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 discussion openers inspired by stories in this magazine.

Editor’s note

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

WORD OF THE WEEK

Listen to it!

Liberals win Canada’s election

Who is Mark Carney?

Funeral of Pope Francis takes place

Power cut in Spain and Portugal

IT’S AN AMAZING WEEK FOR…

Rules to keep children safe

Checking users’ age

Rejoining the Magic Circle

Brighton’s arty bus stops

Britain’s best loaf crowned

Study finds it’s good to talk

Around the world

Should schools remove mirrors? • One school says mirrors in the bathroom are a distraction.

Standing up for deaf pupils • Niamdh Braid campaigned for change.

Betty Webb 1923–2025 • The code-breaker who deciphered enemy messages in the Second World War.

THEY SAID IT!

Goats outsmart sheep and alpacas

A good memory

NATURE SPY • Holly blue butterflies fly high over gardens

Using the sea to fight climate change

Celebrating the end of the war in Europe • Eighty years ago, people had a party to mark the end of fighting.

Ways for you to mark VE Day

More sleep gives brains a boost

How the body goes to sleep

Scientists find a brand new colour

Dogs as important as friends

AMAZING INVENTIONS • Seaweed turned into artists’ ink

Photos of the week

Memorable marathon wins

Olympic champion

THE WEEK’S WINNERS…

Make time to talk • Sharing conversations helps you feel connected.

Prepare a special meal

The conversation jar

Hilarious and mind-blowing • This TV show is perfect for fans of Horrible Histories.

Learning science with Big Manny

5 books set during World War 2 • Mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May, with this selection of wartime fiction.

Land of the Last Wildcat

Lui Sit • The author tells us about her cat and her favourite places in nature.

READERS RECOMMEND

Story pizza with extra humour • Carrie Sellon’s key ingredients for a funny story.

BOOK BITES

ON MY SHELF

Apps to have arty fun • Whether you like painting, drawing or just doodling – these apps do it all.

APP OF THE WEEK

GAME OF THE WEEK

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Talk to anyone • Knowing how to start up a conversation is a great life skill.

That’s unbelievable!

Puzzles

Helping swifts

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

CHARITY OF THE WEEK

GET INVOLVED

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 them.

Quiz of the week

The Week Junior