Cricket

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.


Made me who I am today   April 26, 2004
Susan Howson (Richmond, VA, USA)
97 out of 99 found this review helpful

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.


A great way to start a lifelong passion for reading!   February 16, 2004
Monika (Davis, California)
61 out of 62 found this review helpful

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.


Cricket magazine rocks   October 17, 2002
47 out of 47 found this review helpful

I got Cricket magazine in the mail when I was young. Years later, it has lost none of its quality. It's full of stories, articles, cartoons, jokes, puzzles. I remember some of the stories to this day. The text is always fun, always informative, never condescending. Difficult words are defined, complex ideas are explained, and the reader is enchanted. The illustrations are beautiful, from many different styles. The stories are from the best writers for children, and they cover all manner of cultures and interests. I can't recommend this magazine highly enough.


Cricket continues to deliver quality   February 6, 2004
Liisa Fong (Taipei, Taiwan)
36 out of 39 found this review helpful

The Fong family is now a multi-generation Cricket household. I loved it as a kid and now my daughters (ages 7, 5 & 2) are enjoying every issue as well. Cricket wins on many levels. As a parent the stories, poems, games and cartoons deliver good, wholesome entertainment you won't mind reading to your kids again, and again, and again.... We save every issue and re-read our favorites regularly.

The different age level magazines Carus offers (Cricket, Spider, Ladybug and Babybug) make them great "independent reading" material as well.

Finally, I don't know of a single kid who isn't thrilled to receive real "snail mail" once a month!