Weekly Reader | Lead Story | A Sticky Situation

Top 5 News Stories in 2007

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he results are in! More than 3,000 kids between the ages of 6 and 18 voted in Weekly Reader Research’s INSIDERS online poll about the most important news stories of 2007. Kids were asked to select the most important news story of the year from a list of ten major events that occurred last year. So, which headlines were the hottest?

Drum Roll Please …

With 16 percent of the vote, the overall number one news story of 2007 was the massive recall of toys manufactured in China. Millions of toys made with toxic materials and breakable parts were yanked from store shelves and returned to their manufacturers. High gas prices nabbed the number two spot with 13.6 percent of the vote. In many parts of the country, gas reached almost $4 per gallon. Warnings about global warming were a close third, earning 12 percent of your votes. The surge of U.S. troops serving in Iraq and the release of the final book in the Harry Potter series rounded out the top five, each earning 9.7 percent of the vote.

Here’s how different ages voted:

The top three news stories for 6-9 year olds were

Millions of toys made in China are recalled.
J.K. Rowling releases final book in Harry Potter series.
Gas prices approach $4 a gallon at the pump.