Innholdsfortegnelse for 444 i The Week Junior

Between 6 and 9 June, 185 million people across Europe voted in the elections for the European Parliament, which is part of the European Union (EU). The EU is a group of 27 countries that work and trade together and agree to share some of the same laws. What is the European Parliament? The European Parliament represents the people who live in EU countries. The parliament is made up of 720 MEPs (Members of the European Parliament). Each country elects their MEPs in different ways. Some have MEPs who represent the entire country; others have MEPs who represent a particular group or region. Together with representatives from the governments of EU countries, the European Parliament decides whether or not to pass EU laws. How does the European Parliament work? The…

In 2021, Maurizio Cuttin was chosen to be a UK Young Ambassador to the European Youth Forum. Cuttin was born in Venezuela and came to the UK in 2010. He was elected by the British Youth Council, a charity that empowers young people to express their views. He now represents the opinions of young people across the UK at meetings with youth councils from other countries. He told The Week Junior that he really enjoys meeting young people from different backgrounds, hearing their stories and learning what matters to them. Cuttin first got involved in politics when he was 16. His friends told him about their local youth council where young people could take part in discussions about their community. After a year of representing young people locally, Cuttin was…

Leading up to the general election, one topic that divides political parties is “net zero”. Net zero means reducing greenhouse gases as much as possible, and absorbing some of them, so that the amount released into the atmosphere works out at zero. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and add to global warming. Some politicians think it’s too expensive to achieve net zero quickly, but a new study says this isn’t true and that it would bring many benefits. Researchers at the Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment compared the long-term costs of “clean” technology compared to the cost of technology that burns fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas), which release greenhouse gases. Clean tech included electric cars and heat pumps, which…

A new study may have uncovered the purpose of an ancient wooden structure known as Seahenge, in Norfolk, England. Researchers think it was built by people who believed it could extend the summer. Seahenge is named after England’s most famous ancient structure, the stone circle called Stonehenge. Officially called Holme I, after Holme-next-the-Sea beach, where it was found in 1998, Seahenge is a circle of 55 wooden posts with an upturned oak tree stump in the middle. When it was built, around 4,000 years ago, it was away from the shore but as the coast wore away over time, the sea surrounded it. Peat (an earthy material that forms from decayed plants) has helped to preserve the wood. There’s a second wood circle, known as Holme II, 100 metres away.…

US T20 men’s cricket team In the T20 cricket world cup, taking place in the US and the West Indies, the US beat Pakistan in a “super over” after the match was tied. The US is competing in its first world cup. Alfie Hewett & Gordon Reid In the French Open, the British pair won the men’s wheelchair doubles for the fifth year in a row. Dina Asher-Smith Great Britain’s Asher-Smith became the 100 metres champion for the second time at the European Athletics Championships in Rome, Italy. Iga Swiatek Swiatek won the women’s French Open tennis title for the third year in a row. She defeated Jasmine Paolini by two sets to zero.…

Embarrassment This emotion activates the “console” in Riley’s brain whenever she does something that makes her cringe or blush. The character designers shaped his body like a shell because Embarrassment wants to hide away like a snail when he’s feeling awkward. Envy Envy wants to be like everybody else. She wishes she was taller and she wants other people’s hair and clothes. The film’s creators didn’t want Envy to be shown as a negative emotion. They said that Envy can actually motivate people and help them set goals for what they want. Ennui This is the emotion that makes Riley feel bored and drained. The word Ennui, like the character, is French. Mann also liked the idea of a character who could speak two languages. She is more complicated than…

If you could travel in time, when would you go and why? Lavie: I’d love to have visited the Great Library of Alexandria in its prime (around 200BC). Richard: How about London on 31 December 2099? Might be a good party happening! Tell us about your favourite teacher. Richard: Harvey Sklair, head of art. The word cool was invented for him. Lavie: My mum was a teacher – can I pick her? It will make her happy! If you could build any robot, what would it be? Richard: One that could make me laugh so much my sides would split. Lavie: A robot who could always turn your pillow to the cool side when you sleep – that would be useful! What did you want to be growing up? Richard: A…

Make Music Day is an annual celebration that encourages people to try out an instrument or create songs, even if they haven’t had much practice before. It’s worldwide and takes place on 21 June every year. The official Make Music Day website explains what this event is about, and includes details of thousands of free music performances taking place all across the UK. Libraries, schools and colleges host shows, and there’s a form that your school can fill in if they’d like to take part too. Ahead of the day, there are plenty of websites and apps that can help you get started. Simply Piano, Simply Guitar and Simply Sing, for example, offer free lessons so you can try before deciding whether you want to pay for more. If playing…

A woman from Aston-on-Trent, England, helped to re-home a cockerel after it flew through her car window as she was driving home. Jessica Matthews spotted the bird wandering along a country lane near her home and slowed down to make sure the animal was ok. When she opened her car window, the cockerel flew into her car and made himself comfortable on the passenger seat, before pecking at her food shopping. “He just didn’t want to get out of the car,” said Matthews. She contacted local farmers and animal rescue centres and put out an appeal on Facebook. The cockerel, nicknamed Barry, was re-homed the next day. “It was really hard to give him away because he was really nice,” said Matthews. “A lovely little bird.”…

We love hearing from you! It’s easy – just write a comment when you vote in our online Big Debate poll, or even record a voice note for The Week Junior Show. Last week we asked our readers whether young people should do national service… “No, they might be busy doing other things.” “Yes, it’s good to remind young people that they’re part of a bigger system.” “No, the Government shouldn’t make young people have to work for them.” “It might be a good idea if we miss out military training.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

The terms “left wing” and “right wing” come from the French Revolution, a time of violent political change in France that began in 1789. A group called the National Assembly gathered to act as France’s new government and began writing a constitution (rules that set out how a country is run). There was a discussion about how much power the king should have. Those who thought he should still have some power – the traditional view – sat together on the right side of the meeting room and those who wanted ordinary people to have more power – which was unusual at the time – sat on the left.…

REVIVING A BOOK FESTIVAL The Words by the Water book festival returned to the Lake District in Cumbria, England, on 5 June. The event hasn’t taken place since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. It included talks from authors and theatre performances. A CASTLE-CLIMBING GOAT On 3 June, a kid (young goat) was rescued from a castle tower in Donegal, Ireland. Kevin McGinley, from the animal charity the ISPCA, climbed up the tower to rescue the kid, now named Ivy, who had broken her leg. Ivy has had her leg put in plaster and the ISPCA is trying to find her a new home. JUDE BELLINGHAM English footballer Jude Bellingham has been named the best player in the world in the Top Trumps’ World Football Stars…

The Conservative Party It wants the UK to achieve net zero by 2050 and its plans include more wind turbines. However, the party has delayed a ban on selling petrol and diesel cars by five years. It also delayed plans to install low-carbon heating systems into people’s households, and supports drilling for fossil fuels in the North Sea. The Labour Party With a goal to make the UK a “clean energy superpower”, Labour plans to create a zero carbon electricity system by 2030, which it says will also reduce people’s energy bills. However, it recently changed its mind about how much to spend on achieving this goal, and cut the amount of money from £28 billion to less than £15 billion. The Liberal Democrats With a goal to reach net…

Wolverines In the US state of Colorado, 45 wolverines are being released. The species was wiped out in Colorado more than 100 years ago after humans hunted them. Now a new law is in place to protect them. Over three years, 30 females and 15 male wolverines will be released. UK badgers The UK Government has given permission for badgers to be culled (deliberately killed to reduce the population). This is done to stop a disease, tuberculosis, from spreading from badgers to cows. However, an expert recently told the Government that culling isn’t needed.…

Drum roll please… the time has come to announce the books that have been shortlisted for 2024’s The Week Junior Book Awards. The shortlists were decided by an expert group of readers including booksellers, teachers, librarians and journalists, as well as members of The Week Junior’s editorial team. Their choices include books by well-known authors such as Jamie Smart, Julia Donaldson, Katherine Rundell, A.M. Dassu and Adam Kay, along with new writers such as G.M. Linton, Pari Thomson and Zohra Nabi, whose books are among the five nominated for our Breakthrough award for a first book by a new author. There are 14 book awards to be won altogether, including for fiction, non-fiction, poetry, graphic novels, animals and nature and audiobooks. This week we’re spotlighting the books shortlisted for our…

Alyssa and the Spell Garden by Alexandra Sheppard. Illustrated by Bex Glendining (Faber Children’s) When Alyssa goes to spend the summer with relatives in London, she learns about the magical “spell garden” where her great aunt grows ingredients for spells, and helps children from the neighbourhood discover their powers. Now the garden is in danger and Alyssa must use her own magic to save it. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Puffin Books) In this classic story, Mary Lennox is sent from her home in India to the wild moors of Yorkshire, to live with her mysterious uncle at the lonely Misselthwaite Manor. There, she finds her way inside a hidden garden, which has been locked up for years but it’s not the only secret this strange house is…

What you need ● A sheet of card or paper● Oil pastels (or paints/coloured pencils) Hello, my name’s Olaf Falafel. I’m a dad, a stand-up comedian and the author and illustrator of the Trixie Pickle Art Avenger books. Every month I show you how to create art inspired by a famous artist. I also share silly jokes, like this: Why do Norwegian ships have barcodes on the sides? So when they arrive in port, they can Scandinavian! Talking of Norway, this week’s artist is Norwegian expressionist painter Edvard Munch. Expressionist art shows feelings rather than what things look like. Munch’s most famous work is The Scream. It shows a person on a bridge, holding their face and looking really scared or surprised, with a swirling, colourful sky behind them. Munch…

This week we announce our Book Awards shortlist. We want you to be a judge too, and you can find out more on page 12. The books are all fantastic and we hope the shortlist will inspire you to try some of them. It links in with our Big Debate on page 8: should children be told what to read? I love hearing other people’s recommendations because they make me try something new. What do you think? Let us know. We have been working hard on our election coverage, and on page 10 you can read what the main political parties are promising about helping the environment. A big concern is raised in the report (page 5) that many young people feel left out of politics. On page 9 we…

The Martha Mills Young Writers’ Prize is inspired by the curiosity and imagination of Martha Mills, who died aged 13 in 2021. The prize, which will be judged by His Dark Materials author Philip Pullman, is open to children aged 11–14. The theme is “A Secret” and you can interpret this idea however you like. It could be about a secret between friends, a tale of spies or detectives or about a secret that has affected you. To enter, send your entry (under 500 words) in a Microsoft Word document to youngwriters@lrb.co.uk before 19 July. Find out more at tinyurl.com/TWJ-write…

Reading is an essential skill for school and later life. It helps people to build their general knowledge and understanding of the world and other people. Reading doesn’t have to be about learning – it’s fun, relaxing and good for mental wellbeing too. In 2023, a study found that the number of books children were reading had increased by around 25%, but only 43% of the young people questioned said they enjoyed reading. Other research revealed that a quarter of children said they were encouraged to read books they didn’t want to read. Adults including teachers and parents often select books for children. However, some people think children might enjoy reading more if they had more control over it. What do you think, should children be told what to read?…

June is the peak flowering season for common water crowfoot, a plant that belongs to the same family as the buttercup. It forms mats in ditches, ponds and rivers across the UK. Beneath the surface, the plant’s stalks are a floppy tangle but then stiff flowering stalks lift the flowers out of the water so that they can be pollinated. The small flowers have five white petals with a yellow centre and the plant’s leaves float on the surface of the water. Water crowfoot likes to grow in chalk streams, and there are only 200 of these left in the world – 85% of them in southern or eastern England. Chalk streams come from chalk aquifers – layers of underground rock that store water.…

For the first time in 24 years, a giant pangolin has been spotted in Senegal, which is in western Africa. The endangered animal was spotted in Niokolo-Koba National Park. A camera trap (one that takes photos automatically when it senses movement) spotted the pangolin walking along a dry river bed. ● LIFESPAN: Up to 20 years in captivity but unknown in the wild.● HABITAT: Forests and savanna (grassland with scattered trees) with sources of water, as well as swamps in central and western Africa.● SIZE: Up to 1.8 metres long and 33 kilograms.● DIET: They use their long tongues to slurp up ants and termites.● FUN FACT: To protect themselves from being eaten, pangolins roll into tight armoured balls. They also have large glands (a type of organ) near their bottoms,…

How to vote • Go to www.theweekjuniorbookawards.co.uk/voting• Take a closer look at each of the designs.• Select your favourite cover from the dropdown menu and click VOTE NOW.• The winning cover will be revealed at an award ceremony on 30 September 2024. VOTE NOW! Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra By Nikita Gill. Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. Cover designed by Manda Scott (Nosy Crow) “The bright and beautiful design is full of tropical charm.” Bite Risk By S.J. Wills. Cover design by Jose Real Art (Simon & Schuster) “Bite Risk’s cover is dark, dramatic, edgy and eye-catching.” Boy Underground By Isabelle Marinov. Illustrated by Paula Zorite. Cover design by Sophie Jones (Sweet Cherry Publishing) “An intriguing cover that reveals details of the adventure’s underground environment.” Cloudlanders By…

On 9 June, Lotte Kopecky won the Tour of Britain Women cycling event. Involving many of the world’s best professional riders, they raced over four days in Wales and north-west England. Their total time to finish each day was added up and the rider with the quickest overall time won. Kopecky, from Belgium, finished in 13 hours, 3 minutes and 40 seconds. Great Britain’s Anna Henderson was second with 13 hours, 3 minutes and 57 seconds. Britain’s Pfeiffer Georgi and Lizzie Deignan also finished in the top 10. Kopecky rides for the successful SD Worx Protime team, which had five other racers at the Tour of Britain Women. She won stage one and two, then finished seventh in stage three. In the final stage Kopecky came fourth to win the…

In Inside Out, 11-year-old Riley’s brain was run by just five emotions. These were Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger. Despite their differences, the feelings teamed up and learned how to work together to help Riley cope with her day-to-day life. Now, in Inside Out 2, things are changing inside Riley’s brain. She’s a teenager, so headquarters – located in Riley’s brain – is going through some big changes. A new emotion, Anxiety, has rocked up, and it looks like she’s not the only one. She’s joined by Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui (not feeling satisfied. “Ennui” is also the French word for boredom). Kelsey Mann, the film’s director, told The Week Junior that he wanted to reflect the changes in Riley’s mind “through chaos”. There’s lots of construction going on,…

Did you know that robots have been invented that can imitate animals and insects, such as “slither bots” that are used to crawl through and examine pipes? Or that scientists have built robots that can actually play football – and that there’s even a robot football world cup? You’ll find lots more fascinating futuristic facts in this illustrated book, which explores new technology and groundbreaking scientific discoveries, and imagines where they might lead us. Perhaps one day we’ll be able to take a train ride on Mars; live in floating cities; or even visit a distant star. Making complex science easy to understand, this inspiring book will set your imagination alight, making you think about how science could be used to tackle some of our planet’s biggest challenges and help…

This award – supported by The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine – celebrates excellence in communicating STEM subjects to curious kids. The winner will be a stand-out book that explains big ideas, sparks imaginations, encourages critical thinking and inspires inquiry. That’s Mathematics By Chris Smith, based on lyrics by Tom Lehrer. Illustrated by Elina Braslina (Mama Makes Books) A fun, vibrant exploration of everyday maths showing that maths is useful, interesting and EVERYWHERE. How to Spaghettify Your Dog By Hiba Noor Khan. Illustrated by Harry Woodgate (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) This book is bursting with fascinating physics facts that will explain everything you want to know about the curiosities of our cosmos. Wonderfully Wired Brains By Louise Gooding. Illustrated by Ruth Burrows (DK) This colourful book explains that no two people’s brains…

Crossword Read the clues carefully and write the answers into the grid. Across 1 School fair (4) 3 Glove without separate fingers (6) 8 Leafy green vegetable (7) 9 Primate without a tail (3) 10 Object hit about on a court (6,4) 13 Swimming-pool chute (5,5) 17 Pull with a rope (3) 18 Small house in the country (7) 19 Hoofed animals used for riding (6) 20 Body parts used for seeing (4) Down 1 True statement (4) 2 Four-legged furniture item (5) 4 Skating surface (3) 5 Jewelled headband (5) 6 Pine tree’s spiked leaf (6) 7 Procession flag (6) 11 Military gesture of respect (6) 12 Light’s on/off control (6) 14 Part of a castle (5) 15 Daily record of events or thoughts (5) 16 Garden flower patches…

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