Table of contents for 530 in The Week Junior

February is a great time to spot jelly ear fungus, which looks like a human ear growing on a branch. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen in nature? Discover where to spot jelly ears on page 12. It’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February. Which female scientist do you most admire? Find out more about some of the brilliant women in science on page 25. In Greenland there are no roads between towns and many people get around by dog-drawn sleds. What’s your favourite way to travel? Read all about Greenland on page 14. The big debate Should the UK restrict social media? Page 10.…

On 2 February, Israel reopened the Rafah Crossing, which is the only route between Gaza and Egypt. Gaza is a strip of land that borders Israel and Egypt, and it is home to 2.1 million Palestinian people. Why has the crossing reopened? The opening of the route is part of a plan for peace between Israel and Hamas that was announced by the US and other countries in September 2025. Hamas governs Gaza and is classified as a terrorist group by the UK. On 7 October 2023, Hamas attacked Israel. Around 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage (prisoner). Israel responded by attacking Gaza. Since then, more than 71,000 Palestinian people have been killed. During the conflict, the Israeli government closed the Rafah Crossing, accusing Hamas of taking…

Last month, the UK approved plans to build a new Chinese embassy in London. An embassy is a building where a group of people work to represent their country in a foreign country. There is already a Chinese embassy in London, but the new one will be much bigger. In 2018, China bought the land and an old building where they planned to build the embassy for £255 million. Plans for the new embassy include an underground section with 208 rooms, which lots of MPs are concerned could be used for spying. The old building has not been used since 1975.…

CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson is an ambassador for the charity Place2Be and a supporter of Children’s Mental Health Week. Running from 9 to 15 February, the annual event raises awareness of mental health, giving a voice to young people. This year’s theme is “This is My Place” and is all about helping young people to feel a sense of belonging. Stephenson tells The Week Junior that there are lots of things that make him feel as if he belongs, including his family, friends and his church. He says when he visits Jamaica, where his family comes from, he feels a strong sense of belonging. “I get to be surrounded by people who look like me and act in a way I may act with my family, but not necessarily with…

Researchers have found that spider monkeys share information about the best places to find food. Spider monkeys (see panel) can be found in Central and South America and live in large social groups of up to 100 animals, but usually search for food in smaller groups. The study found that monkeys switch between these groups all the time in order to share knowledge. Scientists used seven years’ worth of data on spider monkey behaviour, gathered from studies in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. These followed a species called Geoffroy’s spider monkeys. The researchers tracked where individual monkeys went, and when they met up with other monkeys. The team created a map of the monkeys’ knowledge of the forest and where there were gaps. They also looked at how much fruit was available,…

Sea turtles may be better at adapting to climate change than scientists thought. In the past, biologists were worried that the turtles could become extinct because of rising temperatures. This is because the temperature turtle eggs are kept at determines whether their babies are male or female. If eggs are incubated (kept warm before hatching) at over 31° C, the hatchlings (newly born turtles) will be female. Scientists were concerned that there would be too many female turtles hatching – and, with fewer males, turtle populations could collapse. A turtle has to be several months old before it is possible to tell whether it is male or female, but researchers at Queen Mary University of London developed a way to identify the sex of a baby turtle from taking a…

Whales Whales in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada have started to eat more fish and fewer krill (tiny shrimp-like creatures) than they used to. Scientists say this could be because warming waters caused by climate change are leading to krill being less widely available. The shift to fish over krill was observed in fin, humpback (pictured) and minke whales. The study’s author said the information should be used to help protect whales and the area they live in.…

Thousands of poorly children are being looked after at home in “virtual hospital wards”. A virtual ward – also known as a “hospital at home” – uses technology to monitor patients from the comfort of their own beds. This means that some children who have conditions including asthma, heart failure and lung infections no longer have to spend long periods in hospital. The patients are given technology at home that sends data to medical staff at a local hospital. Nurses and doctors can still visit patients at home for check-ups, blood tests and giving medicine. Some hospitals use tools made by virtual care companies. This technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) that can carry out tasks such as checking a patient’s heart and temperature through wearable devices linked to an app.…

On 31 January, Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open women’s singles title for the first time. The next day, in the men’s final, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic to win his first Australian Open championship. The Australian Open is one of the four biggest tennis competitions each year, which are known as the “Grand Slam” events. The other three are Wimbledon, the US Open and the French Open. Rybakina, who is 26 and represents Kazakhstan, defeated Sabalenka, from Belarus, in an exciting final. They had both won one set each and in the deciding third set, Sabalenka was ahead three games to zero. Rybakina fought back, though, by winning five games in a row and eventually the match. Three years ago, Rybakina lost the Australian Open…

The nominations for this year’s Brit Awards have been revealed, with singers Lola Young and Olivia Dean topping the list with five each. The Brit Awards, also known as The Brits, is one of the biggest events for the UK music industry. This year it will take place on 28 February at the Co-op Live venue in Manchester. It is the first time the awards have been held outside of London, since they started in 1977. Other nominees this year include Raye, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Little Simz, Sam Fender, Cynthia Erivo for her rendition of Defying Gravity from Wicked and the KPop Demon Hunters’ song Golden. Most of the awards are decided by the Brits Voting Academy (made up of 1,200 music industry experts). The winners of Song of…

Reggie Houser has the Power by Helen Rutter (Scholastic) Reggie feels lonely and struggles to fit in. When he starts secondary school, he’s determined things are going to change. Can a surprising new skill – hypnosis (putting someone into a sleep-like, relaxed state) – help him make friends and find a way to belong? Ghostlines by Katya Balen (Bloomsbury) Tilda lives on the Island of Ayrie, where everybody knows everyone. When newcomer Albie arrives on the island, Tilda tries to show him how beautiful and perfect Ayrie is, but he just wants to be left alone. Eventually, she takes him on a boat trip to an old haunted island nearby, realising it’s the only way to make Albie see what is so special about Ayrie. The Star of Kazan by…

Name: Emma The Shapeshifter: Finding the Fox by Ali Sparkes “Magnetic, magical, mysterious. I like it because it includes the impossible. It has a mystery on every page.” 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. Further details about how we manage the data you provide can be found at www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy…

1 Use AI to tell you some facts about your favourite animal. 2 Use AI to play your favourite song. 3 Use AI to play some funny noises. 4 Use AI to change a photo of a friend so they look silly and share it. 5 Use AI to get some tips for a game you like playing. 6 Use AI to tell a mean joke about your friend. 7 Ask AI to play a trailer for a movie. 8 Ask AI to make a fake news story that you tell friends is real. On Screen 1 Ok 2 Ok 3 Ok 4 Notok 5 Ok 6 Notok 7 Ok 8 Notok…

Wordsearch Can you find all of the pet-related words? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. BOWL BUDGIE BUNNY CAGE CAT COCKATOO COMPANION DOG FISH TANK GERBIL KENNEL LIZARD MOUSE NAME TAG PONY PUPPY RABBIT TORTOISE TREAT WALKIES ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 33 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 it. 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 BERN RIGA 5 letters JEREZ SPLIT 6 letters KRAKOW NAPLES…

Ruby Robin Award Birds can struggle during the winter when it gets cold and food is hard to find – so the bird conservation charity SongBird Survival wants you to help. It has created a list of fun challenges including creating bird feeders and learning “worm charming” (getting worms to come to the surface of the soil). Everyone who completes four challenges and makes a claim before 28 February will get a Ruby Robin Award. If you want to protect wildlife, this is the perfect opportunity to do so while connecting with nature. Ask an adult to help you sign up at tinyurl.com/TWJ-ruby 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…

1 Which artist holds the record for the most Grammy wins? □ a) Taylor Swift □ b) Beyoncé □ c) Bad Bunny 2 True or false? Labubus are made by the toy company Mattel. □ True □ False 3 Where has a red toy horse that appears to be crying become a must-have toy? 4 Which country was the first to ban under-16s from using social media? □ a) Australia □ b) France □ c) Japan 5 True or false? Friends John Kuei and Giel Malual walked from Dungeness to John O’Groats to raise funds to open a school in Chad, Africa. □ True □ False 6 Which body parts do spider monkeys use to hug each other? 7 Roughly how many eggs does the average female green sea turtle…

Where’s your happy place? Children’s Mental Health Week, which starts on 9 February, has the theme “This is My Place”. To find out more, have a look at page 11, where we have an interview with Rhys Stephenson, an ambassador for Place2Be, the charity behind the event. He talks about what it means to him to feel like he belongs. Our Wellbeing feature (page 21) explores why it’s so important to feel like you belong somewhere. It doesn’t have to be in a big group or at the centre of attention – where you belong is where you feel your best, happiest self. If you’re not sure (or even if you are!), have a go at the activity on How to (page 27). There, artist Ricky Martin shows how to…

Food writer and television presenter Nigella Lawson will become a new judge on Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off later this year. She replaces Prue Leith, who left to enjoy more free time, saying, “I’m 86 for goodness sake!” Lawson started her career as a journalist and food critic. Her first cookbook, How To Eat, came out in 1998. She wrote lots more books and has starred in several cookery programmes, although she calls herself a “kitchen klutz”. Lawson told ITV’s This Morning that she was excited and “a teeny bit frightened”. She added, “I’m all about the eating. If I see my job as eating, it’s not too daunting. I can eat.”…

All seven species of spider monkey are excellent at swinging through treetops, and use their long tails like another arm. They are called spider monkeys because when they hang upside down by their tails, all their dangling limbs can make them look like many-legged spiders. They weigh about as much as a large pet cat, mostly eat fruit and seldom come down from trees. Babies travel on their mother’s stomach for the first 16 weeks, and then on their mum’s back.…

Conservationists are working to restore a forest in Ecuador that is a crucial habitat for black-breasted pufflegs. This rare species is a type of hummingbird, named for the white feathery “trousers” it has around its legs. There are just 150 to 200 of the birds left in the wild. • LIFESPAN: Five to 10 years. • HABITAT: Humid cloud forests that are found high up in the Andean mountain range in Ecuador. • SIZE: About nine centimetres. • DIET: Insects and flower nectar. • FUN FACT: Hummingbirds can fly backwards and upside down.…

Greenland sits off the coast of Canada and is so vast that the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Switzerland and Belgium could all fit inside it. About two-thirds of the country is inside the Arctic Circle – Earth’s northernmost region. Recently, US president Donald Trump said he wants to take control of it. This led to protests in Greenland and wider discussions about the country and its importance. What is the history of Greenland? Humans arrived in Greenland between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago. They travelled from the continent of North America when the narrow sea passage between the two masses of land froze solid. Most of the current population are descendants of the Thule people, who came from Alaska and Canada around 800 years ago. About 200 years…

Arsenal women Arsenal won the new FIFA Women’s Champions Cup competition. They defeated Corinthians, from Brazil, 3-2 in the final at Arsenal’s home ground, the Emirates Stadium. South Africa women’s netball They beat England by two games to one in their international series competition in South Africa. Sheffield Hatters and London Lions In basketball, Sheffield Hatters won the Betty Codona Trophy, and the London Lions won the Super League Basketball Trophy. Gloucester-Hartpury In women’s rugby, Gloucester-Hartpury won their eighth game in a row by beating Loughborough Lightning 45-26.…

Up on a hill above the village of Grubbers Nubbin sits Castle Grotteskew. Inside the castle’s walls lurks a group of monsters of every shape and size imaginable. Each one was brought to life by a mad professor, including his first creation, a sewn-together boy called Stitch Head. Although they look scary, the monsters have been taught to fear humans in an attempt to keep them in the castle. One day, the balance of life in their hilltop home is threatened when the leader of a travelling circus turns up in search of his next performer. The monsters in the movie include Creature, Stitch Head’s clumsy best friend, a shark with human arms and caterpillar feet called Steve, and Ermintrude, a wacky mix of human, spider and fish. The film’s…

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Disney+ Can you imagine being shrunk down to the size of a pea? That’s what happens to a group of children when crazy inventor Wayne Szalinski’s newest machine accidentally shrinks them in Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. After being taken out with the rubbish by mistake, the tiny kids have to navigate their way across their garden – which now seems like a jungle – facing giant bees and dangerous lawnmowers to make it home and be transformed back to their normal size. When the movie came out in 1989, people loved the special effects that created the huge world that the shrunken children explored. The film had two sequels, and another one might still be made, called Shrunk and starring Josh Gad (Olaf from…

by Sara Pennypacker (Hachette) During the Second World War (1939–1945), Nazi Germany invaded France. At this time, lots of French people formed a Resistance movement to secretly fight against the German occupiers, until France was freed later. This new story transports readers to a small French village during the time of the occupation. Thirteen-year-old Lucas has a gentle nature, but wants to prove how brave he can be. After he rescues a litter of kittens and hides them in an empty stable, he meets Alice, the daughter of a horse trainer, who is keeping a young horse hidden from the German soldiers. Inspired by the bravery he sees around him, will Lucas find the courage to help in a reckless and daring rescue? This powerful and thought-provoking story is ideal…

On 11 February, it is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The annual event celebrates female scientists around the world and aims to inspire young girls to get into science. Dr Sheila Kanani, an astronomer (someone who studies space), hopes her new book will do just that. This Book Will Make You a Scientist, which comes out on 12 March, highlights the work of 25 incredible scientists. These include astronaut Mae Jemison, chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall and physicist Albert Einstein. There are also 25 experiments to try, inspired by the scientists’ work. Some of the scientists in the book are well-known, such as Charles Darwin and Stephen Hawking, but others might be less familiar to readers. Kanani tells The Week Junior she’s often drawn to the stories of…

What you need • Paper or card• Paints, crayons, pastels, coloured pens or pencils• Scissors• Glue or tape• Recycled paper (magazines, etc) It is Children’s Mental Health Week from 9 to 15 February and this year’s theme, “This is My Place”, is about belonging. Place2Be, the charity that organises Children’s Mental Health Week, asked artist Ricky Martin to create this activity. The map is to help people think about the things that make them feel they belong. Belonging is a sense of being in your happy place, where you are valued. That could be with your family or in your friendship group, school class or sports club. Feeling you belong is a kind of connection, which is important for wellbeing. Perhaps you feel you “belong” in the neighbourhood where you…

The Bangladesh cricket team will no longer play in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The ICC (International Cricket Council), which runs the sport, has removed Bangladesh from the competition after the team refused to play any matches in India. The T20 is a big cricket tournament that is being held in India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh asked for their games to be moved from India to Sri Lanka because they were worried about their safety. This is because relations between India and Bangladesh are strained at the moment. The situation was made worse recently following the killing of a Hindu man during violent protests in Bangladesh, which led to protests by Hindu groups in India. There is also a political row over Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman being removed from…

On 28 January, Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a three-day visit to China. This was the first time since 2018 that a UK Prime Minister has visited the country. How do the UK and China get on? In recent years, the relationship between the two countries’ governments has been strained (see panel). The UK Government has been worried about human rights in China for a long time. These are rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world and include the right to equality and freedom of expression. After anti-government protests swept across Hong Kong in 2019, China introduced rules making it illegal to criticise the government. UK Government officials were critical of this. Hong Kong used to be controlled by the UK, but in 1997 it became…

Social media might be a part of everyday lives, but it divides opinion. Some people say it can be addictive and soak up hours of people’s time, which they could spend doing other things. Others argue that, when used safely, it can help people to stay connected. The topic of social media use among young people has been in the news a lot recently. In December, Australia became the first country to ban under-16s from using it. Social media companies are expected to introduce measures to stop young people from setting up accounts. Now, the UK Government is considering options for protecting children from the harmful effects of social media, including a similar ban to that of Australia. What do you think – should the UK put restrictions on social…

This fungus can look like a human ear, making branches appear as if they are listening. It grows on dead or decaying wood across the UK and is often found in clusters on fallen tree branches. Jelly ear likes damp and shaded places and particularly likes elder trees. It can also be seen on other species of hardwood tree (ones that produce flowers and seeds encased in a fruit or nut), like beech, sycamore and ash. You can see jelly ear all year, but February is a great time to spot it. The fungus is a tan brown colour and velvety on the outside, with a shiny jelly-like inner surface with wrinkles. Each rubbery lobe is between three and 10 centimetres across. Never touch jelly ear, in case you have…

Clean energy The UK and nine other European countries have agreed to work together to build more wind farms in the North Sea during the 2030s. The plan – which includes Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway – is for wind turbines to connect to the countries via undersea cables. Germany’s leader, Friedrich Merz, said it could be the “largest reservoir of clean energy worldwide”. It aims to make enough electricity to power 143 million homes.…

Activities such as singing, dancing and reading can make you feel good, but did you know they can actually help your overall health too? For several years, studies have been finding that the arts – creative activities that include music, painting and performing – can improve health. However, the technology that researchers used for the studies meant that they didn’t know how these activities actually change people’s bodies – until now, that is. New technology has made it possible for scientists to measure hundreds of proteins in the body. Proteins are complex chemicals that do lots of different jobs. For example, one type of protein transports oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body. A team from University College London studied blood samples from about 6,000 UK adults…

Frankenstein’s monster Lucy Strange adapts Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein, published in 1818, for young readers. In this book, scientist Victor Frankenstein creates life but is horrified by the monster he’s made. Stitch In the television show Lilo & Stitch: The Series, alien scientist Dr Jumba’s living experiments land all over Hawaii. It is up to another of his creations, Stitch, and Stitch’s friend Lilo to track them down. Disney+. Brain and Scamper In the film Igor (PG), Brain is a robot with a human brain and Scamper is a rabbit that Igor (an evil scientist’s assistant) has brought back to life. With the help of his two creations, Igor plans to build an evil monster. Prime Video (available to rent).…

The Muppet Show Available on Disney+ It’s time to play the music… because everyone’s favourite puppets are back for a one-off special. The Muppet Show is returning with famous characters including Kermit, Miss Piggy and Gonzo, as well as an appearance by a very special guest, pop star Sabrina Carpenter. Winterwatch 2026 Available on BBC iPlayer Join presenters Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams on the Mount Stewart estate at Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland as they explore the wonders of the local wildlife in winter. Meet a mole, a hungry red squirrel, a kingfisher and bottlenose dolphins. Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs Available on Netflix You might have seen him on YouTube but now Mark Rober is on Netflix. The former NASA engineer invites you to join him in CrunchLabs as…

Do you remember the first story you wrote? Sadly, no. But I do remember my Year 4 teacher’s response to it. She said, “I want you to remember this: You are going to be an author.” What made you want to write about the Second World War? I wanted to write about what constant military occupation and the hardship associated with war can do to a child’s life, and their sense of courage or power. Typing or handwriting? When I started to travel a lot, I made myself write with a keyboard. I still make changes by hand on typed sheets. Do you have any pets? No pets now, but only because I travel so much. What inspired you to create Lucas’s character? I “built” Lucas to be very affected…

Artificial intelligence (AI) was one of the most talked-about technologies in 2025, and that isn’t going to change in 2026. AI is a computer system that can perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. Although lots of AI apps and services are really helpful, it’s important to realise that there are possible dangers with others. That’s why AI is the focus of this year’s Safer Internet Day on 10 February – and the theme is “Smart tech, safe choices – Exploring the safe and responsible use of AI”. The annual event is organised by the UK Safer Internet Centre, and will involve thousands of schools, companies and websites coming together to help young people learn about how to safely use AI. “Everyone’s talking about AI, and with many children and…

Toddler’s snooker records A two-year-old snooker player has secured not just one, but two Guinness World Records. Jude Owens from Manchester, England, has become the youngest person to make a pool bank shot and the youngest person to make a snooker double pot. These are both shots in pool and snooker that require a lot of skill. According to his dad Luke, Jude is a total natural at snooker, even though he’s barely tall enough to reach the table. His dad added, “He doesn’t beat me at snooker at the moment, but I like to think he would in the next few years easily.” Baa-rilliant roundabout winner A sheep-themed roundabout in Fleet, England, has been named Roundabout of the Year. The Roundabout Appreciation Society created the annual honour to celebrate…

Teacher’s name: Miss Baker School: Loddon Primary School, Earley, England “Miss Baker was my Year 2 teacher. She always helps anyone who needs help with their work. She is the leader of our year group and we all love her for being such a great teacher. If we are good, she even lets us go outside at the end of the day. She also gives the best book recommendations, and reads lots of different books to us and we always enjoy them. I think other people should have her as their teacher because she is amazing!” Quinton 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…

“This is me in Kenya at an animal orphanage where there are lots of rescued animals including a baby rhino called Moyo who is only three months old. He likes The Week Junior as much as I do.” Bea “Now my cats Salt and Pepper are as informed on the world as I am!”Allegra “I found this suspicious, headless snake skeleton on Dartmoor. Do you know what it is?”Harry “We created this snow bear in the snow. We wanted to make something different from a snowman. We loved making this as we created a seat to sit on it.”Jasneet, Angad and Simrit We’re proud to be plastic-free The Week Junior is delivered without a wrapper. This decision was made in response to requests from our readers who wanted us to…