In this Cricket, follow your nose through a garden alongside a budding cook, discover the secret to growing prize-winning chrysanthemums, and get to know a compost pile with lots of personality. Learn how a young sculptor in ancient Greece honors his brother, then meet an adventurous merchant who outwits a king—as well as a musician who outwits his own stage fright. And don’t miss the exciting conclusion of “Saving Freyfaxi.” In this four-part tale of medieval Iceland, a girl must balance her father’s demands against her own wishes while taking care of a horse fit for the gods.

All this, plus a new story contest, a stellar selection of Cricket readers’ favorite first sentences, a very green Crossbird, and a trip to Creepy Crawl Woods to tidy up Ugly Bird’s lair!