Table of contents for 441 in The Week Junior

On 20 May, five days of mourning were announced in Iran after the country’s president, Ebrahim Raisi, and seven other people died in a helicopter crash the day before. What happened? On 19 May, Raisi took part in the official opening of two dams (structures that hold back water in a river) at the border of Iran and Azerbaijan. He then headed towards the Iranian city of Tabriz in a helicopter, but it crashed on the way there. The Iranian authorities have not yet given an exact cause, although government officials say the helicopter got into difficulty in fog and rain. Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, also died in the crash. Who was Ebrahim Raisi? Raisi won a presidential election in 2021, although several candidates were banned from entering it…

After Ruby made it her New Year’s resolution to do a fundraiser for Palestinian children, she and her mum, Michelle, set to work making sure she was able to keep it. Eight-year-old Ruby, from Leeds, England, had learned about the suffering of Palestinian people in Gaza and wanted to help. Gaza is a strip of land in a region called the Middle East that has been at the centre of a conflict since October last year. Ruby and Michelle decided they would walk up Ingleborough, the second-highest mountain in England’s Yorkshire Dales National Park, with around 50 friends. They chose to raise money for the Gaza Emergency Appeal fund set up by the charity Save the Children. Ruby and her friends had great fun on the hike. At the top…

Scientists are always on the lookout for ways to tackle climate change and stop biodiversity loss (the variety of plants and animals living in a particular habitat), but now a study has found a way to do both at the same time. A project that saw bison reintroduced to Romania is having a positive knock-on effect on the environment. Bison are large mammals that are in the same family of animals as cows. The European bison (one of two existing species of bison), was reintroduced to the wild in Romania in 2014 – more than 200 years after it had disappeared from the country, mainly due to hunting and habitat loss. Since then, more bison have been added to the herd, which lives in the Tarcu Mountains, and its population…

A new type of medical treatment has helped a toddler who was born deaf to be able to hear without a hearing aid. Ears usually work by catching sound waves and directing them towards the ear canal, which goes in from the part of your ear that you can see. The sound waves cause vibrations inside the ear. Part of the inner ear, the cochlea, looks like a snail’s shell. It is filled with lots of tiny hair cells that create a small electrical signal when they vibrate. This signal is sent to the brain, which understands it as sound. Opal Sandy, who is 18 months old, was born with a condition called auditory neuropathy. This means that the hair cells inside her cochlea are damaged, so the sounds detected…

On 18 May, Chelsea celebrated winning the Women’s Super League (WSL). The following day, Manchester City won the Premier League. The WSL is the highest level of women’s football in England and the Premier League is the top level for men. The contest to be crowned champions went to the exciting last games of the season in both competitions. Chelsea beat Manchester United 6-0 to finish top of the WSL, ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who beat Aston Villa 2-1. Chelsea’s victory means they have won the league for five seasons in a row and it was the perfect ending for coach Emma Hayes. Hayes has won seven WSL titles during 12 years at Chelsea and she is now leaving the club to become coach of the US women’s national…

Tweedy the clown is back – and this time, he’s in charge. His latest show, Tweedy’s Massive Circus, is touring the UK, but anyone going along to watch might be a little confused by the name. Tweedy tells The Week Junior that, as part of the act, lots of things to do with the show go a bit wrong. One of them is the tent, which is meant to be massive but ends up being tiny, although it means the audience is very close to the action. None of the acts show up, but Tweedy and his small team press on with the show as best they can. This is all part of the fun, and there’s lots to enjoy, including juggling, unicycling (a unicycle is a bike with only…

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory Available now on Netflix The gang from Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous are reunited when Darius, a fossil expert, discovers live dinosaurs in California. They must work together to stop a secret plan that could put the dinosaurs and themselves in danger. Knuckles Available now on Paramount+ This Sonic the Hedgehog spin-off series focuses on Knuckles the Echidna (an ant-eating mammal). He goes on a journey of self-discovery when he agrees to train a police officer in the ways of the Echidna warrior.…

What superpower would you want to have and why? I’ve always wanted to be able to pause time because I think it would be really useful. Do you ever tell lies? I don’t! I used to tell lots of white lies (a small one, usually told to be polite), but I stopped two years ago and haven’t lied since. I’ve learnt that it’s possible to tell the truth and still be kind. What is your favourite scene in the book? I love all the scenes where Priya is with her best friends Sami and Mei – particularly when they have sleepovers together. Would you rather laugh or cry when you’re reading? I love when I can laugh and cry together because I feel like that is very representative of life!…

When is a new video game not such a new game after all? When it’s a famous old Nintendo game that’s been remade for the Switch console, that’s when! Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is the latest example of the games company going back to one of its classics. In this case, it’s a game that first came out 20 years ago in 2004 for the GameCube console. Paper Mario is the perfect name, because in this game Mario, all his friends and enemies, and the scenery are made of paper. That means Mario is flat enough to squeeze through tiny gaps in walls and even fold himself into a paper plane to fly. The game sees you searching for legendary treasure across some colourful and zany levels, but it’s…

Land artist inspired by nature An artist in West Yorkshire, England, creates outdoor masterpieces using the natural objects he finds such as stones, sticks, leaves and berries. Winston Plowes, 58, says his “land art” patterns can take up to nine hours to complete, then they naturally fade back into the beaches, fields or forests where they’ve been created. Plowes says, “Working on a beach, it’s like having a giant Etch A Sketch – twice a day the whole thing is going to be wiped clean”. He keeps a record of his artworks by photographing them, and encourages everyone to have a go. “Art is for everybody,” he says. Ice cream van that’s just for dogs A dog groomer from New Addington, south London, has launched an ice cream van exclusively…

The Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has the final say on all major decisions in Iran. He is the leader of the Iranian military and controls the powerful Revolutionary Guard, a special branch of the armed forces. The president is the second-most powerful person in the country, responsible for the day-to-day running of government. They have the power to influence some of Iran’s policies. However, the president’s power to act can be restricted by parliament, as well as by the Supreme Leader.…

SHOWCASING AGRICULTURE From 15 to 18 May, Northern Ireland’s biggest farming and food show took place near Lisburn. More than 100,000 people attended the 155th Balmoral Show to see farm animals on display, as well as horse-riding and sheep-shearing competitions. AWARD-WINNING TACOS A simple street stall in Mexico has been given a Michelin star – an award that is given to some of the world’s best restaurants. El Califa de León in Mexico City makes tacos – hot snacks that have meat and other fillings wrapped in tortillas (a type of flatbread). Since the award, queues for the stall have stretched down the street. THE WORLD’S OLDEST ASTRONAUT Ed Dwight, who is 90 years old, has become the oldest person to reach space. More than 60 years ago, Dwight trained…

Marie Makuate, from Cameroon, plays an important role in getting medical help to people as quickly as possible during natural disasters. As a geospatial expert, she creates up-to-date maps that reveal the changes to the landscape caused by events such as earthquakes. This is vital to the emergency services because it lets them know, for example, which roads are still clear for them to use. In fact, Makuate used her skills when an earthquake struck Morocco in September 2023. She has also founded Geospatial Girls and Kids, which offers free training in geospatial science to young women.…

Eurasian Bittern Wildlife lovers are flocking to Somerset to see bitterns, a bird from same family as the heron. This shy species went extinct in England nearly 140 years ago. With help from conservationists, they have returned to some nature reserves, including Somerset’s Avalon Marshes, where there are now 40-50 pairs of breeding bitterns. LIFESPAN: Up to 11 years. HABITAT: Wetlands with reed beds across much of Europe and parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia. SIZE: 70-80 centimetres long and around 1 to 1.5 kilograms with a wingspan of 1.3 metres. DIET: Fish such as eels; amphibians like frogs; and insects. To kill them, a bittern stabs at its prey using its body weight. FUN FACT: Bitterns are Britain’s loudest bird. The sound they make is called a…

It’s the half-term break for lots of schools in the UK and that means many people will be jetting off for holidays. In fact, every day 100,000 planes take off and land around the world, meaning the sky above us can get busy. Making sure planes are able to reach their destinations safely isn’t just the responsibility of the pilots – there are also lots of people on the ground guiding planes through the skies. Who are they? In the UK, 1,700 air traffic controllers are employed by the National Air Traffic Service (NATS). NATS operates at 15 UK airport control towers – the tall structures you see at airports – and two bases, one in Swanwick, England, and the other at Prestwick, Scotland. Using special technology, these controllers make…

London Lions Their men’s team won the British Basketball League (BBL) play-offs and the women claimed victory in the Women’s British Basketball League (WBBL) play-offs. Sabrina Fortune The British athlete set a world record as she won the women’s shot put at the World Para Athletics Championships in Japan. England women T20 team They won all three games against Pakistan in their T20 cricket series. Iga Swiatek and Alexander Zverev At the Italian Open tennis tournament, Poland’s Swiatek won the women’s singles and Zverev, from Germany, was the men’s singles champion.…

Clown-like characters who acted foolishly were a popular feature of plays in ancient Greece and Rome. Joseph Grimaldi, who was born in England in 1778, is often described as the first modern clown. He made his first appearance in 1800, wearing the brightly coloured costume and make-up that are now associated with clowns. There have been many famous clowns such as Russia’s Oleg Popov, Bozo the Clown in the US, Ronald McDonald (the McDonald’s mascot) and Krusty the Clown from The Simpsons animated TV show.…

Shadow Fox by Carlie Sorosiak (Nosy Crow) In this magical story, told from the point of view of a wild fox, we meet Bee, whose family run a lakeside inn. Her grandmother has gone missing and Bee feels worried and upset. Meanwhile, Shadow the fox is missing the salmon that Bee’s nan always used to bring him. Soon, the two team up and embark on an adventure to find Bee’s nan. Little Foxes by Michael Morpurgo (HarperCollins Children’s) Bullied at school and unhappy at home, 10-year-old Billy finds peace in the wilderness by the canal, where he watches cygnets and a family of foxes. When his secret haven is discovered and the foxes are threatened, Billy and the last fox cub must run for their lives. A heartfelt animal adventure.…

Name: Sophie A Clock of Stars: Beyond the Mountains Francesca Gibbons “Mystery, sorcery and detail. With amazing pictures, and chapters just the right size, this book is full of curiosity and fun. It has a superb plot and spectacular characters.” YOUR TURN Please email your book review to us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk. If it is printed in the magazine you will receive a Roving Reporter badge. Please describe the book in three words, what you liked about it and why you’d recommend it to others. Don’t forget to include your name and address.* *If you are the competition winner, we will only use the details you provide to contact you and arrange delivery of your competition prize. Further details about how we manage the data you provide can be found at…

Did you know that it’s Empathy Day on 6 June? Empathy is being able to understand and experience other people’s feelings and points of view. Empathy Day celebrates the power of empathy to create a better world and aims to help young people harness this superpower. Empathy can boost happiness and connect people. There are all kinds of ways you can develop your empathy. Reading a story told from a character’s point of view helps you understand how others might feel in different situations. Another way is to share how you feel with others. Get creative and use your writing and drawing skills to record your emotions throughout the day on a personal Empathy Map. Start off by making a list of emotions. Perhaps you started the day feeling excited…

I’ve never thought of myself as a creative person, so I found the Wellbeing feature (page 19) on creativity very interesting. It explains that being creative isn’t only about being good at art or music – creativity can be expressed through baking, dancing, maths, puzzles, or anything that you enjoy doing. Best of all, whatever you do, it’s good for exercising your brain and helps to ease worries. There are lots of examples of creativity in this issue, including children designing a beautiful garden at the Chelsea Flower Show (page 5) and a dance style invented by young Brazilians that has been recognised as important (page 6). We also have Tweedy the clown on how he enjoys being a living cartoon (page 20) and lovely photos taken by our readers…

Inclusive Voices Write a short story to win a top prize! Inclusive Voices is a new competition encouraging people to share original stories. They need to be 550 words or less and feature a character with a print disability (one that prevents people being able to read words in a standard print size). Enter your story or poem in a written or recorded format (a video or voice message). You could have your story recorded as an audiobook. You have until 31 August to submit it via the Calibre Audio website. Inclusive Voices is part of audiobook charity Calibre Audio’s 50th anniversary celebrations. You can find out more at tinyurl.com/TWJ-inclusive GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full name and address so that we…

Teacher’s name: Mr Hillard School: Blenheim Primary School, Leeds “Mr Hillard is hilarious and always helps with our work. He always gets us into interesting stuff. Mr Hillard is kind and generous, and he makes our lessons fun! He is always willing to say positive things to us. He is respectful, understanding and patient. He is also passionate and polite. He helps us with our work in our class. In DT he taught us how to sew. He is the best teacher ever!” Keely 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…

1 Where is NASA practising for future Moon explorations? □ a) Arizona □ b) California □ c) Florida 2 True or false? The average adult has one litre of blood in their body. □ True □ False 3 In Egypt, scientists found a previously unknown branch of which river? 4 In which country is Istanbul? □ a) Iraq □ b) Syria □ c) Turkey 5 True or false? The heaviest land-based mammal in Europe is the European bison. □ True □ False 6 Which bird species is the loudest in Britain? 7 When did the first flight in an aeroplane happen? □ a) 1893 □ b) 1903 □ c) 1933 8 True or false? Grasshoppers, crickets and locusts have ears on their knees. □ True □ False 9 What do…

The most popular baby names in England and Wales for 2022 have been revealed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). As in 2021, Noah topped the list of boys’ names, with Muhammad and George second and third. Olivia was the most popular name for girls, followed by Amelia and Isla. The ONS started keeping records in 1904, when William was the top name for boys and Mary for girls. In 2022, William was in 24th place and Mary was outside the top 100.…

For some people, pets are a part of the family. When owners need to go somewhere for work, a holiday, or if they are moving, they have to carefully consider how to take their pets with them. This can often affect where, when and how they travel. In the past, pet owners travelling by air have had to put their pets in the cargo hold, a separate area in a plane that is usually underneath the cabin where passengers sit. Recently, more airlines have started allowing pet owners to bring small cats and dogs into the passenger cabin, as long as they are inside a special carrier. However lots of people are allergic (can have a bad physical reaction) to animal hair and others don’t feel comfortable on flights or…

Beloved by bumblebees, red clover is a common weed which – if allowed to – pops up all over lawns, fields and roadsides at this time of year. In fact, the charity Plantlife has an annual campaign called No Mow May, which asks gardeners to leave their lawns unmown so wild flowers can grow and provide vital food for pollinators. Red clover is also grown by farmers to feed livestock and to keep soil healthy for crops. The plant can grow up to 40cm high and has trefoil leaves (divided into three), each with a white v-shape on it. The pink flowers are rounded and have a fluffy look because of many thin petals. Red clover has been used for centuries in many cultures as a medicine for conditions including…

A fennec fox family For the first time, the world’s smallest fox type has been bred at Longleat, a safari park in Wiltshire, England. Keepers helped hand-rear two fennec fox kits (babies), feeding them every two hours, day and night. The plan is to reintroduce the kits to mother Zuri and father Enzi in the summer. The Arctic Scientists say that “jellification” (where too many jellyfish appear in an area) is likely to happen in the Arctic ocean. Climate change causes waters to warm and ice to melt, making jellyfish move north. Fish experts in Norway say that jellyfish are competing with fish like cod.…

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.…

Every single one of us has a creative side. It comes out in the way we do all sorts of things, such as solving riddles, playing games or dreaming up new ideas. What does it mean to be creative? Creativity is the way you use your imagination to express yourself. Neuroscientists (scientists researching the brain) describe it as the brain’s way of coming up with an idea that is original, new or different. Some people make art, music or paintings but that’s not the only way to be creative. You can be creative in anything you enjoy, such as baking, dancing, inventing games or playing with numbers. Creativity is about exploring playfully, explains Rakhee Jasani, a teacher and writer who helps people discover their creativity. She says, “The best thing…

by Radhika Sanghani (Usborne Publishing) Radhika Sanghani is a journalist, writer, yoga teacher and a campaigner for body positivity. This is her first children’s book – the story of 12-year-old Priya, who always keeps her true feelings locked up inside. It doesn’t matter if she’s worrying about her parents, feeling irritated by her sister, being bullied, or secretly crushing on Dan from gymnastics, she pretends that everything’s fine. Until, that is, she puts on a gold bangle she was left by her beloved Ba (grandmother). Suddenly, Priya finds herself unable to lie. What’s worse, she’s blurting out the truth to everyone – from telling her dad she hates his cooking, to confessing her feelings to Dan. Can she learn to be honest without hurting the people she cares about? This…

Adventure, mystery and friendship are the three words that England women’s football captain Leah Williamson and her cousin, author Jordan Glover, use to describe their new book. The Wonder Team and the Pharaoh’s Fortune is the second in their series, one which they are proud of having created together. Born four years apart, Williamson and Glover were as close as children as they are now. “We grew up in each other’s pockets, which was lovely”, says Williamson. Together they would perform talent shows, spend Sunday evenings at their grandma’s and go on holidays with their families. In the latest book, a disagreement on the school football pitch means Leah, her friends and the school bully, are flung back in time to Egypt in 1900, where they go on the hunt…

Crossword Read the clues carefully and write the answers into the grid. Across 1 Long part of a giraffe (4) 3 Writing tool that needs sharpening (6) 8 Farmer’s vehicle (7) 9 Floor-cleaning tool (3) 10 Concert instrument (5,5) 13 Expensive car (5,5) 17 Pig’s enclosure (3) 18 Ugly bird that eats dead animals (7) 19 Cord to tie up a parcel (6) 20 Cook (in a restaurant) (4) Down 1 Almonds, cashews etc (4) 2 Seat for one (5) 4 Listening organ (3) 5 Punctuation mark separating a list of items (5) 6 Portable computer (6) 7 Pebbles (6) 11 Breed of dog with curly hair (6) 12 Small fruits sold in bunches (6) 14 Binbag (5) 15 Sofa, settee (5) 16 Single piece of foliage (4) 18 Delivery…

Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust It doesn’t happen a lot, but every now and then, a child will spend time in hospital because they are poorly with cancer. The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust is there to help them get better when they come out. The charity takes young people on sailing adventures to help them feel happy again. They have loads of fun on a boat and make friends with other young people who have been in similar situations, helping them feel less lonely. Find out more at ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org…

“This was taken in Derbyshire, close to my home, during the Aurora on 10 May.” Florrie “I got a mention in your article as ‘the family who had to eat a load of yoghurts’ to build our scarecrow. This is me and our dalek scarecrow – you can see the yoghurt pots.” Eric “Me and my grandma made lasagna for dinner and it tasted really nice. It took an hour to make!” Yasmina…

We love hearing from you! It’s easy – just write a comment when you vote in our online Big Debate poll, or even record a voice note for The Week Junior Show. Last week we asked our readers whether the Commonwealth Games should be scrapped… “No – they are fun, people enjoy them, so they shouldn’t be scrapped.” “Yes, if people don’t want to go to it, or host it, I think it’s a waste of time.” “No, athletes would be really let down if the games were scrapped.” “Yes, it’s not inclusive of other countries that may want to compete.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…