Indholdsfortegnelse for January/February 2026 i Cricket Magazine Fiction and Non-Fiction Stories for Children and Young Teens

During a blood drive, ordinary people take time out of their busy days to sit down, roll up their sleeves, and let nurses stick needles into their arms. They sit patiently as their blood drips into plastic bags. These people don’t get paid (though they probably get free snacks or T-shirts). They give blood out of a sense of community, responsibility, or compassion. “I can’t think of an easier way to feel like a hero,” says Maura Kennedy, a donor from Washington, DC. Each pint of blood—an amount the same size as a small container of ice cream—has the potential to save the lives of up to three people. The blood helps cancer patients, victims of car accidents and disasters, and people going through surgery. Donors give blood for free.…

“TONIGHT,” DADU CLAPS me on the back, “we work, Rahim. We work like men.” Outside the first few stars are beginning to appear. Dadu climbs on his bicycle and chuckles as my friend Aslam and I jog along beside him. “Come on, boys, can’t you keep up with an old man?” The air feels as heavy as a blanket. The monsoon is late this year, and the earth is dry and cracked underfoot. A sweet smell wafts from Mr. Ahmed’s prized mango trees as we pass. Aslam slows his jog, reaches to pick a few mangoes, and crams them into his pockets—just like that, as if Mr. Ahmed couldn’t run out the door at any minute, waving his massive arms. I wish I were as lucky as Aslam with his…

WINNERS Giulianna S., age 12 Arizona Joel M., age 14 New York Beatrice T., age 12 Colorado Margaret M., age 10 Massachusetts Invisible Baby Dragons Singeing Holes on Shoes Xochitl T., age 10 California Cynthia Z., age 8 California Wet-Snow Waterproof Ball Boots Benjamin K., age 13 Illinois Rocket Kicks Avery D., age 9 New York Juliana C., age 11 Pennsylvania Color Pop High-Tops Landon C., age 10 New York Turtle Shoe with Portable Metronome, Percussion, and Other Instruments Olivia B., age 11 Texas The Morphing Boots Gigi H., age 11 Liepa¯ ja, Latvia Shoe of Paradise HONORABLE MENTION Elizabeth W., age 12, Ohio; Elowen E., age 10, Oklahoma; Evelyn B., age 8, Pennsylvania; Judah W., age 11, New Hampshire; Julianne G., age 10, North Carolina; Lauriel M., age 11,…

ONWARD AND UPWARD Hi, I am a girl who’s been getting your magazines since before COVID-19, at least. However long it’s been, I feel like I should’ve written a letter before now. Since I got my first Muse (which was a subscription gifted to me by my cousin), I have always enjoyed the ways you describe various science and math subjects (and more) in simple and easy ways to understand, while also being entertaining and engaging. It is always interesting to read, and the commentary from Ms. Acorn and the students makes it funny as well! This leads on to the next reason I’m writing. In your July/August 2025 magazine (which I was reading just now), you announced that you’ll be joining efforts with Cricket (along with Cobblestone and Faces)…

Ulunda Baker didn’t have an easy start in life. As the oldest of seven children, she experienced homelessness and poverty—but she never stopped dreaming. Even in uncertain times, Baker imagined a brighter future and promised herself that one day she would build a safe, loving home for her family—and help others do the same. Today, Baker works to make life better for others. As a speaker, writer, and community builder, she helps educate people about money and inspires hope by sharing her own story of overcoming obstacles. In the greater Charlotte, North Carolina, area, she serves on boards and committees that support schools, families in poverty, and community shelters. She has volunteered her time preparing income tax returns for families in need and tutoring students in after-school programs. Baker encourages…

The date palm is synonymous with Morocco, and millions of these majestic fruit-bearing trees grow throughout this North African country. They are one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees in the world, and dates have provided critical nourishment as well as a source of income to the people of Morocco for thousands of years. A FRUIT OF TRADITION More than 100 different varieties of dates grow in Morocco. This fruit contains protein, vitamins, minerals, and sugar—lots of sugar. Dates’ high sugar content, which ranges between 40 and 80 percent, helps protect them from bacterial contamination and enables them to last for years. The typical Moroccan eats almost 7 pounds (3 kilograms) of dates annually, and those living in date-producing regions consume closer to 35 pounds (16 kilograms). Dates are eaten…

—Next on the list. The discussion is open. —Humans are interesting for all the reasons we cited during our chimpanzee review. What’s more, they had a fascinating art culture unique among species and an unparalleled ability to mimic objects into two dimensions using pigments. Based on these depictions, they seem to have treasured fruit, their own young, wildlife, and far-off horizons. —Perhaps because they couldn’t see very far in a figurative sense. (chuckles all around) —Ah, I see we’re jumping right to the heart of the matter. Indeed, we must. Our endorsement isn’t automatic. We’re prepared to make difficult decisions. —So far, none have been that difficult. We have 348 species approved, all unanimously. —Here’s an intriguing human characteristic: their selective application of ethics and logic. Taking your own examples…

MOM TOLD ME the news the minute I got in her car. “You have to stay with Grandpa while I go to my appointment today.” “What?! Can’t I stay with Dad?” “He’s out of town,” Mom replied. “What about the Mitchells?” “The Mitchells can’t today. I called everyone I could think of, Joey. Everybody’s busy. It’s just an hour and a half or so.” “An hour and a half! I can’t stay with Grandpa that long. He doesn’t even like me.” “Oh, Joey, of course he likes you. He’s just sad since Grandma died. Besides, it’s not going to kill you to stay with him for a couple hours.” I knew after she said that, the conversation was over. We drove straight to Grandpa’s in an uncomfortable silence. His apartment…

>> FOSSIL FINDS Amber with Insects from the Age of Dinosaurs Found in South America Scientists have discovered ancient insects trapped in amber—a hard, golden material made from tree resin—deep in the Amazon region of Ecuador. These insects lived 112 million years ago, during the time of the dinosaurs. Inside the amber, researchers found flies, beetles, ants, wasps, and even a tiny piece of spiderweb. It’s the first time fossils like these have been uncovered in South America, offering a rare glimpse into prehistoric life on the southern half of the planet. Scientists are excited that the amber comes from the ancient southern supercontinent Gondwana. Almost all other amber from the age of the dinosaurs has been found in the Northern Hemisphere. This new site helps fill in missing details…

What gives something its value? In the Netherlands during the 1630s, it wasn’t gold or silver but tulip bulbs that people prized most. The craze, later called “tulip mania,” showed how the worth of something can be inflated far beyond reason. BUDDING WEALTH It all began innocently enough. In the 1600s, the Netherlands was Europe’s wealthiest nation. With their new fortunes, some citizens could afford luxury items, including expensive flowers. Tulips were the most prized flowers of all. Soon, trading networks arose for buying and selling tulips. The most popular were the rarest, most beautiful blooms. Some sported gorgeous, striped patterns. Desirable bulbs could sell for extraordinary sums. Some cost more than a year’s salary. In the 1620s, around a dozen bulbs of a variety called Semper Augustus were valued…

ENJOY A QUIET, friendly game of chess? Not in the Middle Ages! Those days, instead of a checkmate, the match was likely to end with a punch in the nose. Shouts, whoops, onlookers yelling, betting on which player would win—a medieval chess tournament was more like a couple of hours in an arcade. Winning was king. Prince John, future king of England, once tried to brain his opponent with the chessboard. Talk about a sore loser! So many fights broke out, with students often seriously hurt, that chess playing was forbidden in medieval English schools and colleges. At Oxford, authorities denounced the game as “noxious, inordinate, and unhonest.” My guess is that nobody paid much attention to the ban and kept on playing chess anyway—and, no doubt, hitting each other…

Interviewer: Hello, friends! We’re here by this cozy fire, safe from the raging snowstorm outside to talk with Tess, who has just started an exciting new collection! Tell us about it, Tess. Tess: Hello! Yes, here on this table you can see the first three items in my new collection of snowballs. Interviewer: Snowballs! Tess: Snowballs! I have them on this table, each labeled with elaborate information about—hang on. It’s supposed to list where the snow was gathered and the snow-to-dirt ratio . . . but it’s kind of blurry now. Interviewer: Tess, it appears the label is sitting in a small puddle. Tess: Yes. Well, you can still see the excellent specimens. Each a nearly perfect sphere of tightly packed white snow. Take a look at item number one,…