video of Ringgold reading the story.…

Building the Band (Netflix) This competition series begins with 50 singers hoping to form bands. They hear each other perform but don’t get to see each other. Some get eliminated, and the rest become groups, then meet to work on their acts and perform for celebrity judges. It is rated TV-14. Vibe Check (Disney+) This female-led sports show is hosted by ESPN personalities including longtime anchor Hannah Storm and Chiney Ogwumike, a former WNBA star. It airs three times a week and covers the world of women’s sports with game analysis and behind-the-scenes stories. Extraordinary World with Jeff Corwin (Paramount+) (cbs.com) Follow conservationist Jeff Corwin as he meets people making a difference across the US and sees how small acts of kindness can spark big change. His stops have included animal…

Chef’s Secret is the first book in the Front Desk series to be told from Jason’s point of view instead of Mia’s. He’s an endearing character who is looking to the future. Here are questions to get a conversation going with others who have also read the book. What are Jason’s best and worst qualities? Why do you think Jason is embarrassed to tell Mia about the country club? What’s one adjective that best describes Mia? What could Jason and Mia learn from each other? If you’ve read other books in the series, did your opinion of Jason change after reading this story? Why or why not? Which of the many dishes mentioned in the story sounded the most delicious to you? Did you like having Jason as the book’s…

Claw machines are tricky, but these strategies can give you a better chance to grab a prize. Observe closely. Watch the person before you to see how the machine works. Does the claw have a firm grip? How tightly are the prizes packed? Pick a target. Choose an item with something to grab onto, like a head, arm, or leg. Be warned—prizes that are round or close to the glass will be harder to pick up. Aim for a toy in the middle instead. Get in position. Use the claw to push other items away and move your target into a better position for an easier grab.…

Word search Can you find all these types of pasta? They are hidden horizontally, vertically, or diagonally and can be forward or backward. When you’re done, read the remaining letters to get a bonus message. ANGEL HAIR BOW TIES BUCATINI CANNELLONI FUSILLI GNOCCHI LASAGNA LINGUINE MACARONI MANICOTTI PENNE RAVIOLI RIGATONI ROTELLE ROTINI SHELLS SPAGHETTI TORTELLINI VERMICELLI ZITI FILL IN THE BLANKS Fill in the blanks in each sentence with words that are homophones (pronounced the same but spelled differently), like DEAR and DEER. 1. I don’t think it’s———— that my mother has to pay a———— for my little brother to ride the bus when he sits on her lap anyway. 2. Between the heavy fog and the———— on the windshield that night, Dad —————— the street sign and drove past…

This week’s cover honors Faith Ringgold, a famous artist whose work is currently being exhibited at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia (p20). Before her death last year at the age of 93, she had a long, successful, and inspiring career as a painter, sculptor, quilt maker, and author. The museum exhibition, Faith Ringgold: Seeing Children, focuses on art she created for the children’s books she wrote. One of those books, an African American fairy tale titled The Invisible Princess, features a painting of a child on its cover—the same painting you see on our cover this week. We thank the Ringgold family for giving us their permission to showcase this incredible work of art. As the artist once said, “Art can be more than a picture on…

Do you love taking photographs of plants, flowers, trees, and wildlife? Now is your chance to use your creativity, curiosity, and skills to enter The Week Junior’s Nature Photo Contest. The entry form for 8-to 10-year-olds is available at tinyurl.com/TWJUS-2025PhotoContest-8-10 and 11-to 14-year-olds is at tinyurl.com/TWJUS-2025PhotoContest-11-14. Winning entries will be featured in a September 2025 issue of the magazine. See the official rules at theweekjunior.com/photocontestrules. RIDDLE OF THE WEEK What’s round and spins and is mostly covered with water? A globe 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 submission to us,…

Teacher’s Name: Mrs. Reichelt School: Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center “Mrs. Reichelt is the nicest teacher ever because she encourages us to be who we are. She asks us about our dreams and helps us achieve our goals. She helps us learn hard things like math by explaining it to us patiently. I look forward to Fridays when we have ‘Fun Friday’ with extra recess. I’m very glad to have had her as a teacher this year.”Isaac, 8, New York 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 the new Donkey Kong video game, what special fruit is DK trying to get his hands on? a) Emerald limes b) Ruby cherries c) Golden bananas a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 2 True or false? Humans and axolotls both have a chemical called retinoic acid in their bodies. True ☐ False ☐ 3 Who wrote the book series that inspired the Bad Guys animated movies? a) Aaron Blabey b) Dav Pilkey c) Jeff Kinney a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 4 What is the name of Chad Houser’s restaurant that helps young people coming out of the juvenile justice system? 5 Snapdragons were recently found to produce more of what substance when bees are nearby? a) Honey b) Nectar c) Water a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 6…