Culture

Arts

Super Surprise

A Superman comic book recently sold for more than $9 million. It’s the most expensive comic ever sold. That’s according to Heritage Auctions, an auction house in Texas. Three brothers found the comic book. They were cleaning out their mother’s…

Entertainment

Game Changers

Some museums display art. Others focus on science. But the Strong National Museum of Play is all about fun. The museum’s Toy Hall of Fame honors toys. Each one has “inspired creative play” over many years. That’s according to the…

Technology

Word of Caution

Electronic devices can be used for nearly anything. People can watch videos on a phone. They can search for new music on a tablet. But too much mindless use can be bad. It can lead to “brain rot.” The term…

People of the Year

Taylor Swift has been named TIME magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year. Influential people were named in other categories too. Soccer star Lionel Messi was TIME’s Athlete of the Year. The World Cup champion made headlines in 2023. His contract…

Word of the Year

Late in 2023, Merriam-Webster announced its word of the year. It picked the word authentic. Merriam-Webster publishes dictionaries. It highlights a word every year. The choice is based on searches from the dictionary’s website. Often, the word reflects world events. …

World

Festival Foods

Food is an important part of Lunar New Year celebrations. Each country has its own holiday foods. Here’s a taste of some of them. Tangerines (above) are popular during Lunar New Year. The Chinese word for tangerine sounds similar to…

Arts

Musical Nature

Do you play an instrument? Have you ever made one? Terje Isungset can answer yes to both questions. He’s a drummer. And he makes instruments out of something pretty cool. Ice! It’s not just any ice. “You can buy perfect…

Arts

Arachnid Anniversary

This summer marks the 60-year anniversary of Spider-Man’s first appearance in comics. The character was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Spider-Man first showed up in Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy #15. It was published in August 1962. Fans like Tyler…

Lights Up

The Kanto Matsuri, August 3–6, is a Japanese lantern festival. It has returned to the city of Akita for the first time since the pandemic began. Performers hang as many as 46 paper lanterns on each bamboo pole. The lanterns…

Arts

All Dressed Up

Comic-book fans dress up as their favorite characters at Comic-Con International. The convention took place July 21–24, in San Diego, California. It was the fir…