Table of contents for Issue 299 in The Week Junior US

On Maduro, the president of Venezuela, and his wife, Cilia Flores. They are being held in the US. What happened? Late on January 2, the US military dropped missiles on Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, and sent troops into the city. At least 80 troops and civilians were killed. (None were US military members.) In the early hours of January 3, Maduro and Flores were captured and flown to the US to face criminal charges. They are being held in a federal prison in New York City. Later that day, President Donald Trump said the US would “run” Venezuela for the foreseeable future. On January 5, however, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, was sworn in as the country’s temporary leader. Rodríguez criticized the US government for capturing Maduro but said she would…

AN ADORABLE ARRIVAL In a hopeful sign for a critically endangered species, a baby orangutan named Ruhana (“Ru” for short) was born at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee. Ru is healthy and “bonding beautifully” with her mother, the zoo said. KINDNESS ON THE ICE Stuffed animals soared through the air at the annual Teddy Bear Toss, hosted by the American Hockey League team the Hershey Bears in Pennsylvania. Fans threw 81,796 stuffed animals onto the ice, which will be donated to nonprofits. The team called it “Sweet. Cuddly. Mayhem.” A SUPERSIZE SEAHORSE A 34-foot-tall seahorse set a record as the world’s largest animatronic fish. The colorful creature—and 12 baby seahorses—rode the UPS Store float in the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year’s Day in California. Floats in the parade can…

Jackson made history at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics by winning the women’s 500-meter speed skating race, becoming the first Black woman to earn an individual gold medal at the Winter Games and the first Black American woman to medal in speed skating. Now she’s headed back to the Olympics at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Games in Italy. Growing up in Ocala, Florida, Jackson was a young rollerblader. “I love going fast,” she told The Week Junior. She began inline speed skating at about age 10 and went on to become a top competitor, winning 47 national titles and 12 World Championship medals. She also graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in materials science and engineering. Jackson didn’t try speed skating on ice until age 24. Four months later,…

Move over, pandas—new mammals are stepping into the spotlight as “diplomats.” Golden snub-nosed monkeys from central China have begun making their way to European zoos as part of an initiative similar to“panda diplomacy”—a program in which the Chinese government loans pandas to zoos worldwide, including Smithsonian’s National Zoo and the San Diego Zoo in the US—to foster goodwill and international cooperation. Golden snub-nosed monkeys have a deep history in China and have been featured in artwork and literature. They are recognizable by their striking golden-orange fur, large black eyes, and hairless blue face with a grumpy-looking mouth. The monkeys mainly feed on fruit, flowers, seeds, and tree bark, but they also eat insects. They turn gray-brown in summer, and each winter they regrow the thick, fluffy orange coat that helps…

Leopards A leopard was spotted in South Africa’s West Coast National Park for the first time since the mid-1800s. Experts believe the felines are coming back to the country’s coastal areas after 170 years as a result of conservation efforts. African penguins The African penguin population has dropped by nearly 80% in about 30 years. A new study suggests that thousands of penguins have starved to death, partly due to overfishing of the sardines and anchovies they eat.…

One of the world’s biggest winter celebrations, the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, officially opened on January 5. Where is Harbin? Harbin is the capital city of the Heilongjiang province, in northeastern China. Once a small fishing village, Harbin grew in size in the early 20th century as a construction center for railroads. Refugees from Russia fled to the city in 1917. Harbin, which still has traces of Russian architecture, has been called “Eastern Moscow.” In 1946, Chinese Communist forces took over Harbin, which continued to grow as an industrial center. How the festival began People in Harbin first organized an ice sculpture festival in 1963. However, it was not held for many years during a period of political upheaval driven by the Chinese Communist Party. As tourism…

Sports fans go through a range of emotions when their favorite athletes or teams are playing. To learn more about this experience, scientists studied the brain activity of soccer fans while they were watching a match. Researchers recruited 60 adult male followers of two major rival soccer clubs in Chile. They labeled the men as spectators, fans, or fanatics (people who are extremely enthusiastic). Then they scanned the subjects’ brains using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology, which measures brain activity by identifying changes in blood flow. During the scans, participants were shown 63 clips of their favorite team competing in soccer matches. This included footage of the team scoring and giving up goals against their rivals, as well as scoring and giving them up to a different team. When…

The 2024–25 NFL (National Football League) regular season ended on January 4. Although 12 of 14 playoff spots had been secured before the Week 18 games, several division titles were still undecided. Teams were also battling to determine their postseason seeds (rankings). The NFL has 32 teams, split evenly between the AFC (American Football Conference) and the NFC (National Football Conference). Each one has four divisions (North, South, East, and West), and every division winner makes the playoffs. The three teams in each conference with the next best records earn wild card spots. The number one seeds sit out the first round of the playoff action. Among the Week 18 matchups was a game between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and both were hoping to win the…

Coach’s Name: Lexi Tejada Organization: Cheshire YMCA/Sea Dog Swim Club “Coach Lexi helps us by planning practices that allow us to work on our stroke and technique. She knows what we need to focus on and gives us feedback so we can improve our strokes and get faster. She collaborates with us on race strategies so we feel comfortable and confident during our races. Also, she’s always there, cheering on the pool deck for all of us during meets.” Ryan, 10, 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 your coach is great.…

The Masked Singer (Fox) Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET In this competition series, celebrities wear costumes while performing songs and judges try to guess who they are. Season 14 features new disguises, including Eggplant (above), plus themed nights celebrating pop culture favorites such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. All Creatures Great and Small (PBS App) (PBS.org) (PBS) Sundays at 9 p.m. ET The series based on James Herriot’s best-selling books returns for its sixth season. Set in 1945, James and the Skeldale veterinary team care for a variety of animals while adjusting to life in Europe after World War II (1939–1945). Pokémon Horizons: Season 3—Raising Hope (Netflix) Trainers Liko and Roy travel around befriending and training Pokémon in this animated series. Now they’re joined by a new friend, Ult,…

What sparked the idea for this book? I used to be a school librarian, and I would often wonder what makes a world in a book feel like a world. For this book, I began by playing around with Alice’s world and then I began to add Alyce’s story. How would you describe Alyce? She is lonely but curious and trying to make sense of many difficult circumstances. What books did you enjoy growing up? I was a huge fan of Anne of Green Gables because Anne Shirley is perhaps my all-time favorite fictional character. I also enjoyed books by Philip Pullman, such as Northern Lights. Do you enjoy drinking tea, like Alyce does? Yes, I’m a typical British person, so I like drinking English breakfast tea. Fun fact about…

Happy new year from all of us at The Week Junior! We’re pleased to bring you the first issue of 2026 and looking forward to another fantastic year ahead. So much is coming up to inspire us and you, from the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games starting soon in Italy (p9, 18, 19) to the celebration of America’s 250th birthday taking place all year long (p4, 18). Whether you’ve been reading The Week Junior for years or are a new subscriber, we hope you’ll enjoy what we have in store for you. We also hope you’ll help us create the magazine (which is your magazine, after all!) by voting in our weekly debates (p8), sending us movie, TV, and book recommendations (p21, 23), nominating your coaches and teachers (p19, 29),…

“I saw Wicked: For Good on the day it opened. Thanks to your article highlighting sets by production designer Nathan Crowley, I noticed more of the amazing details on screen!”Ezra, 12, New Jersey “I read Winging It from the Book Club section. I loved it!” Saina, 11, Massachusetts “My family went to the Great Smoky Mountains over Thanksgiving, and I brought The Week Junior with me!”Grant, 11, Texas…

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On January 1, a ban on items made with “forever chemicals” went into effect in France. Also known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances), forever chemicals get their name because they don’t break down naturally. PFAS are found in a wide range of products, including cosmetics, clothing, dental floss, and carpets. The ban, which was passed in 2025, prohibits the production, sale, importing, and exporting of items that contain PFAS (excluding certain fabrics and nonstick pans). Prolonged exposure to PFAS is linked to health issues in humans, such as liver damage and cancer. When products containing forever chemicals end up in landfills and oceans, PFAS make their way into groundwater, soil, and crops, where they can remain for hundreds of years. Forever chemicals have been found in human blood and brains…

On January 5, the US Mint, which makes the nation’s coins, began releasing quarters, nickels, and dimes that have new designs honoring the 250th anniversary of the founding of America in 1776. What do the coins depict? There are five versions of the quarter, each paying tribute to early US history. The designs feature Pilgrims and the Mayflower ship, George Washington and the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence, James Madison and the Constitution, and Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address. The dime features a woman representing Liberty. The nickel depicting Thomas Jefferson isn’t new, but like the quarters and dimes it will have a 1776–2026 dual date. This is different from most US coins, which list only the year they were minted. How were the coins…

Craig Clark of Sarasota, Florida, is known as the “Tech Fairy” for fixing computers and giving them to people who can’t afford one. After retiring from managing convenience stores, he became a computer technician. When neighbors no longer needed their computers, he refurbished them, installing hard drives when necessary. In eight years, he has helped hundreds of people, from fast-food workers to college students, gain access to a computer. “I love fixing computers and watching people smile,” he told NPR.…

This nature area in West Africa, consisting of Gola Rainforest National Park and Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2025. It is a hotspot for diverse wildlife, with about 1,000 plant species, 55 types of mammals, more than 400 kinds of birds, and hundreds of different butterflies and other insects. A habitat for rare animals such as the African forest elephant, pygmy hippopotamus, and white-necked rockfowl, it also has one of the planet’s highest concentrations of primates, including western chimpanzees and Diana monkeys.…

The Audubon Aquarium in Louisiana welcomed new hatchlings in its terrapin head-start program, which recovers turtle eggs from sites where they could not have survived. After a year, the diamondback terrapins will return to the wild. ● LIFESPAN: About 40 years in the wild ● HABITAT: Salt marshes and coastal areas ● SIZE: 4 to 9 inches ● DIET: Plants, mollusks, crustaceans, and insects ● FUN FACT: Every individual diamondback terrapin has a different color pattern.…

The remains of a 40,000-year-old creature found frozen in Siberia, Russia, have offered scientists an exciting glimpse into the past. For the first time, researchers were able to recover a genetic material called ribonucleic acid (RNA) from a woolly mammoth. It was the oldest RNA sample ever studied. All organisms (living things) have DNA and RNA. DNA is found in almost every cell and stores all the necessary information for an organism to grow and develop. RNA serves as a messenger for DNA, replicating and distributing this information. All cells in a body carry the same DNA, but RNA influences how each cell behaves. RNA can tell scientists a great deal about what is going on in a living thing’s body, including the presence of disease, injury, or stress. Scientists…

These US athletes have qualified or are hoping to qualify for the upcoming Winter Olympics or Paralympics in Italy. Here are some thoughts they shared with The Week Junior about their sports. Caroline Harvey AGE: 23 SPORT: ICE HOCKEY “My favorite thing about ice hockey is the team aspect—playing together and for a common goal—and also how competitive it is. It brings out the best in you.” Jordan Stolz AGE: 21 SPORT: SPEED SKATING “In speed skating, you can’t just be strong and fast. You have to have really good technique and strength. That’s why it’s difficult to be really good in the sport.” Amber Glenn AGE: 26 SPORT: FIGURE SKATING “Figure skating is like nothing else. You get to glide, and when you’re going really fast, you feel the…

After more than seven years of construction, the Studio Museum in Harlem has reopened in New York City. The new seven-story building is a space for artists of African descent and showcases works related to Black culture. The Harlem neighborhood has been a center of creativity for many years. During the Harlem Renaissance period in the 1920s and 1930s, many Black artists, musicians, and writers lived and worked there. The Studio Museum was founded in 1968, a time when many museums and institutions excluded Black artists. The museum’s founders wanted to give them a platform and create a place for the community. In 1977, the museum moved to its current location. That building was closed in 2018 and later demolished. The new building was erected on the same site, with…

Catto’s Post Office is a cozy exploration game set. It is currently available for the PC, and a Nintendo Switch version is expected. The game is set in a world where everyone is a cat, including the game’s hero, Catto, who works as his town’s resident postcat. You play as Catto, and your job is to deliver packages to the locals. At the same time, you will help them with their problems or tasks, such as finding lost scissors and spotting sea monsters. There are also residents who want to help Catto. The game is designed to be relaxing to play. You only have to deliver one package at a time, and there are no time limits or scores to stress you out. Along the way, you can have a…

The Bigfoot Queen By Jennifer Weiner (Aladdin) When the secret world of Bigfoot is threatened, four children work together to protect the creature’s secret. The story is told from multiple kids’ perspectives. This is the third book in The Little Bigfoot series, but the first few chapters catch you up on the plot. Ages 8–12 The Cardboard Kingdom: Snow and Sorcery By Chad Sell (Knopf Books for Young Readers) The third book in this graphic novel series is set during winter break. New kids want to join the cardboard kingdom, but the evil sorceress won’t let them. After snowball fights and other clashes, will they be able to resolve their differences and work together? Ages 8–12 The Poet’s Dog By Patricia MacLachlan (HarperCollins) Two kids are trapped in a blizzard…

Crisscross Each of these words associated with pizza fits into this grid. Can you find where each one goes to complete the grid? 3 letters HAM HOT LID 5 letters CRISP LARGE SAUCE SLICE SMALL 6 letters CHEESE GARLIC MEDIUM TOMATO 7 letters DELIVER SAUSAGE 9 letters ANCHOVIES MEATBALLS MUSHROOMS PEPPERONI PINEAPPLE ALL THE SAME Each answer contains the letters H-I-P. Those letters have been placed for you. Can you figure out the words? (NEED A HINT? Check the bottom of the page.) Take five Five 5-letter types of buildings are hidden in this grid. For each one, the first letter is somewhere in the first column, the second is somewhere in the second column, and so on. Can you find all five? SUDOKU To complete the grid, place the…

“I’m allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, and I joined a program called TIP (Tolerance Induction Program) through the Food Allergy Institute to eliminate my allergies almost a year ago. I was really lucky to be able to do this because there are kids with tougher allergies than mine who can’t afford TIP. I wanted to donate to a scholarship program to help more kids achieve 100% food freedom. I set up a stand and sold lemonade, fresh lemons, homegrown lavender, and lemon bars. I’ll definitely be doing more lemonade stands to donate more to the program!” 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 OFTHE WEEK What never walks but…

Teacher’s Name: Mr. Scott School: The Fay School “Mr. Scott really understands what it’s like to be a fourth grader. Sometimes during science experiments, he will let us go into the school’s forest to make learning more fun. If you ever have a question, he will always take the time to explain things very clearly and you will get the answer in no time. Sometimes he ‘accidentally’ says 6-7 to make us laugh! Mr. Scott is an amazing teacher.”Carter, 10, Texas 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.…

President Donald Trump has ended his efforts to send National Guard troops to Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; and Portland, Oregon. The decision came after the US Supreme Court (nation’s highest court of law) ruled that the troops couldn’t be deployed without proper authority. The leaders of the three cities welcomed the news. There was“never a legal justification” for the deployments, said Karen Bass, mayor of Los Angeles.…

The start of a new year often comes with raises for employees, and in 2026, the minimum wage workers can be paid will increase in 19 states. For the US as a whole, however, the federal minimum wage has not been raised in more than a decade. Many people have called for an increase to the national minimum wage, and a bill to accomplish that was introduced into Congress (the branch of government that makes laws) in 2025. Some people are not in favor of this, though, and argue that increasing the minimum wage would do more harm than good. What do you think? Should the US minimum wage be raised? Yes—it helps everyone People who are paid the minimum wage often struggle to pay for basic needs, like groceries…

The British Fashion Council has selected Anok Yai for its prestigious Model of the Year prize. Born in Egypt to South Sudanese parents, she moved to the US as a child refugee. Yai has broken barriers as a dark-skinned Black woman, opening shows for major designers such as Prada and speaking out about racism in the fashion industry. She is the fourth Black woman to win the Model of the Year award in the council’s 40-year history. “This recognition is for everyone who’s ever seen their story in mine,” she said.…

The raccoons that live in cities may be showing early signs of domestication, according to a new study. Domestication is the process by which wild plants or animals become adapted to living with people, often for human use or companionship. Researchers from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock studied nearly 20,000 photos of raccoons from across the US. They found that raccoons in cities tend to have shorter snouts than those in rural areas. Earlier research suggests that shortened snouts could be a key trait in domesticated animals like dogs, sheep, and housecats. Experts think snout size may be linked to cells that also affect fear responses in the brain. Changes in these cells could result in qualities like calmness and bravery, which can help animals thrive around people.…

Sara Lesser Education supervisor, Aquarium of the Pacific Fish can swim together in a school by using their senses. In addition to seeing the other fish around them, they have what’s called a lateral line along their bodies. This line is a sensory organ that detects pressure in the water and allows them to move in sync with the other schooling fish. Do you have a question for an animal expert? Send it to hello@theweekjunior.com. Find out more about the Aquarium of the Pacific at aquariumofpacific.org.…

A three-wheeled e-vehicle A with pedals can carry a rider, a passenger, and cargo on a road or highway. The Vigoz is being designed by Cixi, a French company focused on “active mobility.” Riders pedal as hard or as gently as they want, and their movement is converted into electricity that powers the motor and propels it along. Pedaling backward can slow the vehicle down, move it in reverse, and recharge the battery. Cixi said the Vigoz can hit speeds of up to 75 miles per hour and travel nearly 100 miles on a single charge.…

On January 2, USA Hockey announced the majority of the players selected to represent the US at the upcoming Olympics and Paralympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy. For the first time since 2014, NHL (National Hockey League) players will be competing on the men’s Olympic team. The US women, who won the 2025 World Championships, will enter the Olympics as a gold-medal favorite. Of the 23 players heading to Italy, 21 were on the World Championship team. Most of them play in the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League), but a few are still in college, including Laila Edwards, who will become the first Black woman to compete for the US in women’s hockey at the Olympics. Team captain Hilary Knight is also set to make history. She will be making her fifth…

A new seven-part documentary series combines travel, adventure, and science to help viewers learn about the planet. Pole to Pole with Will Smith makes stops on all seven continents, where Smith, an award-winning actor, meets with experts. They do research and make discoveries that include a new species of anaconda and potentially several new types of spiders. The series premieres on National Geographic on January 13 and will begin streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu. Executive producer Tom Williams told The Week Junior the big idea behind the series was“inspiring kids to be curious about the world.” He said the idea came from Smith, who loved science when he was young. “He said that he wanted kids to watch this series and be totally wowed by the world,…

Lost in Space (Netflix) “This sci-fi adventure series follows the Robinsons—a daring mom and dad and their three kids—who get lost in space while traveling from Earth to start a new life on a planet in the Alpha Centauri star system. They have to do everything they can to survive! The family battles alien robots, takes risks, and does lots of fun and space-related science. They face many obstacles, including who—or what—they can trust. This show is great for tweens and teens and is a blast to watch with space-loving parents.” Charlotte, 10, New Hampshire Do you have a film or TV show to recommend to other kids? Send your review to hello@theweekjunior.com.…

By Anna James, illustrated by Matthew Land (Flamingo Books) This story reimagines Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 50 years later. It’s the year 1919, and Alice has a granddaughter named Alyce who thinks her grandmother’s stories about Wonderland are make-believe. One day, a smudged piece of thick paper with the word “Noitativni” (“invitation” spelled backward) hits Alyce in the face. She thinks it’s an old invitation that fell out of one of her grandmother’s books. Alyce folds the invitation to make a paper boat and places it in a pond to see if it will float. When she reaches for the paper to add a sail, she falls into the water and sinks into Wonderland. There, she encounters Dormouse, March Hare, and Mad Hatter. They are surprised to see Alyce because…

Each year the US celebrates Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor the life and legacy of the civil rights leader. (See the box at right.) This year the holiday falls on Monday, January 19. The observance is also a National Day of Service, when all Americans are encouraged to volunteer in their communities. Here are some steps that you, your family, and your friends can take to help others. Find out why it’s a day of service MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service. It has its roots in something Martin Luther King Jr. once famously said: “Everybody can be great because everybody can serve.” Volunteering helps honor his unfinished work of building a more equitable society through community action. Identify ways…

Famous ducks take daily stroll Each morning at the Peabody Memphis hotel, Kenon Walker escorts five ducks on a march from the rooftop, where they live in splendor, to a fountain in the lobby. People come from all over the world to see the waddling walk, a tradition since 1933. Walker is the “duck master,” who cares for and trains the hotel’s feathered guests and educates visitors about them. He also gives the ducks a morning pep talk. “All right, duckies,” he tells the birds. “Let’s march with purpose.” A record-setting game night A father and son in Idaho gobbled up a world record for the fastest game of Hungry Hungry Hippos. Each using one finger, David Rush from Idaho and his son Peter worked together to clear the classic…

1 True or false? Avatar: Fire and Ash was the highest-earning movie at the box office over the holidays. True ☐ False ☐ 2 An event known as GW231123 was a collision between what space objects? a) Red giants b) Nebulas c) Blackholes a ☐ b ☐ c ☐ 3 True or false? Anok Yai, winner of the British Fashion Council’s Model of the Year award, was born in Egypt. True ☐ False ☐ 4 What term describes an elephant whose tusks weigh more than 100 pounds each? ______________ 5 True or false? The Harbin Ice Festival holds the record for the largest outdoor ice amusement park. True ☐ False ☐ 6 When was the US federal minimum wage last raised? a) 1999 b) 2009 c) 2019 a ☐ b ☐…