Table of contents for 540 in The Week Junior

Author Sophie Anderson suggests how to write your own fairy tale. Who or what would you choose as your story’s villain? Try out some of Anderson’s other inspiring ideas on page 25. The Artemis 2 crew have splashed down safely after their voyage around the Moon. What’s the first thing you would you ask them about their trip? Read about their return to Earth on page 5. Squirrels will climb higher and try harder to get to their favourite food. Which food would you make an extra effort to get hold of? See how scientists set up the tests on page 13. The big debate Should all woods be open to the public? Page 10.…

On 12 April, an election took place in Hungary. The Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, won it comfortably. Magyar is now set to become the country’s next prime minister. What happened The Tisza party won 138 seats in Hungary’s parliament. Its closest rival, the Fidesz party, got just 55 seats. Fidesz’s leader, Viktor Orbán, has been prime minister of Hungary for the last 16 years, and was also prime minister from 1998 to 2002. He will now be replaced by Magyar. Winning a lot of seats was important for Tisza because it means the party will have lots of support in parliament, helping it to introduce new laws. In Budapest, the capital of Hungary, crowds gathered in the streets to celebrate Magyar’s victory. People danced and waved flags and…

GOLDEN EAGLES The UK Government is spending £1 million to bring golden eagles back to England. The birds of prey were wiped out in England during the 19th century. The charity Restoring Upland Nature hopes to follow Scotland’s lead and return them to England. DADDY PIG Peppa Pig’s dad is swapping muddy puddles for running on 26 April, as he takes part in the London Marathon. He’ll be running the 26.2-mile course with his personal trainer, the fitness coach Joe Wicks, in support of the National Deaf Children’s Society charity. A YOUNG CRICKET STAR On 10 April, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi scored 50 runs in 15 balls for the Rajasthan Royals cricket team – one of the fastest 50s ever in the Indian Premier League (IPL). When The Week Junior went to…

World Heritage Day, also known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites, is on 18 April. It celebrates the importance of historical sites around the world. James Witcombe is the site manager at Battle Abbey, the church built where the Battle of Hastings was fought on 14 October 1066, when William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II to take the English throne. Witcombe tells The Week Junior that his team loves to share the story of the site. “It’s all about bringing history to life,” he says. His favourite fact about the abbey is that it started out somewhere else. William the Conqueror wanted it built on the battlefield – but that was a hilltop. The monks thought this was a bad idea so they started building it two…

What do barrel, moon and compass all have in common? They are all types of jellyfish found in UK waters, and if you spot any on your next trip to the beach, scientists want to hear about it. As part of its nationwide project Jellywatch, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is asking people in the UK and Ireland to report any jellyfish they see, either in the water or washed ashore. “Jellyfish have a bit of an image problem, but they’re actually one of the most fascinating and important animals in our seas,” said Anna Bunney, a scientist at MCS who is involved with the project. For example, scientists say jellyfish are very sensitive to their surroundings, so tracking them can reveal changes in water temperature, ocean currents, salt levels…

A new study shows that squirrels will climb higher and for longer in order to get to their favourite food. Scientists at the University of Exeter have learned that wild grey squirrels are willing to put in extra effort for a superior snack. Lots of animals are most likely to eat whatever is most convenient but squirrels’ preference for tastier food only lessens slightly when the food is harder to get. In the study, researchers set up poles of varying heights with platforms holding different foods. Squirrels could easily climb a wooden pole to get to pumpkin seeds, or tackle a taller, more slippery plastic pole to reach pieces of almond – their favourite snack. During the study, 11 squirrels made more than 4,000 choices. When faced with a more…

Every year on 23 April, people in England celebrate the country’s patron saint, St George. Patron saints are figures in Christianity (a religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ) who are chosen as guardians over things such as places, people and jobs. St George is also the patron saint of Georgia and is an important saint in many other countries. What is a saint? Saints are people who are believed to have been close to God and did lots of good during their lives. Many are thought to have performed miracles – mysterious events that can’t be explained, such as a blind person suddenly being able to see without the help of a medical professional. Saints are venerated (honoured with acts of devotion) by two of the three main…

A new medical trial has been launched to help treat children and young people who have cancer. Cancer is a broad term for a collection of diseases that are caused by oddly behaving cells growing out of control. The trial is being run by Cancer Grand Challenges, a research organisation. Up to 60 patients with rare cancers that are difficult to treat will take part. The treatment that is being tested is called CAR T-cell therapy. It aims to train patients’ immune systems (the body’s natural defence against infections and other diseases) to recognise and destroy cancer cells. T-cell therapy has already been successful for some patients with certain blood cancers, but it hasn’t worked as well for other types of cancer. The scientists are now developing a new way…

On 12 April, Rory McIlroy won the Masters golf event for the second year in a row. The Masters is one of men’s golf’s top four tournaments each year, together known as “the Majors” – the others are the US Open, PGA Championship and the Open Championship. McIlroy, from Northern Ireland, had already won all of them in his career and he became the fourth golfer to win the famous Masters event two years in a row. The Masters is held at the Augusta National Golf of total shots wins. After playing the course four Club in Georgia, US. Players played the course each day for four days. The aim is to strike a small ball into each of the course’s 18 holes. The ball is placed a long way…

Singer-songwriter Raye has earned her first UK no.1 album with the record This Music May Contain Hope. The album quickly climbed the charts after it was released on 27 March, jumping over albums from Olivia Dean, Harry Styles, BTS and Melanie Martinez. Raye sings about relationships, heartbreak and overcoming self-doubt. On the last track she thanks everyone who helped her make the album, starting with her grandma and grandad. The first song from this album to be released is called Where is My Husband! and it has been streamed more than 689 million times on Spotify. Raye’s first album, My 21st Century Blues, came out in 2023 and won six Brit awards, setting the record for the most Brit wins in one night. EARLY START Raye wrote her first song…

Wild Apprentice by Sarah Roberts. Illustrated by Marianne Van der Walle (Scholastic) Would you like a career exploring dense jungles and diving beneath ocean waves, while helping to take care of the planet? This guide introduces some of the wildest jobs in the world and tells readers what sort of super skills you’d need to do them. Nature Heroes by Lily Dyu. Illustrated by Jackie Lay (Nosy Crow) Meet 20 real-life heroes who are helping nature in this inspiring book. Whether it’s cleaning up the Mississippi River in the US, farming coral or inventing plastic alternatives made from seaweed, the book is packed with stories of incredible people working hard to build a better future for nature. Old Enough to Save the Planet by Loll Kirby. Illustrated by Adelina Lirius…

Name: Rafe The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken “Beautiful, suspenseful, amazing. I love the characters and the setting because it’s very evocative and the landscapes are well described.” 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…

Tomodachi Life was one of Nintendo’s strangest success stories. It came out in 2013 in Japan and 2014 around the world, for the 3DS handheld console. The game involved players creating lots of characters – based on their friends and family or even famous people – to live on an island together. The action involved keeping the characters happy, while watching them make friends (or fall out) with one another. Sometimes they even got married. It was strange and unique but very popular – and now it is coming back with a new game, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, for Switch consoles. The idea is still the same: make “Mii” characters to live on your island, then make sure they stay happy by giving them food and clothes, decorating their…

Wordsearch Can you find all the words listed here? They are hidden horizontally, vertically or diagonally and may read forwards or backwards. ATHLETICS BALL BEANBAG BENCH CLASS EQUIPMENT EVENT FIELD OBSTACLE PARENTS PE KIT PRIZE RACE RECORD SCHOOL TEACHER TEAM TRAINERS WHISTLE WINNER Shortcode Eight letters of the alphabet have been replaced by numbers. Crack the code to find the words. 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. Word fill in All these words fit in the grid. Can you work out where each word goes to complete it? 3 letters DEW MOW 4 letters PATH SOIL 5 letters EARTH TULIP 7 letters FOLIAGE PLANTER 9 letters…

Enter a Toy Story 5 design competition The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) – the organisation that decides film ratings in the UK – has teamed up with Disney to launch an art competition for children aged four to 11. It involves designing the official BBFC black card for Toy Story 5 – this is the card showing a film’s age rating and it appears on screen before every film at the cinema. In Toy Story 5, characters Buzz, Woody and Jessie return for a new adventure where the toys meet technology. The judges are looking for artwork that reflects the “toy meets tech” theme. The winner will receive a Toy Story goody bag and take part in a special winner’s day experience. The deadline for entries is 9…

1 What is the capital of Hungary? ☐ a) Bucharest ☐ b) Budapest ☐ c) Debrecen 2 True or false? In the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, the woodpigeon was the bird seen most often. ☐ True ☐ False 3 What type of rodent has been honoured with a special statue in Cambodia for his work? 4 Where is Galloway Forest Park? ☐ a) Scotland ☐ b) Wales ☐ c) Northern Ireland 5 True or false? The Battle of Hastings took place on 14 October 1066. ☐ True ☐ False 6 What substance makes up 95% of a jellyfish? 7 Who is the patron saint of lost things? ☐ a) St Denis of Paris ☐ b) St Francis of Assisi ☐ c) St Anthony of Padua 8 True or false? Nobody…

On 11 and 12 April, the US and Iran held negotiations (talks to work out a solution that everyone agrees is fair) to end the war between them. However, the two countries were unable to reach an agreement. The meeting was held in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad. The two countries’ representatives were led by US vice-president JD Vance and Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, an important Iranian politician. It was the first time that senior people from both governments have met for face-to-face talks since 1979. The meeting lasted 21 hours and ended with both countries blaming the other for failing to reach a deal. The talks took place during a ceasefire (pause in fighting) that started on 7 April. The war began in February when the US and Israel attacked Iran. On…

On 13 April, the Government announced plans to make school dinners across England healthier. This is the first time in more than 10 years that changes have been made to the School Food Standards, a list of rules about the food and drink that schools can serve to pupils. What changes have been announced? Under the new rules, there will be limits on foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar. Foods that have been deep-fried won’t be served at all and easy “grab and go” options such as pizza and sausage rolls won’t be on the menu every day. All desserts must be served with, or contain, a portion of fruit. Primary schools will also have a “fruit-only” day for dessert at least once a week. An example…

Eleven-year-old Kirsty from Kent, England, is trying to find as many people as she can who are also called Kirsty. Kirsty has a brain tumour, a condition caused by cells growing out of control, and she wants to raise money for OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity to fund better treatment or a cure. Her family has set up a website where anyone called Kirsty can upload a photo of themselves to where they are on a world map, and donate money. Her dad said it shows Kirsty that she isn’t alone during her treatment. So far, more than 4,800 Kirstys are on the map. To see it and to donate, ask an adult to go to mynameiskirsty.com…

Jellyfish are 95% water, not jelly, and they also are not fish. The creatures have no backbone and belong to a group called Cnidaria, which includes sea anemones and coral. Jellyfish don’t have brains, hearts or lungs. The smallest is the Irukandji, which is only one or two centimetres wide. The largest is the lion’s mane, which can grow to two metres wide, although the ones in the UK are only about 50 centimetres across. Some species live a few years, others only a few hours.…

Last month Blackpool Zoo in Lancashire, England, celebrated the birth of a baby giant anteater – called a pup. This endangered species doesn’t have teeth but they can tear open anthills with their claws, eating quickly to avoid painful ant stings. • LIFESPAN IN THE WILD: 14 years. • HABITAT: Forests and grasslands in Central and South America. • SIZE: About 1.8 metres long. • DIET: Ants and termites. • FUN FACT: Anteaters flick their long, sticky tongues up to 150 times a minute, helping them to eat around 35,000 ants and termites every day.…

One of the world’s greatest ancient cities might be centuries older than scientists thought, a new study says. The discovery could change what we understand about how early civilisations developed. The city of Mohenjo-daro was part of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, which covered parts of what is now Pakistan and northern India. For years, experts thought it was built around 2500BC. However, they re-examined a large structure that was believed to have been built to hold back river floods. The team used radiocarbon dating (a method of working out how old objects are) on the structure – and realised it was actually a city wall. This means the spot may have been home to an even older settlement that grew slowly from around 200 years earlier, or 2700BC. That…

Luton Town In the Football League Trophy final at Wembley Stadium, Luton defeated Stockport County 3-1. Scotland, England and France women’s rugby union teams They all won their opening match of the 2026 Women’s Six Nations Championship. Scotland beat Wales, England defeated Ireland and France beat Italy. Mika Stojsavljevic The 17-year-old British tennis player won her first singles match in the Billie Jean King Cup. Stojsavljevic beat Australia’s Talia Gibson by two sets to zero. Sheffield Hatters Sheffield Hatters beat Manchester Basketball 94-82 in Women’s Super League Basketball. The Hatters are top of the league.…

In the UK, 18 million households have at least one pet. The bond between humans and animals goes back thousands of years, and a new exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford, England, dives into the historic connection. The exhibition, called Pets & Their People, was curated (put together) by Professor Charles Foster. He told The Week Junior that it aims to explain why people choose to have animals in their homes. He said, “It is very weird, if you think about it. A dog is really a tame wolf. Why do you want a wolf lying in your kitchen?” Foster said there are lots of displays in the exhibition to look out for, including one that shows how much poo is produced by dogs in the UK. It’s a…

Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Netflix For Earth Day (22 April) check out this musical animated comedy, based on the much-loved book. The story follows Ted (Zac Efron), who lives in a plastic world with no trees. Trees make the air that living things need to breathe, so people in his town have to pay for bottled air. Ted wants to impress Audrey (Taylor Swift) by finding a real Truffula tree. His quest leads him to the Once-ler, a mysterious man who reveals how he killed all the trees to make his knitted “thneeds”, despite warnings from the Lorax. Ted realises that saving the trees can start with one small seed. But he has to get past a greedy businessman who controls the town’s air supply and will do anything to…

(Scholastic) Yokai are spirits that appear in Japanese folk tales and legends. They can be demons or shapeshifting creatures. Sometimes they’re helpful and other times they are mischievous tricksters. In this new book, 12-year-old Jonty finds himself transported to a world filled with yokai. He is led there by a talking bonobo (a species of ape) who he finds in the forest behind his house. The ape invites him to walk through a Japanese “memory gate” to a strange land where Jonty can collect his grandfather’s lost memories. When he gets there, he discovers an evil band of sky pirates who want to destroy the memories for good. Can Jonty defeat them before time runs out? Inspired by the author’s love of Japanese folklore, this book is perfect for readers…

Name: Ryan and Ruby “We went to see The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical at the Birmingham Hippodrome theatre. Ryan: “I like reading Percy Jackson books because they are a mix of ancient and modern life, and Percy is dyslexic like me. After the show, we met some of the cast at the backstage door. It was magical to speak to them, especially the actor who played Percy Jackson (Vasco Emauz). Ruby: “My favourite part of the show was when the Minotaur took Percy Jackson’s mum. They didn’t have an actor dressed up as the Minotaur. Instead they used large eyes, horns, eyebrows and a big mouth (don’t worry, I don’t mean real body parts!). I thought it was a really cool effect. Like my brother, I also loved…

Are you fascinated or freaked out by jellyfish – or perhaps a bit of both? These extraordinary creatures have been floating around the oceans for hundreds of millions of years, drifting with the currents as the world changed around them (page 12). It’s a mind-bending thought. After last week’s abundance of Vanessas, I was glad to read about Kirsty and her mission to track down every Kirsty in the world. Can you help? You can find out how on page 11. Another subject that caught my attention was our All About feature on patron saints (page 14). As part of researching the topic we found out that St Severus of Avranches is the patron saint of hatmakers, and Gabriel the Archangel is the patron saint of messengers – so he…

Woodlands cover about 13.5% of the UK, according to the charity Woodland Trust. However, a study by Forest Research recently revealed that only a small part of that land is open to the public to explore. The study also shows that more than a third of England’s ancient trees, which are important habitats for wildlife, are on land where the public isn’t allowed. Campaign groups such as Right to Roam say this is unfair and that everyone should be able to enjoy nearby forests and woods. However, some landowners say letting people wander around on their land goes against their right to privacy. Lots of visitors could also cause damage to the woodlands, by littering, trampling plants or lighting fires. What do you think? Should all woods be open to…

Barking and Dagenham, a borough (council area) in east London, has a new Young Mayor. In his role, Iannis Bonciu will help raise money for the charity Young Carers, attend formal events and represent young people across the borough on important issues. KSI, a YouTube star and musician, announced Bonciu as the new Young Mayor during a ceremony to launch a new youth centre. Bonciu said, “I promise to put all my soul into using this opportunity to make a big enough change so that I can at least make someone’s life a little bit better.”…

This plant flowers in late March and April, popping up in hedgerows, roadsides and along paths. Alexanders were brought to the British Isles by the ancient Romans and are found across much of the UK but they are rare in northern Scotland. These tall plants like coastal and lowland areas. Alexanders are umbellifers, meaning they belong to the Apiaceae family of plants. This includes carrots, celery (the leaves of Alexanders can smell like the vegetable) and coriander. People also often mistake it for cow parsley. Alexanders grow to about 1.5 metres tall and have a thick stem that can become hollow. The leaves are grouped in threes and the green-yellow flowers are arranged on “umbels” – umbrellashaped clusters. The plant is edible but don’t touch it without an adult’s permission…

Gulf of Mexico Wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico is losing an important protection after a US government vote. The Gulf, which is surrounded by the US, Mexico and Cuba, is home to rare species like the giant manta ray and mountainous star coral. A law that has protected them from oil and gas drilling won’t apply any more. Environmental groups say this could drive some animals to extinction, such as the Rice’s whale, and they plan to fight the decision.…

A company called Fibe, started A by four students in London, has invented a way to make clothing from potato plant stalks. Lots of clothes are made from cotton, a plant that needs a lot of water to grow and is affected by climate change. Fibe has found a way to turn potato stalks into yarn that can be used to weave clothing. It plans to buy potato stalks, which are usually thrown away, from farmers. The Royal Academy of Engineering has given Fibe £3 million to grow its business in the UK. Enjoy these stories? Find more in this month’s The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk…

You may have heard grown-ups talking about something called self-care. It’s about learning to look after yourself and taking care of your physical and mental health. What is self-care? Counsellor Heidi Soholt is an expert in how people think, feel and behave. She explains that self-care is about taking care of yourself in lots of different areas of your day-to-day life – not just keeping your body healthy. “Self-care is also about things like looking after yourself online and making sure you get a good balance between school work, activities and downtime,” says Soholt. Why is it important? “The most important reason you should start taking your own self-care seriously is that it can set good habits for later life,” says Soholt. If you get into good self-care routines now,…

Naruto Available on BBC iPlayer This classic Japanese animated TV series follows the adventures of mischievous Naruto Uzumaki as he tries to earn the respect of his village by becoming its head ninja (a type of Japanese warrior). The characters and story are based on a comic-book series. How Not to Draw Available on Disney+ These short films (usually one or two minutes) start out as tutorials on how to draw famous Disney characters. However, things quickly get crazy when the drawings take on a life of their own. They even boss around the artists as they are being drawn. It’s clever and funny – and you might even get some useful drawing tips. IF Available on Netflix After a family tragedy, 12-year-old Bea discovers that imaginary friends – or…

Which creature from Japanese mythology is your favourite? The kappa. A cucumber-loving water imp with a beaked mouth, a tortoise shell on its back and a dish-like crater on its head. There’s a version of one in my book – with a twist. Tell us about the best adventure you’ve been on. Trekking through the rainforest of Borneo, encountering pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys, and being lucky enough to spot an orangutan in the treetops. What is your earliest memory? Like Edward Bear (the original name for Winnie-the-Pooh), my head went bump, bump, bump down steep wooden steps at my grandparents’ house in Japan after toddling off from my mother. I’m surprised I remember! What do you love most about Jonty? When Jonty sets his mind on something, he goes…

“I’m multilingual so you will find books in different languages on my shelf, including English, Japanese and Russian. I would recommend reading Secret Coders. It’s a graphic novel with puzzles.” Theodor, 12 Send a picture of your shelf showing the book titles clearly and tell us why you love them. Ask an adult to send it to hello@theweekjunior.co.uk with your name and age.…

Office chair racers hit the track It might sound like an unusual idea for a sport but office chair racing is growing in popularity in Japan. Teams of three aim to complete as many laps of a track as possible in two hours, pushing themselves and the chairs backwards using their legs. Winning teams can travel more than 12 miles in the time given. Tsuyoshi Tahara set up the first race in the city of Kyotanabe in 2010, having been inspired by a teacher who once told him off for playing with an office chair. Nowadays, competitions are held in 10 cities across Japan. Tiramisu from a telephone box Red telephone boxes can still be seen across the UK. They used to have phones that people could pay to use…

Teacher’s name: Mrs Maun School: Millfield Prep School, Glastonbury, England “Mrs Maun is my food technology teacher. I am dyslexic, so I struggle with many subjects, but I love cooking. Mrs Maun really helps build my confidence, giving me responsibilities and making learning fun. She is always so kind and helps me make tasty treats to take home or share with my friends. She brightens up my day!”Freya 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 JOKE OF THE WEEK “What do cats eat for breakfast? Mice-krispies!” Jessie…

“This is me and two of my ducklings doing the puzzles together.”Nancy “I read about rare pink daffodils in The Week Junior, and later that day I saw some similar looking ones at Golden Acre Park in Leeds.” Hector “I made the crunchy winter crumble from issue 531. Me and my family enjoyed it as dessert the other day. It tasted amazing and really sweet.”Daniel “Having seen the story about rare pink daffodils, my friend Jessica and I were extremely excited to find these pink daffodils in our local park.”Molly 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 reduce waste. Since removing the wrap in 2018 we have saved our…