Table of contents for 407 in The Week Junior

On 24 September, a sample of space dust was successfully landed on Earth. It had been brought back from an asteroid (space rock) called Bennu as part of a mission run by the US space agency NASA. What is the aim of the mission? NASA launched the Osiris-Rex mission to collect samples of rock and dust from Bennu, an asteroid whizzing through space. Using these samples, scientists hope to find out more about how our solar system first formed 4.5 billion years ago, and how life began. The mission will also help scientists to understand the movements of asteroids, which is important for preventing them colliding with Earth. The risk of an asteroid hitting Earth is very small. What was Osiris-Rex’s journey? The spacecraft for this mission was launched from…

• Autumn is often called spider season. Around this time of year they appear in homes more often, scuttling across floors and crawling up walls.• Spider numbers don’t increase at this time of year, they are just more visible because they are out looking for a mate.• In the UK there are 650 types of spider, but people commonly see around eight to 10. One of the most seen species is the giant house spider, which may look scary but is harmless to humans.• Arachnophobia is an extreme fear of spiders. According to a recent poll, it affects around 21% of British people.…

A 14-year-old girl from north London has set herself a unique task. Mimi can solve a Rubik’s Cube in 26 seconds, and she is now creating flags with her solved cubes. Every day, Mimi creates a new flag out of multiple cubes. She started with Afghanistan in January and she aims to make most of the flags in the world by the end of the year, finishing with Zimbabwe. However, because there are only six colours on a Rubik’s Cube, and no black, she cannot complete all the flags. Estonia, for example, is blue, black and white. Mimi is raising money for the charity Brain Tumour Research, in memory of her uncle.…

Natterjack toad The organisation Natural England has awarded £14.5 million in funding to charities that look after endangered species, including this one. The green natterjack toad has a distinctive yellow stripe running down its back and exists in just a few places around the UK. • HABITAT: Coastal areas. It likes shallow pools on sand dunes, heaths and marshland.• SIZE: At up to eight centimetres long, it is smaller than the common toad.• DIET: Invertebrates (creatures with no spine), such as worms, woodlice and beetles.• FUN FACT: The natterjack toad runs instead of hopping.…

A company run by Google, called DeepMind, has found a way to predict diseases in people using artificial intelligence (AI). This is the name given to a computer system that can “think” for itself and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence, such as problem-solving and decision-making. Google DeepMind is an AI company that works with scientists, engineers and researchers to solve difficult challenges using technology. They say their aim is to advance science and benefit humanity, and their research includes finding ways to use technology to identify and treat diseases. DeepMind’s new software, AlphaMissense, works by looking at DNA. This is a chemical found in all animals and plants that carries information about every living thing’s appearance and characteristics. DNA is made up of four chemical “bases”. These are…

With the new Women’s Super League (WSL) season starting on 1 October, Everton goalkeeper Emily Ramsey has high targets. “It’s going to be so competitive this year but I’m really looking forward to it and I’m always aiming to improve,” she tells The Week Junior. The WSL is the highest level of women’s club football in England and there are 12 teams taking part. They play each other twice between October and May, and the team with the most points after all the matches have taken place wins the league. Teams get three points for a win, one for a draw and nothing for a defeat. Everton finished sixth last season but Ramsey wants to better that. “We want to push the top four clubs (Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and…

A new trailer has hatched for Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, the sequel to Chicken Run. The original film was released in 2000 by Aardman, the creators of Wallace & Gromit. The story followed Ginger and Rocky, two chickens determined to get themselves and their feathered friends away from their farm and the evil Mrs Tweedy, who wants to turn them into pies. In the sequel, the chickens have found a peaceful island sanctuary. However, when they hear about a threat to all of chicken-kind on the mainland, Ginger and her team must break into a chicken farm and face their old enemy. Director Sam Fell said, “We’ve poured everything into making this a treat for fans and new families discovering Chicken Run for the first time.” Chicken Run:…

(Bloomsbury Children’s) Twin sisters Rey and Fen were found at foxlight – the moment when twilight turns to dawn. They were discovered abandoned as babies, curled up with some foxes, in the snow at the edge of the wildlands. Now, they live at the Light House with lots of other children. The others write letters to their mothers on Sunday, but Fen and Rey don’t have a mother, so they can only imagine what she might have been like. The sisters are very different: Fen is loud and fierce while Rey is quiet and shy. However when a fox arrives at the Light House, both girls agree it’s a sign – it must be here to lead them to their real family. They set out together on a journey into…

Roger McGough is one of the UK’s most famous poets. He has published over 100 books of poetry for adults and children but he can’t say which is his favourite, he tells The Week Junior, because “the others will get jealous”. McGough’s advice to poets is “don’t write a poem about something”. Instead of describing a thing, find a way of getting inside it, of being the firework on Bonfire Night, for example, and expressing how it feels to fizz and bang and shower the dark sky with light and colour. It’s important to “find a voice”, he says, “a way to say what you want to say”. A poem doesn’t have to rhyme, and sometimes, McGough says, rhyme gets in the way and makes it all too neat and…

Word fill in All these museum-related words fit in the grid. Can you work out where each word goes to complete it? 4 letters Case Vase 5 letters China Guide Quiet Relic Shell 7 letters Display Exhibit 8 letters Artefact Learning Painting 9 letters Antiquity Catalogue Wordsearch Can you find all of shades of blue listed? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. AQUAMARINE AZURE BABY COBALT CORNFLOWER CYAN DENIM EGGSHELL INDIGO MIDNIGHT NAVY OCEAN OXFORD PEACOCK ROYAL SAPPHIRE SKY SLATE TEAL TURQUOISE 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,…

The Bowes Museum in County Durham has been awarded £146,342 to help restore its famous mechanical silver swan. The life-sized bird will be 250 years old this year. It contains 2,000 mechanical parts that enable it to preen its feathers and extend its long and elegant neck to scoop up fish. However, the swan needs “tender loving care”, says the museum, and experts are going to repair it by taking it apart completely before they piece it back together again.…

Teacher’s name: Mrs Scott School: RA Butler Academy School, Saffron Walden, Essex “I would like to nominate my teacher Mrs Scott for Teacher of the Week because she is understanding and is extremely encouraging to me and all of my school friends.” Izzy 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 What did the space dust that recently landed on Earth come from? □ a) An asteroid □ b) A comet □ c) A meteor 2 True or false? The UK’s oldest gorilla is called Dorothy. □ True □ False 3 How many schools have closed in Nepal because of teacher strikes? ____________________ 4 True or false? The world’s oldest known spider lived to be 43 years old. □ True □ False 5 What does someone love if they’re a “nemophilist”? □ a) Fish □ b) Insects □ c) Trees and woodland True or false? The natterjack toad doesn’t hop, it runs. □ True □ False 7 What is the theme of this year’s National Poetry Day? ____________________ 8 True or false? 99.9% of all humans’ DNA is the same.…

FINDING A LOST TOY A 10-year-old boy in Cumbria, England, had a brilliant idea to find his favourite toy after he lost it on his way to school. Jack made a poster offering a £2 reward to anyone who found his Lego toy. After being shared on social media, “Lego Jack” was reunited with his owner. WELCOMING AN ENDANGERED GIRAFFE A giraffe called Sifa has been welcomed to Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park in Scotland. He is the first male giraffe to be brought there in 13 years, after previously living at Dublin Zoo in Ireland. Sifa was treated to a dinner of willow leaves before meeting three female giraffes who live at the park. A RECORD BREAKER In August, Lexi Chambers from Devon, England, covered the greatest distance…

1 Spiders look weird and terrifying and they move much too fast. You never know where they will turn up next.2 Arachnophobia is a real condition and many people are wary of spiders for a good reason – in some countries they can harm humans. Thankfully, the UK is not one of those countries.3 Spiders leave webs behind that can trap dirt and insects. Having spiders around is unhygienic and messy. WHAT DO YOU THINK? 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 we should learn to love spiders, 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…

The common wasp is not very popular, despite the fact it kills pests like flies and pollinates our gardens. However, you might have more sympathy for them if you knew their situation at this time of year. Common wasps have a stripy black and yellow body, a thin “waist” between their thorax and abdomen and a black mark on their face that looks like a ship’s anchor. An adults’ job is to feed wasp larvae (young) with insects. In return, the larvae produce a sugary treat. But at the end of summer, wasp nest leaders (queens) stop laying eggs, so wasps lose their sugar supply. That’s why they prey on our picnics. They also feed on fruit like apples, and if it has rotted it can make them drunk because…

National Poetry Day is a nationwide celebration of poetry held on the first Thursday of every October. Poetry uses words and rhythm to tell stories and spark the imagination of the reader. To celebrate, thousands of events will take place in schools, arts centres, cafés and libraries. This year, the theme is “refuge” and organisers are encouraging people to write about what the word means to them. Have a think – what does it mean to you? How did poetry start? • Some of the oldest known poems, such as the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh or the Egyptian Song of the Harper, do not have a named author. Researchers believe this might be because early poems were sung and passed on through the sharing of stories. They were sometimes chanted…

Southern Vipers They won cricket’s Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy by beating The Blaze by five wickets. Tigist Assefa At the Berlin marathon in Germany, the runner from Ethiopia set a women’s world record time of two hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds. A marathon is a race over 26.2 miles. Newcastle United In the Premier League, Newcastle United beat Sheffield United 8–0. Eight different players scored goals. Europe Solheim Cup team The Solheim Cup is a team golf event between Europe and the US. The match was tied 14-14, but Europe retained the trophy because they are the current champions.…

Around the north of England, young people are taking part in a project called History in the Making, which tells the stories of their local areas. Historic England, an organisation that looks after historic places, is funding 11 of the youth-led projects. These include everything from giant wall paintings to walking trails and theatre productions. Ellen Harrison from Historic England said, “We can’t wait to see what young people discover and how they mark it.” In Sunderland, in the northeast of England, History in the Making is creating a walking tour that uses sound and film to explore the city’s musical past. The young participants will also be involved in making a documentary film and live performances. In Blackpool, young people have been walking around the town and learning about…

I Am Groot Series 2 Available now on Disney+ Everyone’s favourite little tree is back with some more mischief in these five new shorts. Groot’s exciting new adventures include accidentally creating an unstoppable snowman-robot, adopting a strange egg and saving the universe. Deadly Mission Shark Available now on BBC iPlayer Wildlife presenter Steve Backshall is on a mission to protect the future of endangered sharks. He must choose a team of six young people to travel with him to the Bahamas and train to be the next generation of shark saviours.…

What were you like growing up? I told stories constantly in my head. I narrated everything I did as if I was the main character in a never-ending story. So, a bit odd, I guess. Favourite season? I like the turn of the seasons the best – when summer nights start to draw in, when flowers break through the frozen winter ground. What intrigues you most about nature? How perfect and beautiful it is, and how it can keep itself that way forever – when we let it. Are you a morning person or a night owl? I am at my best between about 2pm and 4pm. Where did the idea for this book come from? From a fox who came into my house and did something terrible in my…

The first ever FIFA game came out 30 years ago, in 1993. It quickly became the most popular series of football video games. Now there’s a big change, because the game’s publisher, Electronic Arts (EA), and the football organisation FIFA have ended their partnership. EA is continuing the games with a new name, and EA Sports FC 24 is out this month. It includes all the game modes from the last game, FIFA 23, but there are new features too. EA says the game will look more realistic than ever, from players shoving one another when competing for the ball, to the way their kits flap about when they’re running. Every player has a rating, and this year four have the top rating of 91: Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne…

“Dogtember” at Saltdean Lido in Brighton is a special time for water-loving dogs. It is an annual event in September that aims to raise money for the lido (outdoor pool) to keep it in good condition. At the opening event, 150 golden retrievers jumped in, but dogs of all shapes and sizes are welcome at the sessions. By the end of the month, organisers think around 8,000 dogs of all breeds, with their humans, will have taken part. Deryck Chester, from Saltdean Lido Community Interest Company, said it is “complete doggy mayhem”.…

Calling all story-tellers Are you between five and 11-years-old and bursting with story ideas? If so, you’re in luck because the BBC’s 500 Words writing competition is open for entries. To get involved, think up a story, type it up and submit it. In this competition your work won’t be marked on spelling, grammar or punctuation. The aim is to celebrate your ideas and creativity. The judges include top storytellers, Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Francesca Simon, Charlie Higson, Malorie Blackman and Sir Lenny Henry. With an adult’s help, head to bbc.co.uk/teach/500-words where you’ll find ideas and tips. Submit your story by 10 November. 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 you if PE should include more sports… “I’m home-schooled now, but PE used to be boring. Now I do paddle boarding, windsurfing and still balance the rest of the curriculum, but I’m more engaged with the sports I do.” “A vote should be done to ensure students play the sports they like.” “More money will be needed to buy more equipment.” “Join a club outside of school if you want to try a new sport.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying that spiders are fascinating creatures. In fact, they are one of the earliest land-living animals, having evolved around 345 million years ago. The world’s spiders chomp through up to 800 million tonnes of prey, such as insects, every year. Arachnophobia is one of the most common types of phobia (extreme fear), and many more people simply find spiders gross or a little bit scary. In a 2017 study, scientists concluded that people are born with a fear of them, but others think people’s fears are learned from interactions with spiders. However, spiders in the UK are not normally poisonous or harmful to humans. So what do you think? Should people learn to love spiders? Yes – spiders are helpful to…

Hollie Standall-Would is a forester for Forestry England. Her job protecting and managing forests is much like that of a carrot farmer, she tells The Week Junior. Trees are planted, like carrots, straight in the ground and really close together. “As time goes on,” she says, “we thin them out, chop down the tree and turn it into timber for everything from railway tracks to furniture.” As well as planting trees to be chopped down, Hollie’s job is to protect the oldest trees, which foresters call “veteran trees”. Some of these are 800 years old and provide nests for wildlife. Hollie looks after 22 forests in three English counties – Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. Some date back hundreds of years but others were created quite recently. One of the newer…

Male palm cockatoos, also known as goliath cockatoos or great black cockatoos, have a special way of attracting a mate – they play the drums for them. The males even make their own drumsticks, and tap trees in a rhythmic way, with each individual using a unique pattern. Scientists have known about the cockatoo’s musical methods for a while but they recently discovered something new – each male cockatoo crafts their drumstick in their own unique style. They don’t copy each other but fathers teach their stick-crafting skills to their male offspring. A team of experts at Australia National University, led by Professor Robert Heinsohn, found that some birds pick sticks that are short and fat, while others prefer long and skinny ones. Some birds even favour seed pods over…

YOUR PHOTOS YOUR PHOTOS Email photos you have taken to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If your photo is printed in the magazine you’ll receive a Roving Reporter badge. Photos could be of buildings, pets, nature or anything you find interesting.…

As a new school year begins, opening your mind to new people and experiences will help you make friends and discover new interests. Don’t worry about it – have a go! What does having an open mind mean? Having an open mind and being curious means trying to understand other people’s thoughts and ideas, even if you don’t always agree with them. It also means trying new experiences and exploring different ways of doing things. You can have an open mind about anything. A Week Junior reader, Elliot, who is nine, says he likes finding new ways to build Lego. “Learning from the Lego books inspired me to make good models by myself,” he explains. The new school term means there are plenty of opportunities to open your mind, find…

Gods and Monsters edited by Ana Sampson. Illustrated by Chris Riddell Macmillan Children’s Books) Delve into this richly illustrated new collection of mythological poems from around the world, including retellings of Greek, Egyptian, Norse, Celtic, Japanese and Inuit myths. You’ll meet gods, monsters, heroes, tricksters and magical creatures such as Loki, Osiris, Pegasus and Medusa. Who Let the Words Out? by Joshua Seigal (Bloomsbury Children’s) If you’re looking for poems to make you laugh, then look no further than the latest book from award-winning poet Joshua Seigal. Full of jokes, word play and everything from pet fleas to a teacher who gets turned into a chicken, it’s a wacky and wonderful poetry collection. Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats by TS Eliot. Illustrated by Júlia Sardà (Faber Children’s) This famous…

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…

Autumn is a lovely time for getting out in the countryside to appreciate all the beautiful colours on the trees. However, did you know that there are guidelines for enjoying the great outdoors in the UK? In England, Wales and Northern Ireland this is known as the Countryside Code, and in Scotland it’s called the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. They all offer instructions and advice on how you can enjoy natural spaces responsibly, and help to protect them as well as enjoy them. Whether you’re going to the seaside or a lake, hiking through woods and fields, climbing hills or following rivers, here are the main things that you need to know. 1 Respect everyone Be considerate to people who live and work in the countryside, as well as fellow…

This week’s magazine is bursting with inspiring people and stories. It really brings me joy and happiness to see so many people, of all ages, doing brilliant things to make the world a better place. Our cover story (page 5) reports on this year’s Black History Month celebrating the many brilliant black women who have shaped Britain. On page 2, you can read our report on NASA successfully bringing samples of space dust – collected from an asteroid – back to Earth so they can be studied by scientists. It’s really quite mind-blowing. Page 3 has a report on a group of passionate young people working together to make governments do more to protect the planet and tackle climate change. This issue also has a story on new software (page…