Cricket

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Cricket is not an ordinary children's magazine. Started in 1973 as a children's literary magazine, Cricket has shown remarkable staying power and high popularity for decades. With zero advertising and pages packed with stories and puzzles created for children ages nine to fourteen, Cricket magazine is certain to please kids who love to read.

Cricket magazine's first editorial board included such children's literary figures as Lloyd Alexander and, throughout the years, the magazine has published or reprinted classic stories by Alexander, Ursula K. LeGuin, Rosemary Sutcliff, and even Shakespeare. These same high standards are upheld in every issue as the editorial staff works to bring your child the best and most enjoyable children's literature in order to inspire a lifetime love of reading and writing. Cricket also sponsors regular contests for its readers and publishes the winners in future editions.

Each issue of Cricket magazine has forty-eight pages of literature and puzzles. Stories and poems cover a wide range of genres from mainstream to fantasy and are illustrated by the best children's artists available. The puzzles range from simple crossword puzzles and word finds to more creative and challenging word puzzles like acrostics. Natural science, grammar, history, and social studies are also given a place in Cricket with articles ranging from how-to pieces to simple science experiments that children can do at home.

Cricket magazine is one publication that children will keep and savor for years to come. Cricket inspires children to read and learn, and to love reading and learning.

Product Description

Cricket feeds the minds and imaginations of kids ages 9 - 14. Every issue of Cricket is filled with stories, poems, puzzles, recipes, and science and nature articles - all designed to stimulate the imagination and help young people discover and explore the world around them.

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Product Details

• Format: Magazine
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Publisher: Carus Publishing
• ASIN: B00006FXOO
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364 in Magazines (See Top 100 in Magazines)
  • #1 in Magazines > Children's > Reference
  • #3 in Magazines > Children's > Outdoor Fun
  • #6 in Magazines > Children's > Science
This magazine subscription is provided by Magazine Express, Inc.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

149 of 150 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cricket Magazine Has Been a Favorite For Years October 28, 2003

By James Choma VINE™ VOICE

Subscription Term Name:1 year

My mom set up a subscription to Cricket for me back in 1976 when I was in elementary school. I always loved reading and wasn't happy with the same old "See Spot Run" books. Mom saw that I was getting bored with the same old stuff and decided to give the magazine a try.

I got the first few issues and didn't really do anything with them. But once a rainy day came around, I decided to pick them up and give them a try. After that, I was hooked on the stories, the artwork, the games, and the contests the magazine runs each month. Each issue had its own theme and I always found the quality to be top notch. I found out Cricket had only came to be a few years earlier and went to the library with my dad to dig up some back issues.

I was introduced to such writers as Shel Silverstein, Lloyd Alexander, Walter De La Mare, Clifton Fadiman, Robert Frost, Carl Sandburg and William Shakespeare. I find myself coming back to Cricket time and again. I still have my original issues and hope to share them with my kids once they're older. They truly have a timeless quality.
I highly reccommend this magazine to parents whose children have expressed an interest in reading.

147 of 149 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Made me who I am today April 26, 2004

By Susan Howson

Subscription Term Name:1 year

I received a gift subscription to this magazine from my aunt when I was 8 years old and kept every single issue I got in the mail until I turned 18 and my mother refused to keep paying for it (it is rather expensive). I have reread the hundreds of issues I have over and over and savored every possible detail. Because of this magazine, I became a happy appreciator of quality children's literature. Cricket doesn't talk down to children but respects their natural intelligence and curiosity. Fiction stories coexist with nonfiction, poems mingle with crosswords, beautiful illustrations appear next to photographs.

There have been numerous times when I (now 23) have spouted out random facts to my friends, only to admit (with a slightly pink face) that it was from an article in Cricket magazine that I read when I was 11. But this is a good example of the staying power of this magazine. It made me an English major. It made me a literature lover. It made me order my own subscription, in spite of being out of its targeted age range.

If you have a 7-8 year old that is starting to spend more time with books than with toys, or if you'd like your 7-8 year old to spend more time with books than with toys, consider ordering Cricket.

82 of 83 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great way to start a lifelong passion for reading! February 16, 2004

By Monika

Subscription Term Name:1 year

I was introduced to Cricket magazine through one of my teachers in early elementary school, and soon afterward my parents began a subscription for me. From then all the way up through middle school I devoured each issue cover-to-cover the moment it arrived. At first I found it a welcome challenge compared to the overly simple and mundane classroom books of the "Mac the cat sat on a mat" variety. Even after I had surpassed the magazine in my reading ability, I continued to enjoy it for the content of the stories. Even my mother loved to read it.

The magazine provides a great collection of well-selected stories that open up an entire world for the young reader, and each issue usually has a particular theme (i.e. the Middle Ages, horses, Chinese culture, food, etc.). Some of the stories are excerpted from longer pieces and some are short works in their own right. The magazine spans all genres of literature; includes both fiction, non-ficiton, and poetry; and addresses such important themes as culture, history, family and friends, growing up, and much more. Some pieces have serious and valuable morals, while others are just plain fun.

The magazine also offers book recommendations, a comic strip, a crossword puzzle, jokes, and contests for art, photography, fiction, and poetry. Moreover, each issue is beautifully illustrated. I believe the artwork in this magazine did much to inspire my own early artistic endeavors. I would highly recommend this magazine to parents and teachers alike. The stories are excellent material for young readers, and would also be great to read aloud to children. On the whole, this is a terrific blend of recreation and education! The makers of Cricket also offer other magazines for different age levels - Spider, Ladybug, and Babybug for the younger ones, and Cicada for adolescents.