Table of contents for 410 in The Week Junior

International efforts are being made to stop fighting in the Middle East, after a violent terror attack on people in Israel on 7 October. The attack was carried out by Hamas, which is considered to be a terrorist organisation by many countries including the UK and US. Hamas controls Gaza – a 25-mile strip of land that lies between Israel and Egypt. How did the conflict start? On 7 October, Hamas fired thousands of rockets (a type of bomb) into Israel from Gaza. Hamas fighters entered Israeli territory, attacked soldiers and civilians and took many people back to Gaza as hostages (prisoners). Hamas says it is holding 250 hostages. More than 1,400 people, including children, were killed in the attack. There has been conflict over land in the region for…

Now that you’ve read a bit more about it, tell us what you think by voting in our poll at theweekjunior.co.uk/polls. Vote YES if you think schools should offer community service, or NO if you don’t. We’ll publish the results next week. The aim of the Big debate page is to present two sides of an issue fairly and objectively, in order to stimulate discussion and allow our readers to make up their minds. The views on the page do not reflect those of The Week Junior, and the page is not funded by third parties. The page is created in association with the English-Speaking Union, an educational charity helping young people discover their voice and realise their full potential. For more information, please see esu.org…

“Please look after this bear. Thank you.” When the Brown family find a bear from Peru sitting on his own at Paddington Station in London, this is the message on a label around his neck. The Browns take the marmalade-loving bear into their family – and their lives are never the same. It has been 65 years since the first Paddington book by Michael Bond was published, but how did his story begin? The brains behind the bear Michael Bond was born in England in 1926. When he was 15, he started training at the BBC to help build radio sets. He served in the military during the Second World War. He was sent to Egypt, and there was a typewriter in his room, which inspired him to write. Paddington…

Have you ever fallen out with your friends? It’s normal to have arguments and get on each other’s nerves. Sometimes things can blow up into a drama and it can feel hard to put things right. What is drama? Drama means action and energy. It’s exciting in a book or film but isn’t always fun when it happens in real life. Falling out with someone and not knowing how to fix things can leave you feeling hurt, angry or upset. Psychologist (an expert on the brain and its functions) Dr Sara Carr explains that it’s normal to fall out with friends sometimes. However, if an argument spirals out of control – especially if other people get involved – it can lead to drama. It can play out in school, online…

Do you have any interesting ancestors? Everyone has exciting ancestors! I found that my great-great-great-great-grandmother was a Native American circus performer called Mary Huntley. Her father was a chief from a tribe called the Catawba and he had joined Benjamin Handy’s Travelling Circus for his ability to jump from horse to horse. Mary married Benjamin Handy in 1818. What was your favourite school subject? My favourite subject at school was “doing other things”. I was not spectacular at most subjects, and what I really liked doing was playing sports, doing music and generally farting around. Favourite place to go on holiday? The island of Corfu in Greece. I like to spend as much time in the sea as possible. Can you speak any other languages? I can get by in…

The first Super Mario Bros game came out in 1985, so hero plumbers, Mario and Luigi have now been running, jumping and diving down pipes for more than 35 years. You’d think they’d be tired by now, but they’re back and ready for another go in Super Mario Bros Wonder on Nintendo’s Switch console. This time, the game is set in The Flower Kingdom, a colourful cartoon world that is under threat from Mario’s arch-enemy Bowser. Your job, as usual, is to spoil his plans for world domination. You can play as Mario or Luigi, but also as some of their other friends including Princess Peach, Princess Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, Toadette and Nabbit. Like previous Super Mario Bros games, you run and jump along the levels collecting coins and avoiding…

When Gill and Warren Press got on a plane from Paris to Singapore, they were put beside a dog that wouldn’t stop farting. During the 13-hour journey, the dog (who was on board as an emotional support dog) let rip some powerful whiffers. The trumps were so unbearable that the pair had to move to another part of the plane. After the uncomfortably pong-packed voyage, Gill and Warren have received a refund for their tickets. They will donate the money to an animal charity that matches up visually impaired people with support dogs.…

We have had several messages from readers about our coverage of the conflict in the Middle East. Thank you to everyone who has been in touch – we value your opinions and we want to hear what you think. On page 2, we report on the international efforts to stop the conflict, tying in with our cover and the powerful statement from Save the Children. On page 8, we’ve got a debate on community service, where people volunteer to do jobs to make their local area a happier, nicer place. On People (page 9) you can read about an amazing journey through Africa, learning about other cultures and finding out how others live. Our Wellbeing feature (page 19) is all about dealing with drama – emotions that have got a…

Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full name and address so that we can send you a Roving Reporter badge if your contribution makes it onto the page. We will only use the details you provide to arrange delivery of badges, and we will not share them with anyone else. By submitting your reports and pictures, you give consent to The Week Junior to print them in the magazine and digital editions. We reserve the right to edit contributions for length, accuracy and suitability. Ensure you have your parent/guardian’s permission before sending anything to us.…

“We are Misha’el and Neriya and we enjoy reading The Week Junior. We live in Jerusalem, Israel. There are lots of air raid sirens, missiles and rockets. We don’t have school at the moment. Because it is difficult to live in the south and places close to Gaza, we and many other families who live in quieter areas have offered to host families from the south so they can have some peace and quiet. Many people have volunteered to help in lots of ways. We are hoping that everything will quieten down soon and we will go back into routine.”…

SAVING A THEATRE A Lord of the Rings musical has saved the Watermill Theatre in Berkshire, England, from closure. More than 17,000 theatre tickets bought by the public raised money for the theatre. Its executive director, Claire Murray, said “this is the beginning of a new chapter”. A DACHSHUND AND HER PUPS On 6 September, a dachshund (sausage dog) gave birth to 11 puppies in the East Midlands, England. First-time mum Winnie beat Cheesecake, the previous record-holding dachshund, who had 10 pups in 2021. Vets had thought Winnie was due to have only six pups, so Winnie’s owner was surprised. ART LOVERS A previously stolen painting is now safely stored at the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre. The 1918 artwork of children paddling on Scotland’s Angus coast was stolen from the…

As part of the King’s coronation this year, around six million British people, including many children, took part in the Big Help Out – a UK-wide day of volunteering in the community. In 2009, the Labour Prime Minister at the time, Gordon Brown, announced a plan that would require every teenager in Britain to carry out 50 hours of community work. The plan was never put in place but some people still think that community service should be part of the school curriculum. They believe that it would not only help improve people’s quality of life but it would also give young people skills and boost their wellbeing and confidence. Others say you shouldn’t force people to do community service. What do you think, should schools offer community service? Yes…

Earlier this year, 11-year-old Zaara Makan left her home in London and travelled from Cairo in Egypt, in north Africa, to South Africa’s Cape Town in the south of the continent. She went with her parents and they mostly used public transport such as buses, boats and trains. In the Serengeti, a huge region of Tanzania that is home to lots of animals, Zaara saw elephants, leopards and lions. In Botswana, she camped near a watering hole (a place where animals go to drink). In the middle of the night, a nosy elephant decided to inspect her tent. While travelling in Namibia, Zaara tasted a mopane worm, a type of caterpillar. “The outside was crunchy,” she tells The Week Junior. “The inside tasted a bit like chicken.” In Ethiopia, Zaara…

You might imagine that the scariest sound in the African savanna is the mighty roar of a lion. However, a new study has found that wild mammals actually find the sound of human voices scarier than any noise made by a big cat. The research was done by scientists in the Greater Kruger National Park in South Africa, which is home to around 1,600 lions. The team set up speakers and cameras near 21 watering holes around the park between June and August. The park becomes very dry at that time of year, and this encourages animals to head for the waterholes because most other sources of fresh water have dried up. This makes waterholes a popular hunting spot for both lions and poachers. A poacher is a person who…

On 13 October, an exciting new women’s rugby union competition called WXV started between 18 national teams. The countries taking part include England, Scotland, Wales, Australia, France, New Zealand and South Africa. The teams are divided into three groups of six, called WXV 1, WXV 2 and WXV 3. A country plays three games against other teams in their group and games take place until 4 November. New Zealand, South Africa and Dubai are hosting the tournament. Four points are awarded for winning a match and two points for a draw. A team can also get bonus points for scoring four or more tries or losing by seven points or fewer. On the opening weekend in WXV 2, Italy beat Japan, Scotland defeated South Africa and the USA overcame Samoa.…

Bullying can be face-to-face or online (cyberbullying). It happens when a person or group of people make someone else feel frightened or bad about themselves. It can mean making fun of someone or repeatedly insulting them, telling lies about them or leaving them out of a group. Bullying is never acceptable and if it happens to you or someone else it’s important to tell a trusted adult. You can find more advice about bullying at childline.org.uk…

Until the Road Ends by Phil Earle (Andersen Press) In this Second World War story by author Phil Earle, Peggy and her dog Beau are separated when she is sent to the countryside for safety. Left behind in the city, Beau becomes an unlikely hero, searching the streets and helping families as bombs fall around them. Will he and Peggy ever be reunited? Calling the Whales by Jasbinder Bilan. Illustrated by Skylar White (Barrington Stoke) Rowing out to an island near their seaside home, Tulsi and Satchen discover a whale trapped in a fishing net. Determined to try to free the creature, they get caught in a storm and their boat capsizes (overturns). However, help is on its way. Finding Bear by Hannah Gold. Illustrated by Levi Pinfold (HarperCollins Children’s)…

Email your book review to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If it’s printed in the magazine you’ll receive a Roving Reporter badge. Describe the book in three words, what you liked about it and why you’d 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 futureplc.com/privacy-policy…

What you need About 200g of peelings from well-scrubbed veg (eg potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beetroot)Olive oil1tsp ground cumin1tsp smokedpaprikaSaltPepperLarge bowlBaking tray This year Recycle Week – from 16 to 22 October – is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The theme for 2023 is “The Big Recycling Hunt”, focusing on how to deal with the items that can be recycled but are often forgotten about in people’s homes. Cooking can create rubbish. Sometimes this can be turned into compost (soil made from plant waste), but what if you could turn waste into another tasty treat? This week you can find out how to turn leftover vegetable peelings into delicious crisps. Next time you help prepare veg, keep the scrubbed peelings. The peel goes off in a few hours, so use it very…

Name: Alice and Phoebe Alice: “ When Phoebe was little, she got very sick and we lived at the hospital for a long time.” Phoebe: “I have problems with my muscles and my breathing. Going into hospital for tests and operations can be scary. The new Cambridge Children’s Hospital in the East of England will help take your mind off the bad things happening to you. We’ve been sharing ideas with the project team, like having an emoji carpet to say how you are feeling, and a hospital teacher with special powers!” Alice: “We want to make sure children like Phoebe have the best experience they can in hospital and still do things that make them feel like a normal kid.” What have you been up to lately? Which books…

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 dog owners should take a test… “I think yes because some dogs are quite wild but I also think that maybe they could do the test on other animals as well.” “Yes, because it makes a better life for the dog and makes rehoming less likely.” “The test should be a practical test but not written.” “Not fair if it’s only for dogs.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

• Community service means volunteering (giving up your time without being paid) to do jobs that help to improve communities. These jobs could be painting community buildings, gardening in parks or picking up litter in the local area.• In the US, in many school districts students have to do a certain amount of community service to graduate from secondary school. It’s meant to encourage responsibility in young people.• A UK study of 70,000 people showed that those who had volunteered in the last year were more satisfied with their lives and rated their overall health as better than those who hadn’t.…

The common polypody loves damp, shady places like woodland. They thrive in temperate rainforests, which are on the west coast of Scotland, parts of Northern Ireland, north and west Wales and in Cornwall, Cumbria and Devon in England. The polypody is dark green and glossy on top, with finger-like leaflets that branch off the stem, looking like a ladder that thins to a point at the top. On the underside of the fronds are rows of small, round yellow or orange spots. These are sori – clusters of so-called “sporangium”, which hold spores. Spores are tiny living cells that are carried by the wind and help polypodies to reproduce. In autumn, while many plants around it turn brown, the polypody stays green.…

Did you know that scientists sort everything we eat into five basic tastes? Now, new research suggests that another basic taste could be added to that list, although it doesn’t yet have a name. For many years, scientists thought there were four basic tastes that humans could recognise: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Then, in the 1980s, umami was added to that list. This Japanese word translates to “savoury” in English, and its taste is found in cheese, fish and meat. The new taste can be described as bitter, salty and a little bit sour, and it is created by ammonium chloride. Ammonium chloride is a substance used in medicines and fertilisers (fertilisers are added to soil to help plants grow). It is also used to add crispiness to food…

Khadija Shaw Shaw scored two goals to help Manchester City beat Bristol City 5-0 in the Women’s Super League. Calli Thackery The British long-distance runner won the women’s title at the McKirdy Micro Marathon in New York, US. It was the first time Thackery had entered a marathon event. Scotland men’s football team Scotland qualified for the Euro 2024 finals tournament, which will be played in Germany next June and July. Wigan Warriors In rugby league’s Super League Grand Final, Wigan Warriors defeated Catalans Dragons 10-2 to win the trophy for the sixth time.…

A classic story with a twist is making its world premiere at Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) on 24 October. Pied Piper, a brand-new hip hop family musical, stars members of the BAC Beatbox Academy. This is a project that aims to inspire local young people to discover their talent and build confidence through beatboxing, poetry, rapping and singing. Pied Piper starts on the night before the mayor’s election in the town of Hamelin, and the local kids are not happy. Their current mayor, the owner of a pie factory, has banned all music. To make matters worse, Hamelin has a serious rat problem. However, there’s a mysterious new rat catcher in town. With the help of this stranger, will Hamelin be able to rediscover its voice? The new show was…

by Adam Rutherford with E.L. Norry. Illustrated by Adam Ming (Wren & Rook) Scientist Adam Rutherford has teamed up with writer E.L. Norry and artist Adam Ming to create this fascinating book, which will take you on a journey through millions of years, back to the very earliest forms of life on Earth. You’ll follow the incredible story of the human family through history, meeting ancient people like the mysterious Cheddar Man, as well as warriors, emperors, explorers and scientists. Along the way, you’ll find that although we might have different skin colours, live in different places and speak different languages, all human beings share the same small pool of ancestors. Plenty of fun facts, jokes and cartoon-style illustrations help to make complex topics like evolution, genetics and scientific classification…

Alex Wharton, the Children’s Laureate for Wales, says that “living is the most important thing for writing”. You need to absorb the world around you, ask lots of questions, be curious and take inspiration from your own life, he tells The Week Junior. After all, “We are all unique, we all have a story to tell,” he says. Before he became a poet, Wharton worked in construction. He says that writing a poem is a lot like building a house. Like poetry, building is working with your hands. Before any bricks are laid, or any words written, you need to do some ground work, he says. In building, this means checking the ground is solid enough and no rare creatures will be disturbed. In poetry it’s all about researching a…

Crossword Read the clues carefully and write the answers into the grid. ACROSS 1 Garden watering tube (4) 3 Moves to music (6) 8 Feeblest (7) 9 Frozen water (3) 10 Device for waking you up (5,5) 13 Poisonous fungi (10) 17 Chunk of firewood (3) 18 Worker who puts up houses (7) 19 Glass panel on a TV set (6) 20 Nasty, spiteful (4) DOWN 1 Bird of prey (4) 2 Garden pest in a shell (5) 4 Perform in a play (3) 5 Capital city of Egypt (5) 6 Thick slices of meat (6) 7 Gems found in oysters (6) 11 ___ Monster, Sesame Street character (6) 12 Elevated walking poles used by clowns (6) 14 Fury (5) 15 Deep long-handled spoon used for dishing out soup (5)…

What if you could do something that you love, and raise money at the same time? Since 1984, schools have been taking part in Readathon, a sponsored read that raises money to give children in 30 hospitals around the UK access to brand new books and storytellers. Being in hospital can be lonely because it’s not always easy to see friends. Books are the perfect way to provide company and entertainment for children who are ill or injured in hospital. If you want to help, take part in the Readathon by reading whatever you want and asking friends or family members to sponsor you. You just need to ask your teacher or school librarian to order a free Readathon kit online. Discover more at readforgood.org/join-the-fun…

Teacher’s name: Senorita Amandeep School: Bilingual Primary School, Brighton and Hove “Senorita Amandeep is really funny. She’s really good at explaining things that are a bit complicated so we can understand them and she makes all the lessons really interesting. She also lets us have 20 mins of free time if we’re good.” Hester and Chip 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…

1 Which of the following sports has now been added to the 2028 Olympic Games programme? □ a) Flag football □ b) Quidditch □ c) Cheese rolling 2 True or false? A model of Gromit recently flew to space. □ True □ False 3 In which city have cruise ships been banned from docking in the centre? _______________________ 4 Which type of animal became a local celebrity in the town of Memmingen, Germany? □ a) Squirrel □ b) Dog □ c) Cat 5 True or false? Music duo Rogue Jones only sing in Welsh. □ True □ False 6 Where is the Greater Kruger National Park? _______________________ 7 Where was Paddington Bear born? □ a) France □ b) Peru □ c) Paddington Station 8 What type of bear is Paddington?…