Table of contents for 460 in The Week Junior

On 26 September, the junta that rules Myanmar offered a peace deal to several armed groups that it is at war with in the country. A junta is a military or political group that has taken power in a country by force. The peace deal was rejected. What is happening in Myanmar? In February 2021, Myanmar’s military took control of the country in a coup (when a government is replaced by force). The military said fraud (using lies or tricks to gain an advantage) had been committed during an election in 2020 but this has never been proved. Lots of people protested against the coup but the military responded with violence. Fighting has been going on in Myanmar for many years but since the coup it got worse. The military…

Campaigner, historian and author Patrick Vernon has used his career to improve the lives of black communities and other people of colour in the UK. He has been involved in Black History Month for many years and in 2020 he co-authored the book 100 Great Black Britons. His parents were part of the Windrush generation, named after a ship called Empire Windrush, which brought hundreds of people from the Caribbean to work in the UK in 1948. The “Windrush generation” refers to the thousands of British citizens from the Caribbean who came to rebuild Britain following the Second World War (1939–1945). Many worked in jobs in the NHS and public transport. Vernon and others asked for the UK Government to recognise the Windrush generation’s contributions, and on 22 June 2018,…

A team of researchers has found that seabirds, including albatrosses and penguins, have a very sensitive part of their beak that might be useful for finding food. This is the first time this part, called the “bill-tip organ”, has been found in seabirds. To find out if the birds had this feature in their beaks, researchers from the UK and South Africa studied 361 modern seabird species. The team examined the birds’ beaks to work out their structure, and how they were connected to the birds’ nerves. Nerves are special bundles of cells that carry information to the brain. The scientists found that both albatrosses and penguins have billtip organs in their beaks. Seabirds aren’t thought to search for food using their sense of touch, so the researchers were surprised.…

A critically endangered mountain bongo has been born at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire, England. There are only around 100 mountain bongos left in the wild and the male calf was born as part of a European breeding programme. As it ages, the calf will grow into its large, floppy ears and develop long, spiralled horns. ● LIFESPAN: Up to 21 years. ● HABITAT: Highland forests with tall shrubs in Kenya. ● SIZE: Around 128 centimetres tall to the shoulder. ● DIET: Grasses, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots and natural sources of salt, including wood burned by lightning. ● FUN FACT: To avoid getting caught up in bushes, bongos hold their horns tightly against the back of their necks.…

Dyslexia Awareness Week runs from 7 to 13 October. Organised by the British Dyslexia Association (BDA), the event raises awareness of dyslexia and challenges people’s ideas about it. The BDA also wants to highlight that everyone’s experience of dyslexia is different, so this year’s theme is “What’s your story?” What is dyslexia? The BDA says dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that mostly affects reading and writing skills. It’s thought that around one in 10 people in the UK are dyslexic. The exact cause is unknown but most people learn that they have it during childhood. It can often run in a family and is lifelong. How does it affect people? Dyslexia can affect people in different ways. Someone with dyslexia might confuse the order of letters in words when…

Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, researchers have been working hard to pinpoint where it first spread to humans. This information could help them prevent similar events from happening again. Most theories agree that the virus began in bats. Experts have suggested that it spread from bats to another animal and then on to humans but they weren’t sure what this other animal was. Now, a team of scientists have released a study that says the pandemic can almost certainly be traced back to live animals at a market in Wuhan, a city in China. The study names a number of animals that could have spread the virus to humans. The pandemic broke out in 2019, after people began turning up at hospitals in Wuhan with an unknown infection. Many…

When the first animated series of The Transformers came out 40 years ago, it introduced viewers to fierce enemies Optimus Prime and Megatron. Their rivalry has gone on for many years, but did you know that they used to be friends? Transformers One tells their story before they turned against each other. Once known as Orion Pax and D-16, the pair shared a bond like brothers. In this story, they develop the power to transform when they go on an adventure with two other robots. Things change, and the fate of the planet Cybertron is in their hands. Chris Hemsworth and Brian Tyree Henry, who voice the two main characters, told The Week Junior why the enemies started as friends. Hemsworth (Optimus Prime) said they had a “fun and adventurous”…

Yomi and the Power of the Yumboes by Davina Tijani. Illustrated by Adam Douglas-Bagley (Little Tiger Press) Yomi and her brother Kayode are official members of the Sacred Beast League. When a Yumboe – a fairy-like creature from Senegal – seeks them out and asks for help, they have tough challenges ahead of them. This fast-paced series is inspired by African mythology. Friends Always and Forever by G.M. Linton (Usborne Publishing) In this delightful family story, Sunshine Simpson is heading off on the holiday of a lifetime to Jamaica. She can’t wait for sun, fun and the chance to see the country where her grandparents grew up. There’s also a secret wedding to organise – but when things start going wrong, can Sunshine stop her dream trip turning into a…

Name: Seanán The Summer I Robbed a Bank by David O’Doherty “Funny, action-packed and adventurous. I love this book, it never stops getting better. I enjoyed it from start to finish.” 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.* *If you are the competition winner, we will only use the details you provide to contact you and arrange delivery of your competition prize. Further details about how we manage the data you provide can be found at www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy…

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 131 161 216 248 360 631 4 numbers 4727 5346 7884 9167 5 numbers 43748 54556 97738 6 numbers 236761 547101 609820 685746 7 numbers 1067048 1588560 6122823 8 numbers 30064651 53281711 9 numbers 270058400 351447085 818808128 Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. AUSTRIA BELGIUM CROATIA DENMARK ESTONIA FINLAND FRANCE GERMANY GREECE HUNGARY ICELAND ITALY LATVIA MALTA NORWAY POLAND PORTUGAL ROMANIA SERBIA SPAIN Sudoku Place the numbers from 1 to 6 exactly once in each row, column and 2x3 bold-lined box, to complete the grid. Spot the…

Name: Oscar “Me and my mum went to Kew Gardens and obviously took our The Week Junior to read on the train ride. I remember reading about Kew Gardens in the book I’ve read which was suggested in a previous The Week Junior, so thanks! My favourite part of Kew Gardens were the glass houses because they are filled with beautiful, lush green plants from all over the world. While we were there I enjoyed drawing one of the plants in the Palm House. I also like taking photographs – here are a few I’ve taken. We also visited and went to the top of the pagoda, which has 253 steps which I counted, and to the Treetop Walkway.” What have you been up to lately? Which books have you…

1 What has Brighton railway station been renamed as, in honour of Paralympian Bly Twomey? □ a) Brightwomey □ b) Blyton □ c) Blytowmeyton 2 True or false? The UK has been producing electricity by burning coal for 142 years. □ True □ False 3 Why is a zoo in Finland returning two giant pandas to China? 4 How much is an MP’s (Member of Parliament’s) basic annual salary? □ a) £35,972 □ b) £60,050 □ c) £91,346 5 True or false? The Empire Windrush was a ship that brought hundreds of people from the Caribbean to work in the UK. □ True □ False 6 Which sea creatures have been seen teaming up with fish to catch food? 7 How many people in the UK are thought to have…

CAREFUL FASHION FANS The first Good Clothes Show took place at the NEC Birmingham, in England. Focused on sustainable fashion (produced without damaging the environment), the event included workshops, catwalk shows and the chance to buy second-hand clothes. A PROUD PARALYMPIAN Bly Twomey, from Brighton, England, has had the city’s train station renamed in her honour. Twomey, 14, has cerebral palsy (a condition that affects movement) and won two bronze medals in table tennis at the Paris Paralympic Games. Signs at the station will say “Blyton” until 7 October, the day after World Cerebral Palsy Day. A CAMEL WITH STYLE A shoe mender from Wiltshire, England, has made a pair of shoes for a camel that was struggling to walk because of an injury. Stuart Moss made the shoes from…

During October and November, the chance of seeing a tawny owl increases. That’s because it is when young birds, which learned to fly in spring, start to search for their own territories. Data gathered by birdwatchers says you’re most likely to see one at sunset on a warm, dry evening with a clear sky and full Moon. Tawny owls are found across England, Wales and Scotland in farmland, towns and woodland. They are about 39 centimetres long, with speckled reddish-brown feathers on top and a paler underside, a round head, large dark eyes and a ring around their face. The “too-wit too-woo” sound is not the call of one owl; females make the “too-wit” sound and the male answers with “too-woo”.…

Grazing goats In Bedfordshire, England, a herd of 15 Kashmir goats have a new job – to graze an area of protected hillside which is the site of a huge chalk lion artwork. The site, owned by Whipsnade Zoo, is looked after by volunteers who use only wildlife-friendly methods to protect it. Rabies in seals In South Africa, 24 Cape fur seals have died of rabies (a disease that affects the spine and brain). Sea mammals don’t often get rabies. Scientists hope to be able to give the seals a vaccine (a medicine that trains the body to fight a disease) that’s already used on land animals.…

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan In this book series, Percy Jackson is a demigod (half-human, half-god). He and the other demigods at Camp Half-Blood have dyslexia. Percy’s friend says this is because their brains are wired to read and understand ancient Greek instead of English. The Wildstorm Curse, by Eve Wersocki Morris Kallie is off to the Wildstorm Theatre Camp for summer and is determined not to let her dyslexia stop her from becoming a playwright. When some strange and spooky things start happening, Kallie and her new friends must find a way to defeat a dangerous creature that has awoken. Wider Than The Sea, by Serena Molloy Ró’s dyslexia makes school very difficult for her. Every afternoon, to make herself feel better, she goes to the…

England and Scotland women’s rugby union teams At the WXV tournament, England defeated the US and Scotland beat Italy. Milkesa Mengesha and Tigist Ketema The runners from Ethiopia won the Berlin Marathon. Mengesha won the men’s title and Ketema won the women’s race. Cole Palmer Palmer scored four goals as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 in the Premier League. All his goals, including one penalty, were scored in the first half. Sarah Storey The British cyclist won the women’s C4-C5 individual time trial and C5 road race at the Road and Para-Cycling World Championships in Switzerland.…

Mark Forsyth. Illustrated by Matthew Land (David Fickling Books) What do you make of the sentence: “This statement is untrue”? It’s what we might call a “paradox” – if it’s true, then it’s also not true, but if it’s not true, then it’s also true. In this funny, entertaining and surprising tale, author Mark Forsyth has created an intriguing imaginary world full of paradoxes just like this one. It’s the story of Philo – an ordinary boy, who has always longed for adventure, who steps through a mysterious door and lands in a very strange land indeed, in which nothing seems to make sense. To find his way back he’ll need to solve a series of utterly bamboozling puzzles – all while avoiding getting turned into a teapot. Silly, fun…

Simon Stephenson is an award-winning screenwriter who has worked on movies including Paddington 2 and Pixar’s Luca. His first children’s book, The Snowman Code, is a heart-warming tale about the unique friendship between a 10-year-old girl called Blessing, and a 600-year-old snowman called Albert Framlington, who is duty-bound to help any child who is in need. The book’s publication date is World Mental Health Day (10 October) and the story touches on real-life challenges that some children experience. Before Stephenson was a writer, he worked as a children’s doctor, and part of his job was to work with children in foster care whose families were unable to look after them. “The kids are the heroes,” he tells The Week Junior, “Those kids were always brilliant, funny and smart and hopeful,…

We all like getting presents but should it be allowed in politics? Some people are concerned that MPs are getting too many expensive gifts. Keir Starmer has accepted more gifts than any other MP in recent times – including Taylor Swift concert tickets, football tickets and clothes. Conservative MP Karen Bradley and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey have also taken lots of gifts over the same period. Bradley’s gifts are worth around £23,000 and include tickets for football matches and Alton Towers. Davey’s are worth around £17,000 and include Taylor Swift tickets. Some people think gifts to MPs are harmless but others say they should be banned because they give rich people influence over politicians. What do you think, should politicians accept free stuff? Yes – they should set an…

Jake shared his experiences of being a young person with dyslexia with the British Dyslexia Association (BDA). He had dyslexia diagnosed when he was eight years old. He said that he finds reading and writing difficult but the most important thing is trying your best. After his diagnosis, he decided to do a 5k (five kilometre) obstacle fun run to raise money for the BDA. He raised £700, which he said would go a long way to help others and raise awareness. Jake told the BDA, “It’s ok to be different – we’re all different in our own way.”…

If you enjoy sports on two or four wheels, the recent X Games in Chiba, Japan, was perfect for you. Full of exciting tricks, it involved indoor skateboarding and BMX events. The women’s park skateboarding was a battle of two teenagers. Fourteen-year-old Arisa Trew, from Australia, beat Britain’s Sky Brown, 16, to first place. In park skateboarding, skaters perform moves and tricks on a course that has bowls, bends and obstacles. Judges award each athlete a score for how well they do. Trew won gold in park skateboarding at the Olympics, and Brown took bronze. US skateboarder Tom Schaar picked up gold in the men’s park and bronze for vertical skateboarding. In vertical skateboarding competitors roll up and down a ramp with two vertical slopes, doing tricks in the air.…

Your inner voice says words in your head without speaking them out loud – and it affects how you feel. What is your inner voice? Have you ever heard a voice inside your head that talks to you and helps you make decisions and remember things? This is your inner voice and it’s like having a private conversation in your mind. It’s something most people have. Your inner voice can be helpful but sometimes it’s unkind and says you can’t do something or that there’s no point in trying. Psychologist (someone who studies thoughts and feelings) and author Ethan Kross calls this “chatter” and says it is connected to how you feel about yourself. Why is it important? When your inner voice is kind and supportive, you feel good about…

What was your favourite story as a child? Probably The Tyger Voyage by Richard Adams. I think I knew it by heart before I could read, and it taught me that tigers can sail boats. What is a skill you would like to learn and why? Trampolining, walking tightropes, dressing up as a Beefeater, picking locks and hang-gliding, but I can’t tell you why – it’s a secret. Which character are you most like, Philo or Verity? Why? Philo, because I’m not very good at following the rules. I don’t break rules exactly, but I often forget about them at convenient times. Tell us your favourite word, and why. Dictionaries always contain one fake word. That way, if another dictionary maker just copies yours, you can catch them cheating. A…

Have you heard of Grandparents’ Day? It’s on 6 October this year and it’s a day for grandparents and children to show how much they love and appreciate each other. To mark the occasion, why don’t you interview a grandparent about their childhood? Speaking to grandparents (or any older person) is a brilliant way to learn more about them, as well as about the past. It will show how things have changed – such as what people ate or the games they played – and could reveal how big events in the world affected people’s lives. There are some questions on the opposite page to help you get started but first, here are some tips on how to interview a grandparent – and what you can do next: Decide how…

As you can see from this week’s cover and on page 5, we have just celebrated our book awards. I got to meet some of the best writers, illustrators and editors in the children’s book business and it was a huge honour. All the speeches were fantastic but one really stuck in my mind. G.M. Linton, who won the breakthrough category with her book My Name Is Sunshine Simpson, said how important it is to talk to parents and grandparents about their lives. Listening to older people’s experiences can bring past events to life. On page 9, marking the start of Black History Month, campaigner Patrick Vernon agrees: that by talking to older people you can start to understand history properly. Our How to section (page 24) this week can…

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 whether children should use skincare products… “As long as the products are suitable for children it should be ok.” “It creates a stereotype of how children should look, which can cause worry and upset.” “It’s just a little bit of fun and it can encourage them to use sunscreen.” “No, some products are bad for your skin.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…