Innholdsfortegnelse for 498 i The Week Junior

Fossils belonging to T. rex’s ancestor have been discovered. Which is your favourite dinosaur and why? Find out more about the T. rex’s close relative on page 17. The BAFTA Young Game Designers awards celebrate video games made by young people. If you could make a video game, what would it be about and why? Read more about the winners on page 26. Comedian Olaf Falafel has published a joke book for young people. Who are the people that make you laugh the most? Find out how to create jokes on page 27. The big debate Should pets get regular flea treatment? Page 10.…

On 23 June, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire (stop to fighting) between Iran and Israel had been agreed. The ceasefire came after more than a week of air attacks between the two countries, and one day after the US attacked Iran. What happened? Trump and US officials arranged the ceasefire through talks with Iran and Israel. It came into effect on 24 June. At the time The Week Junior was going to the printers, the ceasefire was still in place and both Israel and Iran were sticking to it. The ceasefire brought several days of attacks between Israel and Iran to an end. The attacks began when Israel launched air strikes on nuclear sites and other targets in Iran on 13 June. Why did Israel attack Iran?…

Windrush Day takes place each year on 22 June, to mark the day in 1948 that passengers on board HMT Empire Windrush came ashore. It celebrates the contributions that Caribbean people made to Britain, through taking up work in public services like the NHS. This year, events took place around the UK. In Bristol, walking group Steppin Sistas organised a walk. The group’s founder, Sophia Brown, said, “I remember my mother walking three miles to work every day in all weathers. She was a nurse working nights”.…

Over the course of Tamsin Greenway’s career in netball, which lasted more than a decade, a lot changed in her sport. When she first started, the Netball Super League took place over just three weekends, rather than several months. In her first cup final she played in front of 100 people. “When I finished my career, we were playing in a sold-out Copper Box (a famous arena in London) in front of 6,000 people,” she tells The Week Junior. When Greenway was growing up she wanted to be a footballer, but there were no girls’ teams to join. She first tried netball at school when she was about 10, and went home later to tell her mum that she wanted to play netball for England. Greenway went on to play…

World leaders at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France, have created a plan to help protect the oceans. The conference, which took place from 9 to 13 June, was a chance for leaders to discuss how to tackle problems facing the oceans, such as over-fishing, plastic pollution and climate change. The agreements made there are part of the Nice Ocean Action Plan. The main goal of the conference was to get 60 countries to ratify (officially agree) the High Seas Treaty, and for it to come into force. This treaty is an agreement to make 30% of international waters marine protected areas by 2030. In marine protected areas, there are limits on human activity that could damage the environment. By the end of the event, 50 countries had…

Very soon, some of the world’s best players will take to the pitch as part of the UEFA Women’s European Championship, or Euro 2025. UEFA is the organisation that governs football in Europe. The tournament will see 16 countries battle it out to be declared the best international team in Europe. When and where is it happening? Euro 2025 kicks off on 2 July with Iceland versus Finland. Later that day, Switzerland play Norway. Switzerland is the host nation and the tournament will be played at eight stadiums across the country. The final, on 27 July, will be held at Switzerland’s largest football stadium, St Jakob-Park, in Basel. Every match in the tournament will be shown on BBC or ITV. Who is going to be competing? Fifteen of the 16…

Between 90 and 66 million years ago, one of the most fearsome dinosaur predators to roam the Earth was Tyrannosaurus rex. A team of scientists has identified a new species of dinosaur that would have been T. rex’s ancestor (earlier relative). This dinosaur has been named Khankhuuluu mongoliensis, which means “dragon prince from Mongolia”. The discovery was made while studying a pair of 86-million-year-old fossils found in the early 1970s in Mongolia, east Asia. It was originally thought that they belonged to a type of tyrannosaur called Alectrosaurus. Two scientists from the University of Calgary in Canada looked at the bones again in 2023, and found they were looking at a completely new dinosaur. Khankhuuluu would have weighed around 750 kilograms and been four metres long. In comparison, T. rex…

“Running up and down hills teaches you to keep going when things get hard.” That’s what 13-year-old Mia McGoldrick says about the exciting but challenging sport of fell running. In fell running, competitors race over hills and mountains and all sorts of terrain such as moorland, rocks, heather and bogs. The routes often have no paths and runners often have to navigate their way to several checkpoints before reaching the finish. Competitions are short, medium or long. Short races are 6.2 miles or less, medium races are between 6.2 and 12.4 miles, and long races are over 12.4 miles. Some fell running clubs allow children as young as six to take part. Junior courses for under-18s, are always fully marked so that runners know where to go. One of the…

The first full-length trailer for the sequel to the Wicked movie has been released, taking fans back to the world of Oz. The sequel is called Wicked: For Good. It’s the second half of the film adaptation of Wicked, a stage musical inspired by the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The stage show follows the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West (played by Cynthia Erivo in the film), and Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande). The pair become close friends, but their lives go down very different paths. The second film will feature two brand-new songs that aren’t in the original show. The director, Jon M. Chu, told Vanity Fair magazine that the songs are “great additions” and are “necessary in this movie to help tell the…

by Janice Hallett (Puffin Books) When Ava and Luke discover a box in the attic that says “Top Secret” they are intrigued. They work their way through a pile of mysterious documents, which all seem to relate to a summer camp that took place in the 1980s. There are letters, newspaper cuttings, secret recordings, incident reports and diary entries from the campers. They realise that they’re looking through evidence from an unsolved murder case. Can they use everything they have found to help them crack the case? What if the killer is still out there – perhaps even somewhere close to home? Told through a combination of text messages between the siblings and the documents they have discovered, this is an exciting read that provides the clues you’ll need to…

Reaching hearts through music A video of two nuns, Sisters Marizele Cassiano and Marisa de Paula, racked up millions of views after they appeared on a Catholic TV programme. Sister Marizele started to sing and then beatbox (when you use your voice to create different sounds such as drum beats), while Sister Marisa danced along. The sisters are part of the Copiosa Redenção congregation in Brazil, where they work to help people in need. Sister Marizele said that it is through beatboxing and dancing that they can reach people’s hearts. Mad about bottles – but not milk Steve Wheeler is the proud owner of more than 26,000 milk bottles from all around the world. The oldest bottle in his collection is from the 1850s and was discovered by a diver…

Teacher’s name: Mrs Khan School: West London Free School Primary, Hammersmith, England “We like Mrs Khan because she makes complex topics easy to understand and engaging for all students. She is also kind and supportive, fostering a positive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and making mistakes. She has created a warm and welcoming class.” Meba and Gabriella 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 JOKE OF THE WEEK “What are the strongest days of the week? Saturday and Sunday – the other ones are weak days!”Lilly…

The Sun has been shining over the last couple of weeks, which has been great for eating ice cream but not so great for sleeping. While it’s been hot in much of the UK, I was astounded to read in our report on page 16 that scientists studying data from a spacecraft have found that parts of the Sun reach temperatures of one million degrees Celsius! The stunning images of distant space taken by the world’s largest digital camera are mind-blowing, too (page 5). Closer to home, lots of you might be going on school trips at this time of year, including overnight stays. It’s worth remembering that it’s normal to feel a little anxious about sleeping away from home, especially for the first time. Our Wellbeing article (page 21)…

The most powerful person in Iran is its Supreme Leader. Currently, this is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who came to power in 1989. He has the final say on all government policies (plans) and is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. The country has a president, although his role is restricted because of the Supreme Leader. The power of the country’s parliament is limited by the Guardian Council, which is made up of 12 people, six of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader. The Guardian Council can reject laws. Free speech and other rights are limited in Iran and people can be arrested without good reason.…

A YOUNG SKATEBOARDER Ollie,12, has tried out a special harness at a skatepark in Swansea, Wales, that helps him skateboard. Ollie has Down syndrome, which can affect a person’s ability to learn and their physical health. The harness handles hold Ollie up so that he can balance and skate. BIRDWATCHERS A bird observatory on Fair Isle, an island to the north of Scotland, has officially reopened. It was destroyed in a fire six years ago, but a £10 million project helped to rebuild it. There are only 50 people living on the Scottish island, but the observatory usually attracts hundreds of visitors each year to see the beautiful wildlife. CODEBREAKING FANS A collection of papers written by Alan Turing, a mathematician who is now famous for being a codebreaker during…

On 21 June, a record-breaking crowd gathered at Stonehenge, England, to watch the sunrise on the summer solstice. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument with a 5,000-year-old stone circle. It’s believed that the stone circle was built to align with the Sun on the summer and winter solstices (the days with the most and least daylight during the year). Around 25,000 people travelled from as far as Hong Kong and the US to see the sunrise at 4:51am.…

The Hague, Netherlands NATO summit held A NATO summit (meeting) took place in The Hague from 24 to 25 June. NATO is a group of 32 countries, including the UK, who agree to defend each other if attacked. Members commit to spending at least 2% of their income on defence, such as the military. Most NATO members have now agreed to spend 5% of their income on defence and related areas. Oaxaca, Mexico Clean-up begins after hurricane On 19 June, people living in southern Mexico started cleaning up after being hit by Hurricane Erick. A hurricane is a huge storm with very strong winds and heavy rain. Hurricane Erick had wind speeds of up to 125 miles per hour, which damaged buildings including two hospitals. Rain also flooded streets in…

From 3–6 July, a new stage adaptation of Shirley Hughes’s book, Ella’s Big Chance, is on at the Peacock Theatre, London. Ella’s Big Chance: A Jazz-Age Cinderella retells the popular story with 50 young dancers, including 14-year-old Joshua Moisey. Joshua, who plays a milkman and a musician, told The Week Junior that his favourite thing about dancing on stage is “jumping high and trying to reach the roof of the theatre.” To practise, Joshua whizzes around his sofa at home a lot. He says this version of the story is unique thanks to its jazzy music. “If you want to find out what happens, come along,” he said.…

The first-ever images of the Sun’s south pole have been beamed back to Earth. The Solar Orbiter spacecraft was launched in 2020 by the European Space Agency (ESA), and it took the new pictures during March this year. They are the most detailed images ever taken of the Sun and show a shimmering atmosphere, parts of which reach temperatures of one million degrees Celsius. There are also darker clouds of gas, which are cooler but still reach one hundred thousand degrees. One of the first things the Solar Orbiter’s imaging tools found is that, at the Sun’s south pole, the magnetic field is currently a mess. A magnetic field is the area around a magnet where magnetic force can act on another magnet or magnetic material. Like the Earth, the…

Anavia Battle The US athlete finished first in the women’s 200 metres race at the Diamond League in Paris, France. Great Britain’s Amy Hunt was second. Wigan Warriors On 22 June, Wigan Warriors beat Leigh Leopards 60-6 to stay top of the Women’s Super League rugby league competition. McCartney Kessler and Carlos Alcaraz Kessler won the Nottingham Open and Alcaraz was the Queen’s tournament champion. Both tennis events are played on grass courts. Ross Cullen and Beth Shriever At the BMX World Cup in Papendal, the Netherlands, the British riders both won their races.…

The book The Boy with Wings, by comedian, writer and actor Sir Lenny Henry, is about a boy called Tunde who doesn’t fit in at school. He realises why when he finds out that his birth father is a fierce alien warrior. Tunde sprouts wings and learns to fly, and takes on a mission to save the galaxy. The book has been adapted into a stage play for seven to 12-year-olds by writer Arvind Ethan David (see panel). It is showing at the Polka theatre in Wimbledon, London, until 16 August, then it will transfer to The Rep theatre in Birmingham, where it will be performed from 21 to 30 August. Those who have read and loved the book will get extra twists and turns and new songs in the…

Walking with Dinosaurs Available now on BBC iPlayer The popular show, which astonished audiences when it first appeared on television in 1999, returns for a new series. Dinosaurs are brought to life on screen with the help of clues from dino dig sites all across the world. Phineas and Ferb, season 5 Available now on Disney+ Phineas and Ferb take on fun projects to have the best summer ever. Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus, who is the boys’ pet but also a secret agent, attempts to stop the evil Dr Doofenshmirtz in his tracks.…

Describe A Box Full of Murders in three words. Bags of fun! How does writing for children differ from writing for grown-ups? It’s exciting because I can play with the visuals for each document in the box of murders, and my main characters Ava and Luke communicate a lot via text messages. Otherwise, there isn’t a lot of difference, except perhaps the characters are younger and smarter. Do you think you would’ve made a good detective? I like to think so. I’d suspect everyone though, and perhaps that’s not so good. Were you ever a guide/scout? I was a 3rd Northolt Brownie when I was younger and very enthusiastic about earning badges. I wanted them all, just like the Brewford Badgers in A Box Full of Murders. What do you love about…

Every year, the BAFTA Young Game Designers competition celebrates the games – and ideas for games – created by young people. This year’s winners were announced at a ceremony on 18 June. The contest has two age groups: 10 to 14-year-olds and 15 to 18-year-olds. For each there are two awards: one for “game making”, where they have developed a game, and one for “game concept”, where they explain an idea for a game. Thiago van Vlerken Rene from Sheffield, England, won the 10-14 Game Making award with a game called Sir Floofington. It’s about a knight fighting skeletons and bats on a quest to find “the fluffiest treasure of all” – the Golden Floof. “The most challenging part of making this game was the boss fight,” said Thiago, who…

Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. BLOOD BREATH CHECK-UP CURE DIET ENERGY EXERCISE FIRST AID FITNESS FOOD LIFESTYLE PULSE REGIME REMEDY REST SCAN SLEEP STRESS VITAMIN WEIGHT Split words Piece together the pairs or groups of letters to find four elements. 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 286 311 428 634 4 numbers 2411 4426 6817 8650 8782 5 numbers 12703 32682 37364 87326 87836 6 numbers 361682 904268 7 numbers 2310152 6043854 7627130 8778272 8 numbers 13654211 36871226 9 numbers 321701606 437580450 857022376 Sudoku Place the numbers from 1 to 6 exactly once…

Foyle Young Poets of the Year 2025 The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is now open for entries from young people aged 11 to 17. The poems can be on any theme and the competition is free to enter. Poems must be written in English, but it is also possible to enter using Braille (a writing system for people with sight loss) or British Sign Language. You can enter online or send in your poems by post, and all entrants will get a certificate. Prizes include membership of The Poetry Society, lots of goodies and help with developing your writing skills. This year’s judges are poets Colette Bryce and Will Harris. The closing date for entries is 31 July. To find out more, ask an adult to visit…

1 Where is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory? ☐ a) Australia ☐ b) Chile ☐ c) Madagascar 2 True or false? 100 people were in the audience at the CLiPPA award ceremony on 20 June. ☐ True ☐ False 3 The Spree River flows through which European capital city? 4 How many pet dogs are there in the UK? ☐ a) 10 million ☐ b) 12 million ☐ c) 13 million 5 True or false? Tamsin Greenway played Netball for England 67 times. ☐ True ☐ False 6 Which two countries will host the next UN Ocean Conference in 2028? 7 Which country won the last UEFA Women’s European Championship, held in 2022? ☐ a) Spain ☐ b) Germany ☐ c) England ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 33 8 True or…

Several universities in France have told students they are no longer allowed to use computers or other digital devices during lectures. They will need to take notes by hand instead. The universities hope this will reduce distractions and make sure students are concentrating on what they are being taught. Julien Damon, a lecturer at Sciences Po university in Paris, told The Times newspaper that some students use their devices to “reply to messages, shop or go on social media”. He said banning devices gives students a break from this, and lots of them have given him positive feedback about the new rule. Psychologists (experts in the brain and its functions) say that writing notes by hand helps people with learning. Writing by hand is slower than typing for many people,…

The Government has appointed Reverend Clive Foster as the UK’s first Windrush Commissioner. His role is to make sure that people in the UK who were affected by the Windrush scandal receive justice. What is the Windrush scandal? Between 1948 and 1973, lots of people came to the UK from the Caribbean and other Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth is a group of 56 countries, most of which were once part of the British Empire. Commonwealth citizens were invited to work and live in the UK, to help rebuild the country after the Second World War (1939–1945). Ships including HMT Empire Windrush began to bring Caribbean people to Britain starting around 1948. Many came as children on their parents’ passports, and the Government kept no official records of who arrived. This…

Fleas are insects that survive by sucking on another animal’s blood. To control their spread, some vets advise pet owners to give regular flea treatments to pets. These tend to be small doses of liquid that you apply to the back of a pet’s neck. They are effective in killing fleas but contain powerful chemicals called pesticides that can be transferred to other animals and affect wildlife. Evidence suggests that fur from pets who have had flea treatment can harm birds. That’s because birds use the fur to line their nests, but pesticides on the fur can harm chicks and unhatched eggs. Now, the charity SongBird Survival, which works to protect birds, wants pet owners to stop using flea treatments so often. What do you think? Should pets be given…

Blaise Metreweli has been named as the next head of MI6, the UK’s secret intelligence service. MI6 gathers information from around the world in order to protect the UK’s security. The chief of MI6 is known as “C”, and Metreweli will be the first woman to do the job since the service was set up in 1909. C is the only publicly named member of staff at the secret service. Metreweli has worked for MI6 since 1999. She is currently Director General Q, which means she is in charge of a department that develops new technology. She said she will be “proud and honoured” when she takes on the role of C later this year.…

One of the UK’s more colourful songbirds, the blue tit is found across the country in gardens, fields, parks, woodlands and wetlands. By the end of June and start of July, you might see adult blue tits with fledglings. These are young birds who have learnt to fly. Blue tit fledglings stay with their parents for a few weeks after they fledge (learn to fly), getting fed and learning how to find their own food while avoiding any predators. Adult blue tits are about 12 centimetres long with a yellow belly, blue wings and tail, and a green-blue back. They have white cheeks with a thin black stripe over their eyes. The birds like to nest in tree holes and hunt for insects and spiders in trees, and they often…

Researchers at the University of R Tokyo, Japan, have created a type of plastic that dissolves in seawater. The material was made by combining two small molecules (the basic building blocks of a substance) that have a strong bond. This makes the plastic tough and flexible. However, when placed into a tub of saltwater, it dissolves in between two and three hours. The researchers found that it can dissolve in soil. The material isn’t toxic, and doesn’t release any carbon dioxide when it dissolves. Enjoy these stories? Find more in this month’s The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk…

At this time of year lots of pupils in the UK are getting ready to head off on school trips known as “residentials”. These can last anything from one to seven nights and are taken with other students from your school as well as your teachers. Residential trips can be exciting as you’ll get to go away with your friends, explore new places and try lots of different activities. However, they can also make you feel a bit anxious. Why go on residential trips? There are lots of benefits to school trips away. They can help you build your independence, teamwork skills and confidence. They can also help you develop relationships with your classmates and teachers, as well as make some amazing memories of your time at school. Residentials often…

The Misadventures of Mina Mahmood by Farhana Islam (Farshore) Mina and her friends Reema and Mobeen can’t wait for their school trip to Shiremoor Oaks Adventure Centre, until they hear the story of the creepy monster who supposedly haunts the nearby woods. This is a lively, funny tale of friendship, bravery and cheese-and-onion crisps. The Great Crisp Robbery by Pamela Butchart. Illustrated by Thomas Flintham (Nosy Crow) Crisps also feature in this hilarious story about Izzy and her friends, who are excited to discover that their school trip will involve an overnight train ride. When they get on board, everything seems very strange, then their teacher mysteriously disappears. Could it be that Miss Jones has been kidnapped? Hercules: A Hero’s Journey (on a School Trip) by Tom Vaughan. Illustrated by…

Name: Ariella The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf “Courageous, friendship and determined. This book inspires me to fight for justice and realise that I can make a difference.” YOUR TURN Please email your book review to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If it is printed in the magazine you will receive a Roving Reporter badge. Describe your chosen book in three words, tell us what you liked about it and why you would recommend it to others. Don’t forget to include your name and address.*…

Hello, I’m Olaf Falafel. I’m an author, an illustrator and also a stand-up comedian. I have won the much-sought-after “Funniest Joke of The Edinburgh Fringe” award, which goes to the most hilarious one-line joke told at this Scottish arts festival. I also have a new joke book out, called A Poo On A Pogo Stick. The title of the book is the punchline to this joke: “What’s brown, goes ‘boing’ and knocks on your bedroom window at night?” If you like laughing, you’ll love this new joke book. To give you an idea of my sense of humour, here’s a sample joke: “Where’s the best place to find toadstools? In Toad’s toolbox.” There are lots more silly jokes like that in the book. For example, “where do rainbows go if…

Name: Yedita “I love dogs but I lost my dog when I was back in my country. I wanted to do something special for him, so I raised money for Dogs Trust by making crafts out of recycled supermarket fruit-and-vegetable boxes with my mum. We made around 100 pieces, including bookmarks, sun catchers and puppy face hangers, and sold them at the Folkestone Festival. Lots of people stopped to ask how we made them, and I even told them how we reused plastic waste to help the planet. I can help care for dogs in need. I raised £59 and, even though it’s a small amount, I hope it helps dogs get food, shelter and cuddles. I’m planning to do more events, make better crafts and raise more money next…

“I made Super Mario power-ups out of playdough, including the invincibility star.” Neifion “We have had these butterflies since they were teeny, tiny caterpillars and, this week, we released them in our garden. We will miss them!”Sadie and Samuel “I went to a beach known as ‘fossil beach’ in Somerset. I found a big geode (a hollow rock lined with crystals) and an enormous fossil there.”Ashlee “Me and my family went to Vatican City on our holiday to Italy. Thanks to The Week Junior I knew lots about it!”Lucy We’re proud to be plastic-free The Week Junior is delivered without a wrapper. This decision was made in response to requests from our readers who wanted us to reduce waste. Since removing the wrap in 2018 we have saved our planet…