Page Type: Elementary

McSpaghetti (Philippines) 

In the Philippines, customers can order spaghetti with meat sauce. McSpaghetti also comes with a piece of fried chicken.

Poutine (Canada) 

McDonald’s restaurants in Canada serve poutine, a Canadian specialty that consists of French fries topped with gravy and cheese curds.

Panzerotti (Italy)

Italian McDonald’s has panzerotti, fried dough pockets filled with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Dosa Masala Burger (India)

In India, McDonald’s serves a veggie burger made with potato, peas, and spices, and topped with chutney mayonnaise.

Croissant (France)

Customers at McDonald’s in France can buy plain or chocolate croissants.

McFalafel (Egypt) 

In Egypt, McDonald’s sells a wrap containing falafel, which are deep-fried patties made from chickpeas and spices.

1 – American Girl doll, Port Townsend (Washington) Public Library

2 – Sewing machine, Sacramento (California) Public Library

3 – Fishing rod, Kenai (Alaska) Community Library

4 – Volleyball set, Richmond (Utah) Public Library

5 – Bicycle repair kit, Denver (Colorado) Public Library

6 – Science kit, Denton (Texas) Public Library

7 – Bird watching kit, Shirley M. Wright Memorial Library, Trempealeau, Wisconsin

8 – Telescope, Ann Arbor (Michigan) District Library

9 – Giant tic-tac-toe, Stark Library, Canton, Ohio

10 – Jewelry making kit, New Hanover County (North Carolina) Public Library

11 – Nintendo Switch, Reading (Massachusetts) Public Library

12 – Snowshoes, McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Maine

Did you know that most bees are solitary, meaning they live alone? Like honeybees and other bees that live in hives, solitary bees are important pollinators.

Female solitary bees build nests in underground burrows or hollow branches and plant stems. They collect pollen and nectar and place it inside the nest. Then they lay a single egg and seal up the nest. When the egg hatches, the young bee will develop on its own, eating the food the mother bee left behind. 

Nature can provide the perfect place for solitary bees to build their nests. But when people want to attract bees to their land, they may build structures, using wood or even old containers or pipes, where solitary bees can safely lay their eggs. The photos above show some examples.

The word dragon might make you think of a huge, fire-breathing lizard that guards a castle. No real animal fits this description, but the Komodo dragon comes the closest. Found only on the Lesser Sunda Islands, in Indonesia, the Komodo dragon is the world’s largest lizard, with some weighing more than 300 pounds (135 kilograms). A fearsome predator, it hides along trails, waiting to pounce on cattle, deer, pigs, and other animals that might pass by.

As a hunter, the Komodo dragon has a lot going for it. It’s a fast runner, an excellent climber, and a good swimmer. It also has sharp teeth and claws. And while it doesn’t breathe fire, its mouth does produce venom, a substance that can harm or kill many animals.

The creature in the image may look like a Pixar character, but it’s actually what scientists believe the pterosaur Tupandactylus imperator looked like. Tupandactylus imperator lived about 113 million years ago, long before humans appeared. But fossils, like the one that was recently donated to Brazil’s National Museum, confirm its unusual head shape. And recent studies suggest that Tupandactylus imperator had colorful feathers, somewhat like a bird.

We’ve learned a lot about ancient Egypt because the Egyptians left behind a lot of written information. And as you read, they used a writing system called hieroglyphics. The system is made up of more than 700 symbols that represent sounds and words. 

Here’s a small sample of hieroglyphics. The letters are intended to show what each sign would sound like if the symbols were read out loud.

How did this bird end up thousands of miles from home? It’s a mystery that even bird experts can’t solve.

The bird, which is called a blue rock-thrush, is native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, but this one was spotted in North America! The proof was provided by Michael Sanchez, a middle school band director from Vancouver, Washington. Sanchez, whose hobby is photography, was at a state park in Oregon taking some photos when he saw a bird he’d never seen before.

“I said, ‘Oh, well, what a cute little bird,’” Sanchez told National Public Radio (NPR). He took photos of the bird and posted them to Facebook, noting the bird’s beautiful blue and brown feathers. When bird experts saw the bird, they realized how far from home it was. No one had seen a blue rock-thrush in North America since 1997!

Experts say the bird is most likely from near Japan, but they aren’t sure how it got across the Pacific Ocean to the United States. They think it might have gotten blown off course or hopped a ride on a ship. Sanchez says the experience has given him a new hobby.

“I have more of an interest in photographing birds now,” he told NPR. “I don’t imagine I’ll ever get something like that again. But, you know, it does help me to notice birds a little bit more.”

Pets can make us laugh. They can also surprise us!

On March 22, Genee Mireles was on a local bus in Denver, Colorado, when she noticed an unexpected passenger. Somehow, a dog had boarded the bus and was now sitting alone toward the back of the vehicle. At one point, the dog, a rottweiler mix, wandered around the bus to greet a few people.

“I was just taking my kids to school that morning—we take the bus regularly—and the kids were greeted by the dog. She just came and licked my son,” Mireles told Denverite. The dog even offered a paw to shake.

Mireles noted to herself that the dog looked well fed and well cared for, suggesting that she had a family. Mireles alerted the bus driver, and the bus company staff brought their furry passenger to an animal shelter.

Luckily, the dog had a microchip, a tiny device that is placed under a pet’s skin and contains information about the animal and its owner. The shelter staff learned that the dog’s name is Lily and she’s about 2 years old. They were also able to contact Lily’s family, who had been missing their dog ever since she got out of the backyard. The reunion was sweet. Lily greeted her family with cuddles and a wagging tail. 

Lily’s family has no idea why she got on that bus. Maybe she just wanted to be around people!