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 this magazine.

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY

WORD OF THE WEEK

Editor’s note

Listen to it!

Lebanese castle captured

Lebanon fact file

Warning over long queues at airports

IT’S AN AMAZING WEEK FOR…

Miners rescued from Laos cave

Report on youth unemployment

Helping young people

Resident doctors to strike

Cave stripes are early art

Free scooters for pupils

Crowds cheer Arsenal at parade

Around the world

Is it ok to miss school for sport? • Sports bring people together but education is very important.

Kickstarting an old football club • Matthew Evans is aiming to create a winning team.

Writing funny friends

A rising star with a guitar

THEY SAID IT!

Charity says barriers harm fish

NATURE SPY • Spot pyramidal orchids peeping out of grassy patches

How fish use ladders

Bugs bounce back on Australian island

ANIMAL OF THE WEEK

GOOD WEEK

BAD WEEK

Shortlist revealed • We are thrilled to share the 2026 shortlist, celebrating some of the very best children’s books published last year.

NASA announces Moon base

The space race is on

New dinosaur species identified in Thailand

Photos of the week

Pokémon football finals

Schoolboy star

THE WEEK’S WINNERS…

Learn about diabetes • Understanding this common condition helps to support people who have it.

Words to know

Follow your dream

Fun facts in Horrible Science • Get ready to split your sides – and maybe a few atoms – as the popular show returns.

A bookish beginning

Three actors in the show

WHAT DOES HOPE MEAN TO YOU? • We want to hear from our readers for a very special issue of the magazine.

5 brilliant books about football • Get in the mood for the 2026 men’s World Cup, which kicks off on 11 June.

Help! Aliens Stole my Grandad

Hannah Moffatt • The author talks about going for afternoon tea with an alien.

READERS RECOMMEND • Name: Maximus

Cover of the year • There’s an old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but that’s exactly what we’d like you to do. Which of these eye-catching creations is your favourite?

Explore new worlds with Yoshi • The colourful dinosaur returns for his latest adventure – and this time he needs your help.

APP OF THE WEEK

PODCAST OF THE WEEK

WEBSITE OF THE WEEK

Put on empathy glasses • Jump into someone else’s story this June.

That’s unbelievable!

Puzzles

The Youth Boat Race

CHARITY OF THE WEEK

TEACHER OF THE WEEK

Take on the 100 Ways to Save the World challenge

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