Quick Hits: COBBLESTONE touts Hamilton, Ghost Spooks Munslow

Li-Manuel Miranda has made American history hip with HAMILTON. Translating that excitement down to a middle-school level has gone to COBBLESTONE magazine, a publication from Cricket Media.

I remember getting CRICKET magazine when I was a kid (decades ago). While never quite my thing, I did leaf through every issue looking for articles that interested me. It's still around, although it almost skipped a generation in my home. Now COBBLESTONE seeks to infiltrate my abode with its Hamilton-esque edition. The mag is also promoting a "Rap Into History" challenge, inviting kids of all ages to create an original rap or song about their favorite figure in U.S. history (runs through November 4). Use hashtag #RapIntoHistory and @CricketMedia. Winning entrants might even find themselves and their subjects receiving coverage in a future issue.

Subscribe to COBBLESTONE and get 35% off plus get the Hamilton issue for free. It features background on Hamilton, his childhood, development, and military background, his famous duel with Aaron Burr, and coverage of the musical. Did you know that Hamilton was instrumental in the creation of the Coast Guard? That's a factoid you can read about. Past issues have highlighted the road to civil rights and why Washington, DC was chosen to be the nation's capital.

'Tis the season to be spooky. Musician/illustrator Keith Munslow is back with a timely new Halloween song, "Jilly the Ghost," a collaboration with Bridget Brewer.

The protagonist is – what else – a member of the deceased and haunts the neighborhood. Like every good Halloween song, it comes and goes in just over a brisk two minutes. That makes it imminently replayable for the kids. Keith is working on his next full-length kids CD, due to arrive early next year. Until then, here's a quick glimpse of what's in store.

Available at CDBABY and iTunes.