The Week - Junior

National Year of Reading campaign kicks off at Emirates Stadium

On 13 January, the UK Government and the National Literacy Trust launched their National Year of Reading at Emirates Stadium in London. What is the National Year of Reading? The National Year of Reading is a new UK-wide campaign to encourage people...

Meet a world champ ski star

Held every four years, the Winter Olympics is one of the biggest competitions for athletes competing in winter sports. When it begins in Italy next month, Great Britain’s Zoe Atkin has high hopes of winning a medal in the halfpipe freestyle skiing...

Craft a fun family game

What you need Scrap paper, such as magazines, brochures, newspaper or wrapping paper Scissors Pens Paper TOP TIPS Arrange cut-outs in separate piles for different shapes, to make it easier for players to choose. For a sturdier game you can play...

PEACE ON EARTH

Back in October, we challenged our readers to design a bright, eye-catching festive front cover with the theme Peace on Earth. We received more than 760 entries and the judges were astonished by the creativity and imagination they showed. It was very...

LIFE IN THE CITY

Discover how living close to humans is changing raccoons

Annabeth

Demigod. Daughter of Athena, goddess of wisdom.

DID YOU KNOW?

⬤ Oliver has a very rare condition called Hunter Syndrome. ⬤ The condition affects the way the body and brain develop. ⬤ He is being treated at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

Old penguins get a lovely new home

Giraffes are known for their impressive height, which allows them to reach leaves on the tops of acacia trees in Africa. Their long necks are obviously a big help with this, but researchers recently found that giraffes’ long legs are just as, if not...

NICE!

On 13 November, it’s Michael Rosen Day, in honour of the brilliant poet, author and performer. There’s a huge poetry party to celebrate and everyone is invited (you can join online). Who is Michael Rosen? Rosen has written more than 200 books for...

GIANTS WALKING WITH

Researchers have discovered a major “dinosaur highway” in a quarry in Oxfordshire, England. A quarry is where rock is dug out for building. A team first found dinosaur footprints in 2024, but more digging this year uncovered 200 across four trackways...

Protesters call for release of penguins

On 18 October, millions of people gathered in cities across the US for protests against President Donald Trump’s government. This was the third major wave of protests in the US since Trump was sworn in as president at the start of this year. What were...

A path to peace

Did you know? The olive branch is a universal symbol of peace from ancient Greek mythology.

DID YOU KNOW?

Dr Goodall devoted her life to studying chimpanzees. Her organisation Roots & Shoots encourages kids to protect the planet. She told The Week Junior, “My greatest hope is our young people.”

AWARD WINNERS

On 29 September, the winners of The Week Junior Book Awards were announced at a ceremony in London. This was the third time the annual awards have taken place. The awards celebrate the very best in children’s literature, and a long list of incredible...

As the United Nations celebrates its 80th birthday, discover how its Global Goals are turning hope into action across the world

There are simple ways for everyone to help support the UN Global Goals. Cycling supports 11 of the goals, including better health and climate action. It gets people moving and is better for the environment than travelling in a car. Donating toys or...

MAKING MAGIC

These are exciting times for fans of the Skandar book series, set in a world of fierce unicorns. The fifth and final book, Skandar and the Spirit War, was published on 28 August. A few days before, author A.F. Steadman announced that a Skandar origin...

BEATING DISEASE

After Covid-19, an infectious disease, started in China in 2019, scientists around the world worked together to create a vaccine. Several were made and the first was approved for use in the UK on 2 December 2020. Tens of millions of people in the UK...

SUCCESS!

A big success story from the species recovery programme is the bittern. These birds are about the size of a chicken and the male’s famously loud call can be heard up to three miles away. They were once common in the UK but by the late 19th century lots...

NEW FRIENDS

Whether you’re starting a new school, moving to a different area or just want to meet more people, any time is a good time for making new friends. What makes a good friend? If you’re doing something fun or facing a challenge, who would you want with...

SNOOPY’S BACK!

Peanuts was first published by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz on 2 October 1950. Before that, a character called Charlie Brown and a puppy that looked like Snoopy had featured in another comic strip he’d created called Li’l Folks. Snoopy was inspired by...

Junior CHAMPIONS!

On 27 July, England’s Lionesses became the first England football team to win a major trophy abroad, defeating Spain 3-1 on penalties to secure their second UEFA Women’s Euro championship trophy in a row. The 2025 final took place at the St Jakob-Park...

VOTE AT 16

On 17 July, the UK Government announced plans to give young people aged 16 and 17 the right to vote in time for the next general election. At the moment, people must be at least 18 to vote in a general election in the UK. What did the Government...

SHAKE IT UP!

The UK Government has teamed up with fitness coach Joe Wicks to launch an animated YouTube series, called Activate, to encourage children to exercise and keep fit over the summer holidays. Each Activate episode is five minutes long and features an...

Record year for a rare butterfly

An inquiry into harm done to indigenous people in the past in the Australian state of Victoria has released its findings. The inquiry was carried out by the Yoorrook Justice Commission over four years and it was led by indigenous people. Indigenous...

Europe swelters as temperatures soar

Spain sees a new record for June at 46°C. Hundreds of schools close across France. In the UK, Wimbledon has its hottest ever opening day.

GAME O N!

Get ready for Euro 2025 with our guide to the tournament, the teams and the players to watch

THE WORLD’S BEST NEWS & FACTS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Areport by the Government department in charge of exams showed that Spanish has become the most popular foreign language GCSE. More students are signing up for Spanish than French or German, and the same is true for A levels too. Pepe Di’lasio, from...

MONEY FOR SCHOOLS

The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has announced that the Government will extend its free school meal scheme to an extra 500,000 pupils in England from September 2026. The Chancellor is the Government minister responsible for the UK’s money and how it is...

BOOK AWARDS 2025

The Week Junior Book Awards celebrate the best books for children that have been published in the past year. From hundreds of entries a team of expert readers, including booksellers, journalists, teachers and The Week Junior’s editorial team, have...

Junior VICTORY!

Ascheme called Join Us: Move Play (JU:MP) has helped to increase children’s physical activity in Bradford, West Yorkshire. The project got young people involved in designing outdoor play spaces on neglected areas of land. It also encouraged more...

Junior LILO & STITCH GO CRAZY!

Crowds greet the new Pope

Samples of Moon dust that were collected in 2020 have been temporarily given to the UK so scientists can carry out experiments on them. The dust was brought back to Earth by China’s Chang’e 5 space mission. It was gathered using a robotic arm that...

OUT TO SEA

On 8 May, a spectacular new documentary about the world’s oceans arrived in cinemas. The film is narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the famous naturalist (someone who studies animal and plant life), and the release date was also his 99th...

Something worth talking about

Knowing how to start up a conversation is a great life skill. Whether you‘re speaking to an old friend, a family member or someone you’ve just met at school, everyone gets stuck for words from time to time. If you’re unsure of what to talk about with...

POPE FRANCIS 1936-2025

People around the world have gathered to mourn the death of Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church, who has died at the age of 88. What happened? The Pope died at his home in the Vatican on 21 April, which was Easter Monday. Vatican City,...

ASTRO BOT!

What do you think is the best game in the world right now? Well, according to BAFTA – the arts charity that represents games, films and TV shows in the UK – it’s Astro Bot. The PlayStation 5 game was the star of this month’s BAFTA Games Awards in...

Meet Doctor Who’s new companion

The Doctor, a time-traveller from outer space, is landing back on people’s TV screens in a new season of Doctor Who. In the new episodes, the Doctor has met a nurse called Belinda Chandra from Earth and she joins him in his spaceship (the TARDIS)....

HUGE EARTHQUAKE HITS MYANMAR

Countries and aid organisations around the world are sending help to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia, after a very strong earthquake struck on 28 March. The earthquake was also felt in Thailand and parts of China. What happened? The earthquake...

WELCOME TO CRONGTON

Anew TV show called Crongton has just landed on BBC iPlayer. The series follows Lemar “Liccle Bit” Jackson and his friends, who live on a housing estate called Crongton. Liccle Bit and his group of friends have to navigate growing up as their...

Colourful Holi festival marks start of spring

On 14 March, the Hindu festival of Holi took place and was celebrated by millions in South Asia and countries across the world. Also known as the festival of colour, Holi marks the beginning of spring and highlights new life and love. In India, the...

GIGANTIC!

The world’s largest iceberg has got stuck on the sea floor around 55 miles from South Georgia, an island in the South Atlantic Ocean. The iceberg, called A23a, has been drifting north from Antarctica towards the island since 2020. Researchers worried...

Look after garden birds this spring

Spring is in the air and that means lots of birds are preparing to build nests and raise their chicks. Birds’ nests are built for incubating eggs (keeping them warm) and to ensure that young birds are safe and snug. The design and materials used in a...

A KING’S TOMB

Ateam of British and Egyptian archaeologists (experts who study ancient objects to help us understand history) have discovered the tomb of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh King Thutmose II. The tomb was found in the Western Valleys near the Egyptian city...

SUPER SEWER

600 the number of Olympic-sized swimming pools of liquid that the tunnel can hold. 7.2 metres – the width of the tunnel. 66 metres – how far below the ground it reaches. 95% of sewage spills the tunnel should catch. They would otherwise have...

SUCCESS STORY

Anew study has found that India has doubled its tiger population in about 12 years. It is now home to the world’s largest population of these big cats. There are several types of tiger (see panel) but the type in India is the Bengal tiger. Tigers are...

Dog Man bounds onto the big screen

Dog Man may not be your average hero – his head and his body don’t even belong to the same species – but that doesn’t stop him sniffing out crime in a new movie. The film Dog Man shows the half-dog, half-man character being created after a police...

“We are here to pledge that we will never, never, ever allow history to repeat itself.”

Survivors and world leaders mark Holocaust Memorial Day

KINDNESS

The Oxford Children’s Word of the Year 2024 has been revealed as “kindness”. Children also voted for “slay” to be the top colloquial (slang) word of the year. What is Word of the Year all about? The Children’s Word of the Year is announced by Oxford...

FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZE

Amassive rescue and clean-up operation is under way in Los Angeles County (LA), in the state of California, US, after thousands of people’s homes were destroyed by wildfires (rapidly spreading fires that begin in areas such as forests or...

COLD Junior SNAP

Snow, ice, rain and freezing weather across the UK caused travel disruption and power cuts, and forced hundreds of schools to close. Several centimetres of snow fell over parts of the UK during the first weekend of the year, but the coldest conditions...

The big debate, plus How to... Hold your own lively debate

What you need to know LAs each year comes to an end, lots of people choose to make a New Year’s resolution. This is a promise, or pledge, usually to change something about yourself or your life for the better. According to a YouGov poll, 16% of...

Mix up some sweet festive treats

What you need 400g dark chocolate digestive biscuits 400g milk chocolate 400g dark chocolate 500g white chocolate 100g unsalted butter 60g mini marshmallows 225g jar Maraschino cherries, drained and chopped 80g pecan nuts, roughly chopped 80g...

GIVING GIRLS A VOICE

When she was 14, Nila Ibrahimi from Afghanistan became a refugee (someone who has to leave their home because of war or the threat of violence). This November, aged 17, she won the International Children’s Peace Prize – a yearly prize given to children...

RED RESCUE

Astudy has found that red squirrels are coming under increasing competition from grey squirrels. However, a team of conservationists has developed a system that could support the red squirrel population – and it is being tested in several...

HAPPY BIRD-DAY!

Before December 2009, Finnish mobile games company Rovio had made 51 games. None had been a success – but its 52nd would become one of the biggest hits in gaming history. That game was Angry Birds, which is celebrating its 15th birthday this...

Junior AMAZING AI-DA

On 7 November, a portrait of mathematician Alan Turing sold for more than $1 million (£789,000) at an auction in New York, US. An auction is a type of sale where possible buyers offer money. The person who offers the most money gets to buy the item....

SAVING OUR PLANET

On 6 November, Prince William announced the winners of this year’s Earthshot Prize at a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa. The prize celebrates people and organisations working on solutions for environmental issues. There are five categories, and...

WORLD KIDNESS DAY

Whether you’re being helpful or friendly, kindness makes a big difference to you and the people around you. What is World Kindness Day? World Kindness Day is held every year on 13 November to encourage people to be kinder to each other. Kindness is a...

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

Children’s rights are basic freedoms that belong to young people. These include the right to education, protection from violence and the freedom to express opinions. This year marks 100 years since the Declaration of the Rights of the Child was...

BOO!

Mallory Vayle and the Curse of Maggoty Skull by Martin Howard. Illustrated by Pete Williamson (Nosy Crow) In this funny, supernatural story, Mallory Vayle is a young necromancer in training, who must rescue the spirits of her parents. To do so,...

AFTER THE STORM

After hitting land in Florida on 26 September, Hurricane Helene moved on to other US states. In Florida, Helene led to a storm surge (a change in sea level caused by a storm) when sea water swept inland and destroyed buildings. In parts of Florida,...

WINNING WORDS

On 30 September, the second Week Junior Book Awards took place at County Hall in London. There were more than 450 fantastic entries across 14 categories, making the judges’ task very difficult. Anna Bassi, from The Week Junior, introduced the event....

Calls for calm in Lebanon-Israel

World leaders, including UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, US president Joe Biden and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau have called for calm after fighting between Israel and Lebanon escalated. What did the leaders say? Starmer, speaking at the...

Storm Boris hits Europe

Thousands of people, including an entire city, were asked to leave their homes after Storm Boris caused flooding across several European countries. What happened? Storm Boris caused torrential (very heavy) rain and high winds. In parts of Austria,...

SUPER ROLE MODEL

Ellie Goldstein, 22, has modelled for big fashion brands, appeared on the covers of magazines and been an ambassador for (helped to promote) a new Barbie doll. Now, she is publishing her first children’s book, Ellie. When Goldstein was born, her...