Table of contents for 500 in The Week Junior

Astronaut John McFall is set to become the first person with a disability to go to the International Space Station. He would love to visit the Moon. Where in space would you most like to visit and why? McFall explains his preparations on page 11. ​ A record-breaking 283 purple emperors, a rare type of butterfly, have been spotted in West Sussex, England. What’s your favourite bug and why? Find out more about the discovery on page 5. Goeldi’s monkeys’ diet relies heavily on mushrooms. If you had to eat one type of food forever, what would it be and why? Read more about Goeldi’s monkeys and other primates on page 22. The big debate Should school summer breaks be shorter? Page 10.…

Rescue workers in Texas, US, have saved hundreds of people after flash floods hit part of the state on 4 July. A flash flood happens when rain falls so quickly that the ground can’t soak it all up, so it flows into drains and rivers causing them to overflow. What happened? In the Texas Hill Country, a region in central Texas, a strong storm caused 30 centimetres of rain to fall in just a few hours overnight. This would normally be several months’ worth of rain. The area is vulnerable to flash floods because the ground is very dry and hard, so it doesn’t absorb water very well. The Guadalupe River rose by eight metres in 45 minutes, and then burst its banks. Homes and vehicles were swept away by…

Following 7/7, charities and schemes were set up to honour the victims and help people. The family of Miriam Hyman, who died in Tavistock Square, set up the Miriam Hyman Children’s Eye Care Centre in Bhubaneswar, India. The centre performs vital eye surgery for children, often at no cost to poor families. Another example is a garden that was created at Great Ormond Street children’s hospital in London. Two of the hospital’s staff – Nazy Mozakka and Mala Trivedi – died in the bombings. The garden is a tribute to them and also gives staff and patients peace and calm.…

This year, astronaut John McFall was cleared to become the first person with a physical disability to go to the International Space Station (ISS). He’s now waiting to be sent on a mission. McFall lost his right leg in an accident when he was younger. He has a prosthesis (artificial limb) and has been helping the European Space Agency (ESA) with a study to test the possibility of sending an astronaut with a disability to space. He told The Week Junior that he was “hugely proud” when he was medically cleared to go on the ISS “because it’s never been done before”. When astronauts are in space, they have to do regular exercise because the reduced gravity (the force that keeps your feet on the ground) can cause bone and…

Scientists have discovered that young ash trees are becoming naturally resistant to ash dieback disease, which has killed millions of trees in Europe. Ash dieback is caused by a fungus (a type of living thing that gets its food from rotting material or other living things) called Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. It was first found in the UK in 2012 but comes from Asia, where it infects a different species of ash but doesn’t cause much damage. However, it made its way to Europe and has badly harmed European ash trees. The fungus lives in leaf litter on the ground. It releases spores (cells that help a tree reproduce) that float away and land on ash leaves, infecting the tree. As the fungus grows, it blocks the tree’s water-transport systems, so the…

Scientists have discovered that orangutans share some sleeping habits with humans. A recent study of these great apes living in the forests of Indonesia found that they make up for a poor night’s sleep with daytime naps. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, in Germany, studied 53 adult orangutans in Indonesia’s Suaq Balimbing rainforest for 455 days to see how they sleep. They found that the orangutans enjoyed around 13 hours of night-time sleep in “night nests”, which they built each evening using branches and leaves. When their sleep was disrupted by cold weather, a long day of travel or noisy orangutan neighbours, they responded just as humans do – by taking a nap during the day. The research showed that for every hour of missed night-time…

A teenager with a rare condition that affects her immune system (the way the body fights infections) has become the first patient in Europe to be treated with a new drug. Nineteen-year-old Mary Catchpole suffers from Activated PI3-Kinase Delta Syndrome (APDS). In people with APDS, an enzyme (a substance that speeds up chemical reactions in living things) called PI3-kinase delta is “switched on” all the time. This affects the growth of white blood cells, which are part of the immune system (see panel). People with APDS have weakened immune systems, which means they catch illnesses easily. This can make APDS very dangerous – Mary’s mother and other members of her family have died because of APDS. Mary was seven when doctors found she had APDS. It meant lots of hospital…

On 6 July, London Pulse won the Netball Super League Grand Final for the first time. They beat last year’s champions, Loughborough Lightning, by 53 goals to 45 in an exciting match at the O2 arena in London. The Netball Super League (NSL) is the highest division of netball in the UK, and eight teams took part. They all played against each other between March and June. The top four teams at the end of the regular NSL season reached the semi-finals, then Pulse and Lightning progressed to the Grand Final. Lightning were aiming for their third Grand Final win in a row but Pulse were in control for most of the match, which was watched by a big crowd of around 10,000. Funmi Fadoju, playing goal defence for Pulse,…

Ariki and the Giant Shark by Nicola Davies. Illustrated by Nicola Kinnear (Walker Books) In this animal adventure, Ariki lives on a tropical island surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. One day she sees a huge creature in the water – and soon, a group of giant sharks are circling the island, putting the fishermen in danger. Can Ariki save the day? The Small and Mighty Book of Sharks by Ben Hoare (Hachette Children’s Books) This book may be small but it comes packed with a huge range of fascinating fishy facts and eye-catching illustrations, all on the subject of sharks. You’ll learn about the huge variety of different species – from the tiny dwarf lantern shark to the enormous whale shark. Sam Wu is NOT Afraid of Sharks by Katie…

Name: Cara The Dream Snatcher by Abi Elphinstone “Captivating, exciting and inspiring. I felt immersed in the story. It made me want to go out and explore nature as well as have all the adventures that come with it.” 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.*…

During summer, windows can get dirty and marked. This could be from people touching the glass as they open and close windows, or hot and dry weather followed by rain causing dust and dirt to streak panes. Cleaning windows is a satisfying job because you can really see the difference you’ve made. Whether you’re cleaning inside or outside, or both, all you need are a few common household tools and products. Everyone has a different method for cleaning windows so ask an adult for help. Some people use a glass-cleaning product in a spray bottle, others make their own spray with white vinegar and water, or mix warm water with washing-up liquid in a bowl. If you can’t reach the top of the windows, ask an adult to help you.…

Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. BANQUET BARBECUE BREAKFAST BRUNCH BUFFET CONSUME DEVOUR DIGEST DINE DINNER EDIBLE FOOD FRY-UP HIGH TEA KITCHEN PICNIC SNACK STARTER SUPPER TAKEAWAY Split words Piece together the pairs or groups of letters to find four pizza toppings. Sudoku Place the numbers from 1 to 6 exactly once in each row, column and 2x3 bold-lined box, to complete the grid. 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 307 326 372 618 738 4 numbers 1018 5476 7710 5 numbers 43001 50701 56363 83680 6 numbers 127387 153968 195331 326212 942741 7…

Win a copy of Ultimate Puzzles and Quizzes Do you love puzzles and quizzes? How about a book jam-packed with both? The Week Junior, together with publisher Bloomsbury, has brought out the Ultimate Puzzles and Quizzes book, full of word searches, crosswords, sudoku, spot-the-difference challenges and more. The quizzes cover topics such as entertainment, sport, history and science – so you can test your knowledge and then share them with friends and family. We’ve got five copies to give away to lucky readers. To be in with a chance of winning, fill in the entry form at tinyurl.com/TWJ-ultimate before 11.59pm on 20 July. Make sure you have a parent or guardian’s permission to enter.* ​*If you are the competition winner, we will only use the details you provide to contact…

1 How many years old is Peñico, an ancient city discovered in Peru? ☐ a) 1,000 ☐ b) 3,500 ☐ c) 10,000 2 True or false? Portstewart Strand – voted the UK’s best beach – is in Northern Ireland. ☐ True ☐ False 3 Which two Pokémon characters are Japan’s “sleep support ambassadors”? 4 Up to how many weeks holiday do secondary school pupils in Ireland get during the summer? ☐ a) Six ☐ b) 10 ☐ c) 13 5 True or false? Astronaut John McFall would most love to go to Jupiter. ☐ True ☐ False 6 What is the UK’s most common jellyfish called? 7 When was ash dieback disease first found in the UK? ☐ a) 2012 ☐ b) 2019 ☐ c) 2025 8 True or false?…

Hello everyone and welcome to our 500th issue! Do you like our amazing cover? We’ve been planning it for ages. Back in March we came up with a big list of some of the people and events that have featured in the previous 499 issues. The illustrator, Nathan Daniels, then picked his favourite bits and turned it into a brilliant design. On page 14, you can take on the challenge to find 50 of the stories, events or people featured. Some are quite easy but some are fiendishly hard (you might need a magnifying glass to find no.18). Thanks to the readers who sent photos of their collections of The Week Junior – they’re great! You can see a selection of these on page 33. Finally, we’ve got just the…

PURPLE EMPEROR BUTTERFLIES On 1 July, a record-breaking 283 purple emperors, a rare type of butterfly, were seen at Knepp, a nature conservation project in West Sussex, England. Experts think the high number of purple emperors indicates higher numbers of the butterflies nationwide. A WELSH MUSEUM On 8 July, the National Lottery Heritage Fund announced that Amgueddfa Lechi Cymru (the National Slate Museum) in Gwynedd, Wales, is being given £12 million. Jane Richardson from Museum Wales said the news was exciting “for us, for the wider community, and for everyone in Wales”. A YOUNG WRITER Myra, an eight-year-old writer from London, has won first prize in The Royal Mint Museum’s short story competition. The competition involved writing a 500-word story with the theme “sustainable futures”. Myra is the youngest winner…

On 8 July, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, arrived at Windsor Castle, near London, for an official visit hosted by King Charles III. Over three days, Macron spent time with King Charles, had talks with the UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and made a speech in Parliament. In the speech, which he gave on 8 July, he promised to support Ukraine in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion and called for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza.…

A man has skateboarded 1,500 miles across Europe to North Africa to raise money for charity. Sam Allison, who is 21, took 55 days to skate from Brighton, England, to Tangier in Morocco – travelling between 30 and 55 miles a day. Despite having his possessions stolen and suffering a fall, he has raised more than £5,770 so far for the Ben Raemers Foundation, a charity that supports the wellbeing of skateboarders. He told the BBC that it was hard at first but then his body became used to it. “It just felt like the norm because I would wake up and I just knew what I had to do every day,” he said.…

One of the UK’s rarest mammals was spotted at a Devon nature reserve for the first time since 2013. Fewer than 1,000 grey long-eared bats are thought to live in the UK, all in southern England. • LIFESPAN: 5-9 years. • HABITAT: Woodlands and open meadows in southern Europe. • SIZE: Up to 5.8cm long and it weighs up to 12g. Its wingspan can be 30cm. • DIET: Beetles, crane flies, lacewings and moths. • FUN FACT: The bat’s large ears help it pick up low-frequency sounds, such as beating moth wings.…

Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet The Kenyan athletes set world records at the Diamond League event in Oregon, US. Kipyegon won the women’s 1,500 metres and Chebet the 5,000 metres title. Jasper Philipsen On 5 July, Philipsen won the first stage of the famous Tour de France cycling race. Edson Álvarez At the Concacaf Gold Cup football final, Álvarez captained Mexico to a 2-1 win over the US. He also won the tournament’s Best Player Award. George Ford Ford played his 100th game for the England rugby union team as they defeated Argentina 35-12. Ford scored 15 points in the game.…

Did you know that humans and chimpanzees are very closely related? In fact, 98.8% of humans’ DNA (a chemical that carries all the information about your body and characteristics) is the same as chimpanzees. Both humans and chimpanzees are primates, a group of mammals that includes apes, monkeys, lemurs and lorises. A new exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh explores the lives of humans’ closest animal relatives. At Monkeys: Our Primate Family, it feels like you’re in a tropical jungle as sounds from the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil play throughout the exhibition. There are more than 60 species to look at, including the ring-tailed lemur, barbary macaque and western lowland gorilla. Dr Andrew Kitchener, an expert on primates who worked on the exhibition, said it includes lots…

by Becca Rogers (Zephyr) Gills are body parts that allow some creatures to breathe underwater. In this fantasy story from a first-time author, there are people with gills too. The outcast Larkers, who are forced to live in secret communities of houseboats on the river, scour mudbanks for treasures and must hide their gills from landlubbers. Larker heroine Effra has been taking care of her brother, Fleet, ever since their grandfather died. When Rivermun (an evil Larker) snatches Fleet, Effra sets out to rescue him. She must bargain with the powerful Mother River, venture into the Rat Queen’s lair and confront a serpent. Inspired by the tradition of mudlarking (looking for lost or discarded items on muddy shores), this thrilling adventure about a watery world of strange creatures is rich…

The books on this shortlist are all the work of authors who have not been published before. There is something special about this kind of book; fresh ideas and writing that may one day become a favourite, but for now remains relatively unknown. In order to be shortlisted, these books must have all the elements of a classic story: a tight plot and structure; a rich imaginative world for the reader to enter; and characters you can relate to. As you read a book like this you might feel as if you’ve made a great discovery, which you want to share with your friends. The Boy in the Suit By James Fox. Illustration by Tika and Tata Bobokhidze (Scholastic) Solo and his mum go to strangers’ funerals for free food.…

We want to find out more about you. We’re interested in what you’d like to do when you grow up. Do you already know, or are you waiting to see what life brings? Perhaps you’d like to start a business, write books or be a top athlete. What would your dream job look like? We’ve put together a survey to find out what you think. Why are we doing a survey? Your answers will give us an idea of you, our readers, and how you imagine your future. The information you give will help us share stories, write features and interview people who inspire you. For example, we can talk to people who have jobs you dream of doing in the future, and share how they got there. We’re also…

Name: Emily “I want to tell you about the Knaresborough Bed Race, which takes place in my home town every year on the second Saturday of June. Ninety teams decorate beds and parade through town, with the best-dressed beds winning a prize. Then there is a race where teams push the beds through the town and through the River Nidd with a child sitting on them. It is quite a sight! My school took part and raised over £1,500 for our school PTA (Parent-Teacher Association). We hold a competition to design the beds and even do a mini-bed race for all the children the Friday before. My head teacher, Mr Crawford, took part in his first bed race with my dad. As our theme was ‘Disney princess’, he agreed to…

An inquiry into harm done to indigenous people in the past in the Australian state of Victoria has released its findings. The inquiry was carried out by the Yoorrook Justice Commission over four years and it was led by indigenous people. Indigenous people are the descendants of those who lived somewhere before another culture arrived and took over. The commission’s final report found that British people, who permanently settled in Victoria in the 1830s, carried out genocide (a deliberate attempt to destroy a group or race of people) against the indigenous people who lived there. The aim of the inquiry was to uncover what happened in the past in order to help Australian society move forward. The final report called on the government to try to make up for past…

On Monday 7 July, memorial services took place at Hyde Park and St Paul’s Cathedral, in London, to mark 20 years to the day since 52 people were killed in terrorist attacks in the city. What happened on 7/7? On 7 July 2005, terrorists set off four bombs in London. Three of the explosions happened on Tube trains on the city’s underground rail system. Two bombs went off close to Aldgate and Edgware Road stations, and the third between Russell Square and King’s Cross stations. The fourth bomb went off on a bus in Tavistock Square. In total, 52 people were killed and 770 were injured. The four bombers also died. These attacks are called the 7/7 bombings because of the date of the attacks: the seventh day of the…

Some schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland are already on their summer holidays, while schools in England and Wales are gearing up for the start of the long-awaited break. As pupils put away their school books and parents scramble to find fun things to do this summer, some education experts are divided over whether the current school calendar is the best way of arranging the academic year. There are concerns that the school summer break is too long and that this is affecting students’ ability to do well in school. Yet summer breaks affect more than just education – they influence family life, tourism and the economy (the way a country organises its workers, money and resources). There’s a lot to consider but what do you think? Should school summer…

The UK’s most common jellyfish isn’t harmful to humans, although it can have a mild sting. At this time of year, moon jellyfish often float into harbours and bays – sometimes in large numbers. Large groups of jellyfish are called swarms or blooms and they’re becoming more common as sea temperatures rise. Moon jellyfish measure between five and 40 centimetres across. Their round, dome-shaped body, or bell, is translucent (clear) with four purple circles inside – these are their reproductive organs. Short, fine tentacles hang from the sides of the bell. Moon jellyfish usually float just below the sea’s surface. They catch tiny organisms called plankton using a layer of sticky mucus that covers their bells and they pass the little morsels to their mouth with their tentacles. Like all…

Our special cover is packed with highlights and favourite stories from the last 499 issues. In that time, we’ve written about elections, sports heroes, space exploration, robots, climate campaigns, unbelievable ideas, fantastic achievements and strange inventions. We’ve talked to activists and artists, professors and poets, scientists and fundraisers. The illustration shows as many stories as we could cram in so, following our clues below, can you find 50 of them? You’ll find the answers at theweekjunior.co.uk/500-cover ☐ 1 A ringed planet (Studying Saturn’s rings) ☐ 2 A desert discovery (Egypt’s boy pharaoh, Tutankhamun) ☐ 3 A Time Lord’s transport (Celebrating Doctor Who) ☐ 4 A graffiti artist (Celebrating the story of hip-hop) ☐ 5 A former US president (Barack Obama) ☐ 6 A newly crowned monarch (King Charles’s coronation) ☐…

SEND YOUR PHOTOS Email them to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Once a month we feature photos by our readers. Ask a parent or carer to send in photos for you and make sure they read this: upon submitting images for publication, you the adult grant Future Publishing Ltd permission to publish the submission in The Week Junior publications and on their associated web and social pages. You warrant that you own or have the right to grant this permission and that Future’s use will not infringe the rights of any third party.…

You make decisions every single day. They can be little things, like what you’re going to eat for lunch and who you play with during breaktime. Sometimes, though, they are more serious, like which subjects to take for your GCSEs or whether you want to be friends with a person any more. It can be hard to make decisions. Why is making decisions tricky? Sometimes you have too many options, and trying to work through lots of different outcomes can feel overwhelming. Part of being able to make good decisions is also about having confidence in yourself and knowing what you want. So, having low self-confidence (not believing in yourself – see panel) can play a part in finding it hard to make choices. Being influenced by others Your friends…

Bengal slow loris Native to parts of south and east Asia, the Bengal slow loris has a permanently wet nose like a dog. The second toe on each of their back feet has a curved “toilet claw” that they use to scratch and groom themselves. Grey-legged douroucouli Also known as the gray-bellied night monkey, this primate species lives in South America. They belong to the Aotus group, which means “earless” in ancient Greek. Their ears are very small, so can’t always be seen through their fur. Ring-tailed lemur Ring-tailed lemurs are from Madagascar, an island off the south-eastern coast of Africa. They live in groups of up to 30. When male lemurs want the attention of a female, they compete with other males to be the smelliest by having “stink…

Which would you choose, a river, a lake or the sea? Tricky! I’m a fan of all three, but I would have to choose a river. I live near one and always wonder what might be lurking beneath the surface. Have you written any other books? My next book, Scamp Saltbrace and the Tidal Clock, features a mysterious pocket watch that controls the sea and some extremely fearsome mermaids. It will be out next year. Tell us about Effra, your main character. Effra is a larker, a person with gills, who can breathe underwater for hours. She lives with her younger brother, Fleet, and is as determined as a rising tide. What was your favourite thing about writing this book? Discovering the world of the larkers, from cosy houseboats to…

If you’ve ever used quizzing sites like Kahoot and Quizlet, you’ll know they’re not just for testing your knowledge or school revision: they’re great for making your own quizzes to challenge friends or family too. Start with a topic that you love and know lots about: animals, films, football or science, for example. If you care about the topic, you’ll come up with better questions and have more fun doing it. There is no perfect length for a quiz, although you certainly don’t want it to go on so long that players get bored. Start by trying to make nine to 12 good questions, then extend it if you come up with lots more. It’s important to make questions short and easy to understand rather than too long or complicated.…

Fancy footwear helps hot dogs Some people love them, while others aren’t so keen – but whatever your opinion, Crocs are a very popular choice of footwear. Now, it seems that animals are getting in on the act. At the Club World Cup – a football tournament taking place in the US – security dogs have been spotted wearing Croc-style shoes to stop their paws getting burnt on hot pavements. The tournament has been played in hot weather, with temperatures reaching 38° C, so the footwear has helped keep the dogs comfortable and cool. A pencil-tastic event Hundreds of people – some dressed as pencils – attended a celebration of a six-metre pencil sculpture in Minneapolis, US, on 7 June. It was carved from an oak tree that was damaged…

Teacher’s name: Mr Watson School: Falkner House Boys School, London “Mr Watson deserves to be Teacher of the Week as he is funny and very kind. If we are good, he puts on Numberblocks for us to watch. He comes in very early and is always so happy. He makes the lessons really fun. He’s also very nice and very tall. A funny guy!” Marley 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 is the world’s laziest mountain? Mount Ever-rest!”Sunny…

“I started collecting The Week Junior in 2023. I have collected so many!”Imogen “We and our two older brothers have been reading The Week Junior since 2019. These are some of the editions we have enjoyed reading over the years.” Charlotte and Toby “This is my current collection. I love to see what is going on around the world.”James “Today I celebrated my stash of copies. I have loved every issue.”Kameron We’d love to see your snaps. Send them to us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Don’t forget to tell us why you took them. Plastic FREE 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…