Places to Chat
Cricket Mag Discussion!
Chatterbox: Chirp at Cricket
Cricket Mag Discussion!
Cricket Mag Discussion!
Greetings, Owlgirl here! I am trying to be as active as possible before April 29, because that's when I will get CRAZY busy, and will not be able to post for about two weeks.
Okay, so I decided to start up this thread to talk about things in issues of Cricket. We would start with the April 2016 Issue of course, since that was the latest edition. Since Cricket just keeps going and going, then this thread will keep going, unless there is a unicorn-dragon-eagle-zombie hybrid apocalypse or a disastrous tornado made of powdered sugar, and Cricket no longer exists. Or the world, for that matter.
I wanted to start this because Cricket Magazine is so cool and amazing! We all subscribe to it (right?) and it's what brought us all together. Without the magazine, there would be no blog, no CB! Anyway, as far as I know, there isn't a thread like this at the moment...so why not!
Use this thread to talk about whatever the latest issue of Cricket is...the stories, the poems, the themes, the cover art, the inside art, the comics, the winners of the contests, our delight at fellow CBers' posts being in the mag...whatever you wish! And don't let this thread die!
**********************************
Okay, so the April 2016 Issue.
1. I would first like to point out two themes that were pretty obvious: Chinese culture and flying. Almost all the poems and stories included these themes , some with both, like "The Terrible Kites of Len Yo." What are your thoughts on this, CBers? Mei-xue, I can assume you are pleased, since you are always advocating for recognition of your culture, which I admire.
2. I found the moral of "The Terrible Kites of Len Yo" nice- that wisdom can be greater than physical strength. To quote Annabeth Chase (first thing that popped into my mind at this moral) "Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes." This also makes me think of Mei-xue's motto thread. Actually, there are a lot of good quotes, ideas, morals, and words of wisdom from this story. We can discuss that as well.
3. Can I just say that I love that picture of Ugly Bird in the emperor robes? He looks like the bird version of King George III.
4. I thought "Four Opposites" was a very interesting poem. We can discuss it, like we would in a poetry discussion club.
5. Those were just a few things. I have to go now....Anything else? Feel free to talk about whatever you want!
-Owlgirl
submitted by Owlgirl, age 12, Texas
(April 23, 2016 - 7:57 pm)
(April 23, 2016 - 7:57 pm)
I loved it! I was so happy! I have a question, though: Shouldn't this go in "This Month", not "Chirp at Cricket"?
I loved the part about the girl who hate us Chinese food, then went to China and realized that she loved it. The "Chinese food" in America that she was talking about was NOT CHINESE FOOD! It's called Americanized Chinese food. Tastes nothing like the food in China.
(April 24, 2016 - 7:59 am)
*blushes*
Oops, good point, Mei-xue. *slaps forehead* I forgot This Month even existed. Oh well, it's already been created...and I feel like more people check C@C anyway.
What is real Chinese food like? I'm curious to know...
And by the way, that makes me think of Mexican food. Pretty mjuch any Mexican place you go to in the US will have beans, rice, enchilladas, chips, tacos, burritos...but really, that's American Mexican. Not Tex-Mex...just American Mexican. (Don't even get me started on Taco Bell....THAT IS FAST FOOD, PEOPLE. NOT MEXICAN FOOD. NOT REALLY EVEN TEX-MEX.)If you go to Mexico, they don't actually eat a lot of stuff like that. I mean, unless you go to a place opened for tourism, or at least for the purposes of receiving outside visitors. Their food has a lot more seafood and fresh foods. Actually, this might have changed- since the demands and expectations are usually for what you see in the states.
Actual real authentic MEXICAN food, that you really can't find in the US.
(April 24, 2016 - 10:59 am)
(April 24, 2016 - 8:00 am)
(April 24, 2016 - 9:51 am)
(April 24, 2016 - 9:52 am)
I did like the morals of The Terrible Kites of Len Yo. By the way, what does "Len Yo" translate to?
I like that Annabeth Chase quote you brought up...it's very true. Because sometimes, people are like, "Love and wisdom always defeat physical strength" when honestly and sadly, sometimes it doesn't. But Annabeth makes sure to say sometimes which makes the quote truer.
I liked the cover art, although it wasn't the dragon on the front that drew me to it: it was the three children flying on the back that I liked. I liked how it showed them with different types of wings. If I had to choose one of the methods of flight, I would choose the butterfly, because it is beautiful, and I also like the idea of riding on a butterfly, something you think would be impossible to ride because it is so small. I like the idea of little miracles like that. Which type of flight would you choose: the rectangular-prism kite, the butterfly, or the dragon. Oh! And there is a phoenix in the inside cover. I guess that can be one of the choices too.
OK, now in part 4 of The Forty Thieves, it is actually starting to sound like Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. I think I know what's going to happen next. The thieves hide in these jars delivered to Ali Baba's house, supposedly of oil, so they can kill him. But the smart servant- oh, I know, in this case, Morgiana, will actually pour burning oil into the jars, and Ali Baba will come and be surprised to find a bunch of dead thieves in jars. But the leader is still alive. The servant does away with him too, but I forgot how.
(April 24, 2016 - 11:11 am)
About the translation:
I can't translate what "Len Yo" means because there are many different dialects, or languages, spoken in China, and I only know the official dialect, Mandarin. "Len Yo" is definitely not Mandarin, so you'd have to ask someone from, I don't know, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, or Tibet, or somewhere like that.
(April 24, 2016 - 3:26 pm)
I really like the story about the parachuting from hot air balloons. The lady, Dolly, I think. I found it very interesting. Especially at the end when she heard the voice telling her not to come up again. When I heard that, I just had this wierd picture of and angle sitting on the edge of the balloon basket and going, "Oh, by the way, if you come up again, you'l die. Just thought you'd want to know."
Any other thoughts on this story?
I also loved the Terrible Kite of Len-Yo. That was really cool.
(April 24, 2016 - 5:20 pm)
Owlgirl, I think that this is a great idea! I'll have to go re-read this month's issue, but I'll comment as soon as I'm finished.
(April 24, 2016 - 7:08 pm)
(April 25, 2016 - 7:52 pm)