As I write this, wars are raging around the world. Although a wonderful story or poem can often be a welcome escape, it is also the role of literature to tell the stories that are difficult to tell. In this issue, we open with Part I of a story that explores the terrifying lead-up to […]
Letter From the Editor
Editor’s Note
It’s January, and I was expecting this issue to be full of winter poems and stories—and there are some, such as “One Winter Day,” the evocative nonfiction piece that opens the magazine, and a chilling story called “Thin Ice.” But what surprised me was the humor I discovered this season! There’s a hilarious and a […]
Editor’s Note
Hello! I am beyond excited to introduce myself as the new editor of Stone Soup! I have been a fan of the magazine since I read it as a child, and I will never forget the feeling of wonder it gave me to discover that kids like me could be published authors. For many years, […]
Editor’s Note
This issue is full of storms—actual storms that strike trees with lightning and shipwreck brothers and cause huge waves to crash onto the deck of a beach house—as well as metaphorical ones: “I am a thunderstorm” Pauline McAndrew writes in a poem about being mixed race. A number of characters experience internal storms as well: […]
Editor’s Note
Have you ever wished you could be someone or something else? “Ivy’s Return,” the short story by Clara Gluzdov that opens this issue, perfectly captures this longing through the character of Ivy, the cat who yearns to become a human girl so she can play the piano. When Ivy’s wish is granted, however, she realizes […]
Editor’s Note
Readers! Today marks FIFTY YEARS of Stone Soup! Reaching this milestone is an incredible achievement and a testament to the importance of this project for young readers, writers, and artists. Thanks to each one of you for continuing to make Stone Soup possible. The art, poetry, and prose in this issue explore climate change. It […]
Editor’s Note
In this issue, we welcome spring—with spring poems and spring art. Look again at that cover image—the wash of blue sky! The meadow full of blue, orange, and yellow flowers! That perfectly contented longhorn, gazing off into the distance! The grass is too green for it to be summer—it is still spring, and I can […]
Editor’s Note
In this issue, things go missing. There is a woman who has lost her husband and is now losing her mind. There is a girl whose best friend goes missing. There is a boy who is rushed to the ER after hitting his head at the playground and momentarily forgets where he is and why. […]
Editor’s Note
“Snow-sleet coming down / Like alabaster flowers raining / down on me.” “Seagulls struggled to fly against the wind. They were like kites getting flung around, as flimsy as rag dolls.” “Realization sets over me, / Like the winter sun over the countryside.” “I climbed up the ladder then paused, positioning myself as if I […]
Editor’s Note
As you may have noticed just from holding it in your hands, this issue is longer than usual. That’s because in addition to the regular forty-eight pages of writing and art, you’ll find an extra ten pages of art in this, our new art edition of the magazine. We’ve decided to make a special art […]
Editor’s Note
Memoir has the spotlight in this issue. In these pages, you will find Georgia Marshall’s interview with her grandfather, which is at once a tribute, a biography in miniature, and a thoughtful reflection on what makes a good life. You will find two personal stories, Louise Johnson’s “Unconditional” and Misha Joksic’s “The Deadly Pain”—both difficult […]
Editor’s Note
What is home? A sanctuary, a place of rest, a feeling, a family, a specific house or town or state or sky. Home is the way you feel when you feel “at home”—relaxed, comfortable, open. It is in our homes where we are most physically vulnerable—taking showers, getting dressed, going to the bathroom, eating—and also […]
