Table of contents for 533 in The Week Junior

Scientists have released pictures of rare species photographed in Asia. Which rare animal would you most like to spot? Find out about the animals of the Annamite Mountains on page 12. The National Gallery brings amazing paintings to local communities. What is your favourite painting and why do you love it? Read about some of the works on show on page 22. Small things that make you happy can boost your mood. What everyday activities put a smile on your face? See some easy ways to create your own sparks of joy on page 21. The big debate Are audiobooks as good as reading? Page 10.…

On 19 February, the police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, King Charles III’s brother, on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Misconduct in public office is when a person does something seriously wrong while they are officially representing the UK. He is the first member of the British royal family to be arrested for 332 years. Who is Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor? He is one of the four children of Queen Elizabeth II, who died in 2022, and the brother of the King. He used to be known as Prince Andrew but, last year, King Charles removed this title because of reports about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to a convicted criminal. Earlier this year, Mountbatten-Windsor moved out of Royal Lodge, a mansion close to Windsor Castle in Berkshire, England. He moved into a home on the…

Children with SEND get different support depending on where they are in the UK. In Scotland, a system called Additional Support Needs (ASN) includes children struggling to learn because of issues at home or in school. In Wales, there has been a system called Additional Learning Needs (ALN) since 2021. It uses Individual Development Plans (IDPs) to give children help all through school. Northern Ireland still uses the term SEND and its system is similar to England’s. It has Statements of Special Educational Needs that outline pupils’ needs and how schools will meet them.…

Do you love curling up in a quiet corner with a book or do you prefer listening to a story? Many studies have shown that reading is good for you. It teaches you empathy (being able to understand and experience other people’s feelings and points of view). It also teaches you new words and boosts your imagination. Studies have shown that reading helps people feel happier, healthier and even live longer. Some people think listening to an audiobook is only a step towards the real thing, which is reading from a book in your hand. Others point out that people have told stories out loud for thousands of years, long before books were invented, so listening to a story is just as good as reading one. What do you think?…

Also called goosegrass, sticky bobs or sticky willy, cleavers are a plant found all over the UK. By this time of year, the plants start to shoot up in hedgerows, along the side of paths and roads, and in other wild spots. Best known as a fun plant you can stick onto people’s backs, cleavers are in the same family as the coffee plant and can be cooked and eaten like a vegetable when the plant is young (don’t try this without asking an adult first). The plant’s stickiness comes from the many tiny hooks covering its hairy-looking stem, which it uses to climb by sticking to anything nearby. Its fruits also have sticky hooks, just like Velcro, which help them attach to people and animals and spread their seeds…

This year marks 65 years since the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) was founded to protect wildlife across the globe. In 1961, the conservation organisation set up offices in the UK, Switzerland and US. Today, it has offices in nearly 100 countries. How did it start? The idea for WWF came from a businessman called Victor Stolan. In 1960, Stolan read a series of newspaper stories about how wildlife in East Africa had been hunted almost to extinction – and he wanted to do something about it. He shared his idea with Max Nicholson, who was in charge of a UK Government department concerned with protecting nature, and WWF was born. The panda logo was drawn by another founder, Sir Peter Scott, who said, “We wanted an animal that…

SEND YOUR PHOTOS Email them to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Once a month we feature photos by our readers. Ask a parent or carer to send in photos for you and make sure they read this: upon submitting images for publication, you the adult grant Future Publishing Ltd permission to publish the submission in the Week Junior publications and on their associated web and social pages. You warrant that you own or have the right to grant this permission and that Future’s use will not infringe the rights of any third party.…

Do you remember the last thing that made you smile? Finding sparks of joy brightens your day and gives you the power to overcome challenges. What are sparks of joy? These are little things that make you smile and feel good inside. They could include listening to your favourite song or sharing a silly joke with a friend. Even when something amazing happens, like winning a prize, the excitement doesn’t last forever. Studies show this is because everyone has a set level of happiness they usually return to after something good or bad happens. Finding sparks of joy can top up your mood. Author and happiness expert Pam Garramone says these sparks are everywhere if you look for them. “Focus on what’s good, what makes us smile,” she says. Is…

The popular television show Britain’sGot Talent (BGT) returned to ITV1 on 21 February with a new judge for the 19th series. Musician and YouTuber KSI was welcomed to the judges’ panel, after appearing as a guest judge last year. KSI took his seat next to three other judges who are familiar faces to fans of the show: music businessman Simon Cowell, actress and presenter Amanda Holden, and singer Alesha Dixon. Comedy duo Ant and Dec returned as hosts, a role they have held since BGT first started in 2007. Last year, magician Harry Moulding was crowned the winner after performing a card trick that featured him skydiving out of a plane. He won a £250,000 cash prize and appeared at the famous Royal Variety Performance. WATCH OUT Three million people…

Bunny Vs Monkey: Total Chaos by Jamie Smart (David Fickling Books) Plunge into the hilarious world of Bunny Vs Monkey in this graphic novel, full to the brim with mayhem and mischief. Monkey is scheming to take over The Woods and only Bunny can stop him. To do that, though, he’ll first need to find his thermal underwear and fire up the Flan Cannon. Skandar and the Secret Element by A.F. Steadman (Simon & Schuster) When Albert is whisked away to a mysterious island to bond with a powerful warrior unicorn, he meets a boy called Skandar, who is hiding a powerful secret. Even if you’re new to A.F. Steadman’s action-packed Skandar series, this makes a thrilling read for lovers of fantasy and edge-ofyour seat adventure. Chaos at the Chocolate…

Name: Bethany The Hunt for the Nightingale by Sarah Ann Juckes “Unputdownable, interesting and factual. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to find out about birds!” 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, Junior tell us what you liked about it and why you would recommend it to others. Don’t forget to include your name and address.* World Book Day® is a registered charity, company and trademark. *If you are the competition winner, we will only use the details you provide to contact you and arrange delivery of your competition prize.…

Name: Sonny “On a rainy day me and my family went to our local museum, the Russell-Cotes Museum in Bournemouth, England. It used to be a Victorian house and the owners travelled around the world collecting different souvenirs and art from their travels. First we went into the art gallery and saw lots of big paintings but my favourite part was seeing the Japanese exhibition. I loved seeing the warrior costumes, samurai swords and fancy jewellery. I sat for about an hour with my mum and drew the swords in my sketch book. There was even a pianist playing the piano in the main hall! I want to go back and draw some more.”…

We know that protecting the planet is very important to our readers, so you’ll enjoy the All About feature this week. I never realised that the World Wide Fund for Nature was started because a man named Victor Stolan read some articles in a newspaper about the threats facing many magnificent species in Africa. He was so shocked by what he read that he decided to do something about it. You can find out what happened on page 14. That is just one example of the power of reading, which we’re celebrating this week in the run-up to World Book Day. On pages 24 and 25 you’ll find five of the books you can buy for £1, as well as a book token. Do you prefer reading or listening to…

THIS LONELY MONKEY A baby monkey at a zoo in Japan has gone viral online after he was given an orangutan toy when his mother abandoned him. Punch, a Japanese macaque, was seen bonding with his soft toy. Punch is now starting to make friends with other monkeys. A YOUNG MAGICIAN Nigerian magician Ibitoye Kingfahd has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the longest magic show by an individual. His show was 50 hours long and he performed more than 1,200 tricks. He first learned magic by watching YouTube videos and spent eight months preparing for his show. DENNIS THE MENACE The Royal Mint, which is the official maker of the UK’s coins, has designed a special 50p coin to celebrate 75 years of Dennis the Menace in Beano.…

On 24 February, David Lammy, the Government’s Justice Secretary, said that from 1 April the cap (limit) on the number of days that Crown Courts in England and Wales can hear cases will be lifted. Crown Courts deal with the most serious crimes. The Ministry of Justice limits court days because of the cost but the Government is making more money available for extra days. Lammy hopes to reduce the list of people waiting to have cases heard in courts.…

On 8 March, a charity called Kids for Kids will be marking its 25th anniversary. It was set up by Patricia Parker to improve the lives of children living in Darfur, Sudan. Parker, who is 78, is now stepping down as head of the charity. She told The Week Junior that no one is too young, or too old, to make a change. Parker started Kids for Kids in 2001 after a trip to Darfur. She met a nine-year-old boy called Ibrahim who was on a seven-hour walk to get water for his family. After she met his mother and realised the tough conditions that children in their village were living in, Parker wanted to help. Since then, the charity has supported more than 600,000 people in more than 100…

The conservation charity Fauna & Flora has recently revealed the results of its 2025 study of Asia’s Annamite mountain range. Scientists set up a network of cameras deep in the jungle in order to study the rare animals that live there. The tree-covered Annamites stretch 700 miles through the countries of Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in Southeast Asia. The mountains are often called the Amazon of Asia because – like the Amazon in South America – there is a huge variety of species living there. These include animals that are found nowhere else in the world. Lots of them are at risk of extinction, because of people hunting them and destroying their habitat by cutting down trees. Researchers from Fauna & Flora hid about 300 camera traps (see panel) in…

If you have a brother or sister, you might think they get too much attention sometimes. It turns out that baboons feel the same. A new study has found that young baboons compete with their siblings for time with their mothers. This shows that jealousy is not just a human emotion. A team of scientists watching families of wild chacma baboons in Namibia, Africa, noticed that young baboons often interrupted their mothers when they were grooming another child, usually a younger brother or sister. Grooming – when an animal removes bugs and dirt from another’s fur – is a sign of affection, just like a hug is for humans. The scientists saw baboon children trying to get their mother’s attention. They did this by biting, slapping, pushing, crying or luring…

Scientists have discovered where a mysterious group of people who arrived in Britain around 2400BC came from. Their culture was linked to the Beaker People – an ancient group from western Europe known for making bell-shaped pottery. Within about 100 years, they had almost completely taken over from Britain’s earlier inhabitants, who built Stonehenge. The discovery was made by scientists at Harvard University, in the US. They studied the genomes of 112 people who lived in mainland Europe between 8500BC and 1700BC. A genome is a complete set of DNA (a chemical that carries all the information about a living thing). Everyone’s genome is slightly different. Scientists can extract DNA from ancient teeth and bones and that can give clues about ancient people and when different groups met or mixed…

On 22 February, the exciting 2026 Winter Olympics came to an end. It began on 6 February and took place in Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo and other areas in northern Italy. Britain won five medals, including three golds, equalling the most it had ever won at a Winter Olympics. There were 16 sports at the Games, including ice hockey, speed skating, figure skating and bobsleigh. Around 2,900 athletes from 93 countries competed. Norway topped the medal table, winning 18 golds, 12 silvers and 11 bronzes, a total of 41. Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo was the most successful athlete, winning six gold medals in crosscountry skiing. He now holds the record for the most golds won at a single Winter Olympics. Sturla Holm Laegreid (Norway) won three silvers and two bronzes in…

The National Gallery in London is home to more than 2,600 artworks – from the 13th to the 20th centuries. A new exhibition called Art on Your Doorstep is taking life-sized versions of some of these paintings to communities around the UK. The free outdoor exhibition is now running in Croydon, London. It will also visit Torquay, England, and Londonderry (Derry), Northern Ireland, next month. It will also be at Brentford and Kirklees, in England, and Newport, Isle of Wight, later this year. In each location, the local community has helped choose the paintings to be displayed. Croydon’s exhibition features 30 paintings. Caterina Loriggio, who works on cultural events in Croydon, told The Week Junior that they ran workshops with residents to choose the artworks. The workshops asked questions such…

Mary Poppins Returns Disney+, Amazon Prime Video The original Mary Poppins film has become a much-loved classic since it was first released in 1964. With Mary Poppins Returns (2018), the no-nonsense nanny is back, but this time Michael Banks – the young boy in the first film – has grown up and now he has three children of his own. To help them cope with a family tragedy, Mary Poppins, played by Emily Blunt, arrives and takes the children on a series of wild adventures filled with wacky characters, colourful dance scenes and new songs. The Mary Poppins movies are based on characters from books written by author P. L. Travers – and with World Book Day just around the corner, Mary Poppins Returns is perfect for a book-themed movie…

by Olivia Wakeford. Illustrated by David Litchfield (HarperCollins) Pit ponies were small, strong ponies that were once put to work deep underground in mines to pull carts filled with coal. Eventually machines were developed to do the work but pit ponies were still working in Britain as recently as the 1990s. In this story, Evan’s grandfather once worked in a coal mine – but he refuses to talk to Evan about what it was like, and about the poor pit ponies who worked down there in the dark. Evan wants to know more about Grandad’s past: he feels that if he can discover the truth, then the strange distance between them might disappear. What is Grandad hiding? This heartfelt story touches on the important relationships between grandchildren and grandparents, and…

Last year, school librarian Julie Broadbent won the 2025 Secondary School Librarian of the Year award. Broadbent has worked at Northampton International Academy in England for three and a half years, and the School Library Association gave her the award for her work making reading a positive and celebrated experience for children. Broadbent tells The Week Junior that being a librarian is the “best job ever” because she gets to help young people on their reading journey. When she joined the school, there hadn’t been a librarian for more than a year, and neither of the school’s libraries were working properly. Broadbent has transformed them. One of the big changes has been the Reading Pioneers club, which has grown from three to around 30 members. The Reading Pioneers promote a…

Monkeying about with socks An art student has secured herself a Guinness World Record by creating the world’s largest sock monkey. Emilia Evans-Munton’s mega creation was about 15 metres long, the length of three large cars parked end to end, and took two weeks to make. She used 60 metres of a fabric called corduroy stuffed with 40 bales of straw. The monkey’s giant eyes were made from recycled wood. Evans-Munton, who studies at Glasgow School of Art in Scotland, said she got the idea when she found a sock monkey she had made when she was little. Retro tech gets cuddly new look Crochet artist Nicole Nikolich has brought retro technology from the early 2000s back by stitching it out of yarn for a new exhibition. Retro technology refers…

Teacher’s name: Mr Edgar School: St Peter’s Church of England Primary School, London, England “Mr Edgar is kind and he makes maths easy. At break time he plays football with us and that also means that I can talk to him. He is really nice in English lessons because he lets us watch educational videos to make it more fun. He is also really funny. Sometimes instead of saying ‘ladies and gentlemen’, he says ‘ladies and germs’, which makes me laugh. At home time, so that he knows which child is leaving, we give him a fist pump before we leave.” Leonora 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…

“This is a photo of me reading my copy of The Week Junior on a ski lift in the French Alps.”Harriet “I made a colourful paper bird, to decorate my window. I love the way the light shines through the coloured paper.”Keera “This is me at the Free Spanish Hounds march on 1 February in London. The peaceful protest was attended by 300 people and more than 100 dogs to raise awareness of animal rights for Spanish hunting dogs. I made a sign and walked with my two podencos, Cliff and Alice, who were adopted from Hope for Podencos.”Bert “For the Winter Olympics I thought that birds could have as much fun as my family. So I made an apple bird feeder (issue 527) so they can have fun and…

1 What sort of stuffed toy was given to Punch the monkey to keep him company at a zoo in Japan? ☐ a) Giraffe ☐ b) Orangutan ☐ c) Bear 2 True or false? KPop Demon Hunters won best animated film at this year’s BAFTA awards. ☐ True ☐ False 3 Which country is “giving away” five of its islands for one year? 4 What is the third largest country in Africa? ☐ a) Kenya ☐ b) South Africa ☐ c) Sudan 5 True or false? Musician Sam Battle’s stage name is Look Mum No Computer. ☐ True ☐ False 6 What are baby pangolins known as? 7 Which animal is used in the World Wide Fund for Nature’s logo? ☐ a) Tiger ☐ b) Elephant ☐ c) Panda 8…

A report has shown the European countries that are most affected by loud noise from aeroplanes, cars and trains. These unwanted sounds (known as noise pollution) affect around 112 million people. According to the report, France has the most people suffering from noise pollution, with about 24 million affected. Germany is next with 22 million. Malta is the quietest country, with around 65,000 people affected. The UK was not included in the study. The report counts excessive noise as an average of more than 55 decibels (as loud as an electric toothbrush) – for the whole day-evening-night period – and above 50 decibels at night. Experts say that this level of long-term noise can affect people over time, including children. This is because human bodies react to noise like a…

The Government has announced plans to change the system in England for school pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The aim is to make sure more young people feel included in school. The Government said it will spend £4 billion over the next three years to help schools give extra learning support to pupils who need it. What is SEND? People with SEND can have trouble learning. This could be because of a physical disability, having different social or emotional needs, finding it very hard to concentrate or because they have challenges with reading, writing or understanding information. In England, 1.7 million pupils – almost one in five – have SEND. Possible support includes things such as special lesson plans, extra help from a teacher or teaching assistant,…

A teacher has been given an award for promoting learning and helping children in India get an education. Rouble Nagi won the Global Teacher Prize and £740,000 in prize money for the work she does through her Rouble Nagi Art Foundation. It has set up more than 800 learning centres for children who have never been to school before. Her organisation also paints colourful artwork on the walls of poor city communities, celebrating topics like science and the environment, to encourage more people to want to learn. “Learning can happen anywhere. You just have to make it interesting,” Nagi told the BBC.…

The US state of California has voted to list six groups of cougars under its Endangered Species Act. This means that government organisations must now protect the animals and their habitats by law. • LIFESPAN: Around 14–16 years. • HABITAT: Forests, prairies, deserts and swamps, from Canada in the north to Argentina in the south. • SIZE: Up to 2.5 metres long and weighing around 60 kilograms. • DIET: Includes moose, pigs, rodents. • FUN FACT: Also called mountain lions, panthers and pumas, cougars can leap up to 12 metres.…

Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in America have found a way to make parts of houses from recycled plastic. The frameworks of houses, called skeleton frames, are usually made out of wood, steel or concrete, and they have to be very strong to keep the whole structure standing. “We’ve estimated that the world needs about one billion new homes by 2050,” said engineer and inventor AJ Perez, who led MIT’s project. “If we try to make that many homes using wood, we would need to cut the equivalent of the Amazon rainforest three times over.” Also, making steel and concrete can be bad for the environment. Instead, MIT engineers have discovered that recycled plastic combined with bits of glass is strong enough to be used for these…

Loughborough Lightning They defeated London Pulse 18-17 in the Netball Super Cup final in Sheffield. Pulse were last year’s winners. James Milner Footballer Milner helped his team Brighton beat Brentford 2-0. It was his 654th Premier League appearance, which is more than any other player. Keely Hodgkinson The British athlete won the women’s 800 metres title at an indoor event in Liéven, France. She set a world record of 1 minute 54.87 seconds. Laura Muir Running at the Scottish cross-country championships, Muir won the women’s 10-kilometre race. She finished 13 seconds ahead of the runner-up.…

Whistlejacket This was painted by George Stubbs around 1762, and is a life-sized portrait of a prizewinning racehorse. The horse belonged to Charles Watson-Wentworth, who paid Stubbs to paint it. The artwork is huge – it’s nearly three metres tall. Surprised! Henri Rousseau’s 1891 painting was the first of around 20 artworks in his “jungle” collection. The jungles in his paintings were completely imaginary because Rousseau never left France. He initially picked up painting as a hobby and was entirely self-taught. Self Portrait in a Straw Hat In 1782, Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun painted this portrait of herself. When she was growing up, women weren’t allowed to get formal art training. She learned how to paint from her father and then taught herself, becoming a famous portrait painter.…

Operation Ouch! Available on CBBC and BBC iPlayer How do muscles grow? What makes your stomach rumble? Why do you have snot? Twins Dr Chris and Dr Xand are back with another series of Operation Ouch! to answer all the silly and serious questions that you might have about human bodies. Descendants/Zombies Worlds Collide: Concert Special Available on Disney+ When performers from Disney’s Descendants and Zombies movies and series went on tour together last year, they sold out shows across the US. Fans can watch the concert with guests including singer Rita Ora and actress Meg Donnelly, plus behind-the-scenes footage. Rumble Available on Netflix The animated comedy movie about the friendship between a clumsy wrestling monster and his ambitious young coach has come to Netflix. This “zero to hero” story…

What does family mean to you? Family means having people by your side no matter what. It’s people you choose, as well as those you are related to. How many books do you think you have read in your lifetime? Great question! I usually read at least 50 books a year, so it’ll be in the thousands. What is your favourite thing about Evan, your main character? I love Evan’s conviction and determination – even if it’s sometimes misdirected! What is the perfect writing spot? In my study, with a scented candle flickering, classical music playing and my dog curled up nearby, gently snoring and dreaming of cheese (probably). Tell us about your dog. My writing companion is a fox-red Labrador called Obi, who is a constant source of delight…

In the 2010s a new style of game took tablets and smartphones by storm: the endless runner. Viewed from behind your character, it involved running, jumping and dodging from side to side to avoid obstacles for as long as possible. Temple Run, Minion Rush and Jetpack Joyride were three examples of endless-runner games played by millions of people, but one rival stood (and ran) well above the crowd: Subway Surfers. Set in the underground network of a city, it involved collecting coins and power-ups while avoiding tube trains and barriers – often with the help of pogo sticks and hoverboards to “surf” out of danger. It is still played by more than 100 million people every mont. Now there is a follow-up game, Subway Surfers City, for Android and Apple…

Wordsearch Can you find all of the flying things listed? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. AEROPLANE BALLOON BAT BEE BIRD BLIMP BUTTERFLY DRONE FLAG GLIDER HELICOPTER INSECT JET KITE MICROLIGHT MOTH ROCKET SPACESHIP WASP ZEPPELIN Split words For World Book Day, rearrange the groups of letters to find words from the Treasure Island adventure story. Number fit All these numbers fit in the grid. Can you work out where they go? We’ve placed one to start you off. 3 numbers 137 393 401 661 681 718 938 4 numbers 6884 8140 5 numbers 36132 64304 70247 6 numbers 232358 501877 761781 7 numbers 2837286 3055626 8096816 8 numbers 24764167 50274830 61640500 81680387 9 numbers 338626776 465144183 512452291 Sudoku Place the numbers from…

This March, thousands of children, schools and families around the world are sewing softies in the Global Kids Sewing Party. It’s fun, creative and super simple. Anyone can make a difference to their community by giving their creations; all you need is a needle, thread, fabric and some stuffing and you’re ready to go. If you’re looking for inspiration or imaginative easy-to-sew softie ideas, there are lots of free sewing tutorials at the Sew a Softie website. To register, ask an adult to help you visit tinyurl.com/TWJ-Sew 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 if your contribution makes it onto the page. We will only use the details you…