Table of contents for 432 in The Week Junior

On 17 March, it was announced that Vladimir Putin had been elected president of Russia for the fifth time. However, people around the world, including high-ranking politicians, said the election was unfair. What happened? According to election officials, Putin won around 88% of votes, and 74% of people who are old enough to vote took part. Putin has been Russia’s president since 2012, although he also held the role between 1999 and 2008. On 17 March, thousands of people gathered in Red Square, Moscow, to celebrate Putin’s victory and listen to him give a speech. Many Russians protested against the election, and thousands of people turned up at polling stations (where people go to vote) to vote for candidates running against Putin. Some “spoiled” their ballot papers, which usually means…

A SCOTTISH SOUPERSTAR On 17 March, Kellie Spooner won the Cullen Skink World Championships, in Cullen, Scotland. Cullen skink is a soup made with potatoes and smoked haddock. Spooner won two titles. Her “with a twist” recipe contained black pudding, haggis and deep-fried capers. A RARE SPECIES OF GIRAFFE Cameras captured the moment a Rothschild’s giraffe calf was born at Chester Zoo, England, on 12 March. Giraffes are the world’s tallest land animals, and the baby can be seen falling nearly two metres from its mother, Orla, onto a bed of soft straw. Zookeeper Rosie Owen said, “Mum and baby are doing really well.” PUTTING SHELLS ON SHOW Shells gathered during Captain Cook’s final voyage, from 1776 to 1779, have gone on display at Chesters Roman Fort and Museum in…

26 March 2005 Doctor Who returns to television The first episode of the relaunched Doctor Who aired 19 years ago. Doctor Who is a BBC television programme about the adventures of a time-travelling alien. The original series ran from 1963 to 1989, but it was stopped because its popularity was falling. The first episode of the new series featured Christopher Eccleston as the ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose Tyler, his new companion. It was watched by more than 10 million people.…

A singer from Bolton, England, wants to inspire others because she says, “Growing up, I didn’t see anybody like me in the industry”. Riya (which means “singer” in the Hindi language) moved from India to the UK with her family when she was just one year old. She writes her own songs, which take inspiration from Bollywood (a well-known Indian film industry), then Riya and her brother create videos to promote them. Last year, Riya performed in front of thousands of people at a cricket match at Headingley Stadium in Leeds. She said it was “unreal” and is now hoping to release an album of her songs.…

This is one of the few bees that are active in March. Also called the feather-footed flower bee, it’s most common in south-east England, but it also appears in Wales and northern England. This fuzzy bee is often mistaken for a bumblebee but it looks slightly different. Instead of yellow and black stripes, female hairy-footed flower bees are black with orange hairs on their back legs. Males are a ginger colour with feathery hairs on their legs and feet. They like tube-like flowers and hover in front of them, often with their tongues out ready to lap up sweet nectar. Hairy-footed flower bees like to nest in the cracks around bricks and they sometimes fall down chimneys. If you spot one inside, ask an adult to help you pop it…

Coventry City In the men’s FA Cup quarterfinals, Coventry beat Wolves with two injury-time goals. Coventry play in the Championship, a league below the Premier League. Royal Challengers Bangalore In India’s Women’s Premier League cricket competition, Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Delhi Capitals to win the final. Ondine Achampong and Joe Fraser At the British Gymnastics Championships, Achampong won the women’s senior all-around title and Fraser came first in the men’s senior all-around tournament. Ireland rugby union team They defeated Scotland 17-13 to win the men’s Six Nations title. The women’s Six Nations begins on 23 March.…

When clumsy panda Po was chosen to be the Dragon Warrior, no one believed he had it in him to master the art of kung fu. He’s proved them wrong, and now in Kung Fu Panda 4 he must step into a new role as the spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace. He needs to train someone new to take his place as the Dragon Warrior, but that’s not the only challenge. A powerful sorceress, the Chameleon, plans to summon all of the villains that Po has previously defeated. He teams up with a thief, Zhen, to defeat this villain and protect his people. Kung Fu Panda 4 (PG) is in cinemas from 28 March. Another long-running film series that has a new entry is Ghostbusters. In the new…

Pokémon Horizons: The Series (iPlayer) This is Pokémon’s first series with a female main character, Liko. It follows the adventures of Liko, Roy and a bunch of new explorers including Sprigatito, a kitten, a crocodile and Captain Pikachu. Earthsounds (Apple TV) Actor Tom Hiddleston narrates this 12-part documentary series. It was filmed over three-and-a-half years, in 20 countries, using the latest sound technology to capture in detail the variety of noises, whispers and vibrations that can be heard in nature.…

Do you like to travel over earth, air or sea? I like all three but I prefer travelling by air. Describe Max in one word. Loyal. What three things would you take to a desert island? My Kindle, a hammock and my dog. Tell us your favourite childhood memory. I loved visiting my grandad on his boat as a child. He would let me wear his hat and stand at the ship’s wheel, so I could pretend to be the captain. What would you name your pet parrot? Squawk of course! Or something random like Cecil.…

If you’ve played some of Nintendo’s popular Mario games, you’ll almost certainly have met his friend Princess Peach. Now she’s starring in her own game for the Switch console, called Princess Peach: Showtime! She is more than just a princess here, though. The game’s plot has Peach trying to save a theatre from a villainous acting crew called Grape and the Sour Bunch. How does she save it? By leaping onto the stage – but each time playing a different role. Her transformations include Ninja Peach, who’s good at sneaking about and surprising enemies; Cowgirl Peach, who rides on a horse waving a lasso; and Swordfighter Peach, who can leap and duel like nobody else. Detective Peach uses her magnifying glass to solve mysteries; Figure Skater Peach is an ice…

Ingenious escape from toilet A university lecturer had to use all her brain power when she got locked in the bathroom in the medieval tower where she lives, at Cambridge University. Dr Krisztina Ilko thinks the lock was damaged by a workman, but the walls were so thick no one could hear her calling and the bathroom has no window. The cleaners weren’t due until the next week, so she thought she would be stuck for days. She used an eyeliner and a cotton bud and it took seven hours but she said it was “exhilarating” when the door opened. The lock has been taken out. Working wool into little wonders A Japanese artist called Terumi Ohta spends hundreds of hours creating miniature sculptures of people’s pets. Ohta uses a…

To celebrate World Poetry Day and International Day of Forests, both on 21 March, tree-planting charity International Tree Foundation (ITF) is launching its new Poet-tree competition. Anyone aged from five to 11 can write an original poem on the theme of trees and nature. You can write the poem in any style; it can be as long or short as you like and handwritten or typed out. The winning poem, chosen by spoken word poet and filmmaker Tomfoolery, will be published in ITF’s annual Trees Journal magazine. The deadline for entries is 11 June. To find out more, go to tinyurl.com/TWJ-poet-tree GET INVOLVED 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…

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 our readers if schools should have a day of plant-based meals. “No, some things that are plant-based are bad for our health.” “Yes, this will make children understand why some people don’t eat meat.” “No, it would be very difficult for picky eaters. “Yes, at our school we have meat-free Monday and everyone likes it.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

1 Which town in Iceland was evacuated because of a nearby volcano erupting? □ a) Reykjavik □ b) Grindavik □ c) Husavik 2 True or false? Doctor Who has been on television non-stop since 1963. □ True □ False 3 The Catbus, which has been brought to life in Japan, appears in which animated film? 4 Who was the top global artist on Spotify in 2023? □ a) Ed Sheeran □ b) Olivia Rodrigo □ c) Taylor Swift 5 True or false? Louis Braille was only 15 years old when he invented a writing system for blind people. □ True □ False 6 Giant redwood trees are originally from which US state? 7 True or false? All clownfish are born as females. □ True □ False 8 How many Earth…

More than 500 million people use Spotify, the world’s most popular music streaming service. At the beginning of February, more than a third of the songs in Spotify’s UK top 50 chart included explicit lyrics. Although some users might choose to block this kind of content, lyrics including swear words can sometimes still show up on the screen when the clean edit is played. Artists like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo often swear in their music and have said that they are just expressing themselves. Some people say that, to avoid children being exposed to explicit lyrics, musicians should just stop swearing. However, others think that singers should be allowed to express themselves in their own music. What do you think? Should musicians stop swearing in their songs? Yes –…

Calling all readers: we know you like to keep up with the news from around the world. Now we want to dig a bit deeper. We want to find out what sort of news interests you most, how it makes you feel and how it shapes what you do next. Why are we doing a survey? Your answers will help us to get to know you better. Knowing what interests you most will guide our editorial decisions, so we can report on the sorts of stories you want to read, as well as those you need to know. We’re asking where you get most of your news from, if you think you can spot fake news, and which sorts of stories you love to learn about. We also want to…

A team of researchers have identified an ancient lipstick from around 4,000 years ago. The lipstick was found in 2001 after a river flooded in the Halil River valley in Iran, revealing ancient ruins. Some objects from the ruins were stolen and sold at antique markets but Iranian officials managed to keep the others safe. Recent analysis has at last helped experts to identify what the lipstick was. It was not the same as make-up people wear today. The ancient lipstick was a small stone tube containing a paste that could be applied with a brush. It dates back to between 1936BC and 1687BC. The paste contained hematite, a substance found in some rocks and soils that is a deep red. The other ingredients included vegetable oils and waxes, which…

Even if you already set some resolutions at the beginning of the year, spring is a great time for a fresh start. Reflect on the year so far The turn of a new year is often seen as the best time for a fresh start, to make resolutions or set goals. It makes sense because you have a new calendar or diary and it’s a new school term. So now you’re a few months into the year, check in to see how it’s going so far. What goals or plans did you make? Do they still excite you or do you want to have new or different goals? What progress can you celebrate, big or small? Who or what do you need to help you keep going? A chance to…

Pirate Academy: New Kid on Deck by Justin Somper. Illustrated by Teo Skaffa (UCLan Publishing) It’s the year 2507; the oceans have risen and a new age of piracy has begun. Jacoby and Jasmine are members of Barracuda Class at the elite Pirate Academy, where lessons include everything from Knots Class to Combat Workshop. Pirates! by Celia Rees (Bloomsbury YA) Set in the 18th century in the West Indies, this rich historical tale tells the story of two girls: one who is enslaved on a plantation, the other an English girl expected to marry someone rich and successful. Joining forces to escape their unhappy lives, the pair run away to start a new life as pirates. The Riddle of the Sea by Jonne Kramer. Translated by Laura Watkinson and illustrated…

Name: Abasi-Ima Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun Tolá Okogwu “Powerful, gripping, resilience. This book shows that being different makes us unique. It’s boring if everyone is the same.” YOUR TURN 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…

This chocolatey refrigerator cake is an easy Easter recipe you can whip up in about 20 minutes. Instead of baking, your crunchy, chewy and creamy mixture goes into the fridge to cool down instead. This style of recipe produces a delicious, squidgy treat that you can share with friends and family. Be warned though, you need to save some of the butter, chocolate, fudge and mini eggs for the topping and you will probably end up with chocolatey fingers! What you need ● 550g of milk chocolate● 90g butter ● 5 tbsp golden syrup ● 200g shortbread ● 100g chocolate mini eggs ● 175g fudge ● 100g mini pink and white marshmallows ● 18x28cm baking tin ● Baking paper (special greaseproof paper) ● Heatproof bowl ● Saucepan Instructions 1 Grease…

We are on the countdown to Easter now – and I can’t wait. I have given up chocolate for Lent, which finishes by Easter Sunday, so checking this week’s How to (make delicious choccy rocky road) on page 25 has been torture. Still, I have stuck it out this long, perhaps I’ll turn it into a spring resolution (page 19) and keep going. In good news this week, a team have nurtured saplings from the tree chopped down in Sycamore Gap earlier this year (page 10) and coral is growing in Cambodia (page 11). Did you see the enormous blueberry on page 7? That was just one of this week’s wonders. Mars could be affecting our oceans here on Earth (page 14), and lipstick dates back to the ancient world…

Sergio Gosalvez and his team recently celebrated success in the Big Education Challenge. They won £60,000 to develop their invention, which will help blind or partially sighted children and their parents. Gosalvez and his team created a device called Paige Connect. The device fits onto the bottom of a Braille writer – a special keyboard that is used to write Braille onto paper. Braille is a reading and writing system used by blind and partially sighted people. It is made up of a series of raised dots that can be felt with the fingers. Paige Connect translates the Braille writer’s words into a chosen language, so someone who doesn’t understand Braille can read the words being typed. This will mean that sighted parents and teachers can see what blind or…

A team of conservationists are feeling hopeful after seedlings from the famous Sycamore Gap tree, which was chopped down last year, have sprouted. The Sycamore Gap Tree was planted in Northumberland in the 19th century and was one of the most photographed trees in the country. It stood in a dip along Hadrian’s Wall, a 73-mile wall built by the Romans in about AD122. In September 2023, the tree was deliberately cut down by someone. Police are still investigating what happened. Lots of people were very sad to see the tree cut down but a team at the National Trust’s conservation centre in Devon were determined to try to rescue it. They collected seeds and twigs from the tree as soon as possible. The seeds were planted and the twigs…

Although it might seem like a beautiful, distant object up there in the night sky, according to a new study, Mars may be having a dramatic effect on the sea here on Earth. The recent research builds on scientists’ knowledge of the Milankovitch Cycles, which are wobbles in the Earth’s orbit around the Sun. These wobbles, which occur in repeated patterns (or cycles) over many thousands of years, move Earth closer or further away from the Sun, changing the amount of energy our planet receives and affecting its climate. Energy from the Sun also affects ocean currents (movements). This is because the oceans absorb the Sun’s energy and store it as heat, and water moves in different ways as it warms. That’s why the Milankovitch Cycles end up affecting ocean…

More than 200 girls recently practised their flag football skills and got tips from top American football players. They took part in a fun event to start the Jets and Bears NFL Girls Flag league in London. Flag football is a simple version of American football. The Girls Flag League is set up by the NFL (National Football League), the top level of American football in the US. There are no tackles or contact in flag football. Two teams of five to 10 players each have two flags, which look like ribbons, attached to their waist. To “tackle” the person with the ball, the opposing team needs to pull one or both of their flags off. The aim is for the attacking team to get the ball to the end…

Clinical psychologist Dr Emma Hepburn says that goals are not supposed to feel stressful or like a punishment. She says, “That doesn’t mean that progress towards goals can’t be hard sometimes, but try not to get stuck on what has gone wrong rather than enjoying the process and progress. Reminding yourself about the purpose of your goals with a word or phrase can help link you into why you are doing it, or help shift your brain to what you have achieved.”…

by Catherine Doyle (Bloomsbury Children’s) Grace O’Malley (1530–1603) is one of the most famous pirates in history, known as the “Pirate Queen of Ireland”. In Catherine Doyle’s new book, we meet another O’Malley pirate queen – Eliza O’Malley, ruler of Darksea. A secret kingdom hidden at the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, Darksea is powered by magic gathered from fallen stardust. Its peaceful waters are in danger, haunted by a monster who is devouring its islands in gigantic bites. On the other side of the horizon in Galway, Ireland, Max is worried about his older brother Christopher, who is ill in hospital. A talking parrot appears at his bedroom window with an invitation from Captain O’Malley to join her crew on a quest. So Max sets sail, in the hope…

In 2013, the publishing house David Fickling Books split from a larger publisher and became an independent company. It’s still quite small; it publishes 30 to 40 books a year including the Bunny vs Monkey comic book series by Jamie Smart and novels by SF Said. Rosie Fickling and Anthony Hinton are two of the editors who have worked for the company for 10 years. “We try to choose the best, most fun and most enjoyable books,” Fickling tells The Week Junior. “We focus on a small number of high-quality books we really believe in.” Their job, Hinton explains, is to read lots of stories that writers send in, decide which ones they like and work with the authors “to get the most out of their story”. Hinton says he…

Crossword Read the clues carefully and write the answers into the grid. Across 1 Make (clothing) with needles and wool (4) 3 Ancient counting frame (6) 8 Waterproof boots (7) 9 Huge Australian bird (3) 10 Dental cleaner (10) 13 Bath toy (6,4) 17 Safety ___, fastener (3) 18 Scoff too much (7) 19 Ball-shaped object (6) 20 Pastime that involves guessing what someone can see (1-3) Down 1 Green hairy fruit (4) 2 Arctic home (5) 4 Public transport vehicle (3) 5 Restaurant cooks (5) 6 Dish under a cup (6) 7 Largest foot digit (3,3) 11 Quilted, cushioned (6) 12 Small fruits sold in bunches (6) 14 Park seat (5) 15 Board game with bishops and pawns (5) 16 Remain where you are (4) 18 Boat paddle (3)…

Action for Stammering Children makes sure that every young person who stammers has the support, respect and confidence to live the life they want to lead. It promotes research and pays for life-changing residential stammering courses that combine speech and language therapy with confidence-building activities like canoeing and climbing. The charity also has a youth panel, which works with them to raise awareness. Learn more at actionforstammeringchildren.org…

Teacher’s name: Mrs Richards-Evans School: Cathays High School, Cardiff, Wales “I am nominating Mrs Richards-Evans because she is a very inspirational person to look up to and we love her confidence in form time every day. It gives me a boost when I’m not feeling the best and everyone in our class loves her for it!”Alisha 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…