Table of contents for 443 in The Week Junior

Claudia Sheinbaum is set to become Mexico’s first woman president after winning a national election. She is also the first person from a Jewish background to lead the country. She is due to take over from the current president on 1 October. What happened? Tens of millions of people voted in the election on 2 June. As well as the presidency, more than 20,000 positions in local and national politics had to be filled. This made it the biggest election in the country’s history. Sheinbaum’s party, Morena, won majorities in both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate (the two parts of Mexico’s Congress, which is similar to the UK’s Parliament). This means that Sheinbaum will control Congress and be able to pass laws. Sheinbaum’s main rival for the presidency…

HARRY STYLES FANS Harries (Harry Styles fans) can now buy tickets for tours of the pop star’s home town in Cheshire, England. A tour of Holmes Chapel village includes the bakery where Styles used to work. The youngest tour guide is 16 and goes to the same school that Styles attended. CUMBRIAN BEACHES A council in Cumbria, England, has warned local people that they could be fined for taking natural materials from beaches, because of a law called the Coast Protection Act. The council says its aim is to educate people on how removing shells, pebbles or sand can leave beaches at risk of erosion (wearing away). HAZEL DORMICE A charity has released 10 tiny hazel dormice into woodland in Bedfordshire, England. It’s part of a plan by a charity…

If you love musicals, you’ll know the songs Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from the film Mary Poppins and Truly Scrumptious from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Both these, plus hundreds more, were created by Richard M. Sherman, who died on 25 May, aged 95, and his brother, Robert B. Sherman. The brothers’ work has been called “magnificent and timeless”. Richard and his brother wrote more than 200 songs for Disney including ones that feature in films, television productions and theme park rides. Sherman was born in New York City, US in 1928. His father, Al Sherman, was a songwriter and encouraged him and his brother to pursue music. Richard learned to play lots of instruments including the piano and flute. He also studied music at college. One day, their father challenged them to write…

From May until early July, male stag beetles fight each other in order to win a female mate. They are the UK’s biggest beetles and live mostly in south-east England – especially London. They like oak trees and live in woodland areas, gardens and hedgerows. Male stag beetles can be up to 7.5 centimetres long including their “horns” – which are actually giant jaws called mandibles. On summer evenings, males fly about in search of females. When they fight a rival male – just like a male deer, or “stag” – they push them aside, or flip them over, using their mandibles. Stag beetles live for between three and seven years but they spend most of their lives as a larva (an immature worm-like stage of life) living underground.…

A 2008 study of Bornean flat-headed frogs concluded that the species didn’t have lungs. Now, new research shows they do have lungs – but they’re tiny. It’s thought the frogs absorb most of their oxygen through their skin. ● HABITAT: Two places in the middle of the Kapuas River basin in Kalimantan, a rainforest area of Borneo Island.● SIZE: Males are about 6.5 centimetres long and the females are about 7.5 centimetres long.● DIET: Small fish, water insects and small crabs.● FUN FACT: This frog is one of only two species in its genus (a group of species). They separated from other amphibians around 65 million years ago – the same time that dinosaurs went extinct.…

On 22 May, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that a general election will take place on 4 July. What is a general election? A general election is the process by which adults across the UK choose who they want to represent them in Parliament. Most adults over the age of 18 can vote to choose their Member of Parliament (MP). Every MP represents a constituency (local area). Most MPs are in a political party and the party that wins the most seats (has the most MPs) in the House of Commons usually forms the Government. The leader of that political party becomes Prime Minister. What does Parliament do? Parliament has several jobs. It examines what the Government is doing; it makes new laws; and it debates the issues of the…

Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie In the Diamond League athletics event in Sweden, Great Britain’s Muir won the 1,500 metres and Reekie took the 800 metres title. Yuka Saso Saso won the US Women’s Open for the second time. It is one of the biggest tournaments in women’s golf. Real Madrid The Spanish football club won the men’s Champions League final. They beat Borussia Dortmund, from Germany, 2-0 to secure their 15th European Cup. Matthew Hudson-Smith Hudson-Smith was another British runner who won in the Diamond League. He won the 400 metres with a European record time of 44.07 seconds.…

Have you ever been in a submarine? I’ve never been in a moving one, but I have visited the U-434 submarine in Hamburg, Germany. It was once the largest hunting and spying sub in the world. What’s your best childhood memory? Visiting my great aunt’s house in the US, which is by a lake. I would swim with my cousins and eat pizza. Tell us about your favourite character in the book. Why is it them? I love them all, but Joseph Wanderday has a special place in my heart. He is a worrier, like me, but he digs deep to find the bravery that has always existed within. What three things would you take with you to a deserted island? My notebook, a pencil and my partner Adam. I…

Who would win in a fight between Batman and Bugs Bunny? Or between Jake the Dog from Adventure Time and basketball star LeBron James? Or between Shaggy from Scooby-Doo and Tom (or Jerry) from Tom and Jerry? A new game called MultiVersus lets you find out by having fun battles between lots of famous characters from cartoons, films and TV shows. It’s available for PlayStation and Xbox consoles as well as PCs. Early versions were tested in 2022 and 2023, but now it has been officially released. MultiVersus is a fighting game, although the battles are cartoonish rather than gruesome. Think superhero special-moves and lots of silliness as you jump around platforms in levels based on locations such as Batman’s batcave, Adventure Time’s tree fort and a Scooby-Doo haunted house.…

A man in Poole, England, has dug up a 49-year-old crisp packet in his garden – and it looks surprisingly intact. Cenk Albayrak-Touye was working on his garden when he discovered the old Quavers crisp packet, saying, “It was the yellow packaging that caught my eye.” The packaging has the date 31 October 1975 printed on it, which links to a competition that was running at the time to win a board game called Sporting SuperSix. Mr Albayrak-Touye said, “It’s like a little time capsule.”…

This week’s cover star is Rob Burrow, the rugby league star who did so much to raise funds and awareness of motor neurone disease. His story (page 4) is a wonderful example of facing something bad and having the strength to use it to help others. 2024 has been called the year of elections; many countries across the world are due to choose new leaders and representatives. We report on the elections in South Africa (page 6) and Mexico (page 2), where the country has chosen its first female president. As we went to press, the votes in India had just been counted and the EU elections were just about to start. Of course, we’re having a general election in the UK too. On page 16, our guide explains voting,…

Pop Up Projects are launching Children For Change, a collection of stories and pictures inspiring young readers to “take an action” to tackle climate change. They’re looking for 10 short stories or poems written by eight to 12-year-olds. Entries must be under 500 words, fictional and inspire a better, greener and healthier world. The winners will feature in a free ebook launching on UN World Habitat Day (7 October). Enter at pop-up.org.uk/childrenforchange before 12 July.…

Teacher’s name: Mr Dewhirst School: Hallfield School, Edgbaston, Birmingham “Mr D is like our best friend and favourite teacher rolled into one. He always makes us laugh while making sure we understand what we are learning. He checks if we’re ok when we look sad. He loves reading and sports – he coaches some of our teams. He has helped build my confidence and supported me throughout the year.” Manveer 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…

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 you think films should be kept short… “I think the film should be however long the filmmakers want or think it should be.” “Films shouldn’t be kept short. It would be annoying if they cut important scenes out.” “It can be hard to remember the storylines if it’s too long.” “Long films get boring, but short ones lose detail. 80 minutes is perfect.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

1 Fans of the pop star Harry Styles are known as what? ⬜ a) Swifties ⬜ b) Stylies ⬜ c) Harries 2 True or false? Urdd Eisteddfod is a festival in Northern Ireland. ⬜ True ⬜ False 3 Which animals in India are being monitored by AI to protect them? 4 Which country has the world’s longest military service? ⬜ a) The US ⬜ b) North Korea ⬜ c) France 5 True or false? Songwriters the Sherman Brothers won one Oscar for their work on the film Mary Poppins. ⬜ True ⬜ False 6 At which UK safari park were endangered lemurs recently born? 7 What is the name of the Euro 2024 mascot teddy bear? ⬜ a) Albärt ⬜ b) Berni ⬜ c) Skillzy 8 True or false? The Hoover…

If the Conservatives are re-elected, national service could be mandatory (must be done) for all 18-year-olds. Unlike the national service the UK had until 1960, the majority of teenagers wouldn’t be doing military training. The year-long jobs with the Army, Navy or Royal Air Force (RAF) would be paid, but would most likely involve working in areas like online security or transport. Most 18-year-olds would be volunteering in the community without pay. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says national service will give young people a “shared purpose” and “sense of pride in our country”. The Labour Party say it’s a “gimmick”, meaning it’s a policy that’s designed to get people’s attention before the election. What do you think? Should young people do national service? Yes – it’s good for individuals and…

So far, 2024 has been quite a rainy year for the UK. Lots of people moan about rain and prefer sunny and dry weather, especially during spring and summer, but scientists say rain can actually make us happy and improve our wellbeing. When it’s raining and droplets of water hit hard surfaces, they break up into smaller droplets. This process causes the droplets to become negatively charged, which creates negative ions – invisible particles in the air that have no taste or smell. They can also be produced by waterfalls, waves in the sea and morning dew or mist. Dr Niek Buurma from Cardiff University, Wales, says that lots of scientific studies have shown that inhaling negative ions can make people’s moods more positive, reduce stress levels and boost energy…

Meerkats live in groups called mobs because they can look after each other. Mobs usually include about 15 individuals but they can be as large as 30. In each mob there can be up to three families, working together and taking it in turns to gather food or look after their young. If mobs stand together and hiss loudly, it scares off predators or other mobs. Enjoy unlimited visits to ZSL London and Whipsnade Zoos, plus a host of other benefits with ZSL Membership. Find out more at zsl.org/membership/zsl-membership…

Cement is one of the most commonly used building materials in the world but producing it can harm the environment. Now, scientists from Cambridge University in England have found a way to recycle cement after old buildings are knocked down. Cement is a fine powder that turns hard when it is mixed with water. It binds other materials together and is an important part of concrete (see panel). Making cement requires a lot of limestone (a type of rock). Limestone is crushed up and mixed with other materials. The mixture is then heated to 1,600° C in giant ovens called kilns. When the mixture cools down it forms chunks, which are mixed with a mineral called gypsum and crushed into a powder. This complex process is bad for the environment…

Ballot paper The official piece of paper on which a person marks their vote. They put X beside the candidate’s name. Constituency An area of the UK that is represented by a single MP. There are 650 of them in the UK. Electoral register A list of the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote. Majority When a political party has more than half (326 or more) of the total number of MPs in the House of Commons. Manifesto A set of promises made by a political party. These are usually set out in a document before voting day. Opinion poll A survey of the public’s thoughts and attitudes. Parliamentary term The period of time between a general election and Parliament being dissolved ahead of the next…

Tidemagic: The Many Faces of Ista Flit by Clare Harlow (Puffin Books) In the coastal town of Shelwich, magic rises and falls with the tide. Ista Flit, a girl with magical face-changing abilities, is searching for her missing father. New friends Nat and Ruby are also looking for missing family members. Together, they must unravel these peculiar disappearances and uncover the town’s hidden secrets. Greenwild: The City Beyond the Sea by Pari Thomson. Illustrated by Elisa Paganelli (Macmillan Children’s) In this sequel to the award-winning Greenwild: The World Behind the Door, Daisy Thistledown and her friends set out across the high seas in search of the legendary Iffenwild. Deep beneath the waves a strange magic is stirring in this wild fantasy adventure. The Summer Dolphin by Holly Webb. Illustrated by…

Name: Lindy-May Malamander Thomas Taylor “Magical, page-turning and amusing. I love this book because you never know what’s going to happen next and each chapter ends on a cliffhanger. I recommend this if you like fantasy and magic.” YOUR TURN Please email your book review to us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If it is printed in the magazine you will receive a Roving Reporter badge. Please 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…

Holly King-Mand is a writer, presenter and campaigner for literacy (the ability to read and write), and has inspired thousands of children to love English lessons. Holly enjoys all forms of writing but here she has gathered her top tips for writing a news report. News reports communicate new information to readers who want to know what is happening in the world. News can be about global topics or very local issues, and should focus on facts rather than opinions. Newspapers and news websites do publish opinions, but these are usually called “columns”, “opinion pieces” or “editorial”. News reports are written in the third person, so they use pronouns such as “he”, “she”, “it” or “they”. That’s because news reports aim to be as objective as possible (meaning not influenced…

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 magazine and digital editions, and mention on our podcast. 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.…

On 25 May, Lily, who is 10, tackled a tough 2km (1.2 miles) swim to raise money for octopuses, her favourite animal. Lily has lived in Faro, Portugal, since moving from the UK last year. She was joined by five others, including her headteacher and her dad, for the challenge in the Atlantic. Lots of people supported her from dry land, too. “The water was cold but I had a wetsuit and it was really fun,” Lily tells The Week Junior. “I felt really proud of myself.” She decided to raise money for octopuses while doing a school project about them. She found out about a seafood company’s plans to build the world’s first octopus farm on Gran Canaria, an island that is part of Spain. Animal welfare groups say…

Lemur twins A Scottish safari park called Blair Drummond has announced the birth of two critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemurs. Sisters Nova and Evie were born on 14 April and are already hanging from branches. Zookeepers looking after them say they are a “beacon of hope”. Alaskan waterways In parts of the US state of Alaska, usually blue rivers and streams are turning the colour of “milky orange juice”. The colour comes from toxic metals that have been released from the soil. Researchers say it is the result of climate change, as warmer weather melts frozen ground.…

The 2024 European Championship (Euro 2024) is the top competition for men’s international football teams from Europe and will see some of the world’s best players compete for the chance to lift the Henri Delaunay Cup. How will it work? A total of 24 teams will take part in Euro 2024. The teams have been split into six groups of four teams. In the group stages, each team will play each other once. The top two from each group will progress into the knockout rounds. However, there’s hope for teams that finish third in the group stages, because the four best-performing third-placed teams will also go through to the next round. From that point, the remaining teams will be paired and play one-off games against each other, with the losers…

At the Olympics in July and August, five UK-based athletes will compete as part of the Refugee Olympic Team. A refugee is a person who has been forced to leave their home because of war, a natural disaster or the threat of violence. Refugees have to rebuild their lives in a new country. There are millions of people like this all around the world. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the group that organises the event, wants refugees to be represented. The IOC has chosen 36 athletes living in 11 countries to join the Refugee Olympic Team. The team will compete in 12 events, including boxing, cycling, judo and wrestling. Cindy Ngamba (boxing), Dorsa Yavarivafa (badminton), Matin Balsini (swimming), Farzad Mansouri (taekwondo) and Ramiro Mora (weightlifting) are the UK-based athletes selected…

Barnes Children’s Literature Festival will return this month for a weekend of adventure and imagination. The event takes place on 22 and 23 June on and around Barnes Green, London, and The Week Junior team will be among those taking part. The festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and is packed with authors talking about and reading from their children’s books. There will also be writing and drawing workshops, quizzes, cinema screenings and much more. There is plenty of free fun too, including science demonstrations and music. Famous faces scheduled to appear include author Lauren Child, who is introducing her latest book featuring the character Clarice Bean. Dr Jess French, the presenter of CBeebies’ programme Minibeast Adventure with Jess, will be talking about the real animals that inspired…

World Ocean Day (on 8 June) is a celebration of our blue planet and an opportunity to take action to help protect our seas. This watery adventure story is the first in a new series about brother and sister Joseph and Flo Wanderday. When their explorer mum goes missing on an expedition and a mysterious stranger turns up, Flo and Joseph realise something strange is going on. Their mum was trying to uncover crimes committed by Sir Frederick Titan, a TV presenter who claims to protect nature. This thrilling adventure is perfect for readers who like action and excitement. There are villains to outwit, maps to follow and clues to solve – and an important message about our shared duty to protect nature and the environment. WIN! We have five…

In the UK, one in every three children lives in poverty. This is when you and your family don’t have enough money to meet your needs. Author and illustrator Tom Percival says this angers him. It is not fair that some children are at such a disadvantage compared with others, he says. The Wrong Shoes, Percival’s latest book, highlights this problem. It is told from the perspective (point of view) of Will, whose shoes let in water when it rains. Will and his dad are very short of money, so Will can’t go out and get new shoes like his friends – and he doesn’t want to explain this to anyone either. When Will’s best friend offers him his old trainers, Will gets embarrassed and upset, but then he finds…

Word fill in All these words fit in the grid. Can you work out where each word goes to complete it? 4 Letters Gold Judo 5 Letters Event Track 6 Letters Anthem Bronze Diving 7 Letters Running Sailing 9 Letters Badminton Triathlon 10 Letters Discipline Volleyball Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. CHANTELLE COW DAM DOE DUCK EMPRESS EWE GOOSE HIND JENNY JILL LIONESS NANNY PEAHEN PEN QUEEN SEAMARE SOW TIGRESS VIXEN Number tower Place a number in every circle to complete the tower. The value in each circle is the sum of the numbers in the two circles directly beneath it. Spot the difference These two pictures appear to be the same,…

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. “This is me and my dog, Lexi. I love looking after her; she helps me relax and makes me feel better when I’m worried or unwell.” Stephen “Me and my parents travelled from London to Manchester to support Chelsea in the Women’s Super League final. While I waited for the game to start I read The Week Junior.”Erin “This is me feeding the ducks in Stamford, Lincolnshire.”Josie…