Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2024 i Cricket Magazine Fiction and Non-Fiction Stories for Children and Young Teens

“That fool of a fairy Lucinda did not intend to lay a curse on me.” ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine submitted by Geraldine E. via email “One morning shortly after Wren turned seven years old, her parents wrestled her into her best blue wool dress, pinned her down to oil her curly hair, and took her up the mountain to be eaten by a dragon.” DRAGONSLAYER (Wings of Fire: Legends) by Tui T. Sutherland submitted by Lauren H. of Texas “Nory Horace was trying to turn herself into a kitten.” UPSIDE-DOWN MAGIC (Upside-Down Magic, Book 1) by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle, and Emily Jenkins submitted by Katrina H. via email “Wilma Tenderfoot wasn’t quite sure how she’d managed it, but somehow she was hanging upside down from a meat hook…

A long, long time ago in the Philippines, when most of the islands were still green, there lived a young man named Malyon. He was handsome and skilled in the ways of hunting. He was also helpful and kind, for he shared everything he had with the people. The villagers loved this strong but gentle person. They said that the woman he would choose to marry would be a lucky one indeed. But no damsel in the village attracted Malyon. Maybe it was because he was too shy with women. Maybe it was because he was away hunting most of the time. No one really knew. One day Damtuan, the village elder, spoke to him. “You should think of getting a wife, Malyon. Your parents are long gone. You will…

WINNERS OCTOBER 2023 ART CONTEST Monsters First prize 10 and under Julian Burgoon, age 10 Westfield, NJ Monster Pumpkin First prize 11 and up Kelsie Young, age 13 Ellsworth, ME First prize 10 and under Dustie Riley, age 9 Shawnee, KS Exploding Pumpkin Rotten Cheesecake, Candy Corn, Fish Bones Second prize 10 and under Emily Shu, age 10 Johns Creek, GA First prize 11 and up Ranvir Sharma, age 12 Norwalk, CT Wicked Witch on Her Zombie Dragon Second prize 11 and up Margaret Covington, age 12 Santa Barbara, CA Second prize 11 and up Tang Li, age 11 Palmetto Bay, FL The Green Snake Inspired by a Chinese Folktale Second prize 11 and. up Anna Uszok, age 15 Pensacola Beach, FL Third prize 10 and under Olivia…

Dear Cricket, Congratulations on your fiftieth birthday! I am one of the lucky kids who was an original subscriber. And yes, I loved them so much that I saved them all. But the impact of reading and rereading those magazines was greater than just a small archive of memories. Subscribing to Cricket impacted my life, career, and quite probably the lives of many children. You see, it was Cricket that introduced eight-year-old me to wonderful children’s literature. Many years later, when I was in college taking a children’s literature class and we were assigned to read Lloyd Alexander, Trina Schart Hyman, Astrid Lindgren, and other award-winning authors and illustrators, I felt like I had been reunited with beloved old friends! Soon after, I changed my major from education to library…

Across 1. This valentine is _______ you!4. What Cupid carries7. It goes with 4 Across8. Roman god of love10. She _______ her valentine out loud12. A hill of sand13. A fish that looks like a snake14. It grows inside a pod16. Station (abbreviation)17. Nickname for Albert or Alfred18. Valentine shape20. Nickname for Edward or Edgar21. Valentine’s Day comes once a _______23. He was a frequent movie_______25. “My country, ’_______ of thee, . . .”26. It’s no _______ crying over spilled milk27. Flowers often sent on Valentine’s Day29. Move your head up and down Down 1. Openly, independently2. Spoken, not written3. A fishing pole4. A flower not fully opened5. A numbered musical composition6. February is a _______ month7. A section or region of land9. Opposite of alive11. Ocean14. A human being;…

DON’T LAUGH! NOT yet. Laughing is very mysterious. Yes, we laugh when something’s funny. But tickle our ribs or the soles of our feet, and we can’t keep from laughing, even if we don’t think it’s funny at all. Nobody knows exactly why we make these particular laughing sounds instead of others. We don’t learn to laugh. We’re born with that gift. We keep it all our lives. Scientists have been studying laughter for centuries. In 1662 the Italian scholar Damascene claimed that he could tell what ailed you by the way you laughed. For example, he believed the “heh-heh” kind of laugh meant you had indigestion. “Ho-ho” showed you were in fine health. Imagine a doctor today, instead of taking your temperature, saying, “Stick out your tongue—and laugh.” The…

MARIA SAT ON the doorstep, watching the sun set. Suddenly she saw a stranger trudging up the hill. “Papa!” she called. “Somebody’s coming!” As the stranger approached, she could see that he was a young man, probably not much older than she was. He looked very dirty and very tired. “Hello,” she called. He stopped in front of the house. “I am looking for José the blacksmith,” said the stranger. “Do you know where I can find him? I asked for help at the castle of Don Sancho, but they just laughed and sent me away.” Maria’s father came out. “I am José,” he said. “Will you join us for dinner?” Grateful, the man came inside. Over dinner the man told them his name was Alexander. He was from a…

Part 2 Kadlin is excited when her father’s longship appears on the horizon. He and his men have spent the winter a-viking, and now they are returning with much plunder. The household springs to life, preparing a victory feast. Kadlin can’t wait to share her secret with Father. In his absence, Grandmother Thora has been teaching her to read and write runes, ancient alphabetic symbols. But the best part is that Kadlin is learning to see into the Other World. She hopes to become a wise and respected seeress, just like her grandmother. Father and his men, however, have news of their own. Kadlin’s uncle Grimolf has been wounded in battle, and Father has brought home Freyfaxi, a horse fit for the gods. He announces that Kadlin will be the…