Innholdsfortegnelse for 286 i The Week Junior

On 25 May, Baby Arthur, who is five months old, became the first person in the UK with an illness called spinal muscular atrophy to be treated with a drug called Zolgensma. It could help him and other babies live longer. The drug uses gene therapy and costs £1.79 million for each person treated. What is spinal muscular atrophy? Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a serious illness that weakens the muscles and makes it difficult to move. The condition affects around one in every 10,000 births. Parents notice that something is wrong when their babies are a few months old. The symptoms include not being able to lift the head, arms and legs, and having trouble breathing. If they are not treated, a baby with the most serious type of…

Barack Obama, the president of the US from 2009 to 2017, has spoken to Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford in a video call organised by book publishers Penguin UK. Obama congratulated Rashford for his work in recent months. “When you look at the moments of big social change,” Obama said, “It’s usually young people who initiate this.” Rashford has spent the last year leading a campaign to tackle child food poverty in the UK during the pandemic. He has twice persuaded Government ministers to change their minds and provide meals for young people whose families don’t have enough money to buy food. Thanks to him, a Government scheme is supporting 1.7 million children. Alongside his work on food campaigns, Rashford has started a children’s book club to improve reading skills…

6 June 1975 The UK votes to stay in Europe A referendum on whether the UK should be part of the European Economic Community (EEC) was held 46 years ago. A referendum is a special vote on a single issue. In 1975, 67% of British voters backed the UK’s place in the EEC, which later became the European Union (EU). Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson said the vote was “historic”. Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher said the decision would not have happened without her party’s support.…

For thousands of years, people used snails in medicines. The Romans said the best cure for a stomach ache was to eat live snails dipped in vinegar. This is a very bad idea and should not be attempted! Besides its being useless, the writer Pliny the Elder (AD23–AD79), who suggested it, said, “The snail’s rank juice makes the breath foul.” Today, snails are cooked and eaten in many countries around the world and their slime is used in beauty products in countries including South Korea. Recently, Damien Desrocher made the news for his home-made snail slime soap, which he sells in a market in France. He has 60,000 snails and it takes around 40 snails to produce 15 soap bars. What do you think? Would you use snail slime soap…

“In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf” is a familiar opening line to millions of children who read The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Eric Carle, the US author of the bestselling story, died on 23 May, aged 91. His family said that “a painter of rainbows is now travelling across the night sky.” Carle’s book was first published in 1969. It has sold 50 million copies and been translated into 62 languages. Although he wrote and illustrated several other children’s books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar remained his most famous. Carle told the BBC in 2019 that he thought it was popular was because it is “a book of hope”.…

The first National Hedgerow Week took place from 29 May to 6 June. The Tree Council, which organised the week, said its aims were to raise awareness around “the often-unsung heroes of the British countryside” and highlight the contribution they make. Hedgerows help fight climate change (long-term changes in weather patterns caused by the warming atmosphere) by absorbing air pollution, such as carbon, from the atmosphere. Hedgerows provide havens for all kinds of wildlife and they make people feel better because they decorate streets and paths with greenery. The bottoms of hedges are home to lots of creatures that live among the leaves and wild plants. Litter can interfere with this, so it’s a good idea to clear it away if you see any. The Tree Council has a guide…

Brentford, Blackpool and Morecambe These English football clubs won their playoff finals, meaning Brentford are promoted to the Premier League, Blackpool to the Championship and Morecambe to League One. Hélio Castroneves The Brazilian won the Indy 500 car race in the US for the fourth time. Lawrence Okoye The British athlete won the discus at the European Team Championships. It was Okoye’s first international event in nine years. Southern Vipers They beat Lightning in their opening cricket match of the 2021 Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. Vipers are the current champions, after going undefeated last year.…

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell Despite being told that she was orphaned in a shipwreck, Sophie is sure her mother is still alive. On a search to find her, Sophie discovers a community of orphaned children living on the rooftops of Paris. How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell This is the first in a best-selling series of books, which inspired a trilogy of blockbuster films. A young Viking called Hiccup, heir to the throne of his tribe, must learn how to train his dragon or face exile. When Secrets Set Sail by Sita Brahmachari When the ghost of her grandmother, Kali Ma, appears, Usha and her adoptive sister Imtiaz are given a secret task, which sends them on a quest across London.…

The Scottish Island that Won the Lottery 8pm on 5 June, Channel 4 The remote Scottish island of North Uist is home to roughly 1,500 people. There wasn’t much money around until some of the islanders won £3 million between them in the postcode lottery. The programme follows the residents as they work out what to do with the money. Loki From 9 June, Disney+ The villainous Loki, god of mischief, is back to his old tricks. Now he’s travelling through time and space in this follow-up series to the film Avengers: Endgame. Loki is played by Tom Hiddleston, who starred in the Avengers films. Eden Available now on Netflix A million years after humans have vanished from Earth, there is one girl left. She is found by two robots,…

In the thrilling sequel to The Infinite, we rejoin time traveller Elle and her fellow Leaplings – children born on 29 February, who possess the gift of moving through time. A school trip to the Museum of the Past, the Present and the Future goes badly wrong when the most important piece in the museum, the valuable Infinity-Glass, is stolen. When Elle’s friend MC² is accused of being involved in the crime, Elle must travel through time to prove his innocence. Her journey will take her back to the London of 1752, when she will encounter Dr Samuel Johnson, creator of one of the earliest English dictionaries. With everything from futuristic flying cars to shadowy criminal masterminds to handle, can Elle find the Infinity-Glass before it is too late? Starring…

How can I get involved? With the help of an adult, get in touch with your local roller-skating club or hockey rink and ask if they offer beginner sessions. You will need to be comfortable skating on quad skates, so practise this as much as you can. Remember to wear a helmet, elbow pads and knee pads when you practise roller-skating indoors or outdoors. Which teams are the best? Argentina, Portugal and Spain have dominated the recent women’s and men’s Roller Hockey World Cups, which are usually held every two years. Spain are the women’s champions and Portugal are the men’s champions. The sport started in London around 130 years ago.…

Calling all nature lovers! It’s time to get involved in the Wildlife Trusts’ annual nature challenge. Sign up for 30 Days Wild and complete one “random act of wildness” every day throughout the month of June. You’ll receive a free digital pack with some fun adventure ideas, such as learning how to do a cartwheel in a grassy spot or having a go at cycling to school. More than 100,000 people have already signed up to take part in the UK’s biggest nature challenge. Will you dare to go wild for 30 days? Head to tinyurl.com/TWJ-30DaysWild2021 to join in.…

Follow The Week Junior on PopJam@TheWeekJunior. You can download the PopJam app from the App Store or Google Play. Last week we asked you if all adults should be given free money. “No, they won’t have goals, will grow lazy and won’t take their jobs seriously.” “Yes, but only those that live on the streets, not just anyone. They should have to apply and say how much money they own and have proof that they are poor/live on the streets.” “No, only the ones that need it because they cannot earn it.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

1 Which former US president had a Zoom call with Marcus Rashford? □ a) George W. Bush □ b) Donald Trump □ c) Barack Obama 2 True or false? This year’s G7 summit is being held in Cornwall. □ True □ False 3 Who won the election in Syria for a fourth term as president? 4 What has one soap maker in France started using in his products? □ a) Snail slime □ b) Toad snot □ c) Rabbit droppings 5 True or false? The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been translated into six languages. □ True □ False 6 What is the UK’s most popular random act of wildness? 7 Which country’s football team had a surprise victory at the Euros in 1992? □ a) France □ b) Italy □…

Four sites in England can now give Zolgensma. They are Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust; Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust; University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust; and Evelina London Children’s Hospital. It has also been approved for use in Scotland and Wales. Children in Wales who need the drug will probably be treated in England, and it is hoped that patients in Northern Ireland will be able to get the treatment soon, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet. The drug has been used in the US since 2019.…

A GYMNASTIC FIRST Simone Biles has become the first female gymnast to land the Yurchenko double pike in a major competition. The move involves a cartwheel, a back handspring and two backflips. It was the first time the Olympic gold medallist had competed in 18 months. AN INCREDIBLE JUMP On 26 May, mountain biker Bienvenido Aguado is thought to have set a new record for the world’s longest dirt-to-dirt front flip. The 30-metre jump took place in Stellenbosch, South Africa, and featured a mid-air somersault. Aguado beat the record of 21 metres set by Tom Van Steenbergen in 2014. RESCUING A DIAMOND RING A freediver has recovered an engagement ring lost in Lake Windermere, in the English Lake District. Angus Hosking, who has been freediving (diving underwater without breathing equipment)…

• A soap maker in France is using snail slime in soap. Some say the slime is good for the skin but other people say there is not enough evidence to prove this. • To get the slime, the soap maker tickles the snails and they start producing a frothy liquid. The process is said not to harm the snails because they produce the slime naturally to help them move, stick to surfaces such as rocks and to repair their shells. • Snails have been used in medicine for thousands of years and their slime is used today in beauty products in some countries, including South Korea.…

Many studies have now revealed the positive effects of spending time in nature. These include feeling calmer and less stressed – and even improving people’s memory. Being in nature needn’t involve travelling far; a garden or nearby park can have the same effects. One study found that around two hours a week in nature was enough to improve people’s wellbeing – and the effects were the same if they did it all in one go or split up the time into short daily visits.…

Chilled-out lions might purr if they could but they can’t! The vocal anatomy of big cats like lions and tigers is designed so they are able to roar. This means that they are unable to use the right muscles to purr. Smaller species – like pet cats and lynx – are made differently. They don’t have the vocal range to be able to roar but they can purr. Don’t worry, though, big cats tell others they’re happy and content by making huffing and puffing sounds! Do you have a question about an animal you would like answered? We’d love to include it in the magazine. Send your question in an email to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

If you could travel to any year, which one would you choose to visit? Having set some of The Time-Thief in 1752, I can’t resist the thought of visiting that leap year to see what it was like in real life. Also, to see if anyone minded 11 days being cut out of the calendar! What did you want to be when you were younger? Until I was eight, I wanted to be a donkey. I can’t remember why I wanted to be a donkey. After that, I was convinced I would become an Olympic athlete, a sprinter. What is your best childhood memory? Standing on the garden path in the sunshine listening to my brother recite from memory the first lines of Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient…

These cards are perfect for Father’s Day on 20 June but they can be used for any occasion. Lollies and ice creams make colourful birthday cards, thank-you cards and party invites. Why not make one of these cards for someone in your life who you think would appreciate a burst of colour and a kind message? What you need • A pencil • A ruler • Coloured card • Scissors • White paper • Felt pens • Glue • Lolly sticks Ice cream 1 Cut out a cone (12cm long, 7cm wide) from brown card. Draw lines to make a pattern. Draw the ice cream onto white card. Cut it out. 2 Draw a face on the ice cream. Cut some thin coloured card strips, trim pieces off and glue…

June seems to have started off in the right way. Over the weekend, I went and stayed in a camping pod in north Kent and now I’m home I’m feeling so thankful to have glorious sunshine and streets bursting with greenery. This week’s Over to You page is totally nature-tastic too – check out our reader’s piece on crickets, and the puffin and rabbit interaction on Your Photos. Nature is fascinating and getting to appreciate it is so important for ourselves and the planet. It’s also a lot easier than you might think. Wherever you are you can see something wild. This month, a nature challenge is taking place – it’s designed to get you doing one “random act of wildness” for 30 days. I love the sound of Dara…

Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full name and address so that we can send you a Roving Reporter badge if your contribution makes it onto the page. We will only use the details you provide to arrange delivery of badges, and we will not share them with anyone else. By submitting your reports and pictures, you give consent to The Week Junior to print them in the magazine and digital editions. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, accuracy and suitability. Ensure you have your parent/guardian’s permission before sending anything to us.…

Teacher’s name: Ms Ostler School: St John’s Walham Green CE Primary School, London “Ms Ostler is our music teacher. I nominate Ms Ostler because she is very nice and funny and has been teaching us while my teacher has been absent. She has also been very helpful and brave during lockdown and sent us lovely videos to make us happy.” Rose If we pick your teacher as Teacher of the Week, we’ll send yourschoolthreefreeissuesof The Week Junior.Sendyour nominations, along with a picture of your teacher and your school’s full name and address, to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

When he was growing up, 11-year-old Christian Convery wanted to be like the people he saw on screen. “I thought it was really cool how they got to do all these things on set and pretend to be someone else, ” said the Canadian actor, speaking to The Week Junior. Now Convery is the star of the new Netflix series Sweet Tooth, which is based on a comic-book series of the same name. The story is set after a global pandemic, during which human-animal hybrids (mixtures) are born. Convery plays a half-boy, half-deer called Gus. As the title suggests, he has a sweet tooth. A lot of the filming took place in New Zealand during the coronavirus pandemic. “I thought it was pretty timely that we were filming a virus…

The UK’s most popular random acts of wildness have been revealed – and top of the list is listening to birdsong. Random acts of wildness are part of The Wildlife Trusts‘ 30 Days Wild campaign, which each year encourages people to get outdoors and connect with nature every day during the month of June. The Wildlife Trusts are a group of 46 UK wildlife charities with more than 850,000 members and 42,500 volunteers. In 2020, around 650,000 people took part in 30 Days Wild, which was a new record. The Trusts then asked 1,000 people to name their favourite acts of wildness. Listening to birdsong was the most popular – 88% of people who took part said they enjoyed it during June 2020. Next on the list was exercising outdoors…

It might sound strange that the 2020 men’s European football championships are being held in 2021, but they were delayed for a year by the Covid-19 outbreak. They are usually contested once every four years. This year, the men’s Euro 2020 tournament will take place from 11 June to 11 July. The festival of football will be played across Europe and see the continent’s 24 best national teams battle it out to see who will be crowned champions. Who will be taking part this summer? England, Scotland and Wales are among the 24 teams who qualified. It is the first time since 1958 that these three nations have played in the same major tournament together. England and Northern Ireland will compete at the women’s version of the championship in…

Dream Horse In cinemas Here’s an uplifting family movie, based on a true story. It tells the tale of Jan Vokes, played by Toni Collette, who works in her local shop during the day, and a local bar at night. She has the idea of getting the locals of the small Welsh town where she lives to all club together to buy a racehorse: but can they take on the very rich trainers in the world of horse racing? That’s just what they attempt to do, and this film is an emotional retelling of what happened. The film is directed by Euros Lyn, who directed many episodes of the TV series Doctor Who. Peter Davison, who played the Doctor in the 1980s, also stars in the film. When the film…

Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah (Scholastic) Leonard is shocked when he arrives with his mother in the English port of Southampton. It’s cold and grey, unlike his old home in Jamaica. Now he must adjust to a new life – but it isn’t going to be easy. This powerful tale will give you an insight into what it is like to move to a strange new country. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy by Rey Terciero and Bre Indigo (Little Brown) In this modern-day graphic novel based on the classic Little Women, we meet four sisters from New York, US. With their father away in the military and their mother working overtime to support the family, the girls must pitch in and help each other. With lots of fantastic artwork, this…

House becomes climbing wall A couple of fun-loving parents have turned their entire house into a climbing frame for their son, so he can play “the floor is lava”. The object of the game is to move around an area without touching the floor. Matt and Sophie Heason put up ropes, climbing holds and hanging bars to help their 12-year-old son Dylan have fun during lockdown. They challenged him to get from the kitchen table to his bedroom in the attic without touching the floor. Fox is found in washing machine When Natasha Prayag and her boyfriend returned to her London home they found a fox in the hallway. The animal ran off and they thought it had disappeared – until they saw a little ear poking out of the…