Table of contents for 489 in The Week Junior

People around the world have gathered to mourn the death of Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, who has died at the age of 88. What happened? The Pope died at his home in the Vatican on 21 April, which was Easter Monday. Vatican City, which is surrounded by the Italian capital of Rome, is the centre of the Catholic Church and the smallest country in the world. In recent years, Pope Francis had suffered periods of poor health, which included a five-week stay in hospital between February and March of this year. His final public appearance was on Easter Sunday, the day before he died. He gave a blessing from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica (a church in the Vatican) before being driven past crowds in…

National Superhero Day is held on 28 April. The day was first invented by Marvel Comics in 1995, and this year marks its 30th anniversary. The aim of the event is to celebrate everyone’s favourite superheroes, whether they’re fictional or real. When it comes to fictional heroes, some people might choose the Avengers, X-Men, Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel. For lots of comic book fans though, there is only one winner: Superman. In fact, he’s still so popular that there’s a new Superman film coming out later this year. Some people argue that there should be more focus on newer superheroes, though, who are just as cool. In fact, some say Superman is actually too cool to be the best. So what do you think? Is Superman the greatest superhero?…

Have you ever wondered how you can send an email across the world in seconds, or video call someone thousands of miles away? It’s partly down to sea cables, also called submarine cables, which criss-cross the sea bed between every continent except Antarctica. There are nearly 500 sea cables under oceans, stretching more than 900,000 miles, and carrying 95% of the world’s digital information. The history of sea cables In 1850, the first sea cable was laid between the UK and France. This was a telegraph cable, which allowed electrical pulses to be sent along copper wires so people could communicate in Morse code. In Morse code letters are represented by long or short pulses (or dashes and dots when written down). These spell out messages and can be sent…

Scientists have discovered what they think could be the most bitter substance known to humans. The chemical, called oligoporin D, is so bitter that you could probably detect a small pinch of it dissolved in an Olympic-size swimming pool. The chemical was discovered as scientists were investigating the bitter bracket mushroom, which grows in much of Europe, including the UK. They already knew it was bitter and were studying it to try to find out more about why bitter tastes exist. However, during their analysis, they found three chemical substances that they hadn’t known about previously. One of these was oligoporin D. To test the substances, they didn’t ask people to try them. Instead, they grew bitter taste receptors (the cells that detect that flavour) in a laboratory. Humans have…

Nottingham Panthers At ice hockey’s Elite League Play-Offs Grand Final, Nottingham Panthers celebrated victory against Cardiff Devils by four goals to three. Leeds United and Burnley Leeds and Burnley football clubs both secured promotion from the Championship. They will play in the Premier League next season. Amelie Blocksidge The 16-year-old swimmer won two gold medals at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships in London. She has now won five national titles in total. Birmingham Panthers Birmingham Panthers beat Nottingham Forest 71-70 in an exciting Netball Super League (NSL) game – Birmingham’s first NSL win.…

The story of Asterix and Obelix began about 66 years ago, in 1959. It was then that the French-language comic strip Asterix le Gauloix (Asterix the Gaul) was published in Pilote magazine and the characters of Asterix and Obelix were introduced to the public. The comic strip was created by writer René Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo, who first met in 1951. The Asterix comics have been translated into more than 100 languages and around 400 million copies have been sold. Co-director of the new series Fabrice Joubert is a big Asterix fan himself. He told The Week Junior it was one of the things that convinced him to work on Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight. He said, “I grew up with comic books in general, and Asterix in…

The Croods Available now on Netflix This comedy centres around the Croods, the world’s first family. By day, they gather food and by night they huddle together inside their cave – until one day, disaster strikes. Their home is destroyed and they set out on an unexpected journey that becomes the trip of a lifetime. Super Happy Magic Forest Available now on iPlayer A team of heroes including a faun (a mythical creature), gnome, fairy, unicorn and mushroom take on wild quests together. Their adventures include returning a phoenix woodpecker to its home, guarding the forest’s ice cream supply and battling with some angry seaweed. Pets Available now on Disney+ This documentary takes a close look at the relationships between pets and their owners from all around the world. The…

What inspired you to write this book? Two ladies who lived nearby when I was Hayley’s age; both rarely left their houses. One fought to save her house from demolition and the other watched from her window wearing bright make-up. Have you always wanted to be a writer? I think I’ve always been a writer but it took me a long time to take it seriously and try to be an author. Do you remember the first story you ever wrote? I don’t think it was the very first but I remember writing one about the journey of a penny piece. I was about eight years old. Do you have any pets? Yes. A big rescue tabby cat who we named Ramsay. He’s magnificent! What is your favourite thing about…

“For her, being with the animals was way better than being with any humans anywhere.” 26 April is World Veterinary Day. Noel Fitzpatrick is an Irish vet and author who appears in The Supervet on TV. Vetman and his Bionic Animal Clan was his first children’s novel. In it, siblings Imogen and Findlay try to help an injured hedgehog by taking him to Vetman, a man who lives nearby and secretly heals animals. What they don’t know is that they’re about to embark on a thrilling adventure to save many more creatures.…

Across 1 Door handle (4) 3 Server in a restaurant (6) 8 Dampest (7) 9 Saucepan cover (3) 10 Skull and ___, pirate flag (10) 13 Climbing aid (4,6) 17 Green vegetable (3) 18 Outdoor toy (7) 19 Ball, orb (6) 20 Long-necked bird (4) Down 1 Green fruit (4) 2 Fish-eating mammal (5) 4 Painting, drawing etc (3) 5 Eagle claw (5) 6 Salad item (6) 7 Ferret-like animal (6) 11 Popular pet bird (6) 12 Small green or dark purple fruits (6) 14 Book, James and the Giant ___ (5) 15 Human upper joint (5) 16 Horse-guiding strap (4) 18 Evergreen tree (3) 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…

CHERRY BLOSSOM IN JAPAN Tourists recently flocked to Kyoto, Japan, to see this year’s cherry blossom. The cherry blossom (sakura in Japanese) usually only lasts between one and two weeks in April. Springtime is regarded as a sign of renewal in Japan, and people travel from all over the world to see the blossom. TREATING A SLOTH’S TOOTHACHE A sloth at Chester Zoo, England, had dental surgery to cure his toothache. Rico had an infection around two of his teeth, which was treated during a three-hour operation. Only one of the teeth could be saved, but Rico is now back to full health. A YOUNG ARTIST Ten-year-old Ashton Whitaker won a competition to have his artwork featured on the front cover of Big Issue magazine. His design features endangered animals…

The judges for The Week Junior Book Awards 2025 have been revealed. The judges include some familiar faces who are ready to look through the nominations, which will be announced next month. Among the judges are George Webster, the CBeebies presenter and author, and Susie Dent, the lexicographer (someone who writes and edits dictionaries) known for her appearances on the TV show Countdown. She also writes The Week Junior’s Word of the Week on page 4. Joining them is Aneeshwar Kunchala, the young filmmaker on a mission to protect the natural world; CBeebies and CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson; and Adam Rutherford, the scientist and author whose book Where Are You Really From? won at last year’s Book Awards. Bex Lindsay, the Fun Kids Radio presenter who hosts our podcast, The…

World Veterinary Day is on 26 April so The Week Junior spoke to Karla Berry about her job working with vets at Whipsnade Zoo in England. Berry loved animals from a young age and wanted to help them, so she did a university degree in veterinary nursing. She says her experience of working with wildlife in Thailand for two years helped her get the job at Whipsnade 18 years ago. Berry’s advice to anyone interested in becoming a vet or vet nurse is to get work experience in an animal setting. “It’s hard work and comes with mixed emotions, but it’s really rewarding,” she said. When you work at a zoo “every day is different”, she explained. She could be analysing blood samples under a microscope, helping a vet with…

Nearly a third of the Earth’s land area is covered by forests and they are vital for life on the planet. Home to more than 80% of the world’s land-based species, forests also protect our planet by slowing down climate change – but scientists aren’t sure by how much. Now a new space mission could be about to find out how much carbon is stored by Earth’s trees and how this is changing as forests are cut down. Trees absorb carbon dioxide from the air and store it in their trunks, roots and leaves. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps the Sun’s heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, pushing up temperatures. Exactly how much carbon is taken out of the air is very hard to measure – but researchers…

For the first time in the UK, a woman with a transplanted womb has given birth. A transplant is when someone gets a new body part to replace one that has failed or isn’t working properly. A womb, also called a uterus, is the organ in which a baby grows during pregnancy. The baby, a little girl, was born at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, London, on 27 February. Her mother, Grace Davidson, said she and husband Angus had been given “the greatest gift we could ever have asked for”. As a teenager, Grace Davidson was told she had Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome, a condition where the womb is missing or hasn’t developed properly. To carry a baby in her body, Davidson needed a womb transplant. The donated womb came from Davidson’s…

At this time of year lots of children are preparing for exams and tests. In May, many pupils in Year 6 at primary schools in England will be taking a series of tests called SATs. This can be a stressful time but nearly everyone feels a bit anxious about taking a test of any kind. Why do you have to take tests? Taking tests is one of the ways in which teachers can assess your knowledge and understanding of the things you’ve been taught. In England, SATs (Standard Assessment Tests), are one of the biggest tests pupils take at primary school. They involve tests in English and maths, including reading, spelling, arithmetic and mathematical reasoning. SATs show how you are getting on with your learning and mean the Government can…

There was plenty of drama in the final of the BBC One series Gladiators, which took place on 12 April. In the show, members of the public take part in challenges that test their physical skills to the limit. They compete against each other, but they also contend with the show’s “Gladiators” – elite athletes who do their best to stop the contestants in their tracks. Two pairs battled in the final. In the women’s contest, gym owner Amanda Wah defeated supply teacher Aneila Afsar. In the Eliminator – a treacherous obstacle course that decides the winner – Wah finished in one minute, 18 seconds – the fastest women’s time of the series. She said it was a “dream come true”. In the men’s final, gymnastics coach Joe Fishburn beat…

Worst. Superhero. Ever. by Charlie Higson (Puffin Books) In the hilarious sequel to Worst. Holiday. Ever. Stan is offered a role as a superhero in a popular TV show and is absolutely terrified. He’s convinced he’s going to embarrass himself and worried about what his friends will think, but can he find a way to use his new-found fame for good? Pizazz by Sophy Henn (Simon & Schuster Children’s) This wacky and entertaining illustrated series introduces us to Pizazz, a young superhero who wishes she could be normal. It’s not easy wearing the same outfit all the time, missing fun stuff because you have to save the world, or being the good guy when you don’t feel like it. Perhaps being a hero isn’t quite so super after all? The…

Name: William The Mozart Question by Michael Morpurgo “Profound, heart-wrenching and important. This is an extraordinary tale of truth, resilience and the power of music. Everyone should read it!” YOUR TURN Please email your book review to 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.*…

It has been nine years since the original Crashlands game came out for mobile phones and PC. It was an adventure starring a space trucker and her robot assistant, who had to survive after crash-landing on a mysterious planet. Would you believe it, the same thing has happened again! In Crashlands 2, the same hero, Flux Dabes, blasted onto the planet Woanope – which is full of cute (but sometimes dangerous) alien characters. Survival is your first task: collecting plants, rocks and other items that will help you stay alive and explore the planet’s surface, as well as defending yourself against any angry aliens that cross your path. Minecraft-style crafting is a really big part of Crashlands 2. You build a home for yourself that will be your safe place,…

A cracking prize for top player On 30 March, football goalkeeper Jan de Boer won an unusual prize when he was voted man of the match: four trays of eggs. De Boer plays for the Norwegian club Bryne FK, which is based in an area where there are lots of farms producing eggs, meat and milk. Bryne fans often chant about their farming roots, and they can buy tickets to sit in a tractor by the pitch during games. After De Boer received his eggs, he made a big omelette to share with his teammates. Joint 101st birthday celebrations In Oxford, England, neighbours Josie Church and Anne Wallace-Hadrill celebrated their 101st birthdays on the same day. Both women were born on 1 April 1924, but are from different areas –…

No Place Like Home competition There is still time to enter this year’s No Place Like Home art and poetry competition, which is run by the charity Sanctuary Foundation. Pupils aged from seven to 18 are being asked to create art or poetry on the subject of being “separated from home”, to shine a spotlight on the importance of belonging and community. The top 30 entries will be exhibited at the British Library in London during Refugee Week (16–22 June), and the winner will be announced on 20 June. The deadline for entries is 9 May. Ask an adult to find out more at sanctuaryfoundation.org.uk/art 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…

1 In which country was Pope Francis born? ☐ a) Italy ☐ b) Argentina ☐ c) Malta 2 True or false? The UK Government is trialling a free dinner club at schools in England. ☐ True ☐ False 3 What is the name for Thai New Year? 4 What is the name of Superman’s dog sidekick? ☐ a) Krypto ☐ b) Lucky ☐ c) Superdog 5 True or false? Vet nurse Karla Berry thinks dolphins have a great aim and would do well at the Olympics. ☐ True ☐ False 6 To study them, scientists divide rainforests into how many layers? 7 In which year was the first sea cable laid between the UK and France? ☐ a) 1850 ☐ b) 1900 ☐ c) 1950 ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 29…

On 22 April, a trial was launched by the UK Government offering pupils free breakfast clubs at 750 schools in England. What does the trial involve? The breakfast clubs are 30-minute sessions before school starts, where children are given a free breakfast. Schools in nine areas of England have been given money by the Government to open the clubs, which will serve around 180,000 pupils. The trial is part of a plan to provide the clubs at every primary school in England. The area with the most schools in the trial is Devon. What are the benefits of the clubs? Free breakfast clubs help children and their parents or carers. Adults can take their children to school half an hour earlier, which can help them get to work on time…

Spain Healthier school menus adopted New rules now require Spanish schools to offer healthier food options. Fresh fruit and vegetables must be on offer every day, and fish and brown rice or pasta at least once a week. Sugary drinks and junk foods must also be removed from vending machines. Officials say it is because 74% of school cafeterias in Spain don’t meet health standards. Michigan, US Volunteers move thousands of books People in Chelsea, Michigan, helped a bookshop move to its new location by forming a human chain to pass the books along. Around 300 people stood in two lines between the old shop and the nearby new one to move 9,100 books. The shop’s owner, Michelle Tuplin, said it was powerful to see the sense of community in…

These fat and shiny beetles can be found across Wales and south and central England at this time of year. They spend the winter tucked up below the ground and emerge in spring and summer. The bloody-nosed beetle is named after its rather gruesome-looking defence mechanism. If it feels threatened it starts to ooze tiny drops of a foul-smelling red liquid called haemolymph from its mouth, which helps to keep predators away. Haemolymph, also called “insect blood”, is not actually blood – it doesn’t carry oxygen around the body and is mostly made of water. This flightless beetle, which is usually seen plodding over grassy areas, heathland or hedgerows, is around two centimetres long. Its body has a bluish sheen, a line running down its back and long legs divided…

Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga have been scoring goals and winning football games since growing up together in Malawi, Africa. Tabitha is now 28 and her sister is 26 and even though they are thousands of miles apart, they are still collecting trophies, setting records and beating goalkeepers. Tabitha has played in the top women’s league in France since 2023. In her first season playing for Paris Saint-Germain, she was the league’s highest scorer and won the Coupe de France competition. Tabitha then joined another French club, Lyon, who are favourites to win the league next month. On 27 April, she hopes to help Lyon beat English team Arsenal to reach the final of the Champions League, the highest level of football in Europe. In 2024, FIFA, which runs football around…

A new series featuring two of France’s most popular A cartoon characters is about to hit Netflix. Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight is based on one of the classic Asterix comic book stories (see panel below). The series is set in the year 50BC (2,075 years ago), in the time of the Roman Empire. All of Gaul (an area that is now mostly France) is controlled by the Romans, except for one small village, which defends itself with the help of a magic potion. Unfortunately, in The Big Fight, a mishap means the potion can no longer be prepared, so the warriors Asterix and Obelix have to find new ways to keep the Romans from invading their village. Fabrice Joubert, one of the series directors, tells The Week Junior…

by Lesley Parr. Illustrated by Richard Johnson (Barrington Stoke) Hayley is annoyed that her beloved cat keeps disappearing into the garden of the strange old lady who lives across the street. Lillian, or “Boo” as Hayley calls her, lives in the last house in the row after all the rest were knocked down years ago. She never leaves her house – and she gives Hayley the creeps. Then Hayley has an unexpected opportunity to meet Lillian properly and a surprising friendship begins to blossom. Could it be that Hayley has far more in common with Lillian than she ever realised? Soon, Hayley has uncovered the real reason that her neighbour doesn’t want to leave her home. Can she help Lillian find her way out into the world again? This gentle…

Hertfordshire Libraries was one of 10 Library of the Year winners at this year’s British Book Awards, winning the title for the East England region. Jane Mellors, from Hertfordshire Libraries, has been a librarian for more than 30 years. Mellors tells The Week Junior, “Libraries can transform lives in so many ways. They are a place to meet up with friends, as well as enter a magical world where you can lose yourself in books.” Here, Mellors shares her top tips on making the most of your local library. 1 How to join the library “Libraries are unique,” says Mellors. “They have thousands of books from a diverse range of authors and publishers.” Joining your local library is easy – and free. “Pop along with a parent or guardian and…

Nature provides some of the materials for this project – turning humble twigs into colourful ornamental letters. You can create words, names or personalised initials to decorate your house, hang on your bedroom door or give to people as presents. Ask for permission to cut twigs or find ones that have already been cut. Ask an adult for help because you might need strong scissors or secateurs (a garden tool) to cut thicker pieces. If you can’t find twigs, you can use wooden stirring sticks or lolly sticks instead. Twigs that are about five millimetres in diameter are a good thickness for making letters about 12–14 centimetres high, but you can make them any size you like. To make a round letter shape, you will need to use bendy twigs…

I hope you had a happy Easter. There was certainly a lot of delicious-looking baking going on. Thank you for all your fairy cake photos – I think we could almost have a fairy cake edition of the magazine! In this week’s issue we’ve got some great stories about the natural world. Scientists can now use radar to get a detailed understanding of the rainforest – but by observing from a distance, they still leave these precious places undisturbed. I wonder what they will find? Perhaps another fungus that packs a nasty flavour surprise like the bitter bracket on page 15. Recent reports of attacks on sea cables set us wondering how it is possible to lay cables along the sea bed for thousands of miles, across underwater valleys and…

Teacher’s name: Mr Bagnall School: International School Rheintal, Buchs, Switzerland “I like Mr Bagnall because he is funny and knows how to work jokes into lessons. He knows every student’s strengths and weaknesses so he can tailor the lessons for each student. He makes the lessons so fun.” Rory 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…