Kids News - Articles for Grades 6-8

On June 9th, even the most rushed traveler at Hong Kong's International airport paused to admire the mesmerizing sight of 1,600 pandas, each the size of a human baby, some sitting, others standing - all eager to be whisked away to the city's numerous landmarks. As you may have already guessed, they were not live animals but replicas made from recycled materials by French sculptor, Paulo Grangeon....

A month ago, only avid soccer fans knew who Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar da Silva Santos Jr. were. However, thanks to the just ended FIFA World Cup, the trio have become household names, and rightfully so - After all, Messi was instrumental in getting Argentina to the finals, and Brazil's dismal performance against Germany and the Netherlands highlighted just how important Neymar is to the country's success in soccer. Though Ronaldo did not quite live up to the lofty expectations, he did score one of the two goals in Portugal's final game against Ghana and made a crucial assist in their match against the United States....

The fact that New Caledonian crows are smart is no secret. After all these birds that are endemic to the remote South Pacific Island of New Caledonia have been lauded for years, for their sophisticated tool use that not only rivals most birds, but also some of the most intelligent primates. But now it seems that they even possess psychic powers - For how else can you explain their accurate prediction of the semifinal results of the 2014 FIFA World Cup?...

When one thinks of 4th of July celebrations the things that come to mind are an afternoon feast of watermelon, chips and . . . lots and lots of hot dogs. The best place to eat these tasty franks? The one and only 'Nathan's Famous Fourth Of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest', where participants are handsomely rewarded for devouring as many hot dogs (buns and all) as they can, in the given time....

Though July 4th, the day our incredible country was 'born' is always celebrated with great abandon at the White House, this year's celebration is even more special. That's because in addition to the nation's 238th birthday, today also happens to be first daughter Malia Obama's, sweet sixteen....

While most of us don't need an excuse to devour one or even a few scoops of ice cream, it is always nice to have one. And what better reason than helping fulfill one's civic duty, which is what United States residents will be doing when they eat the creamy treat this month. That's because July happens to be National Ice Cream Month!...

Shanghai-based Hong Yi or 'Red' as she likes to call herself is known for her unusual and imaginative portraits. Her previous masterpieces include a sketch of Chinese film director Yimou Zhang created with 790 pairs of black, white and grey socks and one of basketball superstar Yao Ming painted with - you guessed it - a basketball! Popular Hollywood actor Jackie Chen was portrayed with chopsticks, while British singer/songwriter Adele's portrait was created with melted candles....

On Friday, June 20th, 29 dogs along with their doting owners came to Petaluma, California to participate in a rather unusual competition - one that seeks out and honors the World's Ugliest Dog'. Now in its 26th year, the contest is one of the biggest attractions at the annual Sonoma-Marin Fair....

On June 8th, 2014, fourteen-year-old Hunter Gandee and his seven-year-old brother Braden, trekked 40-miles to raise awareness about Cerebral Palsy. While that was certainly impressive, what was even more so is that the entire 'Cerebral Palsy Swagger', as the boys called it, was completed with Braden perched on his brother's back. And it is not because the younger boy is lazy, but because the muscular disorder has left him debilitated and unable to walk without help....