Table of contents for 481 in The Week Junior

On 24 February, Ukrainians marked three years since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of their country. People living in Ukraine and in other parts of the world marked the day with memorials, protests and religious services. Why did Russia invade Ukraine? The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has always been strongly against the possibility of Ukraine joining NATO, a military partnership that includes the US and many European countries. Putin claims this would threaten Russia’s security. Ukraine wants to join NATO to protect itself from Russia. Putin believes that Ukraine should be part of Russia. Ukraine was once part of the Soviet Union, a group of countries ruled from Moscow, the capital of Russia. In 1991, the Soviet Union split into separate countries and Ukraine became independent. In 2014, Putin sent…

A team of British and Egyptian archaeologists (experts who study ancient objects to help us understand history) have discovered the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh King Thutmose II. The tomb was found in the Western Valleys near the Egyptian city of Luxor. This is close to the Valley of the Kings, where many ancient Egyptian pharaohs were buried. It is the final undiscovered royal tomb of the 18th dynasty – a rich and powerful period in ancient Egyptian history. King Thutmose II ruled around 3,500 years ago. After he died, his queen, Hatshepsut, became one of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs. To reach the entrance to the burial chamber, the team had to crawl through a narrow, 10-metre long passageway. Inside the chamber, archaeologist Piers Litherland noticed that an undamaged part…

For Jacob Mitchell, also known as MC Grammar, making music has always been a hobby but now it’s a job. As well as being a rapper, he is a teacher and an author. His new book, The Adventures of Rap Kid, is about a boy who finds confidence through rap. Mitchell loved primary school but in secondary school he fell out of love with learning. He left at 16 but returned to studying later, coming up with raps to help him memorise facts. This helped him to become a teacher. By using rap in the classroom, Mitchell found that students suddenly got excited about learning. He shared his methods with other teachers and became famous after a video of him rapping the book The Gruffalo became a hit on social…

Birds of paradise are bright and colourful birds found in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, eastern Indonesia and eastern Australia. There are 45 known species and a new study has found that 37 of them can glow using biofluorescence (see panel). This is when a living thing absorbs light and gives it out again as a different colour. Scientists tested this by looking at preserved bird specimens at the American Museum of Natural History. They set up in a dark room then moved blue lights over the birds and recorded the type of light that the birds emitted (gave out). The team also shone ultraviolet (UV) light on the specimens. UV is a type of light that can’t be seen by humans. The researchers found that 37 of the…

Scientists have found a type of larvae that disguises its bottom as the face of another species in order to steal food. Larvae are worm-like young that grow into insects as adults. Scientists in Morocco found the larvae in a termite nest. Termites are insects that eat decaying plant material and kill any insects in their nests that don’t belong. At first, scientists thought they’d found a new kind of termite larvae but closer study revealed they were blowfly larvae with fake termite heads on their bottoms. They seemed to have eyes like a termite – although these were really breathing holes – and tentacles along their bodies like a termite’s. The disguise allows them to enter the nest unnoticed. The scientists found that the larvae smell just like the…

British runners Daryll Neita, Josh Kerr, Zharnel Hughes and Matthew Hudson-Smith will race in an exciting new competition against other top athletes from around the world. Called Grand Slam Track, it starts on 4 April in Kingston, Jamaica, with three more events in the US during May and June. Grand Slam Track has sprint, hurdles and distance running. Each athlete will run in two races at each event and points and prize money will be awarded for how well they do.…

The Young V&A, a museum in London for children, has opened a brand new exhibition all about creativity in ancient Egypt. It takes visitors on a journey from thousands of years ago to today to show how the ancient Egyptians have shaped art, design and popular culture. Making Egypt is divided into three sections. In Storytelling, visitors can learn about ancient Egyptian gods and the myths about them. Communicating reveals how stories used to be told through writing and artwork. Finally, Making looks at how the Egyptians built and crafted objects. Throughout the exhibition, visitors can test their knowledge of hieroglyphs (the ancient Egyptian writing system), learn how to draw like Egyptians used to, and even take a quiz to find out which god they most resemble. The story of…

The Prince of Egypt Now TV In keeping with Making Egypt (see opposite page), this breathtaking animated musical film is set in ancient Egypt. It tells the story of two brothers, Moses and Rameses, brought up together by the Pharaoh. One brother was born royal but the other is an orphan with a secret past. The pair become separated when Moses discovers his true identity. He is called by god to go on an epic journey to free his people. The story is a retelling of part of the story of Moses from the Bible. More than 425 animators, artists and technicians worked on making the film. One of the musical numbers, When You Believe, won the award for Best Original Song at the Oscars in 1999.…

by Lucy Edwards, written with Katy Birchall (Scholastic) Twelve-year-old Ella has been blind for two years. She’s getting used to navigating the world in a new way, with her guide dog Maisie, her older sister Poppy and her best friend Finn. Then something strange happens: the light in the world is suddenly extinguished. A villain has released the ancient god Lugh from where he’s been trapped for centuries and Lugh has brought darkness upon the world. Now, there is panic – but Ella is used to living in darkness. Could she be the hero the world needs to defeat Lugh and return light to the world? This is the first in a new series from Lucy Edwards, who is blind herself. She’s teamed up with author Katy Birchall to create…

Tom Clohosy Cole has been drawing for as long as he can remember. Growing up, he loved drawing characters from his favourite books, The Lord of The Rings, The Edge Chronicles and His Dark Materials. As an adult, he has created book covers for many authors including Michael Morpurgo, Phil Earle and Sam Sedgman. He illustrated the cover for The Kingdom Over the Sea, by Zohra Nabi, which won Children’s Book Cover of the Year at The Week Junior Book Awards, as voted for by readers of the magazine. Here, Tom uses his award-winning design to show you how to make your own beautiful cover. 1 Start with sketches. Choose an exciting moment from the story and do some rough pencil sketches. Let your ideas flow – keep them very…

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 120 206 377 560 704 784 956 4 numbers 1250 1718 8505 5 numbers 36448 53864 80603 6 numbers 216131 714621 786483 801788 7 numbers 5374178 5802673 6216236 8 numbers 24322577 24656124 56216165 9 numbers 261666348 691222376 965301581 Sudoku Place the numbers from 1 to 6 exactly once in each row, column and 2x3 bold-lined box, to complete the grid. Spot the difference These two pictures appear to be the same, but take a closer look. There are actually five differences. Can you spot them? Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may…

Urban Tree Watch 2025 Make friends with your favourite tree in your town or city and take photos of it changing through the seasons. It may be a tree on your street, in your local park or on your way to school. You can then share your experiences, such as whether it has spring blossom or if it provides lovely shade during the summer. The Urban Tree Watch is run by the Trees for Cities charity. Ask an adult to help you look at treesforcities.org 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 contribution makes it onto the page. We will only use the details you provide to arrange…

Andrii, 10, lives with his mother in Kherson, a city that has been on the front line of the war. He can’t go to school and there are few safe places to play outside. Andrii studies at home on a tablet. Most of his classmates have left Ukraine. However, he was recently able to go to an educational camp for three weeks, where there was a small school. “I really liked it,” he said. “Now I want to go to school again.” At the weekend, he plays football with his friends but they have to be careful in case there’s an attack. He said the city was lovely before the war. “I want it to be like that again,” he said.…

UNCOVERING A THEATRE’S PAST A theatre lover made a rare discovery at the King’s Theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. While touring the building, he found a glass bottle in a hole in some plaster. The 119-year-old artefact contained a list of the names of the people who built the theatre in 1906. A SPECIAL HORSE At 46 years old, Roana, who lives in County Down, Northern Ireland, is thought to be the oldest horse in the UK. Horses typically live to between 25 and 30 years old. Roana’s owner of nearly 30 years, Cerys Brown, describes Roana as her best friend. For her birthday, Brown gave Roana a cake of linseed, grass and carrot. RUNNING ON CRUTCHES Guinness World Records has confirmed that Chris Terrill broke a record while running the…

An artist has found a creative way to reuse old tea bags. Since August 2023, Caroline West, who lives in Hampshire, England, has used tea bags as mini canvases on which to paint pictures. One of her recent projects involved painting characters, locations and scenes from The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. She loves reading and says she felt “inspired by how a storyteller can weave an entire world into a book”. She wanted to try to “capture that feeling” on a tea bag. To make her creations, she has to dry the tea bags, take the tea leaves out and then iron them flat before she starts painting on them.…

“Biofluorescence” only works for organisms if there is a source of light nearby that they can absorb and send out again. However, some creatures can produce their own light – a process called bioluminescence. A chemical reaction inside their bodies produces light. Fireflies do it to attract a mate; jellyfish mainly glow to put off predators. Anglerfish, which live in the dark, deep ocean, have a long fin with a glowing sack at the end, which they dangle like a fishing rod to attract prey.…

Capybara In Nordelta, Argentina, the government has announced a plan to give capybaras contraceptives (medicines to stop them getting pregnant). There are more than 1,000 in the area and some people say they are causing havoc. • LIFESPAN: Up to 10 years in the wild. • HABITAT: Capybaras live on land and in water – around rivers and lakes in Central and South America. • SIZE: Up to 1.3 metres long and up to 79 kilograms. • DIET: Grasses, leaves, plants – and their own poo. • FUN FACT: Capybaras can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes and even take naps in water.…

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR…

England men’s rugby union team In the Six Nations tournament, England defeated Scotland 16–15. Scotland missed a conversion in the last minute of an exciting match. Hibernian Hibernian enjoyed a 2–1 win against Celtic in the Scottish Premiership. It was only Celtic’s second league loss of the season. Mirra Andreeva The 17-year-old from Russia became the youngest to win a WTA 1000 title. Andreeva beat Clara Tauson at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Lauren Bell and Matthew Richardson The cyclists won three gold medals each at British Cycling’s National Track Championships in Manchester, England.…

Harlem Ice Available now on Disney+ This documentary is about Figure Skating in Harlem, an organisation that encourages young girls in New York, US, to take up ice skating. Discover how the girls prepare for competitions and performances and the challenges they face along the way. Brainchild Available now on Netflix Why is social media so addictive? What do dreams mean? What’s the difference between good and bad germs? Find out the answers to all sorts of burning science questions in this programme. The Next Step Available now on BBC iPlayer A group of young dancers at The Next Step Dance Studio are training to win the regional dance championships. There are blossoming friendships and heated rivalries galore as they all compete to be the very best in the competitive…

Lucy Edwards The author reveals why she was inspired to create Ella Jones. What inspired you to create this story? Having no authentic representation of blindness as a young person. I wanted to make Ella the hero no one’s ever seen. Can you describe Ella in three words? Courageous, resilient, happy. Do you have a favourite myth? Eos and Tithonus. A Greek myth where Eos, goddess of the dawn, fell in love with Tithonus, the mortal prince of Troy. Eos loved Tithonus so much that she wanted him to live forever like her but forgot to ask to make him young forever too. Without giving any spoilers, which part of the book did you enjoy writing the most? The London Zoo chapter where guide dog Miss Maisie has a very…

Running a museum needs a lot of different skills, from arranging dinosaur bones correctly to making sure the gift shop is selling lots of souvenirs. Plus, there are the ghosts to manage. Ok, so spooky spectres aren’t something that most museums have to deal with, but in Two Point Museum, ghosts are among the unexpected exhibits that you can display to wow your visitors. Out for PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as for PC, the game is by the British games developer Two Point Studios. Previous releases have had players running hospitals (Two Point Hospital) and universities (Two Point Campus) and its third game is all about museums. You are in charge of designing your museum, from choosing carpets to building walls, as well as making sure the place…

A tiny house made for wildlife In Somerset, England, a man called Tinner Tinsky has turned an old tree stump into a tiny cottage. It all started when Tinsky decided to rewild his garden (let the land return to its natural state). He started by not mowing the grass, then he decorated a tree stump for fun, adding windows, a door and a roof made of a plant called ivy. Deer and squirrels have been seen around Wonderland Cottage and a family of rabbits lives under it. Tinsky likes to imagine creatures tucked up inside the cosy cottage, although, he said, “The deer was a bit disappointed that he was too big to fit through the doorway.” Ruff and tumble time On 9 February, nearly 13 million television viewers tuned…

Teacher’s name: Mrs Crossley-Holland School: St Botolph’s C Of E Primary School, Botesdale, Norfolk “Mrs Crossley-Holland is always kind and fun. Sometimes our class can be a little bonkers but she is always positive and patient with us. I am very thankful to have her as our teacher.”William 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…

On 23 February, a national election took place across Germany. Around 84% of Germans who were able to vote did so, making it the highest turnout (percentage of people voting) for 35 years. The election was won by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) parties. They have an agreement with each other called the Union. The Union, led by Friedrich Merz, won 28.6% of the vote, which wasn’t enough for overall control of Germany’s parliament. After the election, Merz began talks with the Social Democratic Party to see if they could work together. They used to be in power but came third this time round. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came second with 20.8% of the vote. The AfD’s main focus is against immigration…

A new report has found that the net zero economy in the UK is doing very well, creating jobs while helping to tackle climate change. What is the net zero economy? The net zero economy refers to the workers, money and resources in industries that are helping the UK achieve its target of net zero by 2050. Net zero is when the greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) put into the atmosphere are balanced by those taken out. Greenhouse gases cause climate change. The net zero target aims to reduce the carbon in the atmosphere. What did the report say? The report said the UK’s net zero economy is making lots of money and has grown in the last couple of years. Companies in the net zero economy (see panel), including…

In Burbury Park, Birmingham, England, 65 new trees have been planted in memory of poet Benjamin Zephaniah. There are 65 trees because Zephaniah was 65 years old when he died in December 2023. He wrote novels and poetry for children, including the popular poetry collection Talking Turkeys. The organisers of the tree planting, Birmingham TreePeople, held a competition. People could submit poems to be printed and attached to the trees, and a poem was chosen for each tree.…

The mission of World Book Day, on 6 March, is to promote reading for pleasure – and there’s no doubt that a book’s ending is usually a big part of that joy. In children’s books, endings tend to be happy. Although the characters are often faced with dangerous situations or tricky challenges, everything usually gets wrapped up nicely in the end. This could mean the main character achieves their goals in life, defeats a sinister villain or meets their true love. Yet some people say that happy endings can be too simplistic and the real world is a lot more complicated. For example, if a book sets out to tell the story of a life it makes sense for the main character to die at the end, even if that…

When he was younger, Jakob Wheway Hughes dreamed of competing in the Prix de Lausanne, a big ballet competition for dancers aged between 15 and 18. Jakob’s dream is now a reality; aged 17 he went to Switzerland to take part in the 2025 competition. Jakob is from Malvern, England, and was the only dancer from the UK among the 85 to compete – selected from more than 1,000 worldwide entrants. He won two awards and received a scholarship (funding to study and train in ballet). He said the amazing standard of the other dancers “lit a fire underneath me, making me push harder”. THEY SAID IT! “My parentsin-law tell me, ‘Please don’t do it, you’ll make a fool of yourself,’ and that makes me want to do it.”Cyclist Geraint…

At this time of year, you may be able to see and hear this little bird bashing away at a nut with its beak. Nuthatches are woodland birds found across England, Wales and southern Scotland. Bigger than a robin but smaller than a blackbird, they have a plump orange tummy. On top, their feathers are a blue-grey colour sweeping down to a short tailand they have a band of black across their eyes which makes them look as if they are wearing a mask. Also called “nut hacks” or “nut jobbers”, they collect acorns and other nuts in autumn and wedge them into cracks in tree bark. At this time of year they retrieve them. They can be seen repeatedly striking at a nut with their sharp beak, until they…

The remains of many ancient buildings have been discovered beneath London, including an amphitheatre, temples and tombs (see panel). The latest find is an important structure and it was unearthed below an office block in the City, which is the oldest part of London. Researchers say the building is a basilica and was the first one in London. A basilica was a public building where meetings were held and important decisions were made – a lot like a town hall. It was built nearly 2,000 years ago, when the Romans ruled Britain. In front of the basilica, which was about 12 metres tall, would have been the forum – a market square surrounded by shops and offices. Archaeologists (experts who study ancient remains to help us understand history) found the…

On 22 and 23 February, athletes and para athletes (those with a disability or impairment) from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland took part at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships at the Utilita Arena in Birmingham, England. National titles were won in 15 events, including sprinting, hurdles, high jump and shot put. The youngest winner at the competition was 17-year-old Otis Poole. He won gold in the men’s high jump with a height of 2.20 metres. Before the championships his best performance was 2.09 metres. “I have school tomorrow so no real time to celebrate,” Poole joked after his surprise success. Morgan Lake won the women’s high jump for the third time in a row with a height of 1.94 metres. Jeremiah Azu and Bianca Williams enjoyed victories in the…

Life is always changing. Sometimes that’s great but at other times it can make us feel unsure and worried. There are lots of benefits in embracing the unexpected – and simple things you can do to make it easier to deal with life changes. What are life changes? There can be lots of new things that happen in your life. Some can be really positive things that you make happen yourself, like joining a club or making a new friend. However, some changes you face could make you feel worried or uncertain. They can be big things like moving schools, a friend going away or family life changing because of parents separating. They can be smaller ones like new schedules at home due to parents’ or carers’ working patterns or…

On 18 February, the MOBO Awards took place in Newcastle, England, to celebrate excellence in black music and culture. MOBO stands for Music of Black Origin. This year, Ayra Starr became the first woman to win best African music act at the MOBOs in 16 years, and the first African woman to win best international act. Starr is from Nigeria. After accepting the first of her awards, the singer told the crowd, “I’m actually shaking right now, I’m very nervous. Thank you so much to everybody that supported me.” The rapper Central Cee also made history, becoming the first artist to be named best male act three times. He’s now won seven MOBOs, making him the joint most successful rapper in the awards’ history, alongside Stormzy. SPECIAL DATE Next year,…

Geomancer: The Wolf Trials  by Kiran Millwood Hargrave. Illustrated by Manuel Sumberac (Hachette Children’s) Eira is the daughter of the fearsome Wolf Queen. She longs to see the world but she is kept hidden away in the Castle of Broken Boats. When her mother is away in battle, Eira disguises herself to enter a contest to join the Ryders, the Wolf Queen’s most trusted warriors. LEGO: Our Amazing Universe by Jennifer Swanson and Arwen Hubbard (DK, ©2025 The LEGO Group) Explore space and our world with this book that will take you on a tour of planets, stars, galaxies and black holes. Learn about the Big Bang, spacecraft, volcanoes and the depth of the ocean – and find out how to build the universe’s wonders out of bricks. If you…

Name: Auggie Front Desk by Kelly Yang “Enlightening, inspiring and absorbing. Anyone will love the brave characters as they stand up for what is right.” YOUR TURN Please email your book review to Junior Roving Reporter hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If it is printed in the magazine you will receive a Roving Reporter badge. Describe your chosen book in three words, tell us what you liked about it and why you would 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 www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy…

On 1 March it is St David’s Day, a day to celebrate Wales and all things Welsh. St David was born around AD500 in Wales and was a Christian preacher who reportedly performed miracles. On St David’s Day, flags are flown and Welsh music is played. Children often go to school wearing traditional Welsh clothes or pin a daffodil or a leek to their chest – both of which are symbols of Wales. Another symbol of Wales is the red dragon: “Y Ddraig Goch” in Welsh, as seen on the country’s flag. Here are six steps to making your own flying dragon. Draw your own beast or ask an adult to print out a template you can cut out from tinyurl.com/twj-dragon-template What you need • A pencil• A4 red card•…

This issue we have several stories about ancient Egypt and discovering the buried past. When the team discussed the Roman basilica found in London, we talked about other bits of the ancient past that exist almost unnoticed in our modern world. The Mithraeum (page 14), for example, is built beside the River Walbrook, one of the many rivers that flow under London. I’m fascinated by London’s so-called lost rivers. A few years ago I read about a place where you can still hear the waters of the long-hidden River Fleet – so I decided to go and find it for myself. Following a phone’s directions didn’t feel much like a voyage of discovery; instead, I packed a paper map and a snack and set off on foot. Sure enough, on…

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 Heathrow Airport should be expanded… “No, because Heathrow is already really big and planes are bad for the environment.” “Yes, it would help with tourism and benefit the economy.” “We should be reducing air travel, not increasing it.” “Yes, it would let more people travel to other countries.” “No, people could lose their homes.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

1 A pharaoh’s tomb was recently discovered near which Egyptian city? ☐ a) Cairo ☐ b) Luxor ☐ c) Alexandria 2 True or false? The UK’s current net zero target is for the year 2060. ☐ True ☐ False 3 Which animals are helping to boost olive farms in Cyprus? 4 What date is World Book Day this year? 5 True or false? Rap music started in New York City, US. ☐ True ☐ False 6 What do some birds of paradise use to decorate their nests and scare away predators? 7 Which of the following animals are bioluminescent? ☐ a) Nuthatches ☐ b) Capybaras ☐ c) Jellyfish 8 True or false? The Romans built 10,000 miles of roads in Britain. ☐ True ☐ False 9 In which country will…