OWL June 2023

owlconnected.com Hey Readers, Pack up those worn-down pencils, half-eaten granola bars, and usedup notebooks—summer is almost here and we’re here for it! (Can’t you tell by my outfit?) Speaking of which, rip into rad facts about surfing on page 18. From getting the lowdown on athletes to speaking surfer lingo, you’ll be ready to hang ten in no time! Keep the summer vibes flowing by finding the illustrations that spell O-U-T (as in, school is out!) in the scene on page 16. Then shrink down and discover all things tiny on page 12. It really IS a small world! Speaking of discoveries, we’ve compiled a list of the coolest new species! Check them out on page 22. Finally, remember to tell us what songs you’ll have on repeat this season…

Dear OWL, I love to read, especially OWL. I like to read Weird Zone. I also like to play sports, such as basketball and rugby. —Grayson Dear Grayson, Thanks for sharing! I’ll make sure to let Weird Zone writer Maria Birmingham know that you’re enjoying it. Keep on reading! —Melissa, editor Dear OWL, My favourite thing to do on a rainy day is snuggle under the covers with a gigantic pile of books. I would love to travel to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower! —Norah Dear Norah, I share your rainy day preference—all the books! Be sure to snap a pic when you visit Paris one day! In the meantime, maybe one of your rainy day selections could be about France? Reading can take you to so many places—and…

A STONE’S THROW TO FUN READY TO ROCK One thing’s for sure: this playground rocks. That’s partly because it’s made of huge boulders! Last fall, an artist and engineer named Mike Hewson created this rockin’ playground in an Australian city. Called Rocks on Wheels, the spot features boulders resting on wheeled platforms. Of course, the huge rocks are way too heavy to be rolled around, and they’re anchored in place for safety. That makes them perfect for climbing. Hewson also added slides, ropes, and monkey bars to complete the playground. Who’s up for some fun? Quiz Whiz CAN YOU GUESS WHAT THIS OBJECT IS? THIS GADGET IS A: A ROBOTIC VACUUM B COMPUTER MOUSE C SPEAKER Answer page 32. THAT’S SOME ’ZA EAT UP! Have a slice … or 68,000! Last spring,…

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Journey across the Multiverse with Spider-Man in this new adventure! Miles Morales joins forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off against a powerful villain. Swing into the fun on June 2! SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake SpongeBob and Patrick are transported to different worlds after undoing the fabric of space and time. Help them save the universe and restore the balance! Available now on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Top Picks Make and learn with these apps. Aquavias Get creative and build 3D towns block by block with this fun app! Lego Duplo Marvel Join your favourite Marvel superheroes for fun adventures! Minecraft: Epic Inventions By Mojang AB and the Official Minecraft Team Calling all Minecraft fans! This book…

MINI-MALS! You’ll have to look very closely to spot these creatures! SHREW KNEW? The Etruscan shrew is the world’s smallest non-flying mammal. Adults weigh just 1.8 g (0.06 oz.)—that’s lighter than a nickel. WHO ARE YOU CALLING “INFANT”? The stout infantfish of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has a maximum adult length of just 10 mm (0.39 in.), which is about the size of a grain of rice! WEE YOU! Get to know the itty-bitty inside our bodies! SMALLEST BONE The stapes is a bone in the middle ear that carries vibrations through the ear. It is between 2 to 3 mm (0.08 to 0.12 in.) long. SMALLEST MUSCLE The stapedius muscle controls the movement of the stapes bone. This muscle is just 1 mm (0.04 in.) wide! SMALLEST ORGAN The…

What Is Surfing? Surfing is using the energy of a wave to ride a board across the water. It is done while either standing or crouching. Similar sports include windsurfing (which uses a sail to add extra power to the board) and bodyboarding (where the rider lays flat on the board). A Pacific Theme Surfing began hundreds of years ago in Polynesia, a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean that includes Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, and Tonga. Surfing only became known elsewhere in the world during the 1900s. Rocking Waves In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the boom in surfing was matched by a new musical trend: surf rock. Featuring sounds that resembled crashing waves, surf rock ranged from instrumental music to pop hits like the Beach Boys’ “Surfin’…