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Solution to Crossbird PuzzleAcknowledgments continued from inside front coverGrateful acknowledgment is given to the following publishers and copyright
owners for permission to reprint selections from their publications. Allpossible care has been taken to trace ownership and secure permission for
each selection.“InSearchOf...”text©2006byJoanLennon,art©2006byRenatoAlarcao.
“I Am a Baby Porcupette” fromSidman.Textcopyright©2010byJoyceSidman.UsedbypermissionofDark Emperor and Other Poemsby Joyce
Houghton Miff lin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Photo acknowledgments: 5 (BG) Wolkenengel565/Shutterstock.com; 7
(spots) Idea Trader/Shutterstock.com; 7-12 (spots) Dn Br/Shutterstock.com;22 (BG) mossolainen nikolai/Shutterstock.com; 28-29, 32-33 (TC) white
snow/Shutterstock.com; 35-37 (BG) Thanantorn Kainet/Shutterstock.com;38 (BG) Illg Gordon & Cathy/Animals Animals.CRICKET magazine (ISSN 0090-6034) is published 9 times a year, monthlyexcept for combined May/June, July/August, and November/December issues,
byCricketMedia,70EastLakeStreet,Suite800,Chicago,IL60601.AdditionalEditorial Off ice located at 1751 Pinnacle Drive, Suite 600, McLean, VA 22102.
Periodicals postage paid at McLean, VA, and at additional mailing off ices. Foraddress changes, back issues, subscriptions, customer service, or to renew,
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From time to time, CRICKET mails to its subscribers advertisements for otherCricket Media products or makes its subscriber list available to other reputa-
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Printed in the United States of America.
1st Printing Quad/Graphics
Midland, Michigan December 2018NEW STORY CONTEST: TRANSFORMATION
ThisCricketfeatures several amazing transformations. Magnus transforms from a high-
schoolstudentintoawerewolf.Hansisbornwiththecharacteristicsofahedgehogbut
transformsintoaman.ThesurvivorsofthestarshipMacMillanevolve partly into sea crea-
turesastheyadapttotheirnewhomeunderwater.Evenababyporcupettetransformsfrom
asoftballoffurintoapricklyadult.Forthismonth’scontest,everybuggywouldliketoread
your best story about a remarkable change or transformation.
Maybeyouwillwriteafantasystoryaboutaherowiththepowertotransforminto
ananimal,orwhoistrappedinanonhumanformbyawizard’sspell.Oryoumightwritea
science f iction story about how people and the Earth are transformed in the future. Perhaps
youwillwriteaboutacharacterwhoexperiencesachangeofheartorpointofview,like
“The Tiger Son” who transforms from a vicious predator of humans into a devoted son. You
might even write about a place that transforms over time or with the seasons.
Whetheryouwriteaboutafrogwhoturnsintoaprince,amiserlyScroogewhose
heartistransformedbyloveandgenerosity,arivalatschoolwhobecomesafriend,ora
nerdwhotransformsintoafootballstar,everybuggywillbetransformingintoeachother
around the Cricket Country mailbox as they await your best story—of 350 words or less,
please—about a transformation.
Contest Rules- Yourcontestentrymustbeyourveryownoriginalwork.
Ideas and words should not be copied. - Your entrymustbe signed by your parent or guardian,
statingthatitisyourownwork,thatnohelpwasgiven,
and thatCrickethaspermissiontopublishitinthemaga-
zine and on our website. - Be sure to include your name, age, and full address onyour entry.
4. Only one entry per person, please.
5. Ifyouwantyourworkreturned,encloseaself-addressed,
stampedenvelope foreachentry.
6. Your entry must bereceivedby January 25, 2019.
7. Send entries toCricket League,P.O.Box300,Peru,IL
61354. (No faxes or email submissions, please!)
8. We will publish winning entries in the April 2019 issue
andontheCricketwebsite.
To s e e m o r e w i n n i n g Cr i c ke t L e a g u e
entries, visit our website:
cricketmagkids.com/contestshaveseentheexpressiononmyfacethatshowedI
wantedtoplaythegamereallybadly.
I happily thanked the children and excitedly rushed
to the arcade to play the game. I caught three ducks and
thoughtIshouldgivethemtomysiblings.Itwasasifthe
kindnessfromthethreechildrenhadspreadtome.
As I returned to our car, I considered what these
three boys had done was one of the kindest things that
anybody had ever done for me in my life. I will never, ever
forget about those children’s kindness.
Third prize 11 and up
Lucia Gomez-Ibanez, age 11
Woods Hole, MA
TheWarmthofKindness
I wake up to the thud of my mother’s feet on the
bike path. I huddle deeper into the faded blue jogging
stroller my mother is pushing. Fat, icy drops of rain pelt
down on me. The drops sting, leaving a red mark where
theyhitmeandchillingmetothebone.
Bikerswhizby,splashingdirtywaterfromtheirwheels
ontome.Iguesstheyweren’texpectingtheraineither.
“Are you OK?” my mom asks. “I’m going as fast as I
can. We’ll be home soon.” I try to go to sleep, but I can’t.
The whirring of the wheels on the wet bike path makes
an annoying buzzing sound.
Suddenly, one of the bikers slows down and stops by
thesideofthebikepath.Shecallsforustostop,andwe
do.Icantellmymomdoesn’twanttotalktothiswoman.
She wants to go home. The woman’s bright red frizzy
hairsticksoutofherhood.Mymotherstandslookingat
her. I start shivering. The woman takes off her back pack.
Sherummagesinitandsticksherhandsdowntothe
very bottom.
“Hi,”shesays.“MynameisElaine.”
“Look,”saysmymom.“Wegottago.”
“Wait!”Elainecalls.“Ijustneedtofindit.”Sherum-
magesmore,feelingaroundforwhatevershe’slookingfor.
“Mychildissoakingwetandshivering!”Momsays.
“I just need to f ind this one thing.”
My mom starts running again. “I don’t know what
that woman was thinking,” she mutters under her breath,
“holding us up like that.”
Elaine passes us without saying anything. Around
thenextcurve,theresheisagainwithherbluebicycle
and black backpack. Before we can pass her, she jumps in
frontofusandtucksmeintoawarm,woollyblanket.
“Ijustwantedtogiveyouthis,becauseIfeltsorry
for your poor girl.”
“I’msosorrythatIleftyou!”Momsays.“Thankyou
so much.”
“Noproblem,“saidElaine.
We never saw her again.Honorable Mention
Zain Abbas, age 9, Westlake, OH. Te d A l te n , age 9,
Avon Lake, OH. Zain Daoud, age 8, Avon Lake, OH.
Kartik Gulati, age 9, Moreland Hills, OH. Lydia Hessel-
Robinson, age 11, Elkins Park, PA. Katya Keseman, age
13, West Richland, WA. River Shields, age 12, Bozeman,
MT. Summer Ventura, age 10, Florence, MA.