Contests

New Poetry Contest: How Unexpected!

Sometimes it’s hard to guess what will happen next. Just ask Sluggo, whose gentle bedtime story, meant to lull everybuggy to sleep, terrifies one and all—or Kishna in “The Owl in the Henhouse” whose long-anticipated meeting with his cousin doesn’t go as planned. For this month’s contest, everybuggy would love to read your best poem about something unexpected or surprising.

Will your poem describe encountering an animal you never thought you would meet, like Katie first laying eyes on a legendary cat in “The Pirate King”? Or will you make up your own surprising explanation for an event in the natural world, following in the footsteps of the early storytellers who inspired “The Fish Who Shook the Earth” with their tales of giant underground creatures causing earthquakes? Will you write about using an old skill in a new way, like Simon in “Scarecrows” turning his knack for scaring off crows into a clever trick to hold back an army? Maybe you’ll write about the unanticipated results of running for student council, following an unfamiliar forest trail, trying out a recipe, or experimenting with a new way of making art.

Whether the surprise in your poem is joyful or wistful, silly or sad, everybuggy in Cricket Country will be gathered at the mailbox, waiting to be astonished by your best poem—of 24 lines or fewer, please—about something unexpected.

  • (Show Rules)
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    1. Your contest entry must be your very own original work. Ideas and words should not be copied.

    2. Your entry must be signed by your parent or guardian, stating that it is your own work, that no help was given, and that Cricket has permission to publish it in the magazine and on our website. 

    3. Be sure to include your name, age, and full address on your entry.

    4. Only one entry per person, please.

    5. Your entry must be received by October 25, 2024.

    6. Email entries to cricket@cricketmedia.com.

    7. We will publish winning entries in the February 2025 issue and on the Cricket website.