Table of contents for 416 in The Week Junior

On 30 November, world leaders were due to gather for the start of the COP28 conference in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Lots of young people are also taking part in this year’s conference to discuss how to tackle climate change. What is COP28? COP28 is an event where world leaders talk about climate change. The conference has taken place every year since 1995, making this the 28th COP. COP stands for Conference of the Parties. There has been some criticism over the decision to host COP28 in the UAE, because it is one of the big oil-producing countries in the world. Oil, like coal and gas, is a fossil fuel. Burning oil to produce energy releases greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, which trap heat in the Earth’s…

SAVING YOUR LOCAL SHOP On Lismore island in Scotland, where just 160 people live, a community group has saved its only shop from closure. The group raised more than £80,000, which means the shop and post office can now afford to employ some full-time staff. RECOVERED SEAL PUPS With the help of a charity called the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, three rescued seals have been returned to the ocean. Named after actors Dame Judi Dench, Jack Black and Owen Wilson, the seals were filmed splashing around in the sea when they were released near Penzance in Cornwall, in south west England. A MUSIC-LOVING TEEN On 24 November, 16-year-old Alex Spencer sold out his first big concert. The singer-songwriter taught himself to play the guitar and began busking (playing music on the…

7 December 1983 A cat gets stuck on a chimney Fred Dibnah, a TV personality and steeplejack (person who repairs chimneys and towers) could not do his work because a cat had climbed 50 metres up a tall chimney and couldn’t get down. Dibnah first tried to help the cat, called George, get down but instead the cat climbed even higher up the tower. After 30 hours and with help from the fire brigade and the RSPCA animal charity, George was rescued and brought to safety.…

A mural (wall painting) designed by Ria Hoondle is a magnificent new addition to the Hillhead area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 22-year-old’s artwork shows people working together to tackle problems such as litter and pollution. She says the figures in the painting are a bit like The Avengers – the superhero team from the Marvel movies who regularly save the planet. Hoondle’s design, called Team Green, was recently announced as one of the winners of the Grantham Climate Art Prize. The award invites young people to create art that raises awareness of climate change and the action people can take to tackle it. It was timed to run just before COP28 (an annual meeting where world leaders discuss how to tackle climate change – see the report on page 2).…

For thousands of years, humans have used names to communicate with each other. We also give names to animals, especially ones we love, such as pets. Up to now there has been little evidence of animals naming each other but a new study suggests that elephants do. The team, led by Michael Pardo of Colorado State University, found that wild African elephants use noises to identify other elephants. Other animals, including parrots and dolphins, use sounds that are a bit like names. Dolphins have a signature whistle that is unique to them, and other members of their species communicate with them by imitating this special call. However, the new study shows that elephants use names in a way that is not just copying sounds and is much closer to the…

Anemones may look like aquatic plants but they are animals. However, scientists have recently discovered that snakelocks anemones are the first known animals to follow sunlight like plants do. They point their tentacles towards the Sun, tracking its movement. ● LIFESPAN: More than 10 years in the wild. ● HABITAT: On rocks or in shallow waters along European and Mediterranean coastlines, including parts of the UK. ● SIZE: Up to eight centimetres wide, with tentacles up to 15 centimetres long. ● DIET: Small fish and crustaceans like prawns. ● FUN FACT: Under ultraviolet light, snakelocks anemones glow fluorescent green.…

Some of the world’s best young gymnasts recently took part in the first Junior World Championships for trampoline, tumbling and double mini trampoline (DMT). Held in Birmingham, England, the event was for athletes aged 13 to 16. Great Britain won gold, silver and bronze medals. In trampoline events, a gymnast performs a routine of somersaults and twists as they bounce. This can be done by one person, called individual, or by two at the same time, known as synchronised. Tumbling is a fast sport where a gymnast does a series of continuous acrobatic moves on a long and narrow track. In DMT, a gymnast runs at a small trampoline and springs high from its front angled section, before using the rear of the trampoline to rise again with a mixture…

When you’re feeling worried, sad or fed up it helps to have a place you can visit that helps you to feel better. What is a happy place? Your “happy place” can be a physical space – like your bedroom, a nearby park or your local library – or it can be a mental space, somewhere you think about that helps you feel calm. It could be somewhere you went on holiday, say, or a friend or a relative’s home, or somewhere in your imagination. Your happy place could also refer to something you enjoy doing. For example, you might be in your happy place when you’re reading, drawing or playing music. Your happy place is simply a place or situation where you feel comfortable, safe and happy, whether you…

The Ice Children by M.G. Leonard. Illustrated by Penny Neville-Lee (Macmillan Children’s Books) Children around the city are turning into ice statues. Bianca must help, leading her into a land of beauty and danger as she tries to rescue the children before the winter solstice. The audio version was Highly Commended in The Week Junior Book Awards. The Football School Encyclopedia by Alex Bellos and Ben Lyttleton. Illustrated by Spike Gerrell (Walker Books) Discover everything you’ve ever wanted to know about football with this comprehensive encyclopedia. It is crammed with facts and stats about players, clubs, trophies, tournaments and more. A funny and joyful celebration of the beautiful game, it’s a perfect present for anyone who loves football. A Whale of a Time: A Funny Poem for Every Day of…

What you need ● 3 egg whites ● 600g icing sugar ● 1 tsp liquid glucose ● Round ginger biscuits ● White marshmallows ● Tube of chocolate icing ● Chocolate twigs ● Large chocolate buttons ● Mini peanut butter cups ● Mixing bowl ● Whisk Get in the mood for winter with these fun snowman biscuits. In this recipe, most of the ingredients can be bought readymade, and you just create the icing. However, if you want to, you can buy the icing too, or bake your own biscuits if you prefer. The fun is in assembling your snowmen, using squishy marshmallows for their heads and various types of chocolate for their arms and hats. It should take you about 30 minutes and make around 15 to 20 snowmen. These…

Hands up if you’ve had nits! Our household has them at the moment and they’re proving tricky to beat. Thanks to the science story (page 14), I now know why – the substance that head lice use to attach their eggs to hair sounds like it’s even stronger than super glue. I found the report on how scientists have used head lice to chart how humans moved around thousands of years ago absolutely fascinating. I also enjoyed reading about the online habits of people in the UK (page 5) and finding out that Roblox is the most popular gaming app among children. I was reassured that 90% of the children in the survey said they have talked to an adult about how to use the internet safely. The Hour of…

Donate toys and games to charity this Christmas The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is a charity that funds research into heart diseases. The BHF is active across the UK with more than 600 charity shops that sell pre-loved items to raise money for their work. This year, in the run-up to Christmas the BHF is asking families and children to donate any old or unwanted toys, puzzles and board games to their shops to help raise funds. Donating is easy – you can either drop off your toys at one of the charity’s shops or ask a grown-up to help you post them using a free downloadable label, which you can find on the charity’s website here tinyurl.com/TWJ-toys GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include…

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 if people should use log fires. You said… “No, because 1) we have heaters and 2) it is bad for your lungs and it creates lots of pollution. You should only use a log fire if you absolutely have to.” “Yes, because I have a log fire and it heats up the whole house.” “It’s only ok if the wood is sustainably sourced.” “No, they’re not good for the environment or very efficient.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

1 Where is this year’s COP28 event being hosted? ☐ a) Dubai ☐ b) Paris ☐ c) London 2 True or false? Roblox was the most used games app by children this year. ☐ True ☐ False 3 Which extinct species are scientists in Mauritius planning to bring back? 4 Which song was voted the UK’s number one driving tune? ☐ a) As It Was ☐ b) Shake it Off ☐ c) Don’t Stop Me Now 5 True or false? Some species of skunk do a handstand before releasing their smelly spray. ☐ True ☐ False 6 How long do penguins bond with their mates for? 7 What colour do snakelocks anemones glow underneath ultraviolet light? ☐ a) Fluorescent green ☐ b) Bright blue ☐ c) Yellow 8 True or…

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country in the Middle East made up of seven emirates, which are territories ruled by an emir. This is a title for leaders used in some countries that are predominantly Muslim. The capital of the UAE is Abu Dhabi but its largest city is Dubai. The UAE used to make most of its money from selling fish and pearls but then oil was discovered there in the 1950s. The country is now one of the world’s top 10 oil producers. The UAE is about one third of the size of the UK and is mostly made up of desert, including some of the world’s largest sand dunes.…

As it gets cold, garden snails go into a sort of hibernation called overwintering. Freezing temperatures and dry winter air can kill them, so they use their slime like glue and seal themselves into their shell. It stops their soft bodies from drying out and keeps predators like ants out. You’ll often find garden snails stuck together in clusters in sheltered spots, such as cracks in walls or under stones or flower pots. Their shells are 2.5 to 3.5 centimetres tall and have four and a half to five whorls (spirals), with colours ranging from yellow to shades of brown with flecks. Their shell usually coils to the right but there are rare cases of left-coiling shells. Garden snails can alter the chemicals in their blood to stop it freezing.…

No, they are mustelids – part of a family that includes badgers, martens, otters and weasels. Wolverines are a bit like a bear in terms of build but they are a lot smaller. They have short legs, a wide, rounded head and short ears. Their dark brown fur is oily, which resists frost. We have two wolverines at Whipsnade Zoo, called Fi and Bodie, in the European Endangered Breeding Programme. 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…

Head lice, tiny insects that live on people’s scalps, are mostly just an itchy irritation. However, a group of scientists has recently been able to use studies of head lice to track how humans have moved from one area to another throughout history. Head lice are parasitic creatures, meaning that they live off humans. They cannot survive away from a human for longer than two days. They suck blood from people’s scalps and lay eggs in their hair. Head lice have existed alongside humans for two million years. This shows that head lice have been able to adapt to the different environments where humans have settled, in order to use us as their hosts. Because head lice and humans live so close together, scientists can study the insects to learn…

Nathan Collins Collins scored twice to help the England men’s wheelchair rugby league team defeat France 34-14 in Marseille, France. Manchester City Women Manchester City enjoyed a 7-0 win over Tottenham in the Women’s Super League (WSL). Khadija Shaw scored a hat-trick (three goals). Italy Davis Cup team At the Davis Cup tennis tournament, Italy beat Australia in the final to win the title for the first time in 47 years. Zoe Harrison Harrison scored a try and converted five tries as Saracens defeated Trailfinders 52-18 in Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR).…

For centuries people have been celebrating Christmas with lights – though for much of that time they used candles instead of electricity. Electric Christmas lights were introduced in 1882 by the US inventor Edward Johnson. The tradition has grown and now illuminated displays light up places all around the UK. In Bute Park, Cardiff, lit-up flowers float along the water under willow trees. They’re part of a mile-long trail, featuring lots of lovely light effects. In south-east England, the Glow Wild light trail returns for its 10th year at Wakehurst botanic garden in West Sussex. The trail features handmade winter lanterns and light installations created by artists. The grounds of Auckland Castle in north-east England host the AGLOW trail. The castle’s walls will be decorated with projections in a light…

“My favourite books are fantasy and sci-fi and my favourite authors are Cressida Cowell and J.K. Rowling. I love Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I also enjoyed the novel Which Way to Anywhere, because it is all about magic.” Henry, aged 10 Send a picture of your shelf showing the book titles clearly and tell us why you love them. Ask an adult to send it to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk with your name and age.…

Word fill in All these words fit in the grid. Can you work out where each word goes to complete it? 3 letters Cat Cow 4 letters Peri Wand Wish 5 letters Genie Gnome 6 letters Baddie Potion Sprite 7 letters Fantasy Mermaid 8 letters Carriage Daydream 9 letters Beanstalk Fairyland Toadstool Wordsearch Can you find all of the tree names listed? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. ALDER BANYAN BIRCH BONSAI CHESTNUT CYPRESS JOSHUA LARCH LAUREL OAK OLIVE PALM PINE PLANE POPLAR REDWOOD ROWAN SEQUOIA TAMARIND WILLOW Number tower Place a number in every circle to complete the tower. The value in each circle is the sum of the numbers in the two circles directly beneath it. Spot the difference These two…

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) In the UK, millions of people live in poverty. This is when the money and resources that people and families have access to is not enough to meet their day-to-day needs, such as paying for housing, food, energy and transport costs. The JRF is an organisation that aims to make society fairer for all. Through sharing its research and launching new projects the JRF takes action to put pressure on the UK Government and politicians to try to make sure no children or families in the UK have to experience poverty.…

Most people like to listen to something in the car – it could be the latest pop tunes on the radio, streaming your favourite band from a phone or maybe an audiobook or podcast. In a study, 64% of people said that music is essential for a good driving experience. But if there are passengers in the car, tune choices can cause arguments. It’s not just an issue of clashing tastes, though. Research shows that different types of music can change people’s mood and affect how they operate a car. Loud volumes can also affect how people drive and influence decision-making. It’s illegal for drivers to use their phones while on the move, so some people say it’s safer for passengers to control the entertainment. What do you think: should…

Tuesday 5 December is the 10th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s death. He was an activist (someone who campaigns for change) who was sent to prison for 27 years, before becoming the first black president of South Africa. Growing up Nelson Mandela was born into a royal family in 1918. His father was chief of the Tembu tribe and his great-grandfather was the tribe’s king. When he was small, Mandela was called Rolihlahla, which means “pulling a branch from a tree” in the Xhosa language, and is also known to mean “troublemaker”. However at school a teacher called him Nelson and the name stuck. Mandela studied law at university and became a lawyer before moving to Johannesburg, South Africa’s biggest city. Joining the ANC Living in the city showed Mandela that…

Trampoline is one of the sports at next year’s summer Olympics in Paris, France. Thirty two athletes – 16 women and 16 men – will compete and they must be 16 years or older. The contest will be for individual trampoline. Trampoline has been part of the Olympics since the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics will also be part of the 2024 Olympics, which begins in July.…

Northern Ireland’s royal palace, Hillsborough Castle, is hosting a festive trail called Walking with the Snowman (until 7 January 2024). Walking with the Snowman is inspired by Raymond Briggs’ classic book The Snowman. The story is about a snowman who comes to life and takes his maker, a little boy, on an incredible adventure flying high over the land at night. The festive trail at Hillsborough Castle features 12 snowman sculptures, each of them created by a different artist. Each snowman is inspired by the song The 12 Days of Christmas. There are lots of areas around the trail to play and discover different parts of the Castle’s gardens. On some days, there will be a screening of the film adaptation of The Snowman, which came out in 1982. If…

Did you have puppets? I remember my father giving my brother and me puppets and making us a stage. The neighbours worked together to put on a puppet show. Can you remember your first favourite book? Pinocchio. I grew up with an illustrated edition of Carlo Collodi’s tale. I read this book to my mother and felt as if I were falling into the pages of the book. What is your favourite Christmas tradition? I always like putting out cookies for Santa Claus and of course carrots for his reindeer. What advice do you have for young storytellers? Read. Read. Read. Get yourself a notebook and take notes on what you see and hear in the world. Write a little bit every day. Don’t give up. What is your favourite…

The “Hour of Code” event is all about getting people into coding (computer programming) and to practise coding skills they might already have. It is part of Computer Science Education Week (4–10 December). The coding theme for 2023 is “creativity with AI”, to help people learn about artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Artificial intelligence refers to a computer system that can learn from experience and do things that usually require human intelligence. You can find all the activities on Code.org’s Hour of Code website, including some new ones created for this year’s event. They include Minecraft Hour of Code: Generation AI, a lesson for the educational version of Minecraft. It’s a time-travelling adventure where you get to create AI-powered inventions. It also helps you to think about how AI can be…

The little shop on the cliff face Climbers scaling cliffs in the Shiniuzhai National Geological Park in China can stop off at the local shop if they are in need of refreshment. The shop, which has been nicknamed the world’s most “inconvenient convenience store”, is attached to a cliffside 120 metres above the ground. The park manager says it takes about 90 minutes to climb up to the shop and climbers are given a free bottle of water when they finally get there. Five-star luxury for lucky chickens Chicken owners going away on holiday can put their feathered friends into one of a number of “hen hotels” around England. The beloved birds are given fresh food, soft bedding and, in some cases, even more in the way of luxury. One…

Name: Saimridini “Me and my brother Siddharth decided to write a poem based on the story of Rama and Sita triumphantly returning home. People lit up the way for them and to celebrate the victory of good over evil. Diwali is also called ‘Deepavali’ and celebrates the slaying of the demon Narakasura by Lord Krishna. Our favourite thing about Deepavali is the fireworks and we usually celebrate by lighting sparklers with our friends and decorating our home with lamps.” What have you been up to lately? Which books have you enjoyed reading? What have you made? Have you written a poem or drawn a picture that you’d like to see published on this page? Whatever you have to show or tell us, get in touch at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk JOKE OF THE…

Teacher’s name: Miss Pedlingham School: St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School, Guildford, Surrey “Miss Pedlingham is really kind and she makes lessons fun. Each week our table has to collect points, the table with the most points wins a prize on Friday. She is also so supportive and helps you if you need it.”Emily 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…