Table of contents for 387 in The Week Junior

On 6 May, more than 20 million people in the UK watched as King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey in London. This was the UK’s first Coronation for 70 years, since Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1953. What happened during the ceremony? King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived at Westminster Abbey in a horse-drawn carriage, as members of the public stood in the rain and cheered. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the leader of the Church of England, led the ceremony. During the service, Charles was handed symbolic items, including bracelets, a glove, an orb, rings, rods and spurs. He wore several robes, each of which had a special meaning. Afterwards, Camilla was crowned. All sorts of singers, musicians – and the Westminster Abbey Choir…

Voters in some parts of England elected new councillors on 4 May. The Labour Party gained 643 councillors while the Conservatives lost 957. What do councillors do? Councillors are people who represent their local area (known as a ward), and decide how services such as schools, rubbish collection and libraries are run. They often represent a political party like the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats or the Green Party. There are around 20,000 councillors in England in 6,904 wards. What happened? People voted in 230 areas around England, to choose 8,000 councillors. These were the biggest local elections since 2019 and they were important because a general election will have to take place by the end of January 2025. A general election is when people vote for their Members of Parliament…

However cute, cuddly and well fed a cat is, it will most likely still enjoy hunting and killing wildlife, such as birds and mice. This is because hunting is a basic survival instinct in cats. They teach hunting skills to their kittens and will sometimes share their catch with their owners, by leaving gifts of small dead or injured animals in or near their home. Cats are known to hunt more at night, especially just before sunrise and just after sunset, and this has led campaigners to say they should be kept indoors overnight to help protect wildlife. However, some people say this is unfair because forcing cats inside, away from their natural environment, will make them restless and stressed. What do you think? Should cats be kept indoors at…

Yasmeen Lari, an architect (someone who designs buildings) from Pakistan, has just won the Royal Gold Medal, an award for helping others. At first Lari designed hotels and office buildings but she found it boring and felt guilty about the environmental impact of the materials she was using. She started to focus on people affected by disasters such as earthquakes, who need to rebuild their homes. She has been helping people since 2005, using natural materials in her work. Her latest project is to rebuild one million homes within two years to help those affected by Pakistan’s floods in 2022. THEY SAID IT! “I love making sign language videos to raise awareness, especially when I get to dress up!”Deafness campaigner Jensen Rea, aged nine, wore fancy dress for the Coronation.…

The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild campaign is back this June. The aim of the campaign is to get people to connect with nature every day for a month. The charity is giving away free activity packs that include tools to help you reach your goal, like a calendar to plan and record nature adventures and wildflower seeds to plant. This year’s challenges are split into five themes: tune into the senses; movement and play; learning and discovery; helping nature; and emotional connection to nature. Activities could include listening to the birds singing as you eat your breakfast, building a bug hotel, exploring a new nature-filled area or counting how many types of bee you can spot in a park or garden. Last year, around 500,000 people in the UK,…

In 2019, the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, announced that Jakarta would be replaced as the country’s capital city. Last year, the government began to build a new city called Nusantara. When it is finished, Nusantara will be nearly twice the size of the whole of London. Where will the city be built? Nusantara will be on the island of Borneo, 600 miles from Jakarta, which is on the island of Java. Indonesia is part of the world’s largest archipelago (group of islands). The country is made up of around 17,500 islands in the Pacific and Indian oceans. Indonesians call Borneo “the lungs of the world” because it has the country’s largest and oldest areas of tropical rainforest. Borneo is home to many endangered species, including orangutans, clouded leopards and…

Daydreaming isn’t just about wild imaginings, like surfing a massive wave or floating around in space – it can help you solve problems too. What is daydreaming? Daydreaming is letting your mind wander around ideas, memories and experiences that aren’t happening right now. It means thinking ahead to a holiday and imagining the warm sun on your face, or remembering how much you enjoyed a birthday party. Daydreaming about happy or interesting ideas can lift your mood and make you feel good but sometimes bad thoughts get stuck in a loop and make you worry. Research shows we spend nearly half (47%) of our day daydreaming, so it’s good to practise doing it in a positive way. How daydreaming is good for you Disappearing into a daydream lets your mind…

Disney has released a trailer and poster for its new animated film, Wish. It will tell the origin story of the wishing star, which lots of Disney characters have wished upon in different films, including Tiana in Princess and the Frog, and Geppetto in Pinocchio. The film is part of Disney’s celebrations of 100 years since it was set up in 1923. Wish, which is a musical comedy, is set in the kingdom of Rosas, a place where wishes come true. When Asha, a leader in the making, sees a darkness in her kingdom, she makes a wish to ask for guidance. Her wish is answered by a little ball of cosmic energy called Star. The two of them must work together, along with a pyjama-wearing goat named Valentino, to…

Son of the Sea by Richard Pickard (Chicken House) Casper dreams of swimming the Channel and is certain his unusual webbed toes will help him. Instead, he is forbidden from going anywhere near water. Then he is sent to stay with a grandmother he hasn’t met – and there he uncovers a special connection with the sea. The Storm Swimmer by Clare Weze (Bloomsbury Children’s) Ginika isn’t pleased about spending the summer holidays at a dead-end seaside boarding house. She’s lonely – until she meets an unusual boy called Peri who can dive through the water like a dolphin. As Peri introduces Ginika to his watery world, a life-changing friendship begins. The Salt-Stained Book by Julia Jones. Illustrated by Claudia Myatt (Golden Duck) When Granny dies, Donny’s life is turned…

Name: Ollie Big Nate series By Lincoln Peirce Lively, witty and humorous. This comic book by Lincoln Peirce is about a boy called Nate who is a cheeky child. The series includes love, anger and cheekiness. YOUR TURN Email your book review to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If your review is printed in the magazine you’ll receive a Roving Reporter badge. Tell us what you liked about the book and why you’d recommend it to others, and 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 www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy…

Dutch police in the city of Groningen stopped a driver whom they suspected of drinking alcohol, only to find that the driver claimed he was the former UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. The driver produced a passport showing Johnson’s photograph and correct date of birth. However, the police were doubtful because the passport was issued on the same day that Johnson became leader of the UK. It was also set to expire in the year 3000.…

Hello everyone! Did you have a good weekend? I hope you didn’t get too rained on. Never mind – we are used to dodging showers and dressing for the weather. Thank you to everyone for sending your fantastic photos showing what you did to celebrate the Coronation (page 16). I watched the ceremony (page 2) and did some volunteering for the Wildlife Trusts. I got lucky – it took place on Sunday in lovely, sunny weather. You can’t do much work in woods at this time of year because everything is growing, flowering, raising families and singing fit to burst. Instead, I carried some shears around to look useful but really just sat in the dappled sunshine looking at flowers and butterflies. If you like the sound of that, sign…

1 How many British monarchs have given up their right to the throne? □ a) 12 □ b) Eight □ c) Four 2 True or false? Labour is the UK’s oldest political party. □ True □ False 3 What does “Arkadas”, the name of the Mexican army’s new search and rescue puppy, mean in English? __________________ 4 In which country have local councils been introducing cat curfews to protect wildlife? □ a) England □ b) Australia □ c) Italy 5 In whose memory was the Diana Award established? __________________ 6 True or false? Seahorses don’t have stomachs. □ True □ False 7 Why did Brazil move its capital from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília? □ a) It was closer to the middle of the country □ b) It was bigger…

For the first time, voters in England had to bring photographic ID like a passport or a driving licence to the polling stations in order to vote. The rules were introduced in England, Scotland and Wales in 2022 to stop fraud (when someone pretends to be someone else to vote). In Northern Ireland, the law has been in place since 2007. Some people say it makes voting much harder for lots of people who do not have the correct documents. More than three million voters in the UK have not got have any photographic ID.…

DISCOVERING A TREASURE TROVE A girl who was metal detecting in a field in Denmark has found nearly 300 silver coins. Experts think they came from a Viking fortress and are more than 1,000 years old. The girl will be paid for her discovery, and in July, the coins will be displayed at a museum. CELEBRATING A BIG BIRTHDAY Ernest Horsfall, who fought in the Second World War (1939–1945), recently reached the incredible age of 105. Following a call-out by the Royal British Legion charity, Horsfall received 4,000 birthday cards. He said, “I am utterly amazed. I want to thank every person who took the time to send me a message.” WELCOMING RARE BABY BOARS On 16 April, two warty piglets were born at Newquay Zoo in Cornwall, England. Originally…

For 11 years, Will Poulter has been involved in anti-bullying work with a charity called the Diana Award. Poulter is a British actor who has starred in films including The Chronicles of Narnia and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Diana Award was set up in memory of Princess Diana, who died in 1997. It aims to change the attitudes and culture that let bullying happen. Poulter told The Week Junior that he was bullied at school. Luckily, a teacher launched an anti-bullying programme that inspired him. “She was able to meet the needs of students who were experiencing bullying, and make the school a safer, happier environment through mentoring,” Poulter said. When Poulter heard about the Diana Award’s work, he said getting involved was a “no-brainer”. The Diana…

Around 60 ball-rolling dung beetles have been released into the Etang de Cousseau, a wetland nature reserve on the coast of south-west France. Their job is to help restore the area’s ecosystem (community of living things). In fact, dung beetles are a keystone species. This means that they are so important to an ecosystem that it couldn’t exist without them. The insects will eat the cowpats of the free-roaming cattle that live there, helping to recycle important nutrients into the soil. Dung beetles used to live all over the Landes de Gascogne region but they disappeared in the 1960s when the number of wild cattle fell. Marine Landaise cows are a breed suited to living in the wetlands but their population dropped when people began planting pine trees for wood.…

Researchers have discovered that seahorses have a very powerful gulp, which helps them catch their prey. They have no teeth but they use two tendons (rope-like body tissue) that act like springs and quickly suck in water. At the same time, they tilt their heads to suck up their prey. LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: One to five years. HABITAT: Shallow tropical waters in the ocean, in seagrass beds and coral reefs. SIZE: Between 1.5 and 35 centimetres long. DIET: Small crustaceans, such as plankton or shrimp. FUN FACT: Seahorses don’t have stomachs, so they must eat constantly to survive and grow. One seahorse can eat up to 3,000 brine shrimp in a day.…

Brazil In 1960, the president of Brazil, Juscelino Kubitschek, founded a new capital, Brasília. It moved from Rio de Janeiro because Brasília is nearer the middle of the country. The city was designed by some very famous architects and built from scratch on desert-like land. Myanmar The army that controls Myanmar moved the capital from Yangon to Naypyidaw in 2005. The leader at the time, Than Shwe, said the county needed a new capital because of too many people and too much traffic in Yangon. The new capital is famous for its 20-lane motorways. Egypt The Egyptian government is building a new capital city, called the New Administrative Capital, in the desert 30 miles to the east of the current capital, Cairo. When it is finished, the city will feature…

500-year-old rubbish dump in A Rome, Italy, has revealed clues about hospital medicine in the 16th century, including the use of wee flasks. The dump was found in the ancient Forum of Caesar, a much older public square built in about 50BC. The rubbish had been dumped there from a hospital that was built around AD1500. Archaeologists (experts who study ancient remains to help us understand history) found a cistern (tank) full of broken pottery and glass jars. They think that each person was given their own glass and crockery when they arrived at hospital to stop germs from being passed on. Lots of the glass fragments found in the dump are thought to be from urine flasks, or matula. These were used to collect patients’ wee so that doctors…

In June the UK will mark 75 years since a ship called HMT Empire Windrush first brought people from the Caribbean to Britain after the Second World War (1939–1945). Thousands of people followed these pioneering passengers and travelled from the Caribbean as British citizens to rebuild Britain and work in jobs in the NHS and transport network. There are many events around the country this month and the rest of the year to mark the anniversary. They also celebrate the contributions the Windrush generation and their families have made to Britain. HMT Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex, where an artist called Evewright has created an installation called Tilbury Bridge Walkway of Memories. It is on a bridge that Windrush passengers walked on as they entered Britain, and includes photos…

The Muppets Mayhem Available now on Disney+ After 45 years of rock and roll, everyone’s favourite Muppet band, Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, are ready to record their first album. It’s up to Nora Singh, who works in the music business, to help them to become bestselling rock stars. LEGO DREAMZzz Out on YouTube from 15 May This new 10-episode series follows five school friends as they join a secret agency where they learn how to use the power of imagination. They venture into the Dream World to defeat the evil Nightmare King.…

(Walker Books) Evie is used to being overlooked. Since her 12th birthday, no one really seems to notice her – not her classmates, nor her friends, nor even her parents. When a strange dream begins to come true and she meets the mysterious Wainwright on a bench beside the canal, she learns that her ability to go unnoticed might in fact be a special power. As Wainwright tells her, the most powerful magic is always the best hidden. Following a talking black cat out of her bedroom window one night, Evie finds herself recruited into a secret magical organisation. Will she be able to uncover her own magical power, find the hidden Spellstone, defeat an evil magician and save the world? This spellbinding adventure has a brilliant heroine in Evie,…

Make yourself a portable pond so that you can create a calming space anywhere you please. You can float delicate lotus flowers in it. They are simply made out of folded paper. What you need • Green paper• A pencil•A ruler•Scissors•Thin white or pale coloured paper for the flowers Coloured pencils•Glue•A round plastic lid (10cm) WARNING! Cutting out the petals can be tricky – ask an adult to help. 1 Draw and cut out a rough circle, 10cm wide, onto green paper. Draw a line across the middle. 2 Cut out four paper circles the same size as the green leaf. Colour in the middle of both sides. 3 Fold each circle in half. Fold in half again into quarters, and then again. 4 Draw two petal shapes at the…

Teacher’s name: Mr Allison School: Cringle Brook Primary School, Manchester “Mr Allison is a great teacher and cares about us. He also makes lessons very interesting. Sometimes he makes very funny jokes too. He is so great. I could not think of school without him.”Elliot 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…

King’s Scholars at Westminster school Pupils from Westminster School were the first to formally recognise the King. Together they cried “Vivat Rex!” (Latin for “Long Live the King”). This was the first time that girls were part of the group. Dame Floella Benjamin The former children’s TV presenter carried the King’s sceptre that represents his spiritual role. Benjamin said that her role showed that the King “embraced” diversity. Simon Abney-Hastings The Australian farmer is also the 15th Earl of Loudoun, whose job is to carry the King’s spurs during the ceremony, a custom that dates back 800 years. Pretty Yende The South African opera singer performed a song that was written for the Coronation called Sacred Fire. Yende started singing opera when she was aged 16. Caroline de Guitaut Preparing…

On 5 May, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the Covid-19 pandemic is no longer a global health emergency. The WHO is a branch of the United Nations (UN), focusing on public health. The UN is a group made up of most of the world’s countries that work together on the challenges that face humanity. In January 2020, the WHO gave Covid-19 its highest level of alert – “a public health emergency of international concern”. Since then, the WHO says that 765 million people have been ill from the disease and nearly seven million have died. The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said he made the announcement, “with great hope”. However, he warned there is a risk that new variants of the virus may develop, and everyone…

This hardy tree is most common in the north and west of the UK, and likes growing in mountainous areas, such as the Lake District and the Scottish Highlands. Rowans can grow up to 15 metres high and their smooth bark is greyish brown. The trees have long, oval leaves with a jagged edge, arranged in pairs opposite each other on a branch, with one leaf at the end. Rowans bloom in May and June. Each flower has five cream-coloured petals and the blossom grows in fluffy clusters. The tree has bright red berries in autumn. In Celtic (a culture and language connected to Scotland, Wales and Ireland) rowan translates as “wizards’ tree” and it was once planted outside homes to protect people from evil.…

Flamingos turn pink because of their diet of algae and shrimp. These contain lots of a natural pigment (a substance that gives things colour) called beta carotene. This red-orange pigment is also found in carrots, pumpkins and tomatoes, but thankfully it doesn’t turn us pink or orange. Flamingos have a specially adapted liver that breaks the beta carotene down so that they absorb it and turn pink. 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…

Scientists have developed a way to read minds, translating unspoken thoughts into written words in real-time. It’s the first time it’s been done without having to put anything into the brain, and the team used artificial intelligence (AI). AI is the name given to a computer system that is able to “think” for itself and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. These include solving problems, making decisions, learning and reasoning. Scientists at the University of Texas, in the US, used an fMRI scanner. The machine uses a magnetic field to see where blood flows, which reveals the parts of the brain that are most active. People taking part in the study listened to 16 hours of podcasts as their brains were scanned. The AI tool learned to link certain…

YOUR CORONATION PICTURES…

Sha’Carri Richardson US athlete Richardson won the 100-metres race at the Diamond League competition in Doha, Qatar. Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith finished third. Celtic Football Club Celtic’s 2-0 victory over Heart of Midlothian saw them win the Scottish Premiership title for the second season in a row. Andy Murray The Scottish tennis player beat Tommy Paul, from the US, to win the Aix-en-Provence event in France. It’s Murray’s first title since 2019. Great Britain wheelchair tennis teams They became men’s and junior wheelchair tennis world champions by beating the Netherlands in the World Team Cup final.…

Young adventurer Link and his friend Princess Zelda have been battling to save their magical kingdom, Hyrule, from attack since 1986 in Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda games. It’s still not safe… Their latest challenge comes in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, released for the Switch console. This time around, the problem is a huge natural disaster called The Upheaval, and lots of unpleasant monsters that come with it. In some ways it’s similar to the last Zelda game, Breath of the Wild. As Link, you’ll be riding horses, climbing mountains, solving puzzles and using lots of different weapons to fight those monsters. It’s an “open-world” game, which means you’re free to explore it, rather than having to go to certain places in a certain order. In other…

If you could have a magic power what would it be? It would be the power to pour the exact amount of milk in a cup of tea, every single time, without even looking. Describe this book in one word. Explosive! Tell us about the book’s title, Spellstone? The Spellstone is the most powerful magical weapon ever created, filled with evil magic that has been trapped inside for one and a half thousand years – and no one knows where it is hidden… Favourite thing to do in your spare time? I love exploring. I’m never happier than when I’m wandering around new places, looking for things I haven’t seen before. Have you done something nice for someone recently? I made my wife dinner but it was so disgusting I…

Crossword Read the clues carefully and write the answers into the grid. ACROSS 1 Candle part that’s lit (4) 3 Member of a ship’s crew (6) 8 Bizarre (7) 9 Creative work (3) 10 Aircraft used for sea rescue (10) 13 Timepiece on the arm (10) 17 Fish of snake-like appearance (3) 18 Passenger’s suitcases (7) 19 Victoria ___, cake (6) 20 Professional cook (4) DOWN 1 Flying stinging insect (4) 2 Cut (a roast) (5) 4 Woodcutting tool (3) 5 Jumped, bounded (5) 6 Come back (6) 7 Demand, ask forcefully (6) 11 Fruit with segments (6) 12 Caramels, mints etc (6) 14 House made of ice (5) 15 Bus for tourists (5) 16 Part of a plant (4) 18 Limb used for walking (3) Spot the difference These…

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is giving young Londoners the chance to show everyone what clean and healthy air means to them. The Clean Air Day challenge, which is open from now until 29 May, invites London-based school children aged four to 14 to create artwork, with the chance to have it featured as part of this year’s Clean Air Day (which is on 15 June). The chosen designs will be turned into posters across London or the Mayor of London’s social media channels. To find out more and take part, head to tinyurl.com/TWJ-Cleanair GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk…

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