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On 27 January, around 50 survivors of the Holocaust gathered for a ceremony at Auschwitz in Poland to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. They were joined by world leaders from 54 countries, including King Charles III, France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. What was the Holocaust? The Holocaust was when six million Jewish people were killed during the Second World War (1939–1945) simply for being Jewish. During this period, millions of other people were also killed, including Polish, Sinti and Roma people, black people, gay people and people with disabilities. They were targeted by the German Nazi Party, which was led by Adolf Hitler. Holocaust Memorial Day is a day to remember the people who died, as well as those who died in other genocides, such as in…

HUNGRY DEER At Auchingarrich Wildlife Park in Perthshire, Scotland, deer have been munching on old Christmas trees. The wildlife park asked local people to donate their left-over trees, and the animals have since been seen happily nibbling, scratching and hiding behind them. SHOWING LOVE On 25 January it was Saint Dwynwen’s Day. Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of love, and Welsh people mark the day by giving loved ones presents such as love spoons, which are decorative spoons carved from wood. Some people visited Saint Dwynwen’s church at Llanddwyn in Anglesey. CREATING SPACES FOR WILDLIFE The conservation charity Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT) has set up a Make Space for Nature campaign on the Isle of Man. The idea is to encourage people to slow down and notice nature. Whether…

On 22 January, children’s laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce and the charity BookTrust held a summit (meeting) to boost children’s reading. Former children’s laureates Cressida Cowell and Michael Rosen also spoke at the summit in Liverpool. Cottrell-Boyce said a fall in reading for fun is making children unhappy. He called on the Government “to make sure that every single child has access to books, reading and the ways in which they improve life chances”.…

In 2018, Balini Naidoo Engelbrecht set up a clothing brand inspired by her uncle, who was visually impaired (had vision problems that can’t be corrected with glasses). The items sold by Balini Braille Clothing contain Braille writing – a system of raised dots that represent letters and numbers. By touching the Braille on the clothing, blind people can read details such as size, colour, care instructions and style suggestions. This makes it easier for them to shop without help from others. She said, “I’ve always been fascinated by how clothes can tell your story, and now I want that story to include everyone.”…

This plant grows as a shrub or tree and is found across Europe, Asia and North America. In the UK, it’s usually found growing in damp spots along the edge of woodland or as part of hedgerows. Lots of people also like to grow it in their gardens, partly because it provides some bright colour in winter, when most plants have no leaves or flowers. Dogwood is a broadleaf plant and it sheds its leaves in winter. Its twigs can be bright red in winter if they are exposed to sunlight, but they stay a bright green in the shade. Dogwood can grow up to 10 metres high and the bark is a smooth, greyish colour that develops ridges as it gets older. The twigs of dogwood are very straight…

On 2 February, it is World Wetlands Day, which aims to raise awareness about the importance of wetlands for people and our planet. This year’s theme is Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future. What is a wetland? A wetland is an area where the land is covered by water most of the time. This can either be salt water, fresh water or brackish water (a mixture of both). Wetlands can be natural or made by humans. They form when water builds up because it can’t drain away. This water can come from rainfall and estuaries (where a river meets the sea), or from lakes, rivers or the sea when they flood. There are wetlands on every continent in the world apart from Antarctica. There are lots of different types, including…

NIKON COMEDY WILDLIFE AWARDS…

During his life, William Shakespeare (1564–1616) wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets (a type of poem). Even though he was alive a long time ago, people still consider his work to be very important. However, his plays can sometimes be difficult to understand because the language of 400 years ago is very different to the way people speak and write today. The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has created a programme called First Encounters, which adapts Shakespeare’s plays so that they’re easier for young people to understand. The next First Encounters play going on tour is The Tempest. Before starting rehearsals, actors and creatives led workshops to hear what young people thought about the play, its themes, characters and plot. This is the last play Shakespeare wrote on his own. It’s…

When I Feel Red by Lily Bailey (Hachette Children’s) In this empowering novel, author and mental health activist Lily Bailey tells the story of April, who is struggling to fit in. Lessons feel like they’re in a foreign language and it seems impossible to get to the end of a week without a detention. Can April find a way to belong, while still being true to herself? Me and My Brian by Helen Rutter. Illustrated by Claudia Petrazzi (Barrington Stoke) Josh calls his brain “Brian”. Sometimes Brian is his best friend, helping him with tests and giving him great ideas. But Brian can also be Josh’s worst enemy, keeping him up at night worrying. When he goes to stay with his grandma, Brian’s voice gets louder and Josh feels out…

Your house being destroyed would be a disaster for most people, but for Will Wright it gave him the idea for what would become one of the most popular series of games in history. Wright lost his home in 1991 in a fire, at a time when he was already famous for making a city-building game called SimCity. As he rebuilt his house and bought new things, Wright told a US news website that he thought about “all the things we have and how we purchased them for a reason”. Those thoughts inspired him to create The Sims, which came out in February 2000 as a game where players managed the lives of digital characters, learning skills, decorating their homes and even finding jobs. That means this month (February) is…

The world’s funniest museum The world’s first museum dedicated entirely to laughter has opened in Zagreb, the capital city of Croatia. The HaHaHouse opened its doors on 10 January and aims to make people of all ages chuckle. On arrival, visitors must first pass through the museum’s “happiness scanner” before they get to experience more than 40 humorous installations and exhibits designed by creators from all over the world. One highlight is a spiral slide, called the Happy Portal, which takes visitors to the “playground of laughter”. Creator Andrea Golubić said the museum is her way of “spreading joy and connecting through laughter”. A diary of hand-sewn memories Every day, Sophie O’Neill keeps a diary – but instead of using a pen and paper, she uses a needle and thread.…

Canterbury Tales writing competition The Chaucer Heritage Trust launched an annual writing competition for schools in 2017 which has inspired thousands of amazing poems and stories. The Canterbury Tales Writing Competition has three age groups: five to 10, 11 to 14, and 15 to 18. The top prize in each category is £300 for the student and £1,000 for their school library. In 2024, Writing Back to Chaucer (a collection of stories and poems) was published to celebrate previous winners. The theme of the latest competition is “Surprise, Surprise!” and entries need to be submitted by midnight on 28 February. Find out more at tinyurl.com/TWJ-chaucer Junior Roving Reporter GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full name and address so that we can send…

1 How high above sea level is the summit of Mount Everest? ☐ a) 2,848 metres ☐ b) 5,848 metres ☐ c) 8,848 metres 2 True or false? A red weather warning is the Met Office’s most serious weather alert. ☐ True ☐ False 3 Which type of animal recently helped to find two new species of truffle in the US? 4 What were the first footballs and rugby balls made from? ☐ a) Pigs’ bladders ☐ b) Fish skin ☐ c) Ostrich eggs 5 True or false? Taking part in arts and crafts can help to reduce stress for some people. ☐ True ☐ False 6 Scientists spotted which type of animal weeing together? 7 What colours do male Indian bullfrogs show to attract a female? ☐ a) Red…

Nepal has decided to charge people more to climb Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain. It will do this by increasing the price of a permit, which is an official document giving mountaineers permission to climb Everest. From September, the cost of a permit will rise by £3,270. This means that people who want to climb Everest during the most popular months of April and May will have to pay £12,200. It’s the first time Nepal’s government has increased its prices in almost 10 years. Mount Everest is in the Himalayas mountain range. The border between Nepal and Tibet, which is part of China, runs across the summit of the mountain. Its peak is 8,848 metres above sea level and is the highest point of land on Earth. Mountain climbing…

News Group Newspapers (NGN), the company that owns The Sun newspaper, has apologised to Prince Harry for the way it gathered information about his private life between 1996 and 2011. What happened? Harry claimed that, between those dates, NGN published newspaper articles about him that contained information gathered in ways that are against the law. Tom Watson, a politician, said he had been targeted by NGN too. A trial was due to begin on 21 January but, before it started, NGN agreed to apologise to Prince Harry and Watson and pay them several million pounds in “substantial damages” (money to make up for hurt or loss). Have there been other cases like this? NGN has paid out more than £1 billion in damages as part of more than 1,300 deals…

Legend has it that the game of rugby began in the English town of the same name, Rugby, in 1823. A student called William Webb Ellis picked up the ball and ran with it during a football match at Rugby School – although the true origin of the sport is debated. Even so, there’s no denying the impact it has had on the world. Today, hundreds of millions of people watch and play rugby every year, tempted by thrilling matches, friendly rivalries and skilful play. Rugby has sometimes been compared to football (the world’s most popular sport). While some people say that football is easier to get into because the rules are simpler, others argue that rugby is more exciting, with more options to score and thrilling tackles to watch.…

Scientists have found that chimps often wee together. This could mean that weeing in groups is a contagious behaviour (an action that others copy when they see it). Yawning is an example of contagious behaviour in both chimps and humans. Ena Onishi, a student at Kyoto University in Japan, spent more than 600 hours observing chimpanzees, and she saw them weeing together more than 1,300 times. She spotted that chimps nearest to the first chimp to wee were more likely to copy. Chimps lower on the social ladder (less important in the group) were also more likely to join in. Through peeing together, chimpanzees “reinforce group connections,” said Onishi. In other words, going to the loo together seems to be a bonding activity if you are a chimpanzee.…

On 25 January, Great Britain’s Alfie Hewett won his 10th Grand Slam tennis singles title. He won the men’s wheelchair final at the Australian Open, which along with Wimbledon, the French Open and US Open, is one of the four big tennis competitions each year called the Grand Slams. Hewett defeated Japan’s Tokito Oda by two sets to zero in Melbourne. The victory was particularly sweet for Hewitt because he lost to Oda in the final of the same event last year. The Japanese player also beat Hewett to win the men’s singles gold medal at the 2024 Paralympics. “Tokito, we’ve had so many battles and finals over the last couple of years, so thank you for letting me have this one,” Hewett joked after the match. The result means…

Chappell Roan wins Sound of 2025 Pop artist Chappell Roan has been named the winner of BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2025. This is a list released each year to highlight rising musical talents. In the past, it’s been very good at predicting which artists would become really popular, such as Adele and Ellie Goulding. Chappell Roan has been making music since she was at school and her first album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, came out in 2023. Her popularity soared last year after she supported Olivia Rodrigo on her world tour. Now one of Roan’s songs has been streamed more than a billion times, and she’s been nominated for six Grammys – important music awards in the US. Jack Saunders, the host of BBC Radio…

BOOK OF THE WEEK Hunt for the Golden Scarab by M.G. Leonard. Illustrated by Manuel Sumberac (Macmillan Children’s) Sim and his mum live in a flat above the Sir John Soane’s Museum in London, where his mum works as a cleaner. But everything changes when dangerous strangers appear at the museum, and Sim learns that his mum has been keeping an extraordinary secret from him – she has the power to open doors in time. Now, they are on the run, escaping across the city and joining up with an uncle and a cousin Sim never knew he had. They are soon swept up in an amazing adventure through time, travelling to Egypt on the trail of Queen Nefertiti’s mysterious golden scarab (beetle). Can he help piece together the clues…

How well do you think you know yourself? For Children’s Mental Health Week (3–9 February) the charity Place2Be has teamed up with CBBC’s Art Ninja to explore its theme for this year, which is “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself”. You might not realise it, but when you create a piece of art you’re helping yourself to feel good because you’re expressing yourself. Plus, this activity has been specially created to help you get to know what makes you, you. This can help you feel more confident too (see page 19 to find out why). With this project, you think about the events, things and people that have shaped you and what kind of a person you want to grow into. You then imagine yourself as a growing plant and draw your…

It’s National Storytelling Week and we are embracing the power of stories. They are essential to who we are. Did you know that “history” and “story” are based on the same Old French word, estoire? It means tale or chronicle (record of events). Holocaust Memorial Day (page 2) is a chance to tell stories – and listen to them – to help us avoid repeating the past. On page 23, Author G.M. Linton shows how to uncover and tell the story of your family, to give you a sense of identity. There are lots of ways to tell stories. On That’s Unbelievable (page 27), Sophie O’Neill sews a story as her diary. It’s a great idea: focusing on just one little thing that makes each day something special. For Children’s…

Teacher’s name: Mr Collins School: Winton Primary School, Bournemouth “Mr Collins is so fun to be with, has a great sense of humour, is respectful of our emotions and makes learning very fun. He is very down to earth, calm and very positive. When he broke his foot playing football, he said, ‘Oh well, at least I saved the shot and they didn’t score,’ and he came in every day with a big cast boot on his foot to keep us all learning. This is really incredible as it is his first year as a qualified teacher!” Reggie, Nico, April and Annabel 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…

He’s best known as the presenter of the CBBC show Art Ninja, but Ricky Martin is also an ambassador for the children’s mental health charity Place2Be. Children’s Mental Health Week runs from 3 to 9 February and this year’s theme is Know Yourself, Grow Yourself. Martin explains that the theme is “about looking inward”. Learning about yourself, he says, helps you to connect with others. When he was growing up, Martin struggled to read and write. His parents encouraged him to do art and he found that this helped him express all the ideas in his head. The best thing about art, Martin says, is that anyone can do it. He thinks it’s important not to worry too much about what you produce. “Don’t make it perfect, make it now,”…

When people buy flowers or plants to decorate their homes and gardens, sometimes they come with an unexpected guest. Dr Silviu Petrovan, a frog expert at the University of Cambridge, was recently called to a flower shop in Sheffield, England, to identify a frog that had been found in some roses. He discovered that the frog was from South America. Petrovan said it must have hopped into the roses while they were travelling from Colombia to the UK. Inspired by this, Petrovan has worked with a team of researchers to find out how common it is for animals, diseases and pests (an insect or other creature that attacks crops or animals) from other parts of the world to arrive in Europe with flowers and ornamental plants. Ornamental plants are plants…

A rare Philippine spotted deer fawn was recently born at Bristol Zoo in England. The fawn, which is about as tall as a cereal packet, is part of a breeding programme to boost numbers. There are 700 of the deer left in the wild. • LIFESPAN: Around 20 years. • HABITAT: Rainforests in the Visayan islands of Panay and Negros, in the Philippines. • SIZE: Up to 1.3 metres long and 80 kilograms. • DIET: Grasses, leaves and buds. • FUN FACT: They can rotate their ears to listen out for sounds of danger.…

Science fiction (sci-fi) authors have always been good at predicting what the future might look like (see panel). That’s why a group of writers were asked to help the Government prepare for anything that could go wrong as a result of new technology. The writers took part in an event held by Resilience Beyond Observed Capabilities (RBOC). The RBOC is a project that brings together experts and researchers to help the UK prepare for security threats in the coming decades (a decade is a block of 10 years). It is partly funded by the Ministry of Defence (a Government agency that protects the country). Together, the group came up with possible future scenarios and imagined how the country could prepare for them, including cyber attacks (which target computer systems). Among…

Have you wondered why some things make you happy and others twist your tummy into a knot? The theme of Children’s Mental Health Week (3–9 February) is Know Yourself, Grow Yourself, and is an opportunity to find out. Why is mental health important? Mental health is the way we think and feel. Cecilia Corbetta is a counsellor (someone who helps people cope with big feelings) at the mental health charity Place2Be. She explains that, just as healthy food and exercise are good for physical health, there are things we can do to boost mental health too. These include plenty of sleep, relaxing, doing things we enjoy and being connected to friends. Taking care of our mental health helps us “learn and grow and reach our potential,” Corbetta says. What does…

A Real Bug’s Life, series 2 Available on Disney+ now Take a closer look at the bugs fighting for survival in an incredible world that exists right under our noses. There’s a beetle that runs so fast it temporarily loses its vision, a firefly stealing from a spider’s web, a moth with a very busy schedule, and lots more. Junior Bake Off Available on Channel 4 on demand now A group of children battle it out to be named Britain’s best young baker in this show hosted by Harry Hill. Liam Charles, who appeared in the adult version of the show, and pastry chef Ravneet Gill are on hand to judge their kitchen creations.…

The author G.M. Linton wrote My Name is Sunshine Simpson, which won the Breakthrough award at The Week Junior Book Awards in 2024. The story was inspired by her parents, who arrived in the UK from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation in the 1950s. The Windrush generation refers to thousands of people who came to the UK from the Caribbean, and beyond, to help rebuild Britain after the Second World War (1939–1945). Here, in time for National Storytelling Week (1–9 Feb), Linton guides you through how to tell your own family story. Plan some questions Think about who you would like to talk to and what you would like to find out. Linton asked her mum all about Jamaica, such as what it was like at school and…

Crossword Read the clues carefully and write the answers into the grid. Across 1 Purring pets (4) 3 Member of a ship’s crew (6) 8 Block of frozen water (3,4) 9 Jar cover (3) 10 Chinese eating equipment (10) 13 Seafood trap (7,3) 17 Very annoyed (3) 18 Honey-makers’ nest (7) 19 Confectionery (6) 20 Middle leg joint (4) Down 1 Metal money (4) 2 Parts of the mouth used to bite (5) 4 Woodcutter’s tool (3) 5 Light purple colour (5) 6 Small red salad food (6) 7 Doll on strings (6) 11 Christmas bird (6) 12 Fire (6) 14 Symbol worn on clothing (5) 15 Vegetable that makes your eyes water (5) 16 Small Chinese dog (4) 18 Nocturnal flying mammal (3) Spot the difference These two pictures…

Name: Oscar “When I was a baby, I was diagnosed with DBAS (Diamond Blackfan Anaemia Syndrome), a condition where your bone marrow (the cells inside your bones)can’t produce enough red blood cells. In 2022, I needed a bone marrow transplant, where someone donates their bone marrow to you. While in the hospital, I deepened my love for art because I could do it without being too active. I painted, drew and took part in art therapy. When I got better, I realised I loved making art for its own sake and started experimenting. My Fragile Blood Cells artwork tells the story of my DBAS and how it’s still a part of me. The blood bags represent my transfusions, and the fragile tape shows how delicate and important blood was for…

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 you if mega political donations are ok… “Yes, people can spend their money on whatever they want.” “It’s not fair that people with more money can sway political decisions more than ordinary people.” “There should be a limit on how much money a political party can receive.” “No, they should donate it to something that will make a difference.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…