Innholdsfortegnelse for 337 i The Week Junior

On 21 May, Australia held an election to choose its government and prime minister. The Labor Party’s Anthony Albanese was voted in as prime minister, defeating Scott Morrison, who had the job from 2018 to 2022. What were the results? Anthony Albanese, leader of the Australian Labor Party, won the election. On 23 May, he became prime minister after Scott Morrison accepted defeat. At the time The Week Junior went to press, the Labor Party had won 74 seats (places) out of 151 in Australia’s House of Representatives and 26 out of 76 in its Senate (the two parts of the Australian parliament). The Labor Party needs to win at least 76 seats in the House of Representatives to form a government on its own, otherwise it will need to…

Jake Daniels has become the first male footballer for more than 30 years to reveal he is gay while still playing professionally in the UK. “I want people to know the real me,” said the 17-year-old, who plays as a forward for Blackpool. “I am ready to be myself, be free and be confident with it all.” Messages of support have come from the Premier League, the Football Association and England captain Harry Kane, who tweeted, “Football should be welcoming for everyone.” Those outside the football world, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince William, have also praised Daniels for being true to himself.…

A bird sanctuary at Washington, in the north-east of England, has been celebrating the birth of a common crane chick, the first in the centre’s 46-year history. The chick’s parents are part of the Great Crane Project, a programme that is reintroducing common cranes to the UK after they disappeared about 400 years ago. About20years Wetlandsuchasbogsand marshes. Between110and120centimetres long, with a wingspan of 2.2 to 2.5 metres. Insectssmallanimalsand plants. Thecommoncraneisthe UK’s tallest bird.…

It’s hard to imagine a world without Star Wars. It’s become such an essential part of popular culture that a BBC series about people trying things that are familiar to almost everyone was called I’ve Never Seen Star Wars. To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the original film’s release, find out how the series took over the planet. Cinema’s new hope On 25 May 1977, Star Wars was released in US cinemas. Created by George Lucas, it introduced the story of Luke Skywalker, who joins the Rebel Alliance to battle against the evil Galactic Empire. Ten more films were released – the most recent came out in 2019. A long time ago… Lucas drew on real-life history to build his world. The change from the Galactic Republic to the Galactic…

Scientists have used samples of lunar soil collected during a mission to the Moon 50 years ago to germinate (grow) seeds for the first time – though they discovered that the plants found it harder to grow than in similar Moonlike soils found on Earth. Researchers at the University of Florida, US, obtained a precious 12 grams of dusty lunar soil, called regolith, gathered by astronauts on the Apollo 11, 12 and 17 missions of 1969 and 1972. They then compared how seeds of a small flowering plant called thale cress grew, compared with seeds planted in volcanic ash from Earth. Although the cress sprouted in both soils, those planted in Moon dust grew more slowly and showed more signs of stress. The plants also behaved differently in the three…

Do you sometimes feel nervous when talking to someone you don’t know? Everyone feels shy from time to time but overcoming your fears can make you feel stronger and more confident. What does being shy feel like? When you feel shy you may be awkward around people, especially if you don’t know them well. It’s an uncomfortable feeling that can also make you blush, your heart beat faster and even give you an upset tummy. The Week Junior reader Joni, aged nine, describes what being shy feels like to her. “When my friends are around I feel like I have a shell around me that is protecting me but on my own I feel very vulnerable,” she says. Feeling fearful If the thought of speaking in front of other people…

On 16 May, animation studio Pixar announced details of its new film, Elemental, out in 2023. Inspired by the elements fire, water, earth and air, Elemental is set in a city where the elements live together. Ember is a fiery young woman, while Wade likes to go with the flow, like water does. The story is about how they learn they have more in common than they thought. Elemental’s director Peter Sohn used his childhood in New York, US, where his family moved from Korea, as inspiration. “We were among many families who ventured to a new land with hopes and dreams,” said Sohn, “All of us mixing into one big salad bowl of cultures, languages and beautiful little neighbourhoods. That’s what led me to Elemental.” Elemental will be released…

Egypt, in north Africa, might have the most famous pyramids in the world but it’s not the only country where this kind of structure exists. Sudan, which lies directly to the south of Egypt, has its Pyramids of Meroë, which were built between 2,700 and 2,300 years ago. Now you can explore these extraordinary monuments without having to jump on a plane, thanks to a new section of Google’s Arts & Culture website and app (check it out at tinyurl.com/TWJ-meroe). It tells you about the history of the city of Meroë, which was the capital of an ancient civilisation called the Kingdom of Kush. It’s here that more than 200 pyramids were built from granite and sandstone as tombs for kings, queens and other important people when they died. Google’s…

What inspires you? I’ve always loved fairy tales and history. I wanted to write a story that combined the two. I saw a mural at Kensington Palace showing the court of King George I. I thought: what if the children in that painting could do magic? That idea became the start of my story. Where do you write? I have a room with a desk, computer and a sunny window. There are shelves full of books, plus inspirational art on the walls, including my own book covers! What is your favourite moment in the book? My young sorcerers Tempest and Thomas must search for a special spell to take them to England. They transform into birds, frogs, fish and wolves to try to find the spell hidden in the woods.…

How can stop motion benefit you? Stop-motion animation can help you be creative and learn how to use cameras, computers and photo-editing skills. When you have done a few simple moves, start to think about more difficult animation scenes. Planning and sketching out your thoughts first will help. What is a flicker book? A flicker book is an easy way to make a character look animated. Get a small drawing pad and draw a stick person character on one page. On each of the following pages, make a small change. When the pages are flicked through, it will look like the person is moving.…

Postbox gets unusual guests A family of starlings (a type of bird) have made their home in a postbox in Clashnessie, Scotland. The birds nested there last year as well and quickly became local celebrities. The post box (which has googly eyes) can no longer be used for post because Royal Mail is not allowed to disturb the family of nesting birds. Royal Mail has asked people to use nearby postboxes instead, although the nearest is three miles away. The cakes designed to confuse Lynne Davidson, a baker from Glenrothes, Scotland, sells “illusion cakes” at Lynne’s Cake Emporium. Her creations resemble many different types of food and drink, including pizza, fast food, chicken wings and a can of Scottish fizzy drink Irn Bru. Davidson says that the confusing cakes usually…

Cinemagic Young Filmmaker 2022 Cinemagic, an award-winning film charity, is running a Young Filmmaker’s competition. Open to people aged 25 and under, to enter submit short films of up to 10 minutes. It can be any type of film: comedy, drama, documentary, or even music video. The best entries will be shown at Cinemagic’s festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland, alongside a series of workshops with members of the film and TV industries. The winners will be awarded a voucher, a certificate and an award. Find more details at tinyurl.com/TWJ-cinemagic GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

While Labor won, the election also saw major wins for the Australian Green party, which secured seats in both Australia’s parliamentary houses. The Greens have achieved the best result in their history, with leader, Adam Bandt, describing it as a “greenslide”. He went on to say that the party had delivered “a massive mandate for action on climate and inequality”, and said that voters had chosen the party because of its commitment to stopping climate change. He also said that the Greens would be willing to discuss forming a coalition government with the Labor Party if there was no majority in parliament.…

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF PRIDE To mark 50 years since the UK’s first Pride march, when gay people and supporters protested against unfair treatment, the Royal Mint is releasing a rainbow 50p coin. The coin highlights the Pride movement’s values of protest, visibility, unity and equality. A NEW HOME FOR BIRDS A sanctuary for thousands of birds has been made from the three million tonnes of earth dug up to build London’s new Elizabeth Line. Soil removed for stations and tunnels has been moved to Wallasea Island in Essex, England, to create bays, islands and lagoons. It is home to one of the UK’s largest colonies of avocets. BREAKING A WORLD RECORD A group of 22 rugby players from Sandbaggers club played touch rugby for 34 hours on a beach…

The Welsh government has announced plans for a National Music Service, which will provide free access to musical instruments for pupils aged between three and 16. The Welsh government will also give more money for music teaching, rising from £1.5 million to £4.5 million a year, to help provide free music lessons in primary schools. Jeremy Miles, the education and Welsh language minister for Wales, revealed the plans on 17 May.…

For many decades, children have been told by parents – and adults at school – that they should not leave any food on their plate at mealtimes. Your parents and guardians were probably told this when they were growing up. That’s why some people still think that having a rule to finish all the food on your plate is right because children need nutritious meals to help them grow and give them the energy they need. In 2020, the NHS said that fewer than one in five children eats the five portions of fruit and vegetables each day that they need to be healthy. Others say that young people should not be forced to eat too much, or foods they don’t like, because it may be harmful to their long-term…

Adhya Shastry was nine years old when she started Bharatanatyam, a classic Indian form of dance, at the Kalakunj performing arts group in Reading, England. Now, at the age of 17, she has won the BBC Young Dancer 2022 competition, a show that invited dancers ranging from 16 to 25 years old to perform any type of dance. The contestants were put through a number of challenges to show off their talent before the final. Speaking about her victory, Shastry said, “I have learned so much, and I now have a better understanding of who I am, what I stand for and how I like to dance.”…

One of the UK’s most familiar trees, horse chestnuts, grow to a height of around 40 metres and can live for up to 300 years. From spring to autumn they’re easily identified by their large, flat leaves with five or more separate “leaflets” connecting in the middle. Horse chestnuts are best known for the shiny brown conkers (a type of nut in a green spiky case) they produce in autumn but at this time of year, they’re in full bloom, with upright spikes called candles covered in white and pink flowers. You might be surprised to learn that these widespread trees were only introduced to the UK from southern Europe in the late 16th century. Even now, you’re more likely to find them in parks and gardens than in wild…

Tansy beetles These brightly coloured, endangered beetles – which only live in a few places in England – are getting a helping hand from a new habitat at York St John University. Forty tansy beetles have been released at the site, where tansy, the wildflower they eat, has been planted since 2017. Pugs Pugs may be popular because they look so cute but a new study says the breed has such bad health problems it can “no longer be considered a typical dog”. The Royal Veterinary College found that UK pugs are almost twice as likely as other dogs to have things wrong with them.…

Researchers working in the Southeast Asian country of Laos say they’ve discovered a rare fossil tooth from an extinct human species called the Denisovans. The new find seems to show that this mysterious human species – which is only known from a handful of remains – lived across a much larger area than experts thought. The discovery was made by an international team of scientists and explorers at a narrow hollow called Cobra Cave, where a local boy had reported seeing bones embedded in the crumbly rock. When French explorer Eric Suzzoni made the first trip into the cave in 2018, he brought out a jumble of animal bones, along with a small molar (a grinding tooth from the back of the mouth) that has a more wrinkled surface than…

For tennis player Paul Jubb, the summer could be an important time in his career. The 22-year-old from Hull, England, won his first Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger Tour title earlier this year. That raised his ranking to 230, in other words, he’s rated the world’s 230th best male player out of thousands of professionals. He hopes more success will come soon. “I was really pleased to get my first Challenger win. It’s a good stepping stone and good for my confidence,” Jubb tells The Week Junior. “It opens up opportunities to qualify for Grand Slams, but I guess I won’t be happy until I’m in the top 100. I just want to keep moving up as much as possible.” The Grand Slams are the four biggest annual tennis…

Doctor Who’s TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) has travelled through time and space but fans will be particularly excited to see it arrive at the World Museum Liverpool, in England. There, fans will find the Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction exhibition, an interactive look at the science behind the show. Visitors will encounter planets explored by the Doctor, and come face to face with characters and monsters that featured throughout the many series. The first episode of Doctor Who was broadcast on television in 1963, almost 60 years ago, making it the longest running science-fiction show in the world. The exhibition has eight zones to explore. These include interactive content, such as the TARDIS tech room, which explains the science behind time travel and…

Around the World in 80 Trees by Ben Lerwill and Kaja Kajfež (Welbeck) This is a celebration of trees from all around the world. Containing all sorts of information, such as details of the life cycle of trees; how they “talk” to each other; and trees with ancient legends, it also features a fold-out page showing the connections between 80 trees. The Map of Leaves by Yarrow Townsend (Chicken House) In this exciting adventure set in a world in which plants can talk, Orla embarks on a journey armed only with her mother’s book of plants and remedies. Aboard a riverboat, she meets stowaways Idris and Ariana, and soon the trio are working together to find a cure for the mysterious sickness that has taken over their town. I Ate…

Name: Elliot Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl “Humble. Clever. Brave. It’s about a kind, brave little boy who helps his dad.” YOUR TURN Email your book review to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If your review is printed in the magazine you’ll receive a Roving Reporter badge. Sum up the book in three words and write one sentence telling us what you liked about it. Please include your name and address.* *If you are the competition winner, we will only use the details you provide to contact you and arrange delivery of your competition prize. Further details about how we manage the data you provide can be found at www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy…

We were so proud to support the Children’s Fiction and Non-Fiction categories at The British Book Awards this year (p3). Phil Earle won the Children’s Fiction category for When the Sky Falls, a brilliantly exciting tale, based on a true story, of a boy saving a gorilla during the Second World War. Marcus Rashford with Carl Anka won in the Children’s Non-Fiction category for You Are a Champion. That’s a big achievement already, but for You Are a Champion to go on and win overall Book of the Year, beating all the grown-up titles, is fantastic! The book is about being your best self by dreaming big, finding a way to do what you love and taking pride in it. It’s easy to feel put down by people who don’t…

Teacher’s name: Mrs Offler School: St Saviour’s Junior School, Bath “I would like to nominate Mrs Offler as she is one of the funniest people I’ve ever met who always puts a smile on my face throughout the day. When I move up I am going to miss her laugh and smile. Her enthusiasm is amazing, I really do not know where she stores it all. I think she could also be a stand-up comedian! She even makes maths fun.”Lottie If we pick your teacher as Teacher of the Week, we’ll send your school three free issues of The Week Junior. Send your nominations, along with a picture of your teacher and your school’s full name and address, to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

If you’ve enjoyed this issue of The Week Junior, why not listen to our podcast, The Week Junior Show. This week, Bex from Fun Kids radio and members of The Week Junior team discuss a new statue, the Book of the Year and some very wild kittens. Have a listen at tinyurl.com/TWJshow, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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…

Cases of a rare disease called “monkeypox” have been found in the UK and several other countries, but health experts say it’s difficult to catch and mostly mild. The monkeypox virus, which causes the disease, spreads through close contact, such as skin-to-skin or sharing bedsheets with infected people. Symptoms can include fever, headaches and a rash. Usually, it isn’t serious and clears up on its own after two or three weeks. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which is in charge of protection against infectious diseases, says the danger to the public is very low. At the time The Week Junior went to press, the UKHSA said there were 57 cases in the UK. On 21 May, the World Health Organization (WHO), which studies public health, said there are 92…

On 21 May, a ceremony was held in Lyme Regis, in south-west England, to unveil a statue of 19th century fossil hunter Mary Anning, after four years of campaigning for the statue to be built. The statue shows her with her dog, Tray, and was placed by Cliff Church beach. Who is Mary Anning? Born in 1799 in Dorset, Anning lived and grew up in Lyme Regis, an area famous for its fossils. When Anning was 12 years old, her brother spotted an unusual fossilised skull in the cliffs. Anning looked for and dug out the 5.2 metre-long skeleton of the creature, which was later identified as an ichthyosaur fossil – the first ever discovered. Ichthyosaurs are an extinct group of swimming creatures that lived around the same time as…

Not everyone’s work involves doing tricks in a 5,400-kilogram truck, but for Brianna Mahon, a professional monster truck driver who competes in the Monster Jam events, it’s just another normal day. “It’s my dream job,” she tells The Week Junior. In June, Mahon and the rest of the drivers will be coming to the UK as Monster Jam arrives in London for the first time. Mahon grew up in motorhomes (like big campervans) across the US and her first passion was for dancing. Starting at the age of three, she did everything from jazz to ballet. She quickly moved on to motocross, a type of off-road motorbike racing, and then to monster trucks. “I joined Monster Jam in 2015,” she explains. Monster truck drivers need not only nerves of steel…

Researchers studying the lifestyle of reef manta rays – one of the world’s biggest fish – have found that they are mostly creatures of habit. The rays, which can grow to five metres across and weigh up to 700 kilograms, live in large numbers in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park. They swim in shallow waters near the coast, often visiting “cleaning stations” on coral reefs, where small fish pick off dead skin and itchy pests. As a result, Komodo has become a popular place for tourists keen to dive and see these giants up close. Until now, however, scientists haven’t really known how many rays there are and how much they move around. A team from the Marine Megafauna Foundation (“megafauna” is a scientific word for large animals) and Murdoch University…

If you come across a baby deer on its own in the countryside, it’s natural to think it has been abandoned and want to help, but a new campaign aims to show that disturbing it could do more harm than good. The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) and the British Deer Society say that steering clear is especially important at this time of year, as lots of deer are born between mid-May and July. Predators can’t smell fawns as easily as adult deer, so it’s usual for them to be left hidden in grass while their mothers feed nearby. Unless she’s scared off, the mother will always come back. On the other hand, babies rescued by well-meaning people are far less likely to survive because they are very…

Most mammals at our zoos give birth by themselves in a safe, quiet and private space. Many of our animals – including tree anteaters, sloths, okapis and even the elephants – are trained so we can do regular ultrasound scans to check the baby’s progress. If we spot a problem we can help – sometimes we have to do an operation, while at other times we just gently help the mother to deliver. Enjoy unlimited visits to ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos, plus a host of other benefits with ZSL Membership. Find out more at zsl.org/membership/zsl-membership…

The first evidence for a previously unknown human species was found at Denisova cave in the Altai mountains of Siberia, in Russia, in 2008. When scientists found a 50,000-year-old finger bone, they tested its DNA (a complex chemical structure that tells living things how to grow and develop) to learn more about it. The DNA turned out to be distinct from both modern humans and their closest extinct relatives, Neanderthals. Instead, it came from another extinct species, which seems to have split from the Neanderthals about 400,000 years ago.…

Dina Asher-Smith The British sprinter won her first 100-metres race of the year at the Diamond League competition in Birmingham, England. Central Sparks & Southern Vipers In the Charlotte Edwards Cup cricket competition, Central Sparks and Southern Vipers both won their third game in a row. Lyon Féminines The French football club beat Spanish team Barcelona 3-1 to win the Women’s Champions League. Eintracht Frankfurt A dramatic penalty shootout win against Scotland’s Glasgow Rangers secured the Europa League football title for the German club. Rangers were trying to win their first European trophy since 1972.…

Champions League Final 8pm on 28 May, BT Sport, YouTube and btsport.com/final At the final of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid play Liverpool at the Stade de France in Paris, France. The two teams have won the competition 19 times between them. They previously met in the 2018 final in Kyiv, Ukraine, when two goals from Welsh star Gareth Bale helped Real Madrid win 3-1. Hollywood Stargirl Available on Disney+ from 3 June In this sequel to the 2020 film Stargirl, Susan “Stargirl” Caraway has to move to Los Angeles, US, when her mum lands a job as a costume designer in Hollywood. Stargirl, a singer, finds a land of music, dreams and much more in her new home. Floor Is Lava Available on Netflix from 3 June Back…

by Peter Bunzl. Illustrated by Maxine Lee-Mackie (Usborne) “This is not a fairy tale, though there are Fairies in it. And Kings and Queens and Princesses and Princelings, and magic that comes from faraway places not found on any map…” So begins Magicborn, the first book in a new series from Cogheart author Peter Bunzl. Set in an alternate 18th century England, it’s the story of Tempest – a girl with a mysterious past, whose life is turned upside down when a stranger arrives. The sinister Royal Sorcerer is on the hunt for all those who are Magicborn, and soon, Tempest is captured and taken to Kensington Palace. There, she meets “wild boy” Thomas, and together they uncover new magical powers, long-buried memories – and a strange and deadly curse.…

Two great examples of stop-motion animation are Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep. Big projects such as these are made by teams of experts but you can make your own fun videos using simple techniques. Stop-motion animation involves photographing a figure, such as a clay model, a Lego figure or a toy character, once, then moving it very slightly to make a very small change to its pose, then photographing it again. For example, an arm can be slowly raised or the legs adjusted. When the photos are put together in order and shown as a sequence, it looks as though the model has moved. Stop-motion animations can be anything from a few seconds to a full-length film. It can take several hours to make even a short sequence,…

Number fit All of these numbers fit in the grid. Can you work out where they go? We’ve placed one to start you off. 3 numbers 334 355 473 567 626 760 826 857 876 902 4 numbers 1277 2744 5231 5287 6642 5 numbers 43222 58742 81438 97435 6 numbers 422742 458823 588623 725077 7 numbers 2638353 3680580 8 numbers 42635513 85171286 9 numbers 510384014 516686762 918366488 Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. COBRA COIL CONSTRICTOR CORAL FANGS HISS HOOD JAWS MOULTING POISONOUS PREDATOR PYTHON RATTLER REPTILE SAC SCALES SLIDE SLITHER STRIKE VENOM ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE29 Puzzles page and quiz answers…

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 shoes should be worn indoors… “Nah, it’s too messy.” “If the home owner is fine with it, it’s ok, but if they want you to take them off, you should respect that.” “Depends if they are dirty.” “Shoes often have germs on them that shouldn’t be brought indoors and the dirt in them could make the floors and carpets dirty.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

1 Who won Overall Book of the Year at the 2022 British Book Awards? 2 True or false? The Scottish wildcat can rotate each ear 180 degrees. ◻True ◻False 3 Which country has introduced a train service for dogs? 4 How much food is thrown away globally every year? ◻a) More than 10,000 tonnes ◻b) More than one million tonnes ◻c) More than 900 million tonnes 5 True or false? An average monster truck can jump 20 metres. ◻True ◻False 6 Which sea creatures can be caught using “disco” lights? 7 A new campaign is urging people to stay away from which animal? ◻a) Rabbits ◻b) Pheasants ◻c) Deer 8 True or false? 170,000 people listed their religion as “Jedi” in the 2011 UK census. ◻True ◻False 9 Scientists have…