special report

CRICKET

July 2006 Issue
Readership: boys and girls ages 9 and up

SUBMISSION SPECIFICS from their guidelines:

"CRICKET, for readers ages 9 to 14, publishes original stories, poems, and articles “In some cases, CRICKET purchases rights for excerpts from books yet to be published. Each issue also includes several reprints of high-quality selections." Note exact word count on each manuscript, except in the case of poetry when you should note the line count on the manuscript.

WHAT THEY WANT:

"Fiction: realistic, contemporary, historical, humor, mysteries, fantasy, science fiction, folk tales, fairy tales, legends, myths.
200 to 2000 words. Pays up to 25 cents a word.

Nonfiction: biography, history, science, technology, natural history, social science, archeology, architecture, geography, foreign culture, travel, adventure, sports. 200 to 1500 words.

(A bibliography is required for all retold folklore and nonfiction articles. Be prepared to send other backup materials and photo references-where applicable-upon request.)"

Note: Having sold nonfiction to CRICKET, I would recommend you make copies/photocopies of all sources at the time of your research. You'll save time. And back up all Internet facts with at least one credible print source.

"Poetry: serious, humorous, nonsense rhymes. Not longer than 50 lines. Pays up to $3 a line.

Other: crossword puzzles, logic puzzles, math puzzles, crafts, recipes, science experiments, games and activities from other countries, plays, music, art"

Pays on Publication. Prefers to buy all rights. Send manuscripts (NO QUERIES) to:

Submissions Editor
CRICKET Magazine
Carus Publishing Company
P.O. Box 300
Peru IL 61354

Note: Until you've been published in CRICKET four or five times, all submissions will be processed by a manuscript coordinator who sends them to advanced readers before sending to the specific editors. So, if you haven't worked with a specific editor in the past, CRICKET prefers manuscripts be sent to "Submissions Editor."

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

Contents:
CRICKET
July 2006

Letterbox – Cricket editor Deborah Vetter said they pay close attention to the types of stories requested by readers. So, peeking in this group of mail, we can see readers asking for more “weird fiction,” “fantasy and medieval stories,” “World War II – especially set in concentration camps in Europe,” “fantasy,” “dragons,” and “modern day stories about young people.”

The Invisible Red String (by Quen Law). A story set in China about a young girl whose poor parents must sell her into slavery. She luckily becomes the apprentice to a matchmaker whose wisdom and kind heart allow the girl to have a very happy ending. [Written in third person, past tense]

One Thousand Dragons [by Patricia Bridgeman] Set in China, this is the story of a talented young painter whose skill worries the emperor (mostly due to the evil actions of a servant). The emperor sets the young painter to an impossible task but her painting teacher helps her and together they use their magical skill to be free – has a folkloric feel to it. [Written in third person, past tense]

Chinese Dragon [reprint from Chinese Mother Goose Rhymes] poem – uses a “sight rhyme” of “wind” and “behind.”

A Blue Moon in a White Sky [by Nancy Springer] Serialized story, contemporary. A boy’s sculptor dad wants him to be artistic, but the boy feels like an artistic failure and a disappointment to his dad. When the boy accidentally marks up the garage door, he and a friend use a lot of artistic flair to cover it up. [Written in first person, past tense.]

The Paint Box [by Tali Shurek] A poem about color and peace by a 13-year-old.

The Four Freedoms [by Linda Crotta Brennan] An article showing how Norman Rockwell came to paint “The Four Freedoms.”

Mount Rushmore [by J. Patrick Lewis] Very short – 77 word – piece about the making of Mount Rushmore including a quote by one of the “powdermen” about his part in making the sculpture.

Bo Bandit and the Steel Driving Man [by Aaron Boyd] A retelling of the folktale of John Henry with a young protagonist (who becomes friends with John Henry). Makes the folktale focus on freedom/slavery issues. [Written in first person, past tense]

Initially OK [by Helga Williams] Short nonfiction (about 200 words) about acronyms with a humorous tone.

The Bushwhackers [by Christy Lenzi] Serialized story, historical. Written in first person past tense. Story of a young girl whose father is away fighting in the Civil War when bushwackers invade their home.

Mole Cricket [by Sandra Liatsos] Rhyming poem introduces kids to an unusual cricket.

Libby or Liberty [by Tracey E. Fern] Creative nonfiction article on an escape attempt by union soldiers at a confederate prison camp. Very exciting in tone and mood.

Spectacular Speleothems [by Lynn I. ALmer] Interactive nonfiction about caves and how they are formed, included an activity for creating stalactites and stalagmites.

Unicorns on Octavion [by O’Neil De Noux] Serialize story. Conclusion to an adventure/science fiction story about young girls who discover unicorns and want to keep them safe. [Written in Third Person, past tense with viewpoint switches in different scenes]

This page last updated on 01 September 2006