Table of contents for 409 in The Week Junior

On 8 October, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country was at war with Hamas, a political and military group that controls an area called Gaza. Many countries, including the UK, describe Hamas as a terrorist organisation. What happened? On 7 October, Hamas fired thousands of rockets (a type of bomb) towards Israeli towns and villages. The rockets were launched from Gaza. Following the rocket attacks, Hamas fighters entered Israeli territory and attacked civilians (non-military people) and soldiers. Israel’s government says the attack killed more than 1,200 people and injured at least another 2,700. The attack came as a total surprise. What is Gaza? Gaza is a 25-mile strip of land that lies between Israel and Egypt beside the Mediterranean Sea. It has been ruled by Hamas since 2007,…

SHOWING OFF CONKER SKILLS On 8 October, more than 250 people entered this year’s World Conker Championships. Contestants use their own conker to strike someone else’s and break it, according to strict rules. This year’s conker champion, Jasmine Tetley, won for the third time. UNICORN LOVERS Unicornfest in Bristol, England, has raised more than £140,000 for a cancer charity called Leukaemia Care. Local artists painted the 60 unicorns on show around the city, along with 40 foal sculptures designed by schools and community groups. The displays are part of the city’s 650th birthday celebrations. A LOST TURTLE A turtle who washed up on a Scottish beach in January 2022 has finally been sent home, released into the Atlantic Ocean 1,700 miles away. Iona was very unwell when she was found…

Stuart Lawrence is a former teacher, author, campaigner and recently a judge for The Week Junior Book Awards. He has just published Growing Up Black in Britain. In the book, Lawrence introduces readers to inspirational black people, who reflect on their childhoods growing up in different areas of the UK. Lawrence was one of only two black people in his class, but he remembers school in south-east London as a very happy place. “When I was 10, I was really into dramatics,” Lawrence tells The Week Junior, “I thought I’d become an actor.” His childhood was filled with friends, church, his local Scouts group and plenty of books. Lawrence says he read up to 10 books a week and his favourite author was Roald Dahl. “Reading allowed me to escape…

News is all around us and it’s normal to feel a little bit anxious when you see stories that seem worrying. There are positive steps you can take to help with your feelings. Where does news come from? News reports come from many sources all over the world. As well as newspapers and magazines like The Week Junior, news is reported on television, radio and websites, and shared on social media. Stories grab the headlines for several reasons, including how unexpected they are and the number of people they affect. Stories like, say, what is happening in Israel, or a big earthquake, often appear as rolling news. This means the reports are updated frequently, talked about and shared. Being surrounded by news like this can make you feel the events…

Which would you prefer to be, a mouse or a cat? A cat. I love cats. I don’t think you can tame them but if you are lucky, they might like you. Do you have a favourite type of cheese? I love cheese and am always finding new favourites. The Taming of the Cat has cheese from all over the world in it. I wanted to include some cheeses from other countries. My current favourites might be Stonebeck Wensleydale cheese, which is British, and I love Stilton too, and Gorgonzola, which is Italian. What inspired you to write this book? I once saw a cat in the window of a cheese shop in Italy. It inspired me to write a story about a mouse, caught in the claws of a…

You can’t hold an Xbox console in the palm of your hand or cram a PC computer into your pocket, but you can do both with a micro:bit. It is a tiny computer launched nine years ago by the BBC as a way for young people to learn about coding and electronics. Since then it has been used by 42 million people in schools and at home. The organisation behind it, the Micro:bit Educational Foundation, says there are more than six million of the devices being used around the world. That number grew even more this September when nearly 700,000 micro:bits were delivered to primary schools around the UK for free. YouTube star DanTDM even turned up as the surprise deliverer at one school. If you didn’t get a free…

Cracking the world egg record A group of four budding young scientists have broken a world record as part of a science project at school. Jeffrey, Matthew, Charlie and Derrick took part in the egg-drop challenge, an experiment that involves dropping an egg from a height without it breaking. They made a contraption using cardboard, plastic straws and a small parachute, and successfully dropped the egg from a height of 13.31 metres without it cracking. The team said that if anyone breaks their record, they will do their best to claim their title back. The pompom parade It must be hard enough walking in tottering heels, so imagine adding a giant pompom to the outfit. On 28 September, a model dressed as a giant ball of fur bumped her way…

1 The world record for the fastest marathon was broken in which city? □ a) London □ b) Athens □ c) Chicago 2 True or false? Joseph Coelho visited 312 libraries during his recent Library Marathon. □ True □ False 3 Which insect has been causing problems in France this summer? 4 Which species of wild animal did dogs evolve from? □ a) Wolves □ b) Lions □ c) Bears 5 True or false? Wales was the first country in the UK to make black history mandatory in schools. □ True □ False 6 What is the name for a group of crocodiles on land? 7 Which classic Disney character is the star of the film Steamboat Willie? □ a) Buzz Lightyear □ b) Pinocchio □ c) Mickey Mouse 8…

For many young people around the world, Michael Gambon is best known for playing the role of Professor Albus Dumbledore in six of the Harry Potter films. He took on the role after the death of Richard Harris, who played Dumbledore in the first two films. Gambon felt that he never had to act while playing Dumbledore, who is very wise and gentle. The actor said, “I just put on a beard and play me.” Although he appeared in many films and TV shows, theatre was Gambon’s greatest love. His first performance on stage was for a production of Shakespeare’s Othello at a theatre in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, in 1962. He was one of the first members of the National Theatre Company, starring in roles on the stage…

October’s shortening days are the rutting season for red deer. This is when they fight over female mates. The UK’s largest land mammals are a symbol of Scotland but are found all over the UK. Their fur is red-brown with a cream-coloured rump (bottom). Stags (adult males) can be 1.2 metres tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 200 kilograms. On top of their heads are antlers that grow with age – they are shed in February and March and regrown each year. They start with two branches but can eventually grow 16. Hinds (females) don’t have antlers and are smaller. Deer come out around dawn and dusk. Stags bellow and grunt and sometimes fight. Keep your distance if you see them – deer are unpredictable during the rut…

Sumatran rhinos A Sumatran rhino has been born in Indonesia. The baby female weighed 27 kilograms. There are only 80 of this critically endangered species left in the wild. Indonesia’s environment minister, Siti Nurbaya, said, “This is happy news not only for Indonesia but the rest of the world.” Antarctica Levels of sea ice around Antarctica are at a record low and plants and mosses are growing on the continent like never before. Scientists say this is the result of warmer temperatures in the region, which are probably the result of climate change (changing weather patterns caused by human activity).…

Oliver & Company Inspired by Charles Dickens’s story Oliver Twist, this musical film follows a young cat named Oliver living in New York. A pack of street dogs invite him to join their gang, but Oliver is so cute that he soon gets adopted. He has to balance out his new life with his old friendships. The Sword in the Stone This 1963 animated classic is based on the legend of King Arthur. England is in the Dark Ages without a king, and only someone worthy of pulling an enchanted sword out of a stone can claim the throne. An orphan named Wart, with the help of Merlin the wizard, could be just the person to do it. The Parent Trap When Hallie Parker from California and Annie James from…

The men’s and women’s Ashes, The Hundred and the women’s T20 World Cup have been amazing cricket competitions in 2023. Fans of the sport are now enjoying watching the men’s Cricket World Cup, which started on 5 October. All the games are happening in India. There are 10 countries competing in the Cricket World Cup: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Each team plays each other in the group stage. In a Cricket World Cup match, the batting team has 50 “overs” to score as many runs as possible. In each over, the bowling team bowls the ball six times. After 50 overs, the teams swap so that the team that had batted then bowls for another 50 overs. The team with…

The Lizzie and Belle Mysteries: Portraits and Poison by J.T. Williams. Illustrated by Simone Douglas (Farshore) Young sleuths Lizzie Sancho and Dido Belle return! They are investigating the puzzling theft of a painting in the second book of this brilliant mystery series, which is inspired by real black British historical figures. Man-man and the Tree of Memories by Yaba Badoe (Zephyr Books) In this thrilling fantasy, Man-man is worried because his mum is unwell. While dancing at the Notting Hill Carnival, he calls on the mysterious Queen of Revels for help. She sweeps away him, his best friend Kareem and his sister Panama to see Africa’s past. Man-man must understand his family’s heritage to try to help his mum. Son of the Circus: A Victorian Story by E.L. Norry (Scholastic)…

Name: Louis Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling “Dramatic, exhilarating, exciting. It makes you want to read more, and there are lots of good cliffhangers.” 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…

Over the next few months, a stunning natural display called the northern lights, also called aurora borealis, are set to be the strongest they have been for about 10 years. Usually you’d need to be closer to the North Pole to have a good chance of seeing the northern lights, but with the right knowledge and preparation – and a bit of luck – you might see them in the UK this winter. This light show on Earth is caused by storms on the Sun’s surface, which create clouds of charged particles – tiny parts of atoms, which are the building blocks that make up all matter. These particles have an electric charge that is either positive or negative. They travel millions of miles through space and, because Earth’s north…

Like everyone, we at The Week Junior are shocked and saddened by events in Israel and Gaza (report, page 2). To prepare the magazine, we read a lot of news and sometimes, like this week, for example, it can feel a bit too much. Our Wellbeing feature (page 19) is about how to cope with the news and has been very useful. One of the reasons news can be worrying is because human beings care about each other, even people they don’t know. It’s important to talk to someone if you feel upset. Also, take a break, do something nice, chat to friends, head out in the fresh air or get together with family and watch a film. On page 12 you can read about Disney, which has been making…

According to a survey by the organisation UK Pet Food, dogs are the UK’s most popular choice of pet – we have around 12 million pet pooches. Following the recent reports of American Bully XL dogs – and other dog breeds – being out of control, some animal experts have said that owners should have to pass a test before they are allowed to own a dog. This would mean that if a person wanted a pet, they would have to study how to best care for, train and control a dog. Some people believe that training owners properly, as well as their dogs, can help prevent dog aggression. Other people say that dog owner tests are unnecessary and it would be too difficult to introduce them. What do you…

For many years, the Caribbean island of Redonda was a bare rock with very little wildlife on it. However, thanks to local environmental groups, it has now been restored to its former state and has been named a protected area by the government of Antigua and Barbuda. Redonda was once a haven for wildlife but in the 17th century people set foot on the island for the first time. They discovered that guano (bird poo) produced by seabirds on Redonda was very useful for making fertiliser to help farm crops grow. Humans worked on the island to mine guano, and with them came goats and black rats, which were invasive species (not originally from the island). Although humans eventually stopped collecting guano and left the island, the goats and black…

They are not closely related. The giant panda is a member of the Ursidae (bear) family, whereas the red panda is the only existing member of the Ailuridae family. They share a name because they both eat bamboo. It is thought that “panda” comes from the Nepali word ponya, meaning “bamboo eater”. Both species have a “pseudo-thumb”, an adapted wrist bone that they use to grip bamboo stems. 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…

Do aliens exist? It’s a question that many people have tried to answer. Now scientists have come up with a new method for finding alien lifeforms, using artificial intelligence (AI). AI is a form of computer program that makes it possible for a computer to learn from experience and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. By using AI, the scientists say they can analyse a sample and work out whether it’s biological or non-biological. If it’s biological, it means it has signs of life, but if it is non-biological it does not. The team have tried it out on human hair, samples of rock, teeth and bones, and they say the AI is 90% accurate. It can also spot signs of life in rocks from millions of years ago,…

China Hosts China came top of the medals tables at the 19th Asian Games with 201 gold medals. Japan came second with 52. Simone Biles At the world gymnastics championships, US athlete Biles won four gold medals. She now has 23 golds in total, more than any other gymnast. Kimberley Woods and Joe Clarke Great Britain’s Woods and Clarke won the overall titles in the women’s and men’s kayak cross event at the Canoe Slalom World Cup. Jude Bellingham The England international footballer scored two goals for his Spanish team, Real Madrid, as they beat Osasuna 4-0.…

The Young V&A is opening its first exhibition – Japan: Myths to Manga – on 14 October. The museum’s Katy Canales tells The Week Junior that the show is “packed with stories of heroism, kindness and adventure. It takes you on a journey through Japan’s deep seas, dense forests and bustling cities.” On 1 July, the Young V&A (which used to be known as the Museum of Childhood) reopened with three new galleries – Play, Imagine and Design. “Playfulness is at the heart of Japanese culture,” says Canales, “It fuels creativity and inspires new ideas.” Exhibits include more than 150 objects connected with playfulness and imagination in Japanese culture. For example, Manga is a style of comic books that has inspired animated films loved by audiences all over the world,…

Jeffrey Boakye is a writer, teacher and music lover. Bringing all these talents together, this year he published his first novel, Kofi and the Rap Battle Summer. It’s a book about school friends who start up a rap “fanzine” (a magazine about a particular type of entertainment made by fans for other people who love it too). Boakye tells The Week Junior that for him, music is “huge”. Hip hop is his favourite style, and it becomes a big part of Kofi’s adventure. Boakye says that he wrote the book because he wanted to show the world where he grew up, in Brixton, London, and share the joy he knew. “My characters all contain elements of people I know,” he says, but “they aren’t just copies of real people” and…

Number fit All of these numbers fit in the grid. Can you work out where they go? We’ve placed one to start you off. 3 numbers 263 464 660 742 949 952 4 numbers 4233 4748 6748 7603 5 numbers 25447 42584 43417 6 numbers 211274 743441 990653 998716 7 numbers 4115746 4752639 9022758 8 numbers 13404223 37016675 48151182 9 numbers 272230873 466754594 708165132 Sudoku Place the numbers from 1 to 6 exactly once in each row, column and 2x3 bold-lined box, to complete the grid. Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. APPLE ASPARAGUS AVOCADO BROCCOLI CABBAGE CELERY COURGETTE CRESS CUCUMBER KALE LEEK LETTUCE LIME MARROW MINT OKRA PEAS SEAWEED SPINACH SPROUTS Spot…

Keep Britain Tidy It’s everybody’s responsibility to protect our environment. Litter affects every corner of the country and not only does it look ugly but it pollutes the countryside and seas. Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy believes that the environment belongs to everyone. It supports thousands of volunteers – called #LitterHeroes – in caring for our environment by litter-picking, as well as encouraging people to live more sustainably and waste less. More than 200,000 school pupils picked litter during its annual Great British Spring Clean this year. To find out more about how to help, head to keepbritaintidy.org…

Attention changemakers For World Food Day on 16 October, Action Against Hunger is launching “The Hunger Game”. The game, which you can play at school or at home, focuses on the reality when food is scarce and life is hard. Follow Nanou, a 12-year-old girl from Madagascar, as she faces challenges, from a broken water pump to crop-wilting droughts and sudden floods. Two paths await: one where Nanou’s family struggles alone, the other with Action Against Hunger’s vital aid. Find out about foods that can act like medicines, tackle quiz questions and discover Action Against Hunger’s work in places like South Sudan and Ethiopia. You can find out more and play the game at againsthunger.uk/thehungergame GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full name…

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