Table of contents for 476 in The Week Junior

On 19 January, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas (an armed group that governs Gaza) began. A ceasefire is when fighting in a conflict is paused. Gaza is a small strip of territory that borders Israel and is home to Palestinian people. Why are Israel and Hamas at war? Fighting in Gaza has been very intense since 7 October 2023, when a long-running conflict between Israel and Hamas became much worse. On that date, Hamas attacked Israel, killed around 1,200 people and took 251 people hostage (hostages are prisoners who are held until certain demands are met). Israel responded by launching air attacks on Gaza, where Hamas is based, before invading the territory with soldiers in October 2023. Israeli forces have continued their attacks over the past 15 months. Hamas…

SPOTTING BIRDS The world’s largest garden wildlife survey is taking place this weekend (24–26 January). The Big Garden Birdwatch has been run by the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) for 46 years. Last year, more than 600,000 people counted 9.7 million birds. A WALK IN SPACE On 16 January, seven months after arriving at the ISS (International Space Station), astronaut Suni Williams went on a spacewalk. Williams travelled to the ISS last June with another astronaut, Butch Wilmore. Their trip was supposed to last eight days but they can’t yet return to Earth because of a technical problem. A HAIR DONATION Ruth Tripp from South Molton in Devon, England, has been awarded a Guinness World Record for donating 172 centimetres of hair to The Little Princess Trust.…

The Scots word “makar” refers to an author or poet, as well as Scotland’s national poet. The role of Makar was created by the Scottish government in 2004, with the aim of celebrating Scottish poetry and encouraging people to read and write it. Peter Mackay got the job in December. He says, “It’s an honour, it’s a challenge, but it’s also possibly great fun. It means that I get to talk about poetry every day. ”His mother says Mackay first wrote a poem when he was about four years old. He grew up on an island in western Scotland and later wrote about his life there and his experience of two very different things: wild nature and new technology. Mackay is the first Makar who writes in Gaelic (an ancient…

To mark its 130th anniversary this year, the National Trust has announced plans to create around 2,500 square kilometres of “nature-rich” landscapes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The National Trust is a charity that preserves nature and buildings. The organisation has set a target of 2035 for creating these natural areas. It’s an ambitious goal: in the past 10 years the Trust has done similar work, but only for around 250 square kilometres. If joined together, the landscapes it plans to create would cover an area bigger than the Lake District National Park. The charity’s focus will be restoring peatland (watery habitats containing a soil-like material called peat) and improving the quality of rivers. It aims to improve the health of enough soil to provide homes for one billion…

Three Socorro doves have moved into London Zoo to take part in a project that aims to bring the species back to the wild. The birds, originally from Socorro Island, Mexico, haven’t been seen in the wild since 1971. There are already six Socorro doves at the zoo, and the new ones will soon be introduced to possible mates. • LIFESPAN: 6.6 years • HABITAT: Humid (wet) forests. • SIZE: 26–34 centimetres long. • DIET: Berries, insects, fruits and seeds. • FUN FACT: They are important in the wild because they scatter seeds on the ground, which sprout.…

A team of archaeologists (experts who study ancient objects to help us understand history) have found the tomb of a royal doctor in Egypt. The tomb is thought to be 4,100 years old. The discovery was made at Saqqara, an important site that is home to tombs and pyramids including the Step Pyramid of Djoser (see panel, right). Sadly, many of the historical objects hidden in the doctor’s tomb had already been stolen but a team of French and Swiss researchers were able to find out information about him from the beautiful paintings and writings on the wall. His name, which was written on the sarcophagus (stone coffin) inside the tomb in hieroglyphics was “Tetinebefou”. Hieroglyphics is the name of an ancient Egyptian writing system that used symbols and pictures.…

Running across wet fields and muddy paths in winter may not sound like fun, but in the sport of cross country running that’s exactly what you do. It can be tough but it’s a great way to exercise and many people enjoy it. Innes FitzGerald is one of Great Britain’s top young cross country athletes. “Running can be a funny thing. Often you don’t want to do it but once you’re out there it’s amazing,” the 18-year-old tells The Week Junior. Her love of the sport started at school. “I was good at cross country when I was at school and I liked school competitions and tournaments in my county,” she explains. “I’ve always been active and done stuff outdoors, which set me up well for running.” The teenager has…

The Hollywood Kidnap Case by A.M. Howell (Usborne) In this thrilling new instalment of the Mysteries at Sea series, Alice, Sonny and their new friend Winnie investigate the kidnapping of a Hollywood star. When actress Estelle Fortune suddenly disappears in strange circumstances, will the friends be able to find and save her before time runs out? A Drop of Golden Sun by Kate Saunders (Faber Children’s) It’s 1973, and 12-year-old Jenny is amazed to have been cast as one of the leads in a film. Now she is jetting off to France where she will join a group of actors on set for an unforgettable summer. Showbiz life isn’t easy, though, and Jenny and her new friends must work together to stop a famous actor from ruining the film. We…

Gaming gorilla Donkey Kong has been causing havoc and leaping around platforms since 1981, when he starred in his first game. The game – also called Donkey Kong – was created by Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto, who was inspired by the King Kong films. He added “Donkey” to the name to describe the character’s stubborn personality. Now Donkey Kong is starring in a new game, although it’s also an old one. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a remake of a game originally released in 2010 for Nintendo’s Wii console. The new version, for the Switch, has better graphics, some extra levels and a “modern” mode that’s a bit easier than the original. The story is the same, though. Donkey Kong and his smaller monkey friend Diddy Kong have had their…

£100 for pizza with pineapple A restaurant in Norwich, England, is trying to put a stop to people ordering a Hawaiian pizza by pushing up the price to £100. The Hawaiian (which is topped with ham and pineapple) is thought to have been invented in the early 1960s by Sam Panopoulos, who moved from Greece to Canada and set up several restaurants in Ontario. Although some people love the flavours, others can’t bear pineapple as a topping and argue that the only fruit that should be allowed on a pizza is tomato. The head chef at Norwich’s Lupa Pizza restaurant, Quin Jianoran, said he hates pineapple on a pizza, calling the fruit a “tropical menace”. He is hoping that the hefty cost will put people off ordering one. Funny felines…

Teacher’s name: Miss Baskeyfield School: Thomas’s Clapham, London “Miss Baskeyfield is really kind, encouraging and always finds ways to make our English lessons fun. She comes up with games which are English-related and entertaining so we learn at the same time as playing. She also doesn’t let us give up and provides brilliant tips and feedback so we are really proud of our work.” Max 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…

The Oxford Children’s Word of the Year 2024 has been revealed as “kindness”. Children also voted for “slay” to be the top colloquial (slang) word of the year. What is Word of the Year all about? The Children’s Word of the Year is announced by Oxford University Press (OUP), which publishes dictionaries and reference books. It highlights a word that reflects children’s experiences over the year. A total of 6,280 children, aged from six to 14, took part in surveys to choose 2024’s Word of the Year. The research began with teachers asking children which words they thought were important. Using these, a shortlist of three words or phrases was created: “kindness”, “artificial intelligence” and “conflict”. Children were asked to choose a word of the year from them. OUP also…

Holocaust Memorial Day, on 27 January, is when people join together to remember the Holocaust. This was when six million Jewish people were killed during the Second World War (1939–45). Karen Pollock is the head of the Holocaust Educational Trust (HET), a charity that teaches people about the Holocaust. She told The Week Junior that it’s important to learn about and understand the Holocaust because it’s a “defining episode in our history”. She says the day gives people a moment to pause, reflect and honour the Jewish people who died. To read about a personal experience of the Holocaust, go to page 23.…

These sunny yellow flowers look a bit like buttercups but appear in January. Originally native to southern European countries like France and Italy, winter aconites were introduced to the UK. They now grow wild in woods across most of the country, except Northern Ireland. The plants grow from a tuber, a big underground stem (a potato is also a type of tuber – one that we eat) to about 10 centimetres high. The glossy yellow flowers have six petals. Under each is a ruff of leaves. The nectar from winter aconites is good for bumblebees that emerge early from hibernation (a long period of inactivity), because there are not many flowers around in winter. Don’t touch aconites, though – the plant is poisonous.…

New Year celebrations have been and gone for lots of people now but for some the celebrations are just around the corner. Lunar New Year is a festival celebrated in many Asian countries and communities across the world. The new year is often welcomed with fireworks, special food and the colour red. Different cultures mark the occasion in various ways and have unique names for it, such as Tet in Vietnam and Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia. When is Lunar New Year? Lunar New Year is based on the lunisolar calendar, which follows the phases of the Moon and the position of the Sun in the sky. Officially, most countries now use the Gregorian calendar, a dating system based on the Sun only – but Lunar New Year is still celebrated.…

Scientists believe they have solved the mystery surrounding how pterosaurs were once able to rule the skies. Pterosaurs were flying reptiles that became extinct around the same time as the dinosaurs. Scientists already knew that pterosaurs had large, diamond-shaped structures at the ends of their tails. These structures, or “vanes”, were made from soft tissue. They stopped pterosaurs’ tails from fluttering like flags in the wind, helping to keep the reptiles stable while they soared through the skies. Scientists knew that for this to work, it was important for these vanes to remain stiff – but they weren’t sure how this was done, until now. A study led by scientists from the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland, used a new technique called laser - stimulated fluorescence on the fossils of…

It’s not always tempting to go outside when it’s cold and wet, but scientists say it’s important for everyone to spend time outdoors. A study last year showed that, on average, children in the UK spent just half an hour outdoors each day. Why go outside? Some experts advise spending between one to three hours outside every day, even in winter. “There are lots of physical and emotional benefits to time outdoors,” explains Dr Joanna Fortune, a psychotherapist (an expert in mental health). “You are more active when outdoors. Anything that involves rhythm and movement, including dancing, running and climbing, is a great way to help us feel more connected to ourselves.” Exercise outdoors boosts your immune system (the body’s defence against infections) and exposes you to natural light, rather…

BOOK OF THE WEEK Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo by Philippa Leathley (HarperCollins Children’s) This first book in the Inkbound series is set in a magical world where ink is all-powerful. Metty (short for Meticulous) Jones is celebrating her 10th birthday. Like all children when they turn 10, she is going to discover her destiny in the form of a magical tattoo. She hopes it will reveal an exciting future, but instead what appears is the image of a mysterious skull in a gloved hand. Her parents are horrified – surely this can only mean that Metty’s fate is to become a murderer! Soon she has been hidden away in a remote farmhouse but when her father disappears, Metty takes action and is transported to New London, a flying…

This week we had a lot of discussions about the cover. Should it be about the ceasefire in Gaza, Donald Trump or should we choose what’s most important to our readers? As you see, kindness won. It was chosen by young people as their word of the year (page 4) and author Peter Lantos prescribes being kind as the best rule for life (page 23). We’ve had some lovely letters from readers asking questions and sending in ideas. Recently I received one from Minerva with a very interesting article she’d written about how we should be talking more about eating insects as a planet-friendly choice. Another was from Lola, who loves our podcast, The Week Junior Show. She’s hoping to set up a school magazine and she also wanted some…

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 schools should be open four days a week… “Yes, then I’ll have more time to do stuff that I enjoy.” “No, some young children don’t have a parent or carers to look after them.” “Yes, it would give us time to relax and see our family.” “No, you wouldn’t get to see your friends as much.” “If we had time to rest, we’d be more ready to learn.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

In the 19th century, US campaign donations (money given to a political party) allowed candidates who weren’t rich to run for election. Now, some people make huge donations. The US has rules on how much money can be given to politicians but there is no limit on how much businesses, organisations and people can donate to “super political action committees” (super PACs). These are groups that aren’t allowed to work with politicians but they can promote them by spending money on adverts and social media, which is where many voters get their information. In the US, it is normal for political candidates to raise money through donations. Some say donating lots of money is part of politics but others disagree. What do you think? Should mega political donations be allowed?…

Scientists have discovered that the hairy stems on tomato plants deter insect pests by shooting out a gloopy substance. Jared Popowski from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands made this discovery by mistake when he was studying a plant, capturing on camera the moment it happened. The special hairs that release the goo are called glandular trichomes, and around 30% of land plants have them. To study how trichomes are triggered, Popowski released western flower thrips (a small insect that eats tomato plants) and watched. He saw the insects crawl up the plant in search of fruit and leaves to feed on, and as they touched the tiny hairs on the stalks, it triggered them to release tiny droplets of liquid in less than one thousandth of a second.…

BRITISH ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION…

Bradford, in West Yorkshire, is the UK’s 2025 City of Culture. A spectacular programme of events has been launched to reflect its communities and heritage, including live performances, exhibitions and fun-filled family activities. Bradford is the UK’s “youngest city” – more than a quarter of the people who live there are aged under 20 – and many of the events celebrate its young people. The year-long programme began this month with a free exhibition at Cartwright Hall art gallery called Fighting to be Heard. It explores the surprising connection between calligraphy (decorative handwriting) and boxing – and it features rare items from the British Library. In February, families can explore a magical winter landscape at Grue. This walk-through experience challenges visitors to solve mysteries and pass through secret doors and…

Peter Lantos is one of the last generation of survivors of the Holocaust. This was the killing by Nazi Germany of around six million Jewish people during the Second World War (1939–1945). Lantos was just a small boy, aged four, when his family were forced to leave their home in Hungary, and he was five years old when he and his parents were sent to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (a prison camp where Jewish people were held) in Germany. His book The Boy Who Didn’t Want to Die tells Lantos’s true story of survival and offers a lasting message of love, bravery and hope against the background of the horrifying events he experienced. The book has now been released as a graphic novel. Lantos tells The Week Junior that he wanted…

Word fill in All these words fit in the grid. Can you work out where each word goes to complete it? 4 letters Dark Hard 5 letters Sweet Treat 6 letters Cherry Coffee Ripple 7 letters Filling Variety 8 letters Calories Hazelnut 9 letters Chocolate Delicious Selection Spot the difference These two pictures appear to be the same, but take a closer look. There are actually five differences. Can you spot them? Wordsearch Can you find all of the fancy-dress words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. ASTRONAUT BATMAN CAVEMAN COWBOY DEVIL DOCTOR DRACULA FAIRY GHOST GORILLA NURSE PIRATE POLICEMAN RAMBO SAILOR SUPERMAN VICAR VIKING WITCH ZORRO Number tower Place a number in every circle to complete the tower. The value…

Take part in Children’s Mental Health Week Children’s Mental Health Week, organised every year by children’s mental health charity Place2Be, runs from 3 to 9 February. This year, they want as many people as possible to get involved to make it the most successful yet. Do you enjoy baking, or entertaining, or doing exercise? You could organise a fundraiser showcasing what makes you unique. You could help your teachers organise a special day at your school or join in some of the activities at home. Place2Be has lots of ideas and a free resource pack to help you, your school or your community group get started. Just ask an adult to have a look at tinyurl.com/place2be-pack GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full…