The Week Junior

"When you are young, you’re naturally curious about the world and everything in it. But the world seems made for grown-ups; complex and unknowable. That’s why we’ve created The Week Junior. It explains the news and events in ways that children understand; immediate, colourful, exciting. From news to nature, science to geography, and sport to books, The Week Junior explores an extraordinary array of topics from around the globe. Written to engage a young person’s point of view, without spoon-feeding or patronising, it explains events in a safe, accessible and inspiring way."

The big picture

Something worth talking about • Lost for words? Try starting a conversation with one of these questions, inspired by stories in this magazine.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

WORD OF THE WEEK

Editor’s note

Listen to it! • This week Bex, Eve and Joe discuss which fictional character they’d choose to be Prime Minister.

UK’s new PM takes office

Assembling his Cabinet

Young people call for education reforms

Dino skeleton breaks record

IT’S AN AMAZING WEEK FOR…

Energy drinks ban for under-16s

Children’s health plan

Queen’s Christmas present

Festival season kicks off

The hunt for a fishy friend

Water use restricted across UK

Around the world

Should pets be allowed everywhere? • People are campaigning for new rules on where animals can go.

Creating magic with characters • Warrick Brownlow-Pike works with puppets.

Butterfly expert • Learning about insects is a great way to connect with nature.

THEY SAID IT!

Support for wildlife across England

The white-clawed crayfish

NATURE SPY • Find floating sea lettuce on rocky beaches

Citizen scientists to help monitor beach

Andean leaf-eared mouse

GOOD WEEK

BAD WEEK

The force behind extreme weather • El Niño can affect temperatures and rainfall across the globe.

Ebola vaccine ready for testing

Same idea, different virus

New dinosaur species found in Thailand

Sugar spotted in Milky Way galaxy

AMAZING INVENTIONS • A robot that flies like a seabird

Photos of the week

Spain’s World Cup triumph

England finish third

THE WEEK’S WINNERS…

Feel-good friendships • Focus on the mates who make you happy and relaxed.

“You’ll always keep the memories”

How to be a fab friend

A brand new day for Spider-Man • Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, is ready for a new adventure.

Creating a hero

More Spider-Man stories for younger fans

Turning libraries into music spaces

FILM CLUB • A gentle desert island adventure

THIS WEEK’S WATCH LIST

5 books about friendship • To mark International Friendship Day, try these stories about facing life with mates.

And Now We Run

Nicola Penfold • The author talks about her love of the Lake District and toasted sandwiches.

READERS RECOMMEND

Exceptional stories • These brilliant books for readers aged between five and nine are on the Younger Fiction book of the year shortlist.

Paintings and puzzles • Explore Vincent van Gogh’s paintings and life within a game.

APP OF THE WEEK

PODCAST OF THE WEEK

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Make a hanging jellyfish • Create a fun undersea decoration for your home.

That’s unbelievable!

Puzzles

Remembering my friend

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

CHARITY OF THE WEEK

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YOUR PHOTOS • We’d love to see your snaps. Send them to us at hello@theweekjunior.co.uk Don’t forget to tell us why you took...