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An exhibition has opened in Scotland featuring young people’s views on issues that affect them. Which issue would you choose to turn into a poster and why? Get inspired by the art shown on page 7. One of Michael Rosen’s first poems was inspired by a book he read. Has a book inspired you to write and if so, which one? Find out all about the poet, author and performer on page 14. We’re celebrating how simple but kind actions can make life better for everyone. What is a kind thing you did for someone? Discover ways to show kindness in everyday life on page 21. The big debate Are tourist taxes a good idea? Page 10…

A big clean-up has begun in Jamaica, an island in the Caribbean, after it was hit by Hurricane Melissa on 28 October. At least 32 people in the country have died because of the powerful storm, which caused severe damage and flooding. What is a hurricane? Hurricanes are powerful storms that form over the northern Atlantic Ocean and the north-east Pacific. In other areas they are known as cyclones or typhoons. They have wind speeds of at least 74mph (miles per hour). They form when warm, moist air rises upwards from the ocean. The surrounding cooler air swirls around to replace the rising warm air, creating a spinning storm. There are five categories of hurricane. A category one hurricane, which has wind speeds of between 74 and 95mph, could damage…

On 31 October, the Welsh town of Aberystwyth and the wider county of Ceredigion were recognised for their contribution to literature by UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation). Stories have been written down in Ceredigion since the 5th century. The First Minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, said the international award shows “the vibrancy of the literary scene” in Aberystwyth and Ceredigion.…

Wilf Edwards-Eve, a 12-year-old from Kingston St Mary, England, has turned his love for his cocker spaniel Rusty into a business. Rusty’s Pet Pantry sells gift boxes filled with treats and toys for dogs across the UK. Wilf built the website and manages the money himself. The only help he received from an adult was to open a business bank account. Rusty was given the important role of taste tester. Wilf plans to also offer cat gift boxes soon. His message to aspiring young business owners is, “Don’t wait until you’re older. Do it now. Choose something you care about and then go for it.”…

The National Trust charity hopes that a herd of water buffalo at a site in Devon, England, will help restore land to its natural state. At the moment, the area is farmland but the conservation charity wants to turn it back into natural wetlands. These are areas where water partly covers the ground or only moves very slowly. By holding onto water, wetlands reduce the risk of flooding and are an important habitat for wildlife. The charity took over the Tattiscombe site in 2019. So far, it has introduced longhorn cattle and Mangalitza pigs to help dig up the land. The team also made leaky dams (barriers in rivers) to slow the flow of water through the area. Water buffalo come from Asia but they have been used in Europe…

A 10-year-old springer spaniel, who was rejected by five families for being too energetic, was recently named Animal of the Year by the charity International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The international award is one of the world’s biggest for animals who help to protect wildlife. Henry was struggling to find a permanent home until Louise Wilson, founder of Conservation K9 Consultancy in Wrexham, Wales, took him in. The organisation trains dogs to detect wildlife. Louise trained Henry herself, channelling his natural talents into protecting animals. Henry’s superpower is his nose. He can sniff out lots of different scents, from birds of prey to hedgehogs. Working with the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), he helps police gather evidence against criminals who target some of the UK’s most threatened species. For…

On 13 November, it’s Michael Rosen Day, in honour of the brilliant poet, author and performer. There’s a huge poetry party to celebrate and everyone is invited (you can join online). Who is Michael Rosen? Rosen has written more than 200 books for children and adults, including the popular picture book We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and a funny poetry collection, Quick, Let’s Get Out of Here. He often performs his poems too; in fact, Hot Food even sparked a meme (online joke) of Rosen saying the word “Nice!”. As a child he was “very happy, quite cheeky”, Rosen tells The Week Junior, and “friends were always very important for me”. He says he loved many books, but when he was 10 years old his favourite was The Wool-Pack…

“I saw a video on YouTube and thought it looked pretty cool,” says Tomas Woods about wheelchair motocross, also known as WCMX. It’s a thrilling sport where wheelchair users ride around a skatepark for 90 seconds, performing routines and tricks. Judges watch and award the highest score to the rider with the most impressive display. Woods, who is 17 and from Preston, England, first took part in WCMX in 2020 and he is now a three-time world champion. “It’s all about having fun on the skatepark. When people see it for the first time, a lot of them are stunned,” Woods tells The Week Junior. “It’s an action sport but I wouldn’t say it’s any more dangerous than a contact sport like football or rugby.” He won his first…

Tom Percival, author of The Wrong Shoes, told us it was important to him that readers understood how the main character, Will, was feeling because of his family’s money worries. “I wanted to show how that would feel to children who might not be aware of that situation, and enable children who recognise Will’s living situation to feel seen. It’s about feeling empathy and recognising that we all need to show kindness to ourselves and each other to move happily though the world.”…

The first instalment of a brand-new Harry Potteraudio series starring a full cast of actors has been released. The series brings the books to life with music, sound effects and actors voicing all of the different characters. For the first three audiobooks in the series, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley are voiced by Frankie Treadaway, Arabella Stanton and Max Lester. Other actors will voice the characters as they get older. The Week Junior met Frankie, Arabella and Max to talk about working on the series. The three explained that they mostly record their lines on their own. This can lead to moments that feel a bit silly. Max said he feels especially silly when he has to pretend to laugh while recording. “I always feel weird,” he said, “Because…

by Krystal Sutherland and Martin Seneviratne (Piccadilly Press) Krystal Sutherland is already a bestselling author of books for young adults. Here, she has joined forces with her husband, Martin Seneviratne, to write their first children’s book. It’s an action-packed sci-fi adventure, starring British Sri Lankan twins Patrick and Pearl Amarasinghe. The twins have rare skills: Patrick is a gifted historian who understands several ancient languages and Pearl is a brilliant scientist and inventor. When Pearl invents a real, working time machine the twins set out to discover what life was like in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. When their adventures go badly wrong, though, it’s their father’s stories about Sri Lanka that might help them put things right – and save not only the past, but the present and the…

Author Farah Karim-Cooper is the director of The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC, US, which is home to the world’s largest Shakespeare collection. In her latest book, All the World’s Your Stage: Shakespeare for Today, she invites young people to explore the famous playwright’s life and works. While writing her book, Karim-Cooper imagined herself aged 10 and meeting Shakespeare for the first time. It features eight of Shakespeare’s plays, retold for a younger audience. “I imagined the book that I would like to have read when I was 10,” she says. It’s also packed with facts about the writer and how his plays were shown in Elizabethan times. Watching one of his plays in a theatre would have felt similar to being at a football match, Karim-Cooper told The…

Town elects first pet mayor Things recently took a furry turn in Amherst, Canada, where a dog called Mr Bear was elected to be the town’s first pet mayor. The election, run by the Lillian Allbon Animal Shelter, had 10 pets competing, including nine dogs and a cat called Meowstache. People paid around £2.70 to vote, and the money raised went towards caring for animals at the shelter. Each pet had its own campaign promises, such as better dog parks and treats machines all around town. Mr Bear won, earning the special “collar of honour”. He spent his day as pet mayor sitting in the real mayor’s chair at the town hall. Egg cartons turned into trainers A Russian designer has created fashionable trainers using old egg cartons, showing that…

Artbox London This charity is an art studio that supports learning disabled and autistic artists to create, exhibit and sell their work. Through professional guidance, artists can explore their interests and develop their skills – helping them to produce original art that expresses their individuality and unique personalities. The charity helps artists develop confidence, independence and recognition for their talents. To find out more, ask an adult to visit artboxlondon.org…

“After reading issue 513 we were desperate to find fly agaric fungi. So off we went to the woods with our mischievous Labrador and we were over the moon when we finally spotted one!”Louis and Alfie “I visited Copenhagen and brought The Week Junior with me. I read it while sightseeing.”Eleanor “I made the gingerbread mummies from issue 515. My sister and I are allergic to wheat, egg and milk so we improvised with replacement ingredients and they turned out brilliantly. The whole family loved them.”Edward “I loved reading about National Braille Week in The Week Junior (issue 513). It was so interesting and it inspired me to make my own Braille message using glue and lentils.”Niyla We’re proud to be plastic-free The Week Junior is delivered without a wrapper.…

This issue is packed with poetry! We’re celebrating Michael Rosen Day on page 14, where you can read all about his brilliant writing and a big poetry party. We also meet a prize-winning young poet (page 11), who used her words to take on the issue of racism. On page 32, you can see reader Aadam’s poem about his parrot and on the same page you’ll find details of a competition for budding young poets. On People (page 11) there’s also a report on another type of artist taking on serious issues and helping others, and in our Wellbeing feature (page 21), author Tom Percival gives his tips on using kindness to make a nicer world. My favourite story is about Henry (page 13), a rescue dog who was rejected…

To gather data from the inside of Hurricane Melissa, the US sent an air force team known as the Hurricane Hunters to fly into the centre of the storm. The crew flew a specialised aircraft fitted with technology that can scan the storm and measure the wind speed and rain intensity. Although the flights are very dangerous, gathering the data is important for scientists to understand hurricanes better, which will help countries prepare for future storms and save lives.…

UPCYCLING SCHOOL UNIFORMS The airline EasyJet has donated staff uniforms to a charity called Level Trust (LT), which will upcycle them into school clothes for families who are struggling to afford them. LT will transform them into thousands of uniforms for students in Luton. A RESCUED TIGER A rescued tiger has found a new home near Bristol, England. Aqua was found at the border between Poland and Belarus, in eastern Europe, where he was being kept in poor conditions. After spending time recovering in Spain, he has now found his forever home at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm in Wraxall. POPPY’S SUPERPOWER A 10-year-old girl from Kent, England, took a test to find out if she had a learning difficulty known as dyslexia – and discovered that she has a really…

The Scottish island of Orkney welcomes lots of tourists every year. They come to see the island’s wild scenery, as well as ancient remains such as Skara Brae (a preserved Stone Age village) and the mysterious Ring of Brodgar, a 4,500-year-old stone circle. All these visitors cause problems for the small island, though. They generate a lot of rubbish and wear down the beautiful beaches and ancient paths that make Orkney so special. Tourism brings money to local businesses but someone has to pay to clean up and look after the facilities. Orkney Council wants to introduce an entry fee. Charging each visitor £5 could raise £2 million per year – but not everyone is keen. Should tourists pay a fee to help look after the places they visit? What…

A critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle was recently found on a Scottish beach, more than 3,000 miles from its usual home. The rare turtle was carefully transported to Scotland’s Sea Life Loch Lomond centre, where it is being looked after. • LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: 50 years. • HABITAT: Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the US. • SIZE: 55–66 centimetres long. • DIET: Crabs, jellyfish and seaweed. • FUN FACT: Females nest in big groups called arribadas. More than 40,000 were once filmed nesting on a beach in Mexico.…

On the Move In Poems About Migration (the movement of people from one place to another), Rosen draws on his life growing up in a Polish family in London; his knowledge of the Second World War (1939–45), which ended just before he was born; and what it’s like to have to leave your home. Out Of This World This collection was shortlisted for The Week Junior Book Awards. The poems aim to make you laugh, smile and think by asking questions such as: what would it be like to live in the future? What would happen if a monster ate every letter of the alphabet? What would you do if you were a cat? Totally True (and totally silly) Bedtime Stories These stories are perfect for “kids aged six to…

Looking at original artworks in galleries might do more than inspire you – it could help your body fight off illnesses, according to new research from King’s College London. Researchers tested 50 people aged between 18 and 40 at the Courtauld Gallery in London. Half the group viewed real masterpieces in the art gallery, by famous artists like Van Gogh, Manet and Gauguin; the others looked at copies of the same paintings in an ordinary room. All of them wore sensors tracking their heart rate and skin temperature, and they gave saliva samples to measure their stress levels. Those who saw the real artworks experienced a 22% drop in their levels of cortisol, which is the body’s main stress hormone. Hormones are messenger chemicals that carry instructions to each part…

India women’s cricket team India won the Women’s Cricket World Cup by beating South Africa in the final by 52 runs. It was the first time they have won the trophy. Aryna Sabalenka Sabalenka, from Belarus, defeated Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Saudi Arabia. Lewis King King captained England as they defeated Australia to win the Wheelchair Rugby League Ashes. He scored three tries in the second test match as England won an exciting close contest 48-42. Los Angeles Dodgers In baseball’s World Series, the Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays to take the title for the second year in a row.…

If you could time-travel, when would you go to? Krystal: I would use my time machine to travel back and solve all of the great unsolved mysteries of history. Martin: I would go way, way, way back to before there was even a single-celled organism on Earth. Martin, what was it like to write this, your first book?  Martin: Before Time Lions, all my writing had been research papers – apart from the odd poem. Working creatively was like working out muscles I didn’t even know I had. Do you identify with Pearl or Patrick more? Martin: Pearl has my passion for science but Patrick and I share a deep love of history. Krystal: Patrick loves reading, like me, but I also have Pearl’s flair for adventure. Over time, the…

Whether you’re setting up your gaming profile, homework app or email inbox, the chances are you’ll need to create a password. Choosing a good one is important. If someone else guesses it, they’ll be able to see your private information, pretend to be you and send messages to your friends – or even change the password to stop you getting back in. There are tips to make sure your passwords are as strong as possible. Don’t use anything that someone could guess if they had some information about you, such as your name (or your pet’s name), the place you live, your birthday or your favourite sports team or celebrity. Another good tip is to start by choosing two or three words that don’t usually go together. WobblyPenguinRocket and JellyBananaDragon…

Wordsearch Can you find all the accommodation types? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and read forwards or backwards. APARTMENT BEDSIT BUNGALOW CASTLE COTTAGE DIGS DUPLEX FARMHOUSE HIDEAWAY HIGH-RISE HOMESTEAD IGLOO LODGE LOFT LOG CABIN MANSION PALACE SHACK STUDIO TENEMENT Shortcode Eight letters of the alphabet have been replaced by numbers. Crack the code to find the words. Word fill in All these words fit in the grid. Can you work out where each word goes to complete it? 4 letters ASIA JADE RICE SILK 6 letters DRAGON PAGODA TEMPLE 7 letters DYNASTY LANTERN NOODLES 8 letters MANDARIN RICKSHAW SHANGHAI 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 two circles directly beneath…

1 Rob Jetten’s D66 party won the general election in which country? ☐ a) France ☐ b) Netherlands ☐ c) Austria 2 True or false? Aberystwyth is a city in Ireland. ☐ True ☐ False 3 In which city was a busy road closed off recently for 40,000 cyclists? 4 Skara Brae, a preserved Stone Age village, is on which Scottish island? ☐ a) Orkney ☐ b) Mull ☐ c) Skye 5 True or false? There are actually two Premier League football trophies. ☐ True ☐ False 6 What type of dog is Henry, recently named Animal of the Year? 7 Which of these books was written by Michael Rosen? ☐ a) We’re Going on a Bear Hunt ☐ b) The Very Hungry Caterpillar ☐ c) The Gruffalo 8 True…

A closely fought general election took place in the Netherlands on 29 October. Five parties were in the running to win, but in the end a party called D66 was named the winner. D66 will have to work with other parties in order to form a government. The D66 party, led by Rob Jetten, won 26 seats in the House of Representatives (part of the Netherlands’ parliament). The Freedom Party also got 26, but D66 won as they had the most votes. The election was called earlier this year after the country’s government collapsed. This followed disagreements between different parties in the government, which included the Freedom Party. There are 150 MPs in the House of Representatives, so Jetten will need to form a coalition with other parties. A coalition…

On 4 November, Rachel Reeves, the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, gave a speech ahead of the Budget on 26 November. The Chancellor is a senior minister in the UK Government and is in charge of the country’s money. What is the Budget? The Budget is a plan for how the Government will organise the UK’s money. A new Budget is usually decided and shared once every year. It is read out by the Chancellor in Parliament. Traditionally, on Budget day, the Chancellor carries a written speech to Parliament in a red case known as the Budget box. The Chancellor is usually photographed holding up the box outside 11 Downing Street, the Chancellor’s official home. This is next door to the Prime Minister’s official home at 10 Downing Street. This…

Michaela, a Year 6 student at St Chad’s Catholic Primary School, London, has won the No Room for Racism poetry competition, run by England’s football Premier League. Racism is when people are treated badly because of their skin colour, culture or nationality. In the contest, football clubs partnered with local schools to get young people writing poems on the theme “greatness comes from everywhere”. Clubs each submitted a poem and an overall winner was decided by an expert judging panel. Michaela’s poem, sent in by Crystal Palace FC, is about celebrating our differences and how togetherness makes us stronger. Michaela’s poem starts: “Greatness does not wear one face. No single way defines us all.” She said her teachers and family inspired her to write it. “They teach me that there’s…

“I want to make this place more inclusive for other disabled people who might come through the doors.” 11 November is Purple Tuesday, a day dedicated to making public spaces more accessible and inclusive for disabled people. Marie Tidball, a Member of Parliament, was born with a disability and is campaigning for better accessibility in London’s Houses of Parliament – including doors that open more easily and more accessible toilets.…

These birds are the UK’s smallest corvid – a family of birds that includes carrion crows, rooks and magpies. Found across most of the UK, jackdaws are sociable birds. In the colder months they can often be spotted flocking together to roost (rest) in trees – sometimes with rooks. At dusk and dawn, their group flights to and from roosting spots create a lot of noise. Jackdaws mate for life and you can often spot pairs within a flock of birds. Measuring up to 34 centimetres long, jackdaws are mostly black with a silvery colour around the back of their heads. Their eyes are pale blue-grey and they have a short black beak. The name jackdaw probably comes from two words. “Jack” was once used to describe a rogue (someone…

Night-time insects Scientists who track trillions of insects flying across the UK have discovered a decline in night-time insects. They monitored insect movements up to 700 metres above the ground. Between 2014 and 2021, numbers of daytime insects stayed at a good level and even increased in southern England, but numbers of night-time insects – such as moths – fell. Scientists think electric lighting may be affecting the insects’ behaviour.…

Scientists have made a breakthrough in helping people who struggle to see by inserting tiny electronic chips into the back of their eyes. The chips are only two millimetres wide, which is about as thick as a grain of rice. A trial programme involved 38 patients who suffer from an eye condition called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It mostly affects older people and makes the centre of their vision look blurry. About 600,000 people in the UK have AMD. The trial took place at 17 hospitals in five European countries, including the UK. The patients had a type of AMD called “dry AMD”. The disease damages cells at the back of the eye that detect light. Those light-sensitive cells transform light into electrical signals, which tell the brain what the…

Are you looking forward to the holidays? We are, and we’d love to know how you and your family will be celebrating. Whether you gather for Christmas, observe Hanukkah or simply enjoy the bright lights and fun, we’re inviting you to fill in our festive survey and tell us all about it. Your answers will be revealed in our Christmas issue, which is published on 18 December. What do we want to know? We’re asking about your family traditions, your favourite festive foods and how you spend your special day. There are about 11 questions for you to answer so it won’t take too long. How to get involved Have a look in the panel below to find out how to fill in the survey. Please get permission from a…

The Strange Disappearance of Imogen Good by Kirsty Applebaum (Nosy Crow) Fran doesn’t want to stay with her aunt and uncle and her unfriendly cousin Imogen. Then Imogen goes missing and her parents say they don’t have a daughter at all. Could an old fairy tale and a hidden garden full of strange statues hold the answer to the mystery? The Strange House by Raymond Briggs (Manderley Press) In The Strange House, by The Snowman author Raymond Briggs, two friends, Tim and Gerry, stumble upon an empty house, and after spotting a ghostly face behind a boarded-up window, they decide to investigate further. This new edition of the story has an introduction by author, illustrator and former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell. The House at the Edge of the World by…

Name: Isabella Agatha Oddly: The Secret Key by Lena Jones “Different, disastrous, super-sleuth. This is a quirky adventure story, featuring a girl trying to save London from an intentional water crisis. Dive into the first in the series!” 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.* *If you are the competition winner, we will only use the details you provide to contact you and arrange delivery of your competition prize.…

First invented by accident in 1829, terrariums are like mini greenhouses used to house plants. They usually feature layers of soil and pebbles, which allow the plants’ roots to drain, and charcoal, which keeps the terrarium fresh. Water in the plants naturally evaporates (turns into gas) through a process called transpiration. It’s trapped, so it condenses back into liquid once it hits the sides of the container and drips back down to water the plant – as if it’s raining inside. Terrariums are miniature ecosystems (communities of living things) that can last for years. British doctor Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward accidentally invented the terrarium when he put a moth cocoon into a sealed glass bottle, with some moist soil and a fern, hoping it would hatch. A plant sprouted and survived…

Teacher’s name: Mr Correa School: St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Berkhamsted, England “Mr Correa goes above and beyond to care for his students and give them the encouragement and support they need. He gives up his free time to run after-school football; he will buy extra resources for us if we need them and he sets quizzes to encourage us to learn in a fun and competitive way. Mr Correa is head of PE and loves all sports. He will always help us if we need it, that is why we think Mr Correa should be teacher of the week. He is absolutely incredible!” Emily, Evie and Margot If we pick your teacher as Teacher of the Week, we’ll send your school three free issues of The Week Junior.…

Poetry competition The East Riding Festival of Words has organised a poetry competition with the theme of My Universe. This can mean whatever you like – a sunny spot in your garden, a favourite memory or your idea of a perfect world. The competition is open to everyone in the UK and worldwide, and all entries will be judged by a panel of Yorkshire poets. The winners will be invited to read out their poems at a special event, and there are also cash prizes. The deadline to submit a poem is 10 January. For all the entry information, ask an adult to visit tinyurl.com/TWJ-poet 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…