Table of contents for 492 in The Week Junior

The British Book Awards winners were announced on 12 May. What’s the best book you’ve read this year and why did you like it? Find out who won awards on page 7. An exhibition called Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? has just opened at the Natural History Museum. Do you think aliens exist and if so, what could they teach us? Discover what’s on display in the exhibition on page 22. The European Parliament has voted to reduce protections for wolves. What do you think of allowing predators to roam free? Read more about the story on page 8. The big debate Should pets be allowed on the furniture? Page 10.…

On 10 May, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire (pause in fighting) after four days of attacks between the two countries. The fighting is part of a wider disagreement over Kashmir, an area that is claimed by both India and Pakistan. Where is Kashmir? Kashmir is a mountainous region in South Asia and parts of it are controlled by India, Pakistan and China. There are about 10 million people living in the India-controlled part and 4.5 million in the Pakistan-controlled part. The Indian and Pakistani areas are divided by a “line of control”, which was set up in 1972. Kashmir is a very popular destination for tourists and has millions of visitors each year. What triggered the fighting? On 22 April, there was an attack in Pahalgam, in India-controlled…

On 6 May, the UK and India agreed a trade deal that will cut tariffs on lots of products. This is a more complex deal than the one with the US, and has involved more than three years of discussions. Tariffs that India puts on UK cars will fall from about 110% to 10%. Tariffs on most UK imports to India will gradually be cut. In most cases, UK products being imported to India will be tariff-free within 10 years, including foods such as lamb and salmon (above). In return, the UK will remove tariffs on most goods from India, including clothing and shoes.…

Mari Luz Canaquiri Murayari from Peru is a winner of the 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize, which honours environmental activists who make a difference. Canaquiri lives in a village on the Marañon River and belongs to an indigenous community called the Kukama Kukamiria. Indigenous people are the descendants of those who lived somewhere before another culture arrived and took over. Canaquiri campaigned to protect the Marañon river and its wildlife. Her work paid off and last year judges ruled that the river has the same rights as a person, and the right to be free flowing and not polluted.…

A Kirk’s dik-dik, recently born at Chessington World of Adventures zoo in England, has been named Pistachio. A dik-dik is a small species of antelope. • LIFESPAN: Around five years in the wild. • HABITAT: Shrubland and savannah in eastern and southern Africa. • SIZE: Around 40cm tall. • DIET: Flowers, fruits, leaves and shoots, but rarely grass. • FUN FACT: Kirk’s dik-diks are water-independent, meaning they get their water from the food they eat, rather than by drinking.…

A fossil discovery in the Dominican A Republic has led scientists to believe that ancient crocodile-like predators once roamed the Caribbean islands. The predators, called sebecids, are now extinct. Scientists used to think that sebecids lived in South America until about 11 million years ago. The recent discovery shows that they carried on living in the Caribbean for at least five million years after they died out in South America. A few sebecid fossils have already been found in the Caribbean. Around 30 years ago, two 18-million-year-old teeth were found in Cuba. They were very sharp, so scientists knew they belonged to a predator. Another tooth, dating back 29 million years, was also found in Puerto Rico. However, scientists couldn’t tell which animal they belonged to from just the teeth.…

Mariona Caldentey Arsenal footballer Caldentey was named as the Women’s Super League (WSL) Player of the Year. British women’s 100 metre sprint team Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, Amy Hunt, Bianca Williams and Success Eduan won gold in the 4x100 metres at the World Relay Championships in China. Josh Tarling On 10 May, the British cyclist won stage two of the Giro d’Italia, which is one of the three biggest men’s races each year. St Helens and Wigan Warriors St Helens beat York and Wigan defeated Leeds to reach the rugby league Women’s Challenge Cup final at Wembley on 7 June.…

If you could step into any film, which would you choose? What a great question! And the answer is Time Bandits – because you could swoop in and out of wherever and whenever you wanted. What would be your dream role in the film industry? The job that looks the most fun is the woman in charge of all the owls (there are a lot of them) on Harry Potter. What is your drink of choice when writing? Really cold water. I put my water bottle in the fridge when I get up in the morning. So refreshing. Did you ever have a teacher as amazing as Ms Greenwood? Oh, I really did. The amazing Sister Paul was my teacher in Year 6. She knew everything and could do everything and…

Strange as it may seem, Sonic the Hedgehog wasn’t always a hedgehog. In fact, when his very first game was being created by games company Sega, he was originally going to be a rabbit. After his creators realised that the character’s rolling attacks would be better with spikes, they changed Sonic to a hedgehog and the game went on to be a massive success. Sonic Rumble is his latest game, and it’s coming out first for mobile phones and PCs rather than consoles. It’s a “party” game designed for up to 32 people to play at once online. It’s like a cross between Fall Guys and Super Mario Party, if you’ve played them. One difference is that Sonic Rumble features lots of characters from Sonic the Hedgehog’s history, from Sonic…

We’ve got a very space-themed issue this week. It starts with our fantastic cover, designed by illustrator Anita Mangan to mark the publication of The Fart That Saved the Universe, the book she created with her brother, Stephen. Do you think you could create something like that with your brother or sister? You can find out more about how they work together on page 25. On page 16, we report on news of the Horizon Europe programme, which supports teams of scientists and their research in many countries. When people work together they bring their own imagination and knowledge to share, discuss and build on each other’s ideas. Space exploration, for example, involves huge teams of experts in their own area. On page 22 we’ve got a report on a…

After British rule in India ended and the British Government withdrew, India was split into two countries: India and Pakistan. On 17 August 1947, a line marking the two separate countries was announced by British lawyers, who did not know the region. The border line divided the areas of Bengal and Punjab in two. The areas with more Muslims became Pakistan, and the regions with more Hindus and Sikhs became India. The partition of India forced around 15 million people to leave their homes. During this time there was a lot of violence and one million people died.…

THOMAS AND FRIENDS On 9 May, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first publication of Thomas the Tank Engine books, the very first episode of the Thomas & Friends TV series was released. The pilot (test) episode was made in 1983 but had never been shown before. ZAZA THE FOSSA At Chester Zoo, there’s been an exciting new arrival – a seven-year-old male fossa called Zaza, who was brought to Chester from San Diego Zoo in the US. Fossas are cat-like mammals from Madagascar. Chester Zoo is already home to a female fossa, Shala, who gave birth to triplets in 2022. PENGUINS IN PERIL In Teesside, England, a group called the Knitting Nannas have been making jumpers for penguins. The little jerseys were sent to a charity that looks…

For many people, pets are part of the family. This might mean you let them snuggle up with you on the sofa or sneak under the covers on a chilly night. For others, pets are still loved but they’re banned from jumping up onto the sofa or venturing into carpeted areas or bedrooms. This is because animals walk around outdoors and then come straight into the house. Many also shed fur naturally or feel the urge to claw furniture. Although pets bring joy to many homes, some people say it’s important to set boundaries and stop them from sitting on the furniture. Cat and dog beds were invented to give pets their own places to lie down, and sofas were invented for humans to relax on. What do you think…

This pretty plant grows in watery places across the UK between May and August. You might see its bright yellow flowers along the banks of canals, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and in wet woodlands and marshy or waterlogged areas. The yellow iris has tall and straight reed-like stems that are sometimes branched, and the plant can be 40 to 100 centimetres tall. Its grey-green leaves are long and pointed at the tip like a sword, although sometimes they droop at the end. A yellow iris’s large petals hang down, folding back on themselves. Iris beds often form clumps in the shallow parts of waterways, and there they can offer shelter and protection for animals such as moorhens and water voles. The flowers also attract pollinators such as bees and butterflies.…

England’s water supplies The Environment Agency, a public body that works to protect the environment, says there could be a drought this summer (a long period with little or no rain). Levels of water in England’s reservoirs (lakes used to hold water supplies) are lower than they should be at this time of year. Lots of the UK is classed as “extremely dry” and river flows in some areas have fallen. This follows the driest start to spring since 1956.…

From creating aeroplane fuel using yeast (a type of fungi used in baking and brewing) to a wasp-inspired device that delivers medication to the brain (see panel), the Horizon Europe funding programme has supported lots of incredible scientific developments. In January last year, the UK rejoined after three years out of the programme. New information shows that, since then, UK scientists have received more than £480 million in funding from Horizon Europe – which is a European Union (EU) programme that pays for scientific research. The EU is a group of 27 countries that work and trade together. However, some countries that aren’t part of the EU, including Norway, New Zealand and the UK, are alsopart of Horizon. The projects that receive funding can involve scientists in several countries, allowing…

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.…

Did you know that only about half of pupils in the UK walk to school? The charity Living Streets hopes to get more people moving during Walk to School Week (19–23 May). How is walking good for you? It may not feel as fun as playing football or splashing about in a pool, but walking is exercise and it’s great for your physical health. Tanya Braun from Living Streets says walking develops your muscles and strengthens your bones. It also gets your heart pumping, which boosts brain power and helps you concentrate in lessons. Going for a stroll can even make you more creative – famous thinkers such as Aristotle in ancient Greece found it helped them solve problems. After a long day of sitting down – walking, wheeling or…

In Great Numbers by various authors. Illustrated by Daniela Olejníková (Little Gestalten) Why does a minute have 60 seconds, not 100? Where does “zero” come from? Explore the role that numbers play in our everyday lives and find out how they shape the world we live in with this fascinating non-fiction book. Count by Melvin Burgess. Illustrated by Chris Mould (Andersen Press) Brandon is a boaster. When he takes up the challenge of counting to 10 million, no one believes he can do it but when he reaches 30,000 he goes viral. By the time he gets to a million, he has a stadium full of fans counting along with him. Soon, strange things begin to happen. Are the numbers taking over? Molly and the Mathematical Mystery by Dr Eugenia…

Name: Sophia Starfell: Willow Moss and the Vanished Kingdom by Dominique Valente “Funny, mysterious and exciting. It’s a great story where the characters are very silly sometimes. I really enjoyed reading this book.” 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.*…

Hello, my name’s Olaf Falafel; I’m a children’s author, illustrator, dad and a stand-up comedian. I also have an online Art Club. Each episode has useful drawing tips, information about artists and jokes, like this: How much does a chimney cost? Nothing, it’s on the house! I’ve just come back from a trip to Lisbon in Portugal, and apart from all of the custard tarts I ate, the most memorable things for me were the beautiful ceramic tiles that decorate the city’s buildings. Called azulejos, these colourful ceramic squares have been around for hundreds of years. Not only do they make buildings and streets look amazing, they also help to keep building interiors cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I’m going to make my own Lisbon-inspired tile…

Wordsearch Can you find all of the words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. BLOW BOTTLE BREEZE BUBBLES BURST COLOUR FLOATING FOAM FUN GAME LIQUID MACHINE MAGIC MIXTURE RAINBOW ROUND SHINY SOAP THIN TRICK Sudoku Place the numbers from 1 to 6 exactly once in each row, column and 2x3 bold-lined box, to complete the grid. Split words Piece together the pairs or groups of letters to find four colours. 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 110 137 145 610 907 4 numbers 3688 7006 7818 9521 5 numbers 27128 40051 52083 81047 6 numbers 128637 163530 456040 7 numbers 4774600…

Teacher’s name: Mr Morgan School: Ysgol Y Ddwylan, Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, Wales “Mr Morgan is the best teacher ever. When I joined his class he made me feel very welcome. He has helped me to improve in all my school subjects. We practise mindfulness before lessons and it helps to calm my class down. He’s been there when I needed him, he’s always kind, helpful and understanding. He makes me laugh every day!” Louie 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 JOKE OF THE WEEK “How does the Easter bunny stay fit? Eggs-ercise!” Bluebell…

“We really enjoy crafting things from nature.”Leo and Noah “I was really glad to have brought The Week Junior magazine when I was standing in queues for so many hours for rides!”Junsu “We did a fundraiser for Greenpeace by climbing Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). We have raised over £1,600.”Kaia and Carys “This is a giant daisy I found when out and about this week. It’s 21cm tall.”Scarlett We’re proud to be plastic-free The Week Junior is delivered without a wrapper. This decision was made in response to requests from our readers who wanted us to reduce waste. Since removing the wrap in 2019 we have saved our planet from more than 20 tonnes of plastic and made your magazine 100% recyclable. Very occasionally, magazines are damaged in the post. If you…

16 May 1975 Junko Tabei climbs Mount Everest Fifty years ago, 35-year-old Junko Tabei became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world at 8,849 metres. She was part of an expedition of 15 women. When close to the summit, they saw they were running out of the extra oxygen needed for high-altitude climbs. Only one of them could continue to the top, and the group chose Tabei. Tabei climbed her first mountain during a school trip when she was 10 and continued to climb all her life. She was also the first woman to complete the Seven Summits challenge (climbing the highest peaks in each of the seven continents). Junko Tabei at the top of Everest.…

Samples of Moon dust that were collected in 2020 have been temporarily given to the UK so scientists can carry out experiments on them. The dust was brought back to Earth by China’s Chang’e 5 space mission. It was gathered using a robotic arm that drilled into the Moon’s surface. At the time, no samples from the Moon had been brought back to Earth for more than 40 years. The samples were given to Professor Mahesh Anand at a special ceremony in Beijing, China’s capital. He carried them back to the UK in his hand luggage because he didn’t want to let them out of his sight. “I couldn’t risk losing them,” he told Sky News. He was one of just seven researchers outside China to be given access to…

On 8 May, US president Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced they had agreed a trade deal between the two countries. What is a trade deal? Trade deals are agreements between two or more countries that set out rules for how they buy and sell goods and services from each other. The aim of any trade deal is usually to reduce restrictions so the countries can trade together more easily. A common restriction on trade between countries is tariffs. These are payments that companies must pay their government for bringing goods in from other countries, which they then sell to customers. The amount charged is usually a percentage of the total value of the goods. The UK and the US agreement is all about these payments. On…

To mark National Numeracy Day on 21 May, The Week Junior spoke to artist, musician and writer Brook Tate, who is on a mission to make maths easier for everyone. From a young age, Tate said he was “terrified” by maths, a subject that often made him feel stupid. Instead, he found a love of acting, art and music. Tate later realised that lots of everyday skills required maths. Then he saw a link between his creative work and maths, in the form of patterns. “So many creative practices, whether that’s music, art or dancing, use patterns; and I love patterns,” he said. As soon as Tate realised that maths was full of patterns, he began to love that too. On a trip to India, Tate realised that there are…

A team of researchers are feeling hopeful about the future of axolotls after a recent project in Mexico City, the country’s capital. They released 18 axolotls that had been bred in captivity into artificial wetlands, where the animals thrived. Axolotls are critically endangered but there were once large numbers living in wetlands and lakes in southern Mexico City. In 1998, researchers said there were 6,000 axolotls per square kilometre in Lake Xochimilco. By 2014, there were just 36 per square kilometre. Their population has shrunk because of pollution and human activity. The quality of the water in Mexico City’s canals, which flow into the nearby lakes, has got worse over time. Also, rainbow trout living in fish farms nearby have escaped into the lakes and eaten food usually consumed by…

It’s no secret that people love a good boogie. Now, a head-bopping sea lion called Ronan is giving humans with rhythm some competition, after scientists found she was better at keeping a beat than people. Scientists in the US first discovered Ronan’s talents in 2012, when she was just three years old. Now that she’s an adult, they wanted to see if her skills had improved. To put her to the test, they filmed her bobbing her head to the beat as a drummer played at three different tempos. Tempo is the speed of music and it is measured in beats per minute. The team asked 10 students from the University of California to keep time to the same drum beats by moving their arms – and the scientists found…

On 8 May, millions of people were watching Vatican City, the home of the Catholic Church. Thousands gathered for a glimpse of the newly elected Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church. Robert Provost, known as Leo XIV, is the first American Pope but he is set to live the rest of his life in Vatican City. What is Vatican City? Despite its name, Vatican City is a country – and, measuring just 0.17 square miles, it is the smallest independent state in the world. Most of its population are priests and nuns. The Vatican is surrounded by Rome, Italy’s capital, which makes it an enclave. An enclave is a state or part of one surrounded by the territory of another country. An exclave is part of a state that…

From 23 to 26 May, more than 800 bowls clubs in England will be offering families the chance to try the sport for free. The Bowls’ Big Weekend event encourages people to find a club near them and discover how much fun they can have on a bowling green. At this time of year, bowls is a popular outdoor activity. It is played on a large area of grass called a green, which is divided into lanes called rinks. Players take turns to roll a bowl (a heavy ball) from one end of the rink towards a small white ball (known as a jack) at the other end. Each bowl has a “bias” that makes it move in a curve and not a straight line. The skill is to make…

Have you ever wondered what the surface of the Moon feels like? What outer space smells like or what it sounds like on Mars? You can find out at a new exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum called Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth? The show allows visitors to set off on their own mission of space discovery. There is now more evidence than ever before that there could be life beyond Earth. Visitors will be taken on a journey through the solar system to examine the evidence and ponder the question: are we alone in the universe? The exhibition has items on display and activities offering insights into early Earth, the icy moons of Jupiter and Saturn, and distant planets beyond our solar system. Visitors can touch a fragment…

by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Illustrated by Steven Lenton (Macmillan Children’s Books) Rafa and big brother Cillian aren’t happy about having to stay with their Uncle Miles and start at new schools. Rafa’s new life improves when he makes friends and meets Shakespeare-obsessed teacher Ms Greenwood. When they all set out on a school trip, they unexpectedly stray onto the set of a blockbuster movie. Thanks to Rafa’s striking similarity to the film’s young star, he is suddenly a VIP, with access to all areas. Rafa isn’t the only one having an adventure, though. Cillian has gone missing, leaving only a clue to his location. He can’t have gone to Hollywood, can he? In this hilarious, heart-warming story, Frank Cottrell-Boyce draws on his own experiences as a screenwriter, taking readers into the…

This week, the out-of-this-world cover of The Week Junior was designed and drawn by artist Anita Mangan. Anita also illustrated the fantastically funny book, The Fart That Saved the Universe, which is written by her brother, the actor and author Stephen Mangan. The Week Junior spoke to Anita and Stephen about their love of stories, which came from their dad, who inspired them with gripping, fun-filled tales. As a child, Stephen loved “every second” of reading. “Each book is a little world in itself, and when you find books that you love, you’re stepping into a world that completely absorbs you,” he says. Growing up, Anita enjoyed doodling and creating characters with ridiculous and funny names. Today, Anita has brought lots of Stephen’s stories to life with her amazing illustrations.…

The master of biscuit portraits To celebrate 100 years since the creation of the chocolate digestive, biscuit maker McVitie’s put on an exhibition in London earlier this month. Artist Ed Chapman was asked to create three portraits of famous UK faces using biscuits. He used digestives coated in dark, milk and white chocolate, as well as the plain sides. This gave him a range of tones to choose from, and he then covered the finished pictures in varnish. The portraits were of singer David Bowie, journalist Trevor McDonald and actor Judi Dench. A gripping finger-pulling contest On 27 April, 180 people took part in a fingerhakeln (finger wrestling) contest in Pang, Germany. Wearing traditional local costume, two competitors sit opposite each other and hook their middle fingers through a leather…

Name: Anaya “We do a forest school session every Friday fortnightly at our school. Our forest leaders (who are two mums from our class) help us do fun things in the wilderness of our school grounds. One day, over the campfire, they introduced a cooking opportunity – making cinnamon apples and toasting them overan open fire. It was so exciting and I made my own at home. You start by cutting the apples into rings so they are easier to toast. Then you dip them in a cinnamon/sugar mix and poke a skewer through the side. Then you need a toasting add-on to a grill (or an open flame of some sort). Toast your apples and mmm… delicious! ”…

Young Language Learner Anthology 2025 Open to children living in the UK, aged from six to 12, the Young Language Learner Anthology is a great opportunity for budding authors. Send in a story or comic written in a language that you have been learning (not your main language) and you could see your work included in a collection of stories that will be put together into a real book. This year’s theme is “galaxy adventure”. You could write a story in Spanish about a holiday to Mars, or a comic in Latin about an intergalactic rocket race. Find out more at bsmall.co.uk/ylla WIN A BADGE! 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…

1 What is the new Pope Robert Prevost’s official name? ☐ a) Leo XIV ☐ b) Innocent III ☐ c) Peter 2 True or false? The British Book Awards are known as the “Pennies”. ☐ True ☐ False 3 What is the leader of the German government’s official title? 4 Roughly how many pet dogs were there in the UK in 2024? ☐ a) 2 million ☐ b) 9 million ☐ c) 13 million 5 True or false? Brook Tate’s hero is Alan Shearer, the former footballer. ☐ True ☐ False 6 What type of banknote in Mexico features an axolotl? 7 Which country has the world’s smallest army, called the Swiss Guard? ☐ a) Austria ☐ b) Vatican City ☐ c) Sweden ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 33 8 True…