Raising Readers - The Cricket in Times Square

Parents who encourage and successfully develop children who read see greater school success and satisfaction.  This series reviews various examples of children’s literature and provides insights for parents to discuss with their children.   Reading and sharing the wonderful stories available to children sends a message that reading is important, creates positive “shared experiences” for families, and helps parents exert a subtle influence on their children’s development.

Chester Cricket lives in the Connecticut countryside.  Through a humorous accident, he ends up traveling by train (in a picnic basket) to downtown New York City.  There, he is discovered and befriended by young Mario Bellini who works at his parent’s newspaper stand.  Mario wants to keep the cricket as a pet, and his parents reluctantly agree.  Chester feels lonely and out of place in the big city, and the story focuses on his slow adjustment to his new surroundings.  Mario is a good friend, and Chester also makes two other friends…Tucker, a fast-talking Broadway mouse, and Harry, a kind-hearted cat.  The three new friends stay in and around the news paper stand all day and all night.  When Mario leaves at the end of each day, they get in all kinds of light mischief…some of which is due to Chester’s lack of experience with his new surroundings. 

The friends (including Mario) discover a shocking secret that Chester has:  Not only can he chirp like all crickets, but he can perfectly imitate any song he hears on the radio.  This oddity brings many patrons to the newspaper stand, and the increased attention and sales help Mario’s parents get some additional funds to pay their bills.

A refreshing element of this story is that there really isn’t a mean antagonist.  Chester’s new adventure and ongoing adaptation to Times Square is the focus of the story.  Another is the story’s ability to create empathy and understanding for people in new situations.  The young reader may have recently moved, may be in a new school building, or may have some new classmates who have moved into a new situation.  Children can easily relate to Chester as he overcomes the shyness and awkwardness adjusting to new surroundings. 

Depending on reading level, this book is for ages 8 and up. 

Raising Readers is written by Steve Arnold of Club Z! In-Home Tutoring Services.  He can be reached at 610.831.5101 or ChesMontClubZ@gmail.com.  Find out more about Club Z! In-Home Tutoring at www.clubztutoring.com/ChesMont.