Table of contents for 451 in The Week Junior

On 27 July, a rocket attack in the Golan Heights killed 12 young people. The Golan Heights is an area on the border of Israel and Syria that has been occupied by Israel for many years. At the time of the attack, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in the US. He cut short this visit to return to Israel. What happened? A rocket hit a football pitch in Majdal Shams, a town in the Golan Heights. The next day, thousands of people gathered in the town for the funerals of victims. Israel has accused Hezbollah of being responsible for the attack but Hezbollah has denied being involved. Hezbollah is a terrorist group based in Lebanon. It was created in the early 1980s and is backed by Iran, a country…

Now that we’re into the summer holidays, lots of families will be planning to head to the seaside. It’s the perfect place to relax, play games, explore, swim in the sea and maybe have an ice cream. If someone asks you to picture a beach, you might imagine soft golden sand at a seaside resort, or even a tropical island with palm trees. On the other hand, you might picture somewhere like Elgol in Skye, Scotland, Brighton in England or Penarth in Wales, which are mostly shingle (pebbles). The UK has the third highest number of pebble beaches in the world – around 6,000. Some people say pebble beaches should be more appreciated but others say nothing beats a classic sandy beach. What do you think? Are sandy beaches better…

Last year, writer, artist and teacher Bobby Joseph became the Comics Laureate at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. This, and the fact that he was one of the first authors to create a British comic with black characters, made him the perfect judge for The Week Junior Book Awards graphic novel category. “For me, everything is related to comics,” Joseph told The Week Junior. When he was young, reading comics helped him develop a love of reading. As an adult, Joseph’s passion for comic books led him to create his own. As a teacher, Joseph has also seen what comics can bring to the classroom. He showed a Year 8 class a graphic novel version of William Shakespeare’s play Macbeth and it helped break down the story and gave…

Have you heard of “flying ant day”? This is when large swarms of winged ants appear. Actually, there is no one day. It usually happens during July and August, at different times across the UK. It’s triggered by the weather, which has to be warm and not windy. Before flying, the ants live with their colony in a nest. Most ants are workers: females that look after the egg-laying queen. However, some eggs hatch as males and some as young queens – these are the ants that take flight to search for a mate. Flying in swarms protects them from predators and their wings help them travel to find a partner. After mating, the males die. The queens chew off their own wings and look for a place to make…

Around 2.5 miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, a team of researchers has discovered lumps of metal that can produce oxygen in darkness. Scientists previously thought that oxygen could only be made by organisms (living things). Plants, algae and some types of bacteria use sunlight to make food in a process called photosynthesis, which also releases oxygen. About half of Earth’s oxygen comes from organisms in the ocean. It was a team of scientists from the Scottish Association for Marine Science who discovered the new source of oxygen. They wanted to find out how deep-sea mining (see panel) could affect marine life, and they focused on the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an area between Hawaii and Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. Sunlight can’t travel any further than about 0.6 miles…

EARTH PHOTO 2024…

Now that it’s the holidays, hopefully life has got slower. No rushing around trying to get ready in time, no trying to do things at the last minute. It’s a good habit to learn. Compare fast and slow During term time, most people are in a rush nearly constantly. This has its own name: “hurry sickness”, which means trying to do too many things at once. Compare that with life in the holidays. When you don’t rush, you can enjoy your meals more, for example. When you are calm, it’s easier to pack a swimming bag or picnic without forgetting anything. These are skills you can carry on from the holidays into other times of the year. Of course, there are occasions when you need to move fast but learning…

Edited by Serena Patel and Robin Stevens (Farshore) In 2021, top mystery authors Robin Stevens and Serena Patel asked lots of authors to join The Very Merry Murder Club and create a collection of wintry crime stories. Now they’re back – with 13 new short stories just right for summer holidays. The mysteries are by authors including Elle McNicoll, Patrice Lawrence and Sharna Jackson, and have lots of fantastic illustrations by Harry Woodgate. Featuring diverse characters, tales include a caravan holiday crime, tropical treachery, a wedding gone wrong and a sticky situation at a fruit farm. There is also an airport adventure by Patel and a locked-room mystery set in a bookshop by Stevens. The book challenges readers to turn detective, grab a magnifying glass and follow the clues to…

What you need • A piece of paper• A pencil• An eraser Hello, my name is Jonny Duddle. I’m the illustrator who created the cover art for the latest Harry Potter book series. Hagrid is my favourite character from the world of Harry Potter. He reminds me a bit of my dad, who was also big and hairy, loved animals and rode a very old motorbike. Hagrid is described as being twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide, with a bushy beard and wild hair. I like to exaggerate features as much as possible when I draw characters from books, so I’m going to draw Hagrid really, really wide with massive hands (as big as dustbin lids) and huge feet (the size of…

Our cover this week celebrates the fantastic Olympics opening ceremony in Paris (page 3). We’ve been cheering on Team GB and the medals were coming in thick and fast as we went to press. This week we are definitely in the holiday mood. Summer is a time to relax and enjoy yourself and, as you’ll see in our Wellbeing feature on page 19, maybe teach yourself a useful new habit. So much of life is spent rushing around, so wouldn’t it be good to make everyday life a bit more like the holidays? Learning to take your time with things is a great habit and could boost your wellbeing all year round. You could start the slowdown by joining Jonny Duddle on page 25, where he is drawing a very…

Snap nature photos Our sister magazine, The Week Junior Science+Nature, is challenging readers to get creative with a camera. To join in the annual Scavenger Hunt Photo Contest all you have to do is track down 10 natural treasures from a checklist, take a nature photo and ask an adult to enter it for you. This year, the winning photo will be featured on the front cover of Science+Nature, and there is camera gear worth over £900 plus loads of other cool prizes up for grabs. The competition is open until 26 August. Find out more at tinyurl.com/SN-SH24 GET INVOLVED Email your news, views and pictures to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Please include your full name and address so that we can send you a Roving Reporter badge if your contribution makes it…

Teacher’s name: Mrs Talbot School: Chartridge Combined School, Buckinghamshire “Mrs Talbot has made my last year at primary school the best I could have hoped for. She worked tirelessly to make our school production of The Jungle Book a huge success. She organised our residential to the Isle of Wight, a trip to the Houses of Parliament, a super fun day of arts, crafts and baking to celebrate our hard work during SATs week, and more. She also taught us everything we need to know in the lead-up to secondary school. Some great memories and I will miss her a lot!”Theo 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…

1 Scrap metal from which landmark has been used to make the 2024 Olympic medals? □ a) The Eiffel Tower □ b) The Statue of Liberty □ c) The London Eye 2 True or false? The first astronaut to walk on the Moon was Buzz Lightyear. □ True □ False 3 Where has a new law been passed that bans hair discrimination? 4 How many pebble beaches are there in the UK? □ a) Around 1,000 □ b) Around 3,000 □ c) Around 6,000 5 True or false? Sir Jack Petchey’s first business sold second-hand cars. □ True □ False 6 Which pet animals have more than 100 million nerve endings inside their incredible noses? 7 Which famous female fossil hunter was born 225 years ago? □ a) Mary Anning…

Thousands of Palestinians are returning to Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, after being told to leave by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to avoid fighting. The IDF have also told people to leave areas of central Gaza. On 27 July, the IDF attacked a school in the city of Deir al-Balah, saying that a Hamas base had been inside and was being used to plan attacks and store weapons. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry said the attack killed at least 30 people and that the victims were civilians (nonmilitary people). It says at least 39,000 people have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.…

FANTASY FANS A comic book convention returned to San Diego, in the US, last month. Comic-Con celebrates fantasy, science fiction and superhero stories, and fans dress up as characters. Stars from the Marvel films, The Mandalorian and Doctor Who also attended. TURTLES IN MARBELLA A group of 49 loggerhead turtles have been set free into the sea at Levante Beach in Marbella, Spain. The turtles were hatched from eggs that were discovered on a nearby beach last year. They were kept safe by veterinary staff to make sure the creatures grew big enough to be released into the wild. DOGS AND READERS The charity Guide Dogs has a new scheme to help children with sight loss improve their reading. At an event in the British Library in London, children read…

• Flowing bodies of water – oceans and rivers – carry sediment (solid material like earth, mud and rock). It ranges in size from grains of sand to stones.• When water loses its energy in sheltered areas like bays, the sediment falls to the bottom. This eventually builds up to form beaches and marshes.• Sandy beaches usually form in areas where the water is shallow and the waves are quite gentle. Pebble (shingle) beaches are often created in places where the waves have more energy.• Around one third of the UK’s coastline is made up of beaches – both sandy and pebbly ones.…

This summer, the most complete dinosaur fossil for a century was found on the Isle of Wight, England. Fossils are traces of ancient plants and animals that have been preserved in rock. In total, 149 of the dinosaur’s bones were discovered – and the animal has been named Comptonatus chasei. One of the most respected fossil collectors was digging up dinosaurs in the 19th century. She was called Mary Anning and 2024 marks 225 years since she was born. Where it all began Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, a town on the south coast of England. Anning’s father, Richard, was an amateur fossil dealer, and he often sold them to visitors and collectors to help support his family. After his death in 1810, Mary, her mother and…

Orienteering is an exciting sport where people move around a large outdoor course using a map and a compass. Competitors can run the course but orienteering is also an activity where people can jog or walk if they prefer. The aim is to move between checkpoints, also called controls, in a certain order in the quickest time possible. At the recent Junior World Orienteering Championships (JWOC) in Pilsen, Czech Republic, hundreds of the world’s top youngsters competed for prizes. There were events covering a range of distances, across different courses and for singles and teams. The Czech Republic was the most successful nation, winning four golds, two silvers and three bronze medals. Switzerland finished second with three golds, two silvers and two bronzes. Imogen Pieters was one of Britain’s best…

Between 10 and 25 August, the annual Edinburgh International Book Festival will cast words-based magic over Scotland’s capital city. The festival will host many famous names in literature, alongside exciting new authors and illustrators. Rachel Fox, children and schools programme director at the festival, tells The Week Junior that there will be lots on offer for children and families at this year’s event. “There are scientists, there are conservationists (people who work to protect nature), there are politicians, there are illustrators and comedians,” she says. There are also lots of brilliant events going on. Big Manny, a science whizz on social media, will be chatting and experimenting in the festival’s Spiegeltent; historian Suzie Edge will be taking children on a smelly journey into the past as she talks about poo…

The Dragon Prince: Mystery of Aaravos Season 6 (12) Available now on Netflix After a strange discovery, two human princes join forces with an elf and go on a quest for peace. The adventure is set in Xadia, a land filled with magical creatures, magic spells and mighty dragons. Time Bandits (PG) Available now on Apple TV+ A group of time-travelling thieves have a new recruit called Kevin. He’s an 11-year-old boy with a passion for history, and together they go on an epic adventure to save Kevin’s family and the world.…

Serena Patel & Robin Stevens The authors reveal why they love writing and what they take on holiday. Writing or editing? Why? Serena: Writing – because it’s my brain thinking up silly scenarios and moments that might or might not work. It doesn’t matter, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Robin: Writing – I love the feeling of inventing something but then being able to make it feel totally real to my readers. What do you love about murder mysteries? Serena: The solving of the puzzle, the characters caught in the spotlight, the planting of clues, the twists and turns, who did it? Robin: The puzzle of them! They’re so satisfying to solve. What’s inside your summer holiday suitcase? Serena: Books, sun cream and a little notepad in case I…

We need your help to decide which book will win our Children’s Choice book award. Scan the QR code or go to tinyurl.com/twj-vote-2024 to cast your vote. The winner will be the shortlisted book that receives the most votes overall. You can vote as many times as you like for your favourite book. Cast your vote to WIN PRIZES! All Children’s Choice award votes will be entered into a prize draw to win a £300 book bundle. Voting closes at 11.59pm on 5 September 2024. Terms and conditions apply.*…

“This is me painting the biggest canvas I have ever painted, it took me ages.”Zara “I went through all my old The Week Junior and cut out anything I wanted to do in the summer holidays, like recipes, craft activities and books I want to read.”Libby “I found this huge ammonite fossil at Monmouth Beach in Lyme Regis, Dorset, while I was on holiday.”Billy…

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 you whether company bosses get paid too much… “No, it’s a very tiring and consuming job.” “Yes, all they do is sit down and tell people to do things.” “No, the risks they take are much higher than employees’.” “Yes, they should give more money to the people that work for them.” Tell us what you think of this week’s issue and we’ll print some of the best comments here.…

Now that you’ve read a bit more about it, tell us what you think by voting in our poll at theweekjunior.co.uk/polls. Vote YES if you think sandy beaches beat pebble ones, or NO if you don’t. We’ll publish the results next week. The aim of the Big debate page is to present two sides of an issue fairly and objectively, in order to stimulate discussion and allow our readers to make up their minds. The views on the page do not reflect those of The Week Junior, and the page is not funded by third parties.…

Did you know that dogs can tell when we are stressed by sniffing our breath and sweat? Recently, a new study has revealed that the smell of human stress can affect dogs’ moods and decisions, and makes them more pessimistic (negative) about their choices. Researchers at the University of Bristol Veterinary School used 18 dogs, including spaniels, a miniature poodle and mixed breeds, and gave them a set of tests. The dogs were first shown that when a food bowl was put in one place it held a treat, but when it was in another place it was empty. When the dogs learned the difference between the two places they walked to the treat bowl faster than to the empty one. The team then added a third bowl, which was…

Spain under-19s football teams At the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Spain won both the women’s and men’s titles. Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen They won Great Britain’s first medal (bronze) at the Olympics in the synchronised three-metre springboard diving event. England men’s test cricket team On 28 July in Birmingham, England defeated West Indies by 10 wickets to win the three-match Test series 3-0. Claressa Shields The US boxer beat Canadian Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse on 27 July to become a world champion in four different weight divisions.…

The Boy to Beat the Gods by Ashley Thorpe (Usborne Publishing) In this exciting adventure, Kayode dreams of eating the fruit of the Orishas to gain the gods’ powers and stop them terrorising his people. So when a fruit mysteriously appears in his path after the Orishas take his sister, he leaps on it and gains amazing powers. Soon he has joined forces with a trickster god and a vengeful princess to save his sister. The Forest of Forbidden Magic by Eve Wersocki Morris (Hachette Children’s) Join Tig and Elsa on a journey deep into sinister Grimmhart Forest in this spine-tingling story. Weaving in mysterious letters, the silver charms of an ice wolf and a bad fairy, spooky secrets and ancient creatures, this dark tale is an enthralling read. Alex…

Speedrunning is the skill of playing games as fast as you can, whether that’s finishing a level or reaching and defeating a final boss in the quickest time possible. People have been speedrunning games for decades but thanks to YouTube, Twitch and social media, videos from the best speedrunners now reach millions of people. Could you do it? Nintendo’s latest Switch game wants to help you find out. Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition has more than 150 speedrun challenges to try, all based on the company’s famous retro (older) games. The games all originally came out for the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) console in the 1980s and include the original Legend of Zelda, Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros and Kirby’s Adventure. Each challenge takes a small part of the game…