Chatterbox: In This Month's Issue

New Cricket Issue! 

It's that time again! Time for Cricket review time! Starting with the congrats on who got in the mag, since that is what pretty much everyone is here for.

Congratulations to Inktail, Katherine H., Wolfgirl67, Jenni T., Falmirel, Galaxy Many Moons, Dragon, Bibi P., Wolfgang, LilyPad, CignusMoon, and Leeli! Wow, a lot of unfamiliar names this time around. Guess there were a lot of old CBers featured or something. And I still didn't make it into the mag yet, but maybe sometime soon. I'm pretty sure it will probably come sometime between now and 3035. Now remember if you want to see what specifically got posted, an admin or I will post it word for word for you. Also, if you want me to congratulate the people who post regular letters and stuff that's not from Chatterbox, then tell me please! Anyhoo, on to the rest! 

I like the cover art. It's basically a caveman rock band. The instruments are very creatively put together, like the trumpet looking like a bone or cavemen strumming on rock guitars (literally). I like the rock instrument implemented, and it gives kind of a sense of foreshadowing before the article about musical rocks in the mag. The art isn't super beautiful or anything, and it's not meant to be. It's supposed to look like a fun time, and it does. While I like last month's cover better, I like this one as well.

Cricket Country is fun. Like last month, it's pretty much utter chaos. So what happens is Zoot is participating in the Cricket Country's Got Talent Contest (nice little reference there), and obviously he's going to play his cello. But the other bugs say he needs flair and stage prescence to win, and they start setting up a band without listening to Zoot, who isn't liking the idea. So chaos ensues, with George and Tail banging on the drums, Ladybug being the lead singer and singing in front of the camera (in a wig!), and Zoot yelling the entire time. Then Ugly Bird crashes in the performance. Later, it turns out after they've posted the video that they won, sort of. The judges like Ugly Bird's performance and offers him a world tour, and they also say to ditch the singer, which Ladybug is angry at. What can I say? This is very funny. Also I love the 'ditch the singer' part. Love this one.

Ok, so um... my favorite story in the issue is the first one. The Human Map. It is basically about these aliens (who are human-shaped except for their bluish-black bodies, round heads, and white holes for their eyes, nostrils, and mouth) who had been visited by humans. The aliens value time the most, and dislike the human's rushing and hurrying about. When the story starts, the humans have supposedly left in their 'starboat' (their rocket). An alien named Aliri watches the starboat go when her younger brother Otero goes up to her and asks where the humans have gone. It turns out that Otero found a metal object that belonged to the humans. The two also find a piece of paper with strange lines which they believe to be a map. They spend a night deciphering the map, trying to find what the lines mean, before they conclude that the humans could have gone to the lake. They were correct, and they see the crew. They return the metal object (which turns out to be a flute) to a man named Doctor Corot. Aliri told them they used the map to find them, and gave them the map, which actually turns out to be sheet music. Then Aliri and Otero depart. I love this story. They spent much time giving the aliens lives of their own, such as glowing moss as blankets, and they saying 'graditude' or 'wisdom' instead of saying 'thank you' or 'that's smart'. The world and art are really pretty and I love the characters. Also the twist at the end was great. 

Iggy Flint is a fun poem. It's about a boy talking about his pet rock, and acts like he is a dog. The whole poem is puns on rock words like 'I'll never take my friend for granite' or 'he really rocks at sit or stay'. I had a nice time reading it, and I like the cartoony art. 

Lithophones: Rocks That Sing is interesting. It's an article talking about some rocks that acutually make a bell sound instead of th usual clunk. Apparently it is theorized that these rocks are ancient instruments. I found it cool, and I learned stuff I have never known before. It would be interesting to hear one of these rocks sometime. 

Something for Nothing is a fun read. It's about this lazy boy named McMullen who is told by his mother he should start working to earn some gold, win a sweetheart, and build a house. McMullen wishes he could find some faery folk so he could have his wishes granted. He then finds a faery who takes the tart he was eating. McMullen says he should have his wishes in exchange for the tart the faery ate, and the faery agrees. McMullen wishes for a fine house, and the faery grants it, except the house is very small. McMullen is angry at this, and he wants another wish, but the faery won't give it to him unless the faery gets something. So McMullen led the faery to the miller's cottage where they find a plate of tarts by the windowsill. McMullen gives a tart to the faery and then asks for a wife. The faery grants it and summons the farmer's wife. McMullen is frustrated and he wants a field of gold, but obviously the faery wants something in return. McMullen tells it that he will pay for the field of gold when he gets some coins. The faery goes, and McMullen starts working. He gets some coins for a hard day's work, and he gets to know a sweet young lass. On the way home, the setting sun makes the fields look like an ocean of gold. This one is fun to read. The way the faery tricks McMullen and how McMullen does eventually get his wishes is great. Nice art, nice story. Third favorite story in the issue.

Again, haven't done Ugly Bird's puzzle. I need to do that sometime.

Jack Metcalf, A Blind Boy with Vision, is very good. It's a biography about this boy who gets smallpox and becomes blind at a young age. However, the disability didn't hold him back. When he was young, he remembered all the paths through his home and villages, and even does errands for his parents. He did all the normal activities a normal boy did. When he was older, he became a traveling fiddler, which was the normal profession of someone blind at that time. However, he also did horse races, hunted, played whists and bowls, and gambled a lot. He also was a skillful swimmer, and he once saved people from drowning. He had a sharp mind. One day, Jack fell in love with a girl named Dolly. His parents forbade him from marrying her though. So, the night before Dolly was going to have an arranged marriage, Jack snuck her away and married her. After that, he tried many buisness ventures, including a stagecoach run. That gave him an idea to build roads, since there weren't many in England at the time. He created many roads, many of which are still standing, before he died. I like this story. It was interesting to find out what a man can do even with a disability. Second favorite story in the issue. 

Cricket Readers Recommend! I love these. The books mentioned this time were The Penderwicks series, I Am Malala, The Lightning Thief in the Percy Jackson series, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and Wings of Fire, which strangely has the 4th book cover shown instead of the first. Also, apparently two of these reviews were in the book recommend section of the CB, and those two people who made those are Naomi T. and Macaw.

Mariam Finds her Wings is fun. It's about this Bedouin tribe, and Mariam wants to go falcon hunting with her father and brother. But her father refuses, saying that hunting is only for boys. Upset, Mariam goes out into the desert under a shelter and cries. She remembers how when she was four her grandfather denied her a ride on his horse for the same reason her father denied her the hunt. After a while, Mariam wants to leave but is trapped by a sandstorm. So she stays the night. The next day, Mariam goes outside and finds a hurt falcon. At first, the falcon is scared, but it gradually gets calmer. Mariam remembers what her grandfather says when she find the wing is broken. She puts the bones back into place and bandages the wing with her headscarf. She brings it home and finds her mother and grandmother, who had worried about her. When they see the bird, the grandmother says to Mariam that when the bird is well Mariam can go on hunts of her own. I like the story, and the art is pretty. I learned some about the Bedouin people, which was interesting, and it was an interesting story overall. 

Good Samson is great. The story is that one winter Edith goes out to a compost pile to find a giant, freezing dog sleeping on it. She lets the dog sniff her over and then tells it to come with her. The mother isn't very welcoming of the dog at first, and neither is the dad, but soon they let the dog stay. They find out the dog is half-starved and feeds the dog their scrap meat. Edith names the dog Samson. There are some evidence of bad treatment from his original owners, like when Edith's mother takes out the broom and Samson shakes. But Samson starts living a happy life. One day, Edith takes Samson for a walk, when Samson notices something. He quickly slams into Edith throwing her out of the way. When Edith gets up, she realizes a huge limb has fallen which would have majorly injured her. She then pets Samson and says 'Good Samson'. This is a sweet dog story, which is always good for me. Also, I believe, based on the pictures, that Samson is most likely a bullmastiff. It surprises me how Samson knocking himself into Edith didn't get Edith any real injuries, because man are bullmastiffs huge. But anyway, the story is cute, and the art is too. 

I Think of My Dog When it Rains is a poem about this person who thinks about her dog who I suppose has died. It's very bittersweet. I have had some dogs that have died, so I do feel for this poem. Care for your dog while it lasts.

False Impressions Part 2. So I made a bit of an oopsie last time. So I thought the main character was Mareshtar, but it turns out that was his friend's name. The main character's real name is Nabi-sin. Anyway, let's move on. The story continues with Nabi-sin talk with Mareshtar. They talk happily for a bit, and Mareshtar even calls Nabi-sin a diviner, and that he has the gift of magic. It was a merry time, but then Zarriqum called them all back to work. Nabi-sin did little in the work of seal cutting, doing just seal polishing and tool cutting. While he worked, an ambassador of Mari came to visit his old friend, Zarriqum. The ambassador wasn't very gracious, as he drunk and he insulted Babylon quite a lot. Kirum seemed to not like him, and Nabi-sin didn't either. Later on, Nabi-sin and Kirum talk and he learns that his father and Zarriqum were old friends, and that Zarriqum made the seal Nabi-sin wore around his neck. Then, Zarriqum calls his daughter to another room. Nabi-sin finishes up and pauses in the corridor to hear the ambassador's voice. Listening, Nabi-sin hears that Kirum is going to make an exact replica of the king's seal, which is used to approve laws and documents. Soon, the conversation ends. Nabi-sin works a little more and then excuses himself for the night. That night he hears the ambassador and Zarriqum talking about the plan, and he hears it in more detail. Apparently, the ambassador heard that Babylon was going to target a city in Mari, and the king is doing nothing. The ambassador wants to push the king into a fight to defend the city before Babylon gets too great. So they would forge a decree with the king's seal that says he would put his armies against Mari, and the ambassador would bring it to the king of Mari. After that, Nabi-sin went back to bed, praying to Sin to help him. Now the story is getting going. I love it, and I wonder how the story is going to be next. I like it much better than the first part. 

Cricket League! From the November Holiday Magic poetry contest, the winners are from first to last listed. The winners of the 10 and under are by Summer Claudia B., Faith O., Lizzie M., and for an honorable mention, Anna L. W. For the 11 and up contest, the winners are Cecilia A., Katherine H., Willow S., and for the honroable mentions, Ella A., Ruth G., and Katie G. Yay!

Old Cricket Says is interesting. Apparently, some women in some Islamic countries wore oyas, decorations, on their scarves to express their feelings. Very cool, I wish I could do that.

And that's it! See ya next month.