Cricket (magazine) facts for kids

Cricket is a popular literary magazine for kids in the United States. It features stories, poems, and art. The magazine was started in September 1973 by Marianne Carus. She wanted to create a high-quality magazine for young readers. Her goal was to make it like "The New Yorker for children."

About Cricket Magazine

Cricket magazine is known for its amazing stories, poems, and articles. It also has beautiful illustrations. Many famous artists and writers have contributed to the magazine.

What You'll Find Inside

Cricket publishes all kinds of original content. This includes short stories, poems, and folk tales. You can also read interesting articles. Talented artists like Trina Schart Hyman have drawn for the magazine. She was the art director from 1973 to 1979. She continued to work with Cricket until 2004.

Many well-known authors and illustrators have shared their work. These include Lloyd Alexander, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Eric Carle. The magazine also holds contests for its readers. They often publish stories and art created by kids like you!

Meet the Cricket Characters

One cool thing about Cricket is its special characters. These characters appear in the margins of each issue. They are like a mini comic strip. The main characters are Cricket and Ladybug. They are mostly insects.

These characters have their own storyline that runs through the magazine. They also comment on the articles. They help explain difficult words. They point out interesting facts. They make the magazine even more fun to read.

Old Cricket Says

On the very last page of each issue, you'll find "Old Cricket Says." This is a special column. Old Cricket shares a bit of wisdom or a funny thought. Sometimes, he introduces topics for future issues. Many writers have written this column. Lloyd Alexander wrote most of them until he passed away in 2007.

In 2003, a book called Celebrate Cricket: 30 Years of Stories and Art was published. It collected favorite stories and art from the magazine. It also included interviews with the people who started it.

How Cricket Magazine Started

Cricket magazine was founded by Marianne Carus. She worked with a group of writers, artists, and designers. Marianne had noticed that teachers needed good, short reading materials for classrooms. She felt it was the right time for a new magazine like the old St. Nicholas Magazine.

The Founding Team

The first Editorial Board was formed in November 1972. It included Marianne Carus and senior editor Clifton Fadiman. The art director was Trina Schart Hyman. Famous authors like Lloyd Alexander and Isaac Bashevis Singer were also part of the team. Other important people included Paul Heins from Horn Book Magazine.

The first issue of Cricket came out in January 1973. There was a big launch party in New York City. It was a very exciting event for everyone involved in children's books.

Cricket Media Magazines

Cricket magazine was so successful that it led to a whole family of magazines. These magazines are for children of different ages. They are all part of Cricket Media.

The "Insect" Magazines

The first magazines inspired by Cricket were also named after insects:

• Babybug
• Ladybug
• Spider (for new readers)
• Cricket (the original)
• Cicada (for young adults)

Today, Cricket Media publishes 15 different children's magazines. Most of them come out nine times a year.

Magazines by Age Group

Here are some of the magazines published by Cricket Media:

• Ages 14+
  • Cicada: A literary magazine with stories and poems.
• Ages 9–14
  • Cobblestone (since 1980): Focuses on American history.
  • Cricket (since 1973): The classic literary magazine.
  • Dig: All about archaeology and ancient history.
  • Faces: Explores cultures and people from around the world.
  • Muse: Covers STEAM topics (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).
• Ages 6–9
  • Ask: Features science, history, inventors, and artists.
  • Spider: A literary magazine for independent readers.
• Ages 3–6
  • Click: Focuses on one science, art, or nature topic per issue.
  • Ladybug: A literary magazine for younger kids.
• Babies to 3 years
  • Babybug: A magazine designed like a board book for very young children.