2001

Children's author Verna Wilkins explains how she came to write about teenager Stephen Lawrence, murdered by racist youths in 1993.

'Talk of War against Afghanistan is just adults getting angry' say teenagers in Northern Ireland. 'Why can't adults think things through?'

Citizenship will become a compulsory part of the National Curriculum next year (2002), but pupils and teachers remain equally unsure about how the subject is to be taught. Children's Express reports on the issues from a national conference on being British.

Turning up and studying brings rich rewards to children at one Northern Ireland after-school club - like trips to Alton Towers.

Children reflect on how the attack of the World Trade Centre, and the events that have followed, have changed their view of the world.

Children's Express meets three young people determined to pursue unexpected careers when they leave school, even if friends or family have their doubts.

The new National Census allows people to classify themselves as 'mixed race' for the first time. But if your parents are of different races, how do you define your ethnicity?

Should parents introduce their children to alcohol at home - or wait until they're old enough to buy it legally for themselves?

Parents can be SO embarrassing - but usually because they're not thinking, rather than to deliberately show up their children, say reporters from Children's Express.

What role do grandparents play in modern family life? They are friends and confidantes far more than fussy old dears, say reporters from Children's Express.

It's exam time again - so should parents be on their children's back up studying, or leave them to get on with it?

Does a TV in your bedroom put paid to homework, or does it just mean equal viewing rights for the whole family? Children's Express members discuss.

Some kids have parents who will support them no matter what career they choose to chase - but others find themselves steered by their parents' own life choices and opinions.

Young people writing for The Times express very different views on whether smacking is an effective parenting tool.

Agony aunts are to give guidelines to parents on how to advise children about drugs - so what advice would children listen to?

When parents split up it can cause children enormous distress and confusion. But some young people admit it would be even worse if rowing parents stayed together for their sake.

Children discuss the very different roles their fathers play in their lives.

Young people writing for The Times say bad diets and eating disorders come down to bad, or absent, parenting.

For many children, marriage is just an outdated excuse for a party. But some still see it as an important demonstration of commitment.

Children everywhere get pocket money - but how much should it be and what should children have to pay for themselves?

Boys say they are falling behind girls at school because it's not cool or macho to study. So should teachers be making more of an effort to reach them, or is it just time for boys to pull their socks up?

Should mothers be paid to stay at home, or be out working? Young people writing for The Times discuss their different opinions.

With the general election on the horizon, young people ask whether Britain could ever have a black or Asian Prime Minister.

Computers and TV haven't yet made reading a thing of the past, say teenagers.

Her latest video has been slammed for being too sexy for her young audience. We ask: Britney Spears: Barbie doll or serious artist?

Stage schools are more popular than ever, but Children's Express reporters fear young people are being falsely beguiled by dreams of fame.

Childrens' Express reporters are open-mouthed at the amounts professional footballers get paid.

The true meaning of marriage has been lost - perhaps it was always in doubt, say young reporters from Children's Express.

In a world where apparently tone-deaf singers make obscene amounts of money, Children's Express pundits answer the question: Do you need talent to be a popstar?

Is the latest vogue for straightening hair a sign that people are uncomfortable with being black?

Nigerians are loud and study-mad, Ethopians are needy - and the rest of us need to stop thinking in stereotypes.

Recently another 13-year-old girl became pregnant - at what age do young people think it's okay to have sex?

Not content with causing controversy in the flesh, the new Eminem doll has him wielding a chainsaw. But Children's Express members are divided about whether toy shops should ban it.

Presents will be traded, and a great deal of money will be spent, but for most of the Children's Express panel, the holiday is a non-religious event.

Young people aren't getting enough exercise, but don't blame them - schools and parents should be doing more, say Children's Express members.

Can England win the World Cup? Kids have certainly got their fingers crossed...

It's hard to find children who don't like the schoolboy wizard - but isn't all the fuss getting a bit much?

Young people all agree that summer holidays should be looooong - if only there was more to do!

Teenagers argue for charity and diplomacy rather than war-mongering in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

Overpaid, corrupt and un-necessary: young people don't think much of the British monarchy.

An eleven-year-old reporter reflects on how his view of the world has changed since arsonists set fire to his school.

Norway has set the example for representing children's views at the highest level - now Northern Ireland looks set to follow their example.

St Mary's College in Derry won a lottery grant to open six days a week - and it was the pupils' idea!

Ashley's schoolbag weighs 14 pounds. Nafeesa carries 22 pounds - a quarter of her body weight. Just how heavy a burden is school supposed to be?

The down-to-earth ex-footballer John Barnes charms young people with positive messages about race and identity.

Children's Express reporters return to the Belfast Festival to review 'Hymns', 'Convictions' and 'Daaali'.

Destiny's Child lead singer Beyonce's hair gets blonder with every hit - what kind of a role model is she for black teenagers?

A Children's Express reporter reviews two very different novels for young people.

Thousands of children in Britain live in foster families. But what impact does that have on the birth children of the family, who have to share their parents with strangers?

Della Hicks-Wilson reviews Verna Wilkins' book on the life and murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Young investigators name and shame the Belfast stores who flout the law by selling fireworks to under 16s.

Young reviewers defy received wisdom when they find an afternoon of classic cartoons to be violent, predictable and unfunny.

The 14 year-old from Soweto who won't let a little thing like Spina Bifida stop him from coming to Britain to try to save his school.

Internet chatrooms are an easy way for paedophiles to get online access to children. But education, not restriction, is the key to keeping young people safe, argue journalists from Children's Express.

Three teenage runaways tell Children's Express what they learned from living on the streets.

Finally local authorities are legally obliged to provide support to children leaving care. It's a major step forward - so why don't more 'looked after' children know about it?

Children's Express' Belfast bureau is so popular that members queue up to get in on a Saturday morning.

A Children's Express survey of 10 and 11-year-olds reveals that almost all have watched 12, 15 or 18 certificate videos, usually with their parents' help.

Lottery money is helping Chinese children in Northern Ireland learn vital language skills.

The farm at the centre of the foot and mouth outbreak had fed its pigs left over school dinners. Children's Express members wonder whether their school dinners are also fit only for pigs?

The cosmetics business is a multi-million pound industry. Now a Sheffield businesswoman has spotted a gap in the market. Children as young as seven can book into Pure Health & Beauty for a Little Miss Makeover. But young reporters from Children's Express aren't so sure that's a good idea.

Adult actors portray the lives of children in the middle of a real children's playground, to charming effect.

Two young reviewers report themselves 'totally hooked' by a stage production of The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.

Playground wrestling copycats are a danger to themselves and each other - but should the sport be wiped off our TV screens?

Children and young people from Northern Ireland who face violence at home are finally starting to get some recgnition and support.

In an exclusive interview, a team of Children's Express journalists find Graca Michel to be commanding but warm-hearted.

Tower blocks become art in a fantastic testimony to community creativity - even if it's all over the heads of smaller children.

A cast of children brings Shakespeare to life in a new film version of a Midsummer Night's Dream, reviewed by Children's Express.

Just what does Slim Shady's target audience really think of him - and do any of music's stars really influence young people?

The fluctuating weights of celebrities are constant tabloid newspaper fodder - but what does the battle for a finer figure say to their young, female fans?

Young reporters in care, or leaving it, press party politicians on their policies for looking after young people.

As Europe starts using its new currency, three young reporters get unexpected results when they try to buy things with Euros in London.

New Opportunities funding is dramatically extending the curriculum to pupils at one of Northern Ireland's Special schools.

The Schools Standards Minister, Jacqui Smith, gets a grilling over the government's new policy on school meals.

Teachers and pupils alike are calling for clearer guidelines and better training for teachers on how to handle violent or disruptive behaviour at school.

Children's Express reports from a conference on youth activism on young people's growing demands for increased political and social rights.

For their Sky News election series, Children's Express reporters visit the spot where ten-year-old Damilola Taylor died, and challenge the party leaders on crime policies.

For their Sky News election series, Children's Express reporters visit flood-stricken Yalding, and ask the would-be Prime Ministers how they would fight the menace of climate change.

For their Sky News election series, Children's Express reporters, meet the teenaged girl whose chatroom boyfriend turned out to be a man in his forties - and press the party leaders on making the Internet safer for children.

Children's Express members reviews W5, Belfast's newest interactive playground.

A heavy-going, complicated plot doesn't make this Japanese animation any less mind-blowing.

Children's Express reporters review two more novels for young people.

A 14-year-old activist finds himself surrounded by adults at a UN conference on children's rights in Geneva.

Cartoons and mad experiments bring science to life at the Cinemagic World Screen Festival in Belfast.

At a conference on tackling racism, young journalists find guest speaker and former soccer star John Barnes a breath of realistic fresh air.

Teen reviewers love Harry on film - but still think the books are better.

Hip-hop diva Lil' Kim's skin seems to be getting lighter by the day. Her fans aren't sure they like the new look.

The UK Youth Parliament is making a stand for young people's voices - and learning about politics the hard way.

The ignorance and stigma associated with HIV and Aids has a huge impact on children - as two young people who live with the disease tell Children's Express.

Young reviewers discuss a stage version of JRR Tolkien's fantasy adventure 'The Hobbit'.

In an open letter to both sides of the dispute outside Belfast's Holy Cross primary school, Children's Express reporters call for the children's rights to be put first.

One of the country's hidden army of young carers explains how he manages to juggle school, friends, and looking after a his disabled mother.

Michael doesn't want much - just the chance to go to school in north Belfast without people stoning the bus he's in or hurling abuse.

Young reviewers find plenty to enjoy in the BBC's Sunday tea-time serial for 2001, 'I was a rat'.

Young reporters expose the true cost of being anorexic, and ask why more and more young people are nonetheless falling prey to eating disorders.

Young people discuss why they think more and more children are falling prey to eating disorders.

Exactly twenty years after the foundation of the first integrated school in Northern Ireland, cross-community education appears more widely supported than ever.

A team of young reviewers cast their eye over a series of short films at the Cinemagic film festival.

The Prime Minister wants more children involved in sport - so what do children and their sporting idols think can be done to help?

Bugs bunny had more than a few racist moments in his early years - but do today's cartoons really fare that much better?

Sorry Hogwarts - Middle Earth is where the action is, according to CE's young reviewers.

Young people love Belfast's new paper sculpture - but wish more people knew about it.

The Harry Potter film may not be quite perfect - but these four reviewers can't wait to see it again.

Young people give their verdict on when, and what, children should be able to do to decorate their bodies.

Young people share their experiences on what makes a bully, and how to deal with them.

Young people offer their verdict on the benefits and dangers of Internet chatrooms.

Children don't feel their voices are heard by government. Do young people think a children's commissioner would make a difference?

With child rights day approaching Children's Express asked young people their views on what rights are important to them.

Children and teenagers give their verdict on the government's plans for youth curfews.

Young people from Newcastle give their verdict on clothes shopping.

Children and teenagers offer their verdict on what children should know about drugs - and who should teach them.

Young people discuss what happens to children when their parents part company.

What makes a good friend? children's Express reporters ask young people about the friends who stick by them.

More should be done to protect children and teenagers from homelessness, young people tell Children's Express.

Children's Express members talk about their first day back at school after the long summer holiday.

Smokers as young as twelve are to be offered nicotine patches to help them quite - young people aren't all sure that's the best solution.

Mass catering in Newcastle upon Tyne get a resounding thumbs up from this week's jurists.

Young people pass sentence on school uniforms: all right in principle, but often disgusting in practice.

Children from Newcastle discuss how the events of September 11th have changed their view of the world.

Teenage girls discuss the pressure they feel under to be thin.

This week's jurists discuss whether it can ever be right for an adult to strike a child.

Do teachers treat their students fairly? Do they punish them too much? Children's Express reporters find out what young people really think.

Young people give their verdict on what, when and how children should learn about sex.

Young reviewers rave about Baz Luhrmann's glitzy love story, Moulin Rouge.

Two young reviewers find plenty to enjoy in the performance of this all-male dance troupe.

A Children's Express member looks forward to the United Nations Special Session on young people, where teenagers will rub shoulders with world leaders.

A Children's Express editor prepares for the trip of a lifetime - sailing a tall ship 1000 miles from Newcastle to Portsmouth.

Children's Express reporters meet world-class photo-journalists Sophie Evans.

Jenna Franklin wants breast implants for her 16th birthday. Has it really come to this?

At a debate for young people on drugs awareness, four Children's Express reporters conclude that recovering young addicts make the best teachers.

The pound in your pocket doesn't go far these days - even when you're 11. Young people discuss spending - and acquiring - cash.

It happens to most children in the UK at 11 - but the move from primary to secondary school can still be a daunting moment.

Young reviewers get the lowdown on the treats on offer at the 2001 Belfast Festival at Queen's, from its director.

School teachers say they know more and more children so unhappy with their looks they want cosmetic surgery. That's really not appropriate, say members of Children's Express.

A team of arts reviewers from Belfast are spellbound by a young people's dance and drama company.

Human relationships go under the scientific microscope in a funny - but sometimes confusing - piece of theatre.

New legislation in Northern Ireland could finally be bringing the rights of homosexuals more into line with the majority - but will it change their lives?

Young reviewers give a very cautious welcome to the NSPCC's child-friendly guide to avoiding sexual abuse.

Two Children's Express members explain what they spend so much of their spare time being young journalists.

A new play portrays families in chaos and conflict as they are intimidated out of their homes.

Family upsets or the loss of a friend can be especially hard to handle at this 'merry' time of year.

Best-selling Children's author Malorie Blackman has another hit on her hands with 'Noughts and Crosses'. Not bad for a writer who was once told 'black people don't get published in Britain.'

World Ocean Day goes off with a splash at the Portrush Countryside Centre in Northern Ireland.

72-year-old Freddie Ingram tells Children's Express how, in 1938, he and his family fled Nazi Germany to escape the impending Holocaust.

One year on from September 11, Belfast reporter Orlaith Graham Wood says the United States is using mourning as an excuse for further bloodshed.

Parents control enough of their offsprings' lives without interfering in their social life too - let us learn from our own mistakes argue reporters from Children's Express.

Performer Missy Elliott calls herself a 'crazy ho', but girls worry that negative rap lyrics about women influence the way young men perceive them.

Victoria and David Beckham have been called Britain's most fashionable parents but should parents try to be trendy?

Young people consider the government's plans to introduce curfews for under 16s.

'Girl Power Day' celebrates the launch of the Spice Girls' first single - but has it ever really meant anything?

Twenty minutes is all it takes for this play to show paranoid two housemates can become given half the chance.

Young journalists from Children's Express in Belfast welcome the new education system proposed by the 11-plus Review Body.

When Children's Express reporters interviewed leading politicians and leaders from the three main UK political parties, they didn't always get what they expected.

It's illegal to sell knives to children - but three young reportera from Belfast still found them alarmingly easy to come by.

The young reviewers can't agree what it's about, but all agree that the Japanese theatre company's futuristic production is brilliant!

13-year-old Andrew's looking forward to Christmas - but isn't sure how he'll cope with painful memories of his friend's suicide.

A young reviewer discovers that media truth is sometimes invented.

Three teenagers with personal secrets form the heart of Sue Hines' first novel - a superb read for teenagers says Children's Express reviewer Annabel McLeod.

Children's Express reports from a conference targeted at improving young people's self-worth, and involvement in decision-making.

Most young people own - and love - their own mobile phone, despite fears about health risks and other consequences.

As the European Court of Justice starts to look more closely at children's rights in the UK, young people discuss 'reasonable chastisement.'

Young reporters put sporting celebrities to the test during Children's Express's first ever fundraising event, The Sporting Lunch.

The chart-topping DJ explains why her own experiences led her to support a new national homelessness-awareness project.

If children are to eat less junk food in school, they need me more incentive than the offer of a salad.

On World AIDS day, young people admit to having a false sense of security about the disease.

Young people say their best teachers are outstanding - but their worst can be a nightmare.

No Kevins and Perrys here thank you - a new survey shows most teenagers see their parents in a positive light!

Young fathers in Northern Ireland will soon be legally entitled to increased parenting rights - Children's Express assesses what that might mean.

Young wheelchair users can find Belfast an unwelcoming place, as Children's Express reporters discovered when they spent a few hours in one.

Teenagers were as shocked as anyone by the destruction of September 11th 2001 - and they are just as apprehensive for the future.

Young democrats hope that a new national Youth Forum set up by a government agency will finally end the 'seen and not heard' culture.

Even the government minister responsible for school standards wouldn't want to eat our sausages. So what is National School Meals going to achieve?

Children's Express reviewers take in the highlights of the 2001 Cinemagic film festival in Belfast.

A Belfast bureau reporter offers a personal perspective on the terrorist destruction of New York's World Trade Centre.

Musical theatre star Roger Wright tells how having a dream, a passion, and a supportive family, put him on the West End stage.

Children's Express gets an exclusive interview with the author behind The Princess Diaries.

A review of a must-see shadow puppet play.

Young people give their verdict on Museums and Galleries month exhibitions across the country targeted at children.

Young people give their verdict on Museums and Galleries month exhibitions across the country targeted at children.

Young people give their verdict on Museums and Galleries month exhibitions across the country targeted at children.

Young people give their verdict on Museums and Galleries month exhibitions across the country targeted at children.

Young people give their verdict on Museums and Galleries month exhibitions across the country targeted at children.

Praise from 13-year-old Orlaith Graham Wood for Louis Sachar's latest novel about childhood and responsibility.

Nine year-old Kimberley remembers how she and her mother became homeless, forcing them both to live in a hostel.

Children's charities want a new charter of children's rights - but politicians only seem interested in young people if they help them win votes.

Nine months after the death of ten-year-old Damilola Taylor, Children's Express reporters assess the impact of the shocking murder on the South London estate where he lived.

Northern Ireland's Free Presbyterian Church says the NSPCC is evil because it opposes corporal punishment in schools. Members of Children's Express in Belfast beg to differ.

Teenagers from Belfast consider one terminally ill woman's court battle for the right to die, and wonder what they'd do in her shoes.

Young people consider a fifteen-year-old girl's wish to have breast implants for her sixteenth birthday.

Soaring bills, fashion disasters, 'jacking' and txt mania - young people debate the hazards of mobile phones.

Children's Express visits the Northern Ireland stage school offering a stepping stone to stardom.

Over-protective parenting is stopping young people from developing street-sense and a spirit of adventure - as well as breeding tension and friction at home.

Children helped to design it, now it's hoped the Galafield project will give them more exciting alternatives to playing in the street.

An encounter with tornado-shaped writer Lemn Sissay makes poets of everyone in CE's Belfast bureau.

Even pre-schoolers find plenty to enjoy in a special classical music event.

It's a bad form of discipline and makes children resent and fear their parents, according to a new survey by Children's Express.

Ireland's suicide rate is among the highest in the western world - now New Opportunities money is being used to raise awareness of teenage depression.

A new training video launched in Derry today addresses how children are affected by and deal with domestic violence.

The lives of two old women offer rich comic potential, CE reviewers report - if you can afford the price of the ticket.

Young people offer their perspective on the war against terrorism - and most of them don't like it.

A member of CE's Belfast bureau reflects on what she's gained from becoming a young journalist.

The R&B stars tell Children's Express why they've joined a national campaign to stamp out hate crime.

The secret of helping footloose kids in the capital out of trouble during the summer holidays is keeping them as busy as possible.

Science Fiction writers Paul McAuley and Steven Baxter speak as engagingly - and distinctively - as they write, reports CE reviewer Chris McCartney.

Teen reviewers say the new Belfast-made comedy 'Mad About Mambo' more than measures up to the best Hollywood can manage.

Surely there must be more black champions out there than footballers and hip-hop artists? Teenagers debate the shortage of visible black role models.

There are plenty of alternatives to rioting in Belfast during the school holidays - but they need much more publicity, reports Children's Express.

Campaigners at Operation Black Vote tell Children's Express why they're working to mobilise the first-time votes of young black and Asian Britons in the 2001 election.

Children's Express Belfast member Thomas Kielty, 16, found his week of work experience at the Belfast Telegraph a real eye-opener.

A teenager speculates on how a UK Youth Parliament could change the way adults treat young people for the better.

You don't have to be white to be a rock music fan - so long as you can cope with shock and outrage from other black people.

Was it really a lack of 'sex appeal' that stopped Sheffield from getting the World Athletics Championships? Young journalists have their say.

Children's Express reporters review three new productions aimed at introducing more young people to the theatre.

Five teenagers from Belfast reflect on what they have gained from their first year as young journalists in the city's cross-community Children's Express bureau.

An upsurge in violence and intimidation among rival loyalist factions in Northern Ireland puts a heavy strain on the young people who live in the community.

Two teenagers put Labour's new children's minister on the spot about their rights, the voting age, and consulting young people about government policy.