I just went to my regional SCBWI conference last weekend, where the editor of CRICKET magazine spoke. Thought I'd pass on some of the current needs from that magazine and from LADYBUG.
CRICKET needs:
o More contemporary fiction. But he says of that genre, “It’s a harder nut to hit.”
o More fantasy. He doesn’t get much, or if he does, it’s a lot of battles and killing
o Stories need to have a CRICKET-aged hero
o Gets a lot of bully stories—didn’t seem to like, because they often end with a too-easy solution
LADYBUG needs:
o They have too much nature and seasonal poetry
o Need more poetry about the emotional and imaginative life of kids
o Get away from suburban America (as far as settings go, I think)
o Nonfiction: want more based in cities. They’re seeing too much nature.