Contests

New Story Contest: Challenge

Characters face many difficult challenges in this Cricket. Candace and Djario in “The Penguin Whisperer” are challenged to survive frigid conditions on their disabled spaceship. Concert pianist Paul Wittgenstein faces a huge personal challenge when he suffers a wartime injury in “With Just One Hand.” And in “Susie, Fudge, and the Big Race,” a girl in Alaska enjoys the heartwarming challenge of raising husky pups to race in the annual dogsledding competition. For this month’s contest, everybuggy would love to read your best story about facing a challenge.

Maybe you will write about being challenged by a dangerous situation, like the challenge to survive a flood or powerful winter storm, or Zoia’s challenge to rescue her brother from Scythian raiders in “Four Things You Hear.” Or you might write about a personal challenge to do well on a test at school, or to earn a spot on a sports team, or to learn a difficult piece of music for a piano competition. Perhaps you will write about someone who is challenged to overcome a fear, like the fear of performing in the school play, or of sledding down the big hill with the older kids. You might even write a humorous story about taking care of a challenging pet or babysitting your fussy baby brother.

Whether you write about an animal’s struggle to survive global warming, about someone you admire in history who overcame a difficult challenge, or of being challenged to compete in a crazy new sport like ice baseball, everybuggy in Cricket Country will be waving the Cricket 50th-anniversary flag as they parade to the mailbox to enjoy your best story—of 350 words or less, please—about a challenge.

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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 January 25, 2023.

    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 April 2023 issue and on the Cricket website.