Bullying is just plain wrong. It hurts the person who is bullied, and the bullies usually live to regret their cruel behavior. No one wins. In “Sticks and Stones,” the featured story from the July/August 2013 issue of Stone Soup, 13-year-old author Nisha Klein manages to turn her bad experience at summer camp into a beautifully written, sensitive story. We see firsthand all the little ways in which Nisha’s cabin mates put her down and try to make her feel bad. They exclude her from their conversations, run away when they see her coming – one girl even tells her she should die! At first, Nisha wonders if there is something wrong with her. Like everyone, she wants to be liked. She gets depressed. Then one day, while practicing archery, Nisha hits a bullseye, and it sparks a revelation. There’s nothing wrong with her! She doesn’t need the approval of these mean girls. Camp is over and she can return home to her friends, saddened but a little wiser. Have you seen or experienced bullying at school or camp? Perhaps Nisha’s story will help you see how wrong it is and inspire you to speak up against it if you see it.
Equal Rights for Girls!
A girl growing up today can join a baseball team if she wants to. In the past, things were different. “Katie’s League,” the featured story from the March/April issue of Stone Soup, chronicles the struggles of Katie, a girl growing up in the 1940s. Katie loves baseball, and she’s really good at it. Her late dad understood her passion. She’s not sure her mom would understand, so she hides the T-shirt, jeans, and baseball cap she wears when practicing from her mom. She is teased by a boy named Billy Archer and berated by the baseball coach. By chance, the team manager meets Katie and decides that a girl on the team might be good for publicity. Now it’s up to Katie to prove herself. Can she do it? Will her mom accept her as she is? Read this moving story by 12-year-old Emily Worrell and enjoy 13-year-old Ava Blum-Carr’s illustrations. Then let us know what you think!
A Horse Story with a Twist
We hope all our subscribers have had a chance to read the new January/February 2013 issue of Stone Soup. There are so many great stories in this issue, it was hard to choose one to feature on our website. We finally settled on “Friends Forever,” by 11-year-old Naomi Vliet, about a girl named Rachel who has always wanted a horse of her own. Then one day Rachel’s brother helps rescue a wild mare and her foal from some mustangers. Will Rachel’s wish finally come true? In alternating chapters, Naomi tells her story from two points of view: Rachel’s and the mare’s. The mare is separated from her herd, she is alone and she needs help. She knows Rachel is kind, but she won’t feel right until she’s back with her herd. Rachel falls in love with the mare and her foal, but deep inside she knows what she needs to do. In five short pages, the author paints a multi-layered portrait of a young girl and a wild animal, each with her own needs and desires. And illustrator Jessica Birchfield brings Naomi’s vision to life with her beautiful drawings. Well done, Naomi and Jessica!