Contests

New Story Contest: A New Beginning

Spring is a time of new beginnings. Flowers bloom. Migrating birds return. Animals emerge from winter dens to find food and have their babies. There are new beginnings in this Cricket, too. Gan hopes to make a new home immigrating to America; Isaac’s family begins a new life in China after fleeing Nazi Germany; and in Israel, an ancient date palm seed sprouts after lying dormant for 2,000 years—how inspiring! For this month’s contest, everybuggy would love to read your best story about a new beginning.

Will you write a historical story about immigrants risking everything to come to a new land? Or a science fiction adventure about settling a new space colony? Maybe you’ll write about going to a new school after a family move, or about a town that rebuilds after a bad storm. You might write about taking a new approach to solving a problem—like housebreaking your dog, or doing better on your next math test. Perhaps you’ll imagine trying something new and challenging that you didn’t know you could do—like Ramon in “Impromptu Performance.”

Whether you write a story about a new beginning in nature, or a medieval tale about a young apprentice who starts a new life as a knight, everybuggy will be enjoying the bloom of spring flowers around the Cricket Country mailbox as they wait to begin reading your best story—of 350 words or fewer, please—about a new beginning.

  • (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. If you want your work returned, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for each entry.

    6. Your entry must be received by April 25, 2021.

    7. Send entries to Cricket League, P.O. Box 300, Peru, IL 61354. (No faxes or email submissions, please!)

    8. We will publish winning entries in the September 2021 issue and on the Cricket website.