• by Melynda Fuller , March 19, 2020

This weekend, Dennis Publishing delivers the first issue of its kids spinoff magazine from The Week, The Week Junior, in-home. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, The Week Junior’s first four issues will be available as free PDFs online to aid families who are dealing with home-schooling their children.

The launch is accompanied by a national campaign called Junior Voices. Through the campaign, kids can share their ideas with the world via postcards bound in the first print issue.

The magazine, whose launch was announced two months ago, has signed on 25,000 paid subscriptions and hundreds of schools in that time.

The Week Junior is geared to kids between the ages of 8 to 14 and delivers 32-pages of content over 48 issues each year. The intent  is to pique kids’ interest in reading through reporting on global and national news, science, animals, people, entertainment, books and sports.

"We want children to see just how amazing the world is," Andrea Barbalich, EIC of The Week Junior, stated. "We know this generation is hungry for information and eager to have their voices heard. The Week Junior will arm them with the facts they need to form their own opinions and make a positive impact.”

The first issue features a cover story about acts of kindness during the coronavirus outbreak meant to be both age-appropriate and inspiring, in addition to stories about the ocean, smart technology and drawing tips from author Jerry Craft.

"Children's daily lives have changed in major ways in recent weeks — schools have closed, activities have been canceled, and routines have been disrupted. It's challenging for kids to find out what's going on in a safe and accurate way," stated Barbalich. "We wanted to tell children a hopeful story about humanity."

The Week Junior costs $75 for a one-year subscription and its U.S. debut follows the success of its U.K. edition.