special report
CRICKET
June 2007 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 written by the world's best authors for children
and young adults. 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 and cover letter, 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, memoir, history, science, technology, natural
history, social science, archeology, architecture, geography, foreign
culture, travel, adventure, sports, music, dance, theatre. 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
Carus Publishing
70 East Lake Street
Suite 300
Chicago, IL 60601
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." If you absolutely have to
send to a specific editor because otherwise you can’t stand it, send to
Mr. Lonnie Plecha, editor. Don’t send it to Marianne Carus; she’s never
going to be the one reading your submission – trust me on this.)
ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC
ISSUE
CRICKET
June 2007
Letterbox: [Cricket editors definitely pay attention to what
readers say they want…so in this issue, the letters were about WW II,
fantasy, ecology, languages, Alaska, fencing.] Also readers specifically
asked for more funny stories and more pirate stories.
Driving by Martha Cooney. A poem of seventeen lines that does not
rhyme about riding in the car at night. [One page]
Storm Chaser by Mary Kay Morel. In this story, a girl spends the
summer with her father, a storm chaser. They must take shelter from a
tornado in an old barn, and the girl learns things about her own need
for adventure and her father’s love of storms. [Six pages] First person.
Wild Winds by Heather Delabre. An interesting activity using
talcum power to show how heat causes air currents. [One page]
Icarus by Ann Pedtke. This poem looks at the story of Icarus and
freedom. Non rhyming, 42 lines. [Two pages]
My Father Was a Fisherman by Meindert Dejong. A young boy learns
the story of an old upturned fishing boat. [Four pages.] Very European
in tone, third person.
Amanda’s Fantasies by Fernando Krahn. A wordless four-panel
story. A little girl spots a hat and when she picks it up, something
dark rises out of the ground and grabs her – but it turns out to be her
Dad. One page
Long Meg by Rosemary Minard. Part three a series set in the time
of Henry the Eighth. A girl disguises herself as a man in order to have
an adventure during a war. Seven pages, third person.
Ugly Bird’s Castle Crossword Puzzle by Binney Paik and Sandy
Canahan – medieval theme.
The Thousandth Sword by Pamela S. Turner. The story of a monk who
traveled around challenging samurai to duels and taking their swords. He
meets a slender boy with a beautiful sword and decides he must have it.
The boy bests the monk in a fight and the monk joins the boy – they are
part of the historical legends of Japan. Five pages, third person.
Instead of the War Drum: The Story of Ashoka by Uma Krisnawami.
Another historical story of a king in India and the moment that turned
him away from war. Two pages, third person.
Ahimsa by Josie Tagliente. First person story of a girl who
doesn’t like to kill anything, even the caterpillars who eat up her
grapevines, and how she deals with the moth invasion. Six pages.
Carnivorous Caterpillars by Jan Fields. My article about the
Harvester caterpillars that eat aphids. Three pages.
The Explorer by Christy Lenzi. Part Two – The story of Mynheer
Leeuwenhoek, the discoverer of microbes, told through the viewpoint of
Hendrik, a boy who wants to be an artist and explorer. Third person, six
pages.
The Microscope by Maxine Kumin. A poem about Leeuwenhoek
Water-Drop Microscope by Eugene F. Provenso, Jr. and Asterie
Baker Provenzo. Info about Zacharias Janssen and Leeuwenhoak and a brief
explanation of how to make a magnifier with a water drop.
The Telescope by Lisa Harries Schumann. A Fantasy story about a
magical atlas with a tiny telescope that makes the maps come to life.
Begins with fairy tale “Once Upon A Time” and is told in third person.
Seven pages.
Favorite First Sentences – Sent in by readers. Writers showcased
include Scott Westerfeld, Christopher Paolini, Lynda Durrant, H.G.Wells
and Esther Hautzig.
Cricket League – a monthly reader contest.
Old Cricket Says – the editor letter, about the wind
This page last updated on 01 August 2007
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