All rise for the Judge Beck's podcast, where family disputes get settled.
I believe that we should get a dog, because having a dog it means that you have to walk it and take on responsibilities, and I'm already pretty responsible.
He's been saying that I have to do three hours of homework.
Now tell me, does he make you do your homework so he can play on your Nintendo Switch?
Yes.
What does he tell you?
Can we double check what you call the person next to you, please?
Fish boy.
Fish boy?
This is outrageous.
Yeah.
Hear Judge Beck's now, wherever you're listening to this.
Just search Judge Beck's.
Hello and welcome to the Week Junior show.
I'm Bex and I'm joined by writers Joe and Eve from the Week Junior, the magazine making sense of the world for 8 to 14 year olds.
Now, in a week where global ocean protection rules came into force and a medieval ship was found off the coast of Denmark, we're going to be talking about some of the other stories that entertained and interested the Week Junior team.
Make sure you're listening closely, because at the end of this episode we'll be asking a question about what you've heard.
And if you answer it correctly, you could win a prize.
So this week's cover story is about NASA's planned Artemis 2 mission, which will fly around the moon.
And that got me thinking a little bit about space.
So I want to know, if you went to space, what is the one thing that you would take for the trip?
Eve, what do you think you'd pack and take up there?
I think I would pack my Nintendo Switch because I have so many good games on there.
That would you know.
I imagine that obviously, when you're not doing important scientific experiments, there's not much to do in space.
So I could play on my Switch a bit of Animal Crossing or maybe set up some Mario Kart to play with other astronauts.
The only game I wouldn't play with other astronauts would be Overcooked the cooking game, which can cause lots of arguments.
And I don't think you want to do that in an enclosed space.
Yeah.
I love that you're going to a place with such incredible views and yet you're going to be looking at your lap playing Nintendo Switch.
Just like, absolutely not.
No, thank you.
Not out the window for me.
I'm going to be down here.
Well, you know, the view might get boring after a while.
Jo, how about you?
What would you take?
I think I take a Frisbee.
I'm not 100% sure how a Frisbee would work in zero gravity or microgravity.
I mean, obviously it would behave very, very differently.
And my understanding is that it would just kind of keep going until it hits something and it wouldn't naturally fall because it's not got the same forces acting upon it as it would on Earth, which makes sense to me.
But I mean, if a listener wants to send us a message and explain that to me in a far better way than I've just done, I'd really really appreciate it.
Yeah, I feel like if you were to throw it, so you say it would keep going, it would never be caught.
Would it just keep going around and around the moon?
Uh, maybe, maybe.
Yeah.
I suppose if you throw it into orbit, I feel like we're probably doing a huge disservice to science now, the more we say.
But I was kind of imagining throwing it on a spacecraft and maybe if you had somehow had a really, really long spacecraft that was just one long corridor it would just go and go and go until it hit the wall at the other end.
So it might be quite fun if there were two of us and throwing it to each other across this huge distance.
And also, you'd feel like a hero if you managed to throw something that far.
You could pretend it was your own force and not, you know, the power of space.
Good ideas, guys.
I've got to say, I've gone for less game playing here.
I'm taking a camera with me.
I'm taking something that I can take selfies with.
I like taking pictures on holiday.
And this is the ultimate holiday, let's face it.
I like, you know, a little documentation of where I am.
Maybe a little selfie of me with the moon in the background.
Maybe with planet Earth in the background.
Me and my pals.
I think it would have to be a camera so I could document the whole thing and then obviously eventually sell the photo rights and make lots of money.
So if you want to tell us the one thing that you would take into space, you can send us an email to hello at theweekjuniorcouk or leave a voice note at funkidslivecom.
Slash theweekjunior.
Just grab a grown-up, look for that big red button and record your voice.
Now, if your voice note is played next week, you could win a Week Junior Roving Reporter badge.
Last week, we asked listeners what spying devices they'd like to invent.
We had loads of replies for this.
So thank you so much to everybody who got in touch.
First up is a voice note from Ava.
Hi, The Week Junior.
This is Ava.
And if I had my very own spy device, it would be a hair clip or a hairband in my hair.
And it would listen to what the people were saying.
Bye.
I didn't even think about that.
Ava is a spy in the making.
That's such a good idea because no one would ever notice.
Everybody would just think that was so normal.
OK, next up, we've got Tabby.
Hello, The Week Junior.
My name's Tabby.
And if I could create my spy gadget, it would be a massive suite that has a little tracker inside it.
So if you want to know where someone's going, then you can just give them the giant suite.
I am interested in this because I love the idea of putting a tracker in a sweet, because who's going to say no to sweets?
I want to know how big this sweet is.
Is it noticeable?
Is it a weirdly big size?
Would you carry it around in your bag?
Tabby, I need to know more about this sweet, please.
And also, what flavor is it?
Is it a humbug?
Is it chocolate?
Is it lemon?
What is a classic spying flavor?
I don't know.
Next up, we've got one from Emily.
Hey.
Hello, The Weeks Junior.
My name is Emily and I'm nine years old.
And if I were to make a spy invention, it would be a potion that would make you go invisible and you would be able to go through every single material in the world except for metal.
Bye.
I love your show.
We're going through everything in the world apart from metal.
I wonder why Emily's chosen to discount metal from the possibilities here.
There must be a reason.
She's got some beef with metal.
I appreciate that.
But that would be very, very good for spying, I'm sure.
And finally here, one from Henrietta.
Hello, The Week Junior.
My name's Henrietta and my spy robot idea is a Vision Spy Watch, which is a smartwatch with a power where, when you're in one room, you can see into the next room, because it has a thing inside that can see through walls, and then it pops up as a hologram to show you what's in there.
The detail, I've never thought of that before.
That's, you know, normally you don't think of that kind of thing, but that is a very smart and very useful idea, Henrietta.
I think we've got some spies in the making.
I think the safety of the country is in safe hands.
We've got Ava, Tabby, Emily, Henrietta all there ready to go with their inventions.
So thank you so much to everybody who got in touch.
And if you want your voice to feature on next week's podcast well, send us a voice note at funkidslivecom.
Slash theweekjunior to tell us all about the one thing you would take into space.
Now let's turn our attention to this week's magazine and talk about what's been in the news headlines.
Eve, what story do you have?
So my story is our cover story, which is very exciting.
And it's all about NASA's preparations to fly around the moon.
On the 17th of January, a rocket which was 98 meters tall was brought to its launch pad in Florida in the US.
And so 98 meters tall.
If you're trying to imagine how big that is, that's roughly as tall as big Ben.
So it was really massive and it was transported in an upright position from where it was constructed to the launch pad.
And the journey was four miles, but of course, because it was so big, it took 12 hours.
And the rocket will be used for the Artemis 2 mission, which will be the first mission to the moon in more than 50 years.
And it will take a crew of four astronauts on a trip around the moon.
And the crew includes NASA's Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen.
And their trip will be 685,000 miles long.
And the astronauts will reach the furthest distance humans have ever been from Earth, which is really cool.
And the Artemis program is a series of missions to the moon by NASA.
And in 2022, Artemis one was launched, and this was a test flight without a crew, and Artemis two will pave the way for the Artemis three mission, which aims to land astronauts on the moon surface in 2027.
Which is crazy because that's next year.
I can't believe this is happening in our lifetime.
Um, but Artemis two will be ready to blast off any time from the 6th of February.
So it's all very exciting.
It is so cool the idea of something going into space and into the moon, which is something, like you say, hasn't happened for was it 50 years, did you say?
Yes.
Oh, it's so cool to be able to witness it.
And also, thank you for giving us the height of Artemis in relation to Big Ben.
That genuinely did help me figure out how tall it is, so thank you for that.
Lovely.
Jo, what is another story that you've seen in the news this week?
I'm going to continue the space theme.
It's a very spacey podcast this morning and highlight a story on our UK news pages about a giant sculpture of the sun that's currently shining down on a swimming pool in Bristol.
The artwork is called Helios.
It's five metres in diameter.
And as it shines above Jubilee Pool, it creates beautiful reflections on the water's surface.
Artist Luke Jerram created it with the help of more than 400000 photos of the sun, and it's being displayed as part of a fundraising campaign for a new roof and solar panels at the pool.
Jerram said he likes creating artwork that brings people together.
I really want to see this.
I'm kind of fascinated because so far they've had the Earth and the Moon as well, but they've always been in kind of like churches or cathedrals.
So the fact it's in the swimming pool, like you say Joe, I bet it looks amazing with the water underneath it, right?
Yeah, it does.
It reminds... With the lights dimmed, it reminds me a bit of...
If you've ever been swimming in the sea at night and the sun's just coming down and you can see sort of that long, beautiful kind of orangey reflection stretching away into the distance.
And it's kind of a similar effect at the pool, obviously a lot smaller.
It doesn't stretch away into eternity, but yeah, it's beautiful.
Probably magical.
Brilliant.
Thank you very much, Joe and Eve.
Now, moving on, it's time for my favourite bit of the show.
This is real or rubbish or I'm put through my paces.
I hear a story.
I have to guess if it's true or false.
The answer is revealed at the end of the show.
Joe, it's your turn this week.
Go on, try and bamboozle me.
Well, Bex, I'll start with a question.
What date would you normally expect New Year's Day to be celebrated on?
Oh, it's going to be a trick, isn't it?
January the 1st.
Yeah, yeah, you'd think that, right?
But there's a place in the UK that marks the occasion on a different day.
So one of Scotland's Shetland Islands called Fula still follows some traditions from the Julian calendar which the rest of Britain stopped using in 1752.
It means that for Foolers 36 residents, New Year's Day is on the 13th of January and Christmas Day is on the 6th of January.
And now, is this real or are the week junior teams days as truth tellers numbered?
OK, then.
Well, first of all, I thought you were going to mention maybe Chinese New Year or Burns Night is a time when people celebrate in Scotland, you know the beginning of Christmas.
Not the calendar, but like the beginning of the year, so to speak.
I didn't expect this.
And I know that there has been a time when there's been different calendars and different you know, some civilizations have had different months, different days, different years and different names for their years.
But you've stumped me here.
So Christmas is on, did you say the 6th of January?
Yeah, the 6th of January and New Year's Day is the 13th.
So the 6th is 12th night.
I know that for us often.
It is, yeah.
So watch me do some terrible maths here.
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13.
So it is a week later.
Okay.
A bit like Christmas Day and New Year's Eve.
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Okay.
So they're like a week out, two weeks out from us.
What's 25 in relation to the 6th of January?
Yeah, about two weeks, about two weeks.
About two weeks out.
I mean that'd be very confusing if you're like paying your bills or looking at the TV schedule or like trying to figure out like your school calendar.
Like when do you like?
What day of the week are you having your mashed potato on in your lunch dinners?
I don't know.
I just find that a little bit.
I'm very confused about the idea of somewhere not having the same calendar as the rest of the UK.
Does it affect anything in any other way?
Do we know?
No, I think they follow the Gregorian calendar, which is the one that's used by a lot of the rest of the world for the rest of the year.
So the only time where their calendar doesn't sort of align with the one that I guess we all use is for Christmas and New Year's Day.
So it might make present giving a bit confusing.
But in terms of you know TV schedules, they're still going to be around to watch the Doctor Who special on the 25th and things like that.
You know, they won't miss out.
Okay.
Does it not knock out Easter though?
Does Easter not change its dates?
I don't think so.
I think my understanding is that it is just the Julian calendar for Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
And yeah, like I said, it's this slightly unusual thing where, when the rest of Britain stopped using it in 1752, they kept hold of some elements of the Julian calendar tradition.
But yeah, I mean it kind of makes sense that for the rest of the year they've got to align with the rest of Britain, because otherwise, I mean, it would just be chaos, wouldn't it?
It just seems mad to actively choose Christmas as the day to not align with the rest of Britain, when everybody else is.
You know for a fact that one day everybody's doing the same thing.
I genuinely don't know about that, because I know, like I say, some people around the world do use different calendars, but I'm not too sure.
So while I'm thinking about it, it's time to talk about our book of the week this week.
It's Where the Dragon Waits by Tom Morehouse.
So here he is to tell us a little bit more about it.
Hello, my name is Tom Morehouse and I am a children's author.
My new book is called Where the Dragon Waits.
It's the story of Ed who is out on a boat with his dad one day when they get into an accident.
He wakes up on a strange beach next to a girl he's never met before, and together they learn that they must journey to the top of an impossible spire to find a dragon, in the hope that it can send them home.
It's very much a fantasy story.
And I've always loved fantasy stories, even from when I was a child.
One of my favorite books growing up was the Magic Faraway series by Enid Blyton.
And I've recently had the opportunity to share those books with my own daughter, who's going on six.
We were on a car journey together and I downloaded an audiobook version.
And for four hours, we sat and we listened to those stories.
And I think there's something incredible about any book that could entertain two generations of the same family about 40 years apart.
And if you want to win a copy of Where the Dragon Waits, stay with us until the end of the show and you can find out how to enter to win a copy yourself.
Now, we've got a special visit on this week's episode by Deputy Editor Rahul.
Hello.
Welcome to the show, Rahul.
Hi, Bex.
Thanks for having me.
It's great to be here.
Well, thank you so much.
I believe you're going to be telling us about some big sporting news.
Yeah, I'm here to talk about the sport page in the latest issue of the Week Junior, which covers the African Cup of Nations finals.
So this was a really dramatic game of football and one of those kind of rare moments that sport throws up that you couldn't really make up.
It was just, it was a bit crazy really.
So let me run you through it.
And then I do want to ask our listeners a little question at the end of it.
So maybe they can send us a little voice note in response to that question.
So the African Cup of Nations final was between Morocco, who were the host nation, and Senegal.
Morocco hadn't won the African Cup of Nations, I think, in over 50 years.
And Senegal won it for the first time quite recently, I think around five years ago.
The match was a very tight match, as finals often are.
There weren't any goals.
And then...
Towards the end of the game, after the 90th minute, it really kicked off.
Pardon the pun.
So strap in, guys.
Stay with me.
In the 92nd minute of the game, so this is in added time.
Senegal had a goal disallowed by the referee and it seemed very very, very harsh to disallow the goal.
So the Senegal team and players were quite upset there.
Six minutes later, Morocco were awarded a penalty.
So this is in the 98th minute.
Again, the referee's call seemed quite harsh.
It's kind of known as the description of it would be, it was a soft penalty.
At that point, the Senegal players left the field of play in protest, encouraged by their coach to yeah, just storm off the pitch right, match hasn't finished.
Um, at this point it's just chaos.
Fans are really upset.
We don't really know, um whether the match is going to be abandoned, whether it's going to carry on.
Um, it's kind of pretty unprecedented really.
Um, and they left the field of play for what ended up being around 17 minutes um, the senegal captain, liverpool legend sadio mane, Didn't leave the field of play and, in that time, managed to coax the team back out onto the field of play to finish the match.
So up steps the Morocco forwards, Raheem Diaz, who missed the penalty or the goalkeeper saved it.
So it's still 0-0.
Match goes into extra time.
Long and the short of it is Senegal score a brilliant goal and win the game 1-0.
So win the game and win AFCON, win the African Cup of Nations 1-0 and lift the trophy.
So this is what happens.
But the question I want to pose to our listeners and you guys too, is If a team leaves a field of play in protest at a referee's decision, should you be able to come back on the pitch and win the match, or should you forfeit the match?
First of all, thank you for explaining it all to me because I was on the edge of my seat here.
It was like a gossipy drama.
I was absolutely loving it.
Fascinating stuff.
I think...
It's okay for them to come back and play.
I think it's an exceptional circumstance.
It's high stakes.
It's the final.
I appreciate you can't just kind of like get annoyed and just kind of like storm off at any drop of a hat.
But I don't know.
Joe, you're a big football fan.
What would you think about this?
Yeah, I was actually having a discussion with my dad about this.
And I've got to be honest, the fact that they were allowed to continue doesn't really sit right with me.
I mean, there are terrible decisions given in football matches all the time.
And you can't... It just feels ridiculous to kind of drag your players off the pitch.
It doesn't feel like it's in the spirit of the game.
And part of me feels like maybe... they should have forfeited the match.
And I feel like it looked a bit embarrassing in the end anyway, because they kind of I feel like they, the coach encouraged them off with the idea that the penalty would be scored and then the penalty was missed anyway.
So kind of everyone just ends up with egg on their face.
It's all.
But yeah, my inkling is that maybe it shouldn't have been allowed to continue, but I can see both sides of the argument.
Oh, this is an interesting one.
Eve, do you reckon we'll get some listeners who could voice note in about this?
Yeah, I would love to hear what everyone thinks about it, because it's so.
I didn't know much about it until Rahul just explained it all, and that is so interesting.
So yeah, I'd love to hear what our listeners think.
Definitely get in touch at funkidslive.com slash theweekjunior.
Rahul, what do you think?
Before we let you go, what would you decide?
So it's a tricky one.
I'm going to sound very, very neutral here.
But I agree with Joe, you know forfeiting if you leave the field of play, you know you can't be.
You take to the field of play and you know the officials or the referees.
You just have to respect the decisions right.
But this was a flagship showpiece final.
So for that match to have been abandoned, when it's kind of a competition representing all of the football teams in Africa, would have been absolutely horrendous.
So, you know, I think...
On the one hand, I'm very pleased that the match got completed.
But on the other, it is an interesting moral question, right?
You know, I'm sure lots of our listeners do sports, et cetera.
And you know the example of leaving the field of play because you're unhappy with an umpire's decision or a referee's decision.
You know the teacher in the school playground that makes the wrong call during a match that's being played in the playground is not good at all.
So...
Yeah, I think this is some of why I love sport and football so much, because it throws up these moral questions that can actually be quite interesting in terms of thinking about day-to-day life and what we do.
Yeah, fascinating dilemma.
Rahul, thank you so much for explaining it all to us.
That was so interesting.
And hopefully we'll get some voice notes about it for next week.
Lovely.
It's time for this week's big debate.
And the question is, should schools reward attendance?
Joe and Eve will go head to head and take a side each on this argument.
But before we hear from them, here's some information that you need to know.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, school absence rates increased and there's also been a rise in persistent absence.
That means missing more than 10 percent of school days.
So to tackle persistent absence, some schools are putting on raffles and giving rewards to pupils who have good attendance rates.
Some of the schools that reward pupils with big presents also work closely with families by encouraging parents to make sure their children go to school.
And over the past two years, some schools that reward pupils have seen their absence rates fall.
So should schools reward attendance?
Joe is team yes, Eve is team no.
They've each got 60 seconds to make their case.
And then I'll make up my mind on who I agree with more.
So we're going to go to Joe first, who thinks that schools should reward attendance.
So Joe, whenever you're ready, take it away.
So if it works, which it appears to have done for some schools, then we might as well stick with it.
If it's been a success, why not continue?
Rewarding pupils for good attendance can motivate them to turn up to school and help them to see school as something positive rather than a chore.
And families might like it too, because kids can share their prizes with their loved ones.
So there was a school in Manchester that gave out 10 TV sets in 10 days.
And if I come home with a TV as a kid from school, my parents would have been pretty pleased.
And prizes like that are things that children wouldn't be able to afford with pocket money anyway.
So they're extra exciting.
And ultimately, this whole reward system idea really just seems like an extension of what schools have been doing for all time.
So when I was at school, I don't know if they still do it.
We had house points to reward good behavior, good attendance and punctuality.
And this just seems simply like a natural progression of that sort of thing.
I get you.
Yeah.
From house points to TVs, it's a big leap, but it still works, doesn't it?
So interesting point there from Jo.
Thank you very much.
And now it's time for Eve.
So Eve, go for it.
Well, perhaps people might not agree with me, but I think going to school and getting a good education should be enough of a reward on its own.
I think it's really important to value, you know, getting going to school, getting a good education.
And I think it could be distracting if pupils are going to school for the wrong reasons just because they want a prize.
You know they might be distracted by thinking about what sort of rewards they could get and maybe even comparing it with other pupils, because you know, someone might get a TV but someone else might just get a book or something and they might think oh, that's not as exciting as a TV.
Although I think a book is just as exciting.
But I do also think if a pupil is genuinely sick, then they shouldn't be going in.
And it wouldn't be a good idea if they're ill, but they're trying to go in anyway because they really want the rewards.
So, yeah, I'm not too sure about it.
OK, interesting point there from Eve, who basically just wants a free book, let's face it.
We'll see what we can do for you, Eve.
So this is a really tough one.
I don't quite know the answer to this myself, but luckily it's not about me.
It's about our readers and listeners.
So if you've got an opinion on this week's big debate, first of all go and vote online at theweekjuniorcouk slash polls.
You can also email your thoughts to us at hello at theweekjunior.co.uk.
Or send us a voice note.
Go to funkidslive.com slash TheWeekJunior.
Scroll down until you see that big red button, then grab a grown up to record your voice.
Now, in the last big debate, we asked you if retro tech is better than modern tech.
So let's find out what TheWeekJunior listeners and readers voted.
65% said no, retro tech is not better than modern tech.
Okay, interesting.
We also had a voice note here from Lydia to tell us her thoughts.
I think modern tech is better than retro tech because modern tech has so many different platforms, so there's something for everyone, no matter what you like.
Most of the apps are free and I couldn't listen to the Week Junior podcast on retro tech.
Thank you.
You know what?
I love that Lydia is thinking of the week junior and our listening numbers.
So thank you very much, Lydia.
What other opinions have we had on this one, Eve?
So one person said retro tech is usually heavy and you need multiple pieces to equal what a small piece of modern technology can accomplish, which I think is quite funny.
But someone else said I think retro tech is better because it takes you back in time to see what your parents had when they were younger.
A mini time machine that may just be a bit too heavy.
Thank you so much for everybody getting in touch this week.
Now, every week, readers of The Week Junior send in lots of messages to the inbox to tell us what they've been up to.
Editorial assistant Elena is here to share some of her favorites.
Hey, Elena.
Hi.
Hi, Bex.
Hi, everyone.
Well, to be honest, I'm thinking of I'm still thinking about the Africa Cup of Nations.
But we've had, as usual, many messages from readers and listeners.
Sebi, for instance, got in touch to show us his collection of the Week Juniors.
He said, it's really cold up here in Yorkshire at the moment.
So I decided to create an extra blanket with my Week Junior magazine collection that I have been collecting since 2024.
Sebby, I love your collection and I love how we're so deep in the winter that you're having to come up with new ideas to brave the cold.
Eve, what do you think about Sebby's blanket?
I love this and it's actually given me an idea to you know.
Imagine sewing together all of the covers of the Week Junior to make one massive blanket.
I think that would be so cool.
So I might do that for next winter.
Yeah.
I love that.
And I love how every episode I feel is giving Eva and I a new craft or hobby idea.
And we're not following up on them.
So we really need to get on these, make a list.
Yeah, very true.
So thank you, Sebi, for giving me another idea.
Another message we got this week was from Bea, who sent us an amazing picture of her petting a baby rhino and reading The Week Junior.
And she said this is me in Kenya, at an animal orphanage where there are lots of rescued animals, including a baby rhino called Moyo, who is only three months old.
He likes The Week Junior as much as I do.
B, this is one of the coolest things I've ever seen.
I've been obsessed with baby rhino videos recently because there was one born in Valencia, where I'm from, in 2025, and then another one shortly after in Wales.
So this was the perfect picture to see when it got to work the other day.
Joe, what do you think about B's picture?
It's a great picture, isn't it?
I love how engrossed Moyo seems to be in the magazine.
It really does look like we've got a new reader.
And just to add, I know that Bea is a fan of the Week Junior show and that she really likes listening to Elena on the podcast.
Yeah.
I mean, yes, when I read that, that also made me really teary.
So shout out to Bea and thank you to her and Sebi for their messages.
We love to hear what our readers and listeners are up to.
So please send us an email or a voice note.
And remember, if your voice note is played on the podcast, you'll be getting a Robing Reporter badge in the post.
So thank you again and see you all next week.
Thanks, Elena.
Now time to turn our attention back to the magazine this week and to the team's favourite stories.
Eve, who's been your hero of the week?
So my hero of the week is Jordan Smith, who is an amateur tennis player that won the Australian Open's million dollar one point slam.
And this story is just so cool.
So the event is for amateurs who are people who don't play in tennis tournaments as their job.
And the winner gets a prize of one million Australian dollars, which is about five hundred thousand pounds.
And Jordan Smith played against a series of the world's best tennis players, including the world number two Yannick Sinner, in like one point matches.
And he won.
And I just think that is so cool.
I would never, ever shut up about that.
I think I'd just go on about it forever.
Yeah, me too.
I'd be all over that.
Absolutely.
Joe, what's been your favourite fact from this week's issue?
My favorite fact is from science and technology pages.
It's from a story about researchers discovering the oldest known evidence of humans using poison arrows.
And the fact I've gone for is that someone who makes arrows is traditionally called a Fletcher.
And as Fletcher is my surname, I thought it would be a nice one to mention.
Just giving yourself a shout out, Joe.
I appreciate that.
The story I saw this week that I thought was just really lovely was that the Oxford University Press have announced their children's word of the year for 2025.
And they said the word is peace.
They asked almost 5,000 children between six to 14 for what word they would pick.
I think the runner up was AI, which kind of makes sense.
But I just thought the word peace, I thought it was really hopeful and a really lovely word for everybody to pick.
So that was my my favorite bit of the magazine this week.
Now, speaking of my favorite bits of the magazine, let's turn back to real or rubbish.
Joe, can you remind me what the story is, please?
Yeah, it's about the island of Fula, one of the Shetland Islands.
And Fula still follows some traditions from the Julian calendar which the rest of Britain stopped using in 1752.
What it means is that the people of Fula celebrate New Year's Day on the 13th of January and Christmas on the 6th of January.
But is this fact or fiction?
I've realised I don't even know whether Fula is a real island.
Like, that's how out of it I am with this story.
I genuinely don't.
I mean, I know those islands exist, but you could have told me any name for those islands and I would have probably believed.
That's my problem here.
So I really don't know about this one.
It feels weird for a place to be left behind.
But maybe they're not.
I mean, they're kind of living in the future, I suppose.
I am going to say...
The story this week is real, but I don't know why I'm saying that.
So I think I'm going to say real and commit to it.
Let's do that.
Should we do a drumroll, please?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Go for it.
Drumroll.
It is real.
It is real.
I think I've said most of what I was going to say about it.
But yeah, for the other days of the year, Fula does follow the Gregorian calendar used by the rest of Britain and most of the world.
I was actually thinking then that if we had made the name of an island one with the word Fulin might have been quite a good.
Quite a good, you know, made up name.
But there you go.
Yeah, a little Easter egg.
Oh yeah, okay, lovely stuff.
Well, I am very happy to be getting that right.
I'm on a little roll at the moment, so fingers crossed I get the one next week right as well.
Now finally, it's time for Listen Up.
Now this is the bit of the show that gives you a chance to win a copy of our book of the week.
This week, it's Where the Dragon Waits by Tom Morehouse.
All you've got to do is answer a question about something you've heard in this week's episode.
And if you think you know the answer, grab a grown-up and head to theweekjuniorcouk to fill in our online entry form and enter the prize draw before the closing date of the 29th of January at midday.
And, of course, congratulations to Beatriz, who won a copy of The Not So Great Escape in a recent giveaway.
The Week Junior team will randomly select a winner from all of the entries with the correct answer.
And if you're under 16, you must have a parent or guardian's permission to enter, and terms and conditions apply.
If you want to find out more, go to theweekjunior.co.uk slash terms.
So are you ready?
Listen up.
What is the name traditionally given to someone who makes arrows?
If you know the answer to the question, go to theweekgenocouk forward slash.
Listen up to enter the giveaway.
Thank you very much, Eve.
That brings us to the end of this week's show.
Of course, thank you to Joe, Eve, Elena and Rahul.
Next week, we'll be back to discuss more of the fascinating stories that are happening in the world.
And don't forget to send in your voice notes for a chance to have your voice on the podcast and win a roving reporter badge.
Plus, of course, please do rate, review and subscribe, or follow us, wherever it is you get your podcasts from.
And if you like The Week Junior show, you'll love The Week Junior magazine.
Head to theweekjunior.co.uk to find out more.
Bye or three issues of The Week Junior Science and Nature for £5 by heading to theweekjuniorcouk forward slash podcast offer.
All rise for the Judge Beck's podcast, where family disputes get settled.
I believe that we should get a dog, because having a dog it means that you have to walk it and take on responsibilities.
And I'm already pretty responsible.
He's been saying that I have to do three hours of homework.
Now tell me, does he make you do your homework so he can play on your Nintendo Switch?
Yes.
What does he tell you?
Can we double check what you call the person next to you, please?
Fish boy.
Fish boy?
This is outrageous.
Yeah.
Hear Judge Beck's now, wherever you're listening to this.
Just search Judge Beck's.
