Cricket Magazine Fiction and Non-Fiction Stories for Children and Young Teens

cover and border

“Springtime Along the Seine” cut paper construction I am an artist living and working in my home studio in West Hartford, Connecticut. But sometimes I also work in other places, including Paris. It is my favorite city in the world, so I was very excited to get to do this cover for Cricket. I hope I have captured the sense of life on the streets that happens there, especially in the spring. Paris is urban but warm and friendly, and gray and colorful at the same time. Creating this artwork makes me hopeful that we can all travel again soon and gather at the corner café, whether it be in Paris or in our own hometown!…

the letterbox

Hi, Cricket, This is my first time writing to you guys, but I’ve been receiving your magazines for about five months and I love them! My grandma got me the subscription. How are you? I like running, swimming, working out, art, animals, writing, and poetry. I am training for cross-country and maybe track this year. One of my favorite musical artists is Jack Johnson. I like to cook strawberry shortcake, cookies, etc. What do you like to cook? Leah, age 12 Brookings, Oregon Dear Everybuggy, How are you all? Ladybug, is Pussywillow as naughty as Midnight (“Midnight Visits the Vet,” October 2020) when it’s time to go to the veterinarian? Gwen (October 2020), I love pangolins! Some people actually eat them. It’s really sad. I love Warriors. There is a new Warriors series coming out, too. Also,…

the dive

“YOU READY?” Marah checked her air gauge and the seal of her goggles, then reviewed again the safety procedures should anything happen while underwater. Oxygen first: pull up the line and clear the mouthpiece with a burst of air. Goggles next: press the top to her forehead and blow to clear out the water. Check gauge. Always be mindful of how much oxygen is left in the tank. “All set, Mr. Jay,” Marah answered. She smiled at the five other students waiting their turn to take the practice dive. “Got your nose guard?” Brock teased. He sat next to her and nudged her with his elbow. She rolled her eyes. “You’re the only one who needs that.” Five years together on the swim team, and he still teased her about the one time she…

parrot of the sea

The parrot fish is not a birdIt cannot fly. ’Twould be absurdTo say it could. It cannot speakBut still, its mouth is like a beak Its beak is formed from bony jawThe strangest mouth you ever sawIt chews on coral close at handAnd when it’s done, it poops out sand It keeps the coral algae-freeAnd lives thus symbioticallyThe coral thrives; the fish gets fatSo both can benefit from that At night he makes a sleeping bagOf slimy slime that doesn’t sagInside his sack he’s safe and soundFrom predators that swim around His scales are bright as feathers rareBut parrot fish can’t fly through airA different name might be preferredSince this sea parrot’s not a bird Note The brightly colored parrot fish helps keep coral reefs healthy by eating excess algae that can cover the coral…

building castles

“Desperta’t, Jordi! Wake up!” Father’s voice calls in Catalan from the hallway, and I sit up quickly. Today is the day! The day that I will finally be a casteller—a castle builder. I quickly pull on my white knee-length pants and bright red shirt, the uniform for our team. Mama has pamboli ready for breakfast. “Hurry and eat, Jordi,” Magdalena says as I grab a piece of the bread with olive oil. My sister is only five, and even though she sounds bossy, I know she’s just very excited. Today is her first casteller competition, also. “I will,” I tell her, chewing as fast as I can. Rafel, who is eight, tucks his drumsticks under his arm as he pours some juice. He raises his glass as if in a toast and…

scarfing the gargoyle

Flames shot up from Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris in April 2019. Its elegant spire toppled and fell. Viewers around the world watched horrified at the replays on television One lady in a retirement residence in the United States felt very sad. As a girl she and her brother had walked near Notre Dame every day during the year they lived in Paris with their French grandmother. Her apartment was on the small island behind Notre Dame called the Île Saint-Louis. One afternoon on the way home from school, something unusual happened. “That was quite a story Monsieur Jacques told us about putting his hat on a gargoyle when he was our age,” said Louis. Monsieur Jacques was what the French call a concierge, the doorkeeper and manager of their grandmother’s building. “It…