OWL Summer 2024

Hey Readers, Are you ready for summer? There is no better time to get outside with friends and family, or by yourself! Speaking of which, this small (but packed) issue is the perfect companion to take anywhere, like the park, a road trip, or the beach! We really hope you enjoy reading it because we loved making it for you. Have fun soaking up the season, and we’ll see you in September! Turn to page 42 to see what OWL readers got up to last summer!…

HANGING OUT WITH ANIMALS A NEW ZOO Calling all animal lovers! A zoo in Australia gives visitors a chance to get super close to its creatures. There’s just one catch: there are no real animals here—they’re all holograms! At the Hologram Zoo, visitors wear special glasses, enter a series of tunnels, and look at screens hanging from the walls. As they do, animals appear to come alive and float around the zoo-goers in 3D. There are more than 50 hologram creatures to see, including sea turtles, giraffes, and a whale that’s 25 m (82 ft.) long! And there are plans to bring hologram zoos to more places, including North America, Europe, and Japan. Keep an eye out! ONE WILD RIDE CARDBOARD COASTER Check out this exhilarating sculpture! Artist Daniel Agdag spent…

HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON Harold has a big imagination, a love of drawing, and a magical crayon that can make even his wildest dreams come true. When Harold’s purple fantasy world leads him on a mission to save his brother, he must learn to face his fears and make things right. Can he do it? Find out August 2. Ryan’s World the Movie: Titan Universe Adventure When big brother Ryan finds out his sisters have been sucked into a mystical comic book, he has no choice but to save them. He and his friends must face epic battles, magical foes, and other hilarious hijinks. This film bursts into theatres August 16. Descendants: Rise of Red Team up with opposites Red and Chloe as they try to save their home…

Every four years, thousands of next-level athletes from over 200 countries compete for gold, silver, and bronze medals at one of the biggest sporting events: the Summer Olympics. This year the Games are being held in Paris, France. Canada has competed at 23 Summer Games. In that time, the country has had lots of success in athletics and swimming events. At the last two Summer Olympics, Canada has won a whopping 12 medals in the pool—all by women. ALL ABOUT OLYMPIC SWIMMING Swimming at the Olympics is an individual and team sport. Races in the pool can be anywhere from 50 m to 1,500 m in length. There is also one event—a 10 km marathon—that takes place outside in open water. In relay events, four-person teams from each country compete…

MAGGIE MAC NEIL Age: 24 Events: Freestyle and butterfly Mac Neil started taking swimming seriously after watching the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. When she arrived on the international swimming scene, she immediately made a splash, winning gold at the 2019 World Championships in the 100 m butterfly. Then she won Canada’s first gold medal of the Tokyo Olympics in the same event—and the love of millions of Canadians who watched her victory. SUMMER McINTOSH Age: 17 Events: Freestyle, butterfly, individual medley If McIntosh performs well in Paris, we may have to call them “Summer’s Games.” McIntosh started swimming competitively at eight years old and made it to her first Olympics in 2021, at 14. Since then, she’s set world records and won four World Aquatics Championships gold medals. The…

1 Amber is created from hardened: a) coffee b) tree sap c) butter 2 “Aquamarine” means this in Latin: a) sea water b) salt water c) ocean gem 3 Tanzanite is found near this mountain: a) Mount Fuji b) Mount Kilimanjaro c) Mount Rushmore 4 This gem can also be found in comet dust: a) opal b) emerald c) peridot 5 Gemstone hardness is measured by this scale: a) Mohs b) Kelvin c) Richter 6 This animal creates pearls: a) hermit crab b) starfish c) oyster 7 Which of these gemstones is not green? a) amethyst b) jade c) bloodstone 8 The hardest natural material in the world is: a) emerald b) diamond c) quartz 9 Gemstone weight is measured in: a) carats b) grams c) stones 10 Topaz is…