Dashiell Gibson is the luckiest 12-year-old on Earth, although he sees it through a different lens. The truth is, no one on Moon Base Alpha (MBA) feels different about their “extraordinary” opportunity. As this is the first-ever moon base to exist in 2040, everyone has their fair share of responsibilities. In Space Case, Stuart Gibbs shows how in the end, some of the limitations of the moon will always hold back humanity, or at least for now. Dash’s only friend at MBA is Roddy, another boy just one year older than him. Back on Earth, they probably wouldn’t have been friends. However, because they were the only ones around the same age, they didn’t get to choose. The story kicks off when a spaceship arrives with more people after Dr. Holtz’s murder. Well, that was what Dash assumed. The noble scientist stepped out of the air-lock alone and died immediately. With surprising persistence for a twelve-year-old, Dash continues to state that Holtz was murdered, which makes everyone else at the base think he is going mad. Kira, another twelve-year-old, has just arrived on the spaceship with new arrivals, and after hearing Dash’s theory, she starts to help him investigate. Along with her, a very mysterious character joins him in the quest to discover the cause of Holtz’s murder. Eventually, the suspects narrowed down to just a few, and to prove their theory, Dash and Kira go on a dangerous mission. But when they all think that everything is finally making sense, confusion rings the doorbell. I connected with Dash deeply because I just started middle school this year, and there is a significant change in everything, including the environment. In his case, Dash had to adjust to the new life at MBA and learn to cope with everything. This connection made the book an even better experience for me, which is why I recommend it. Overall, Space Case by Stuart Gibbs had me waiting with bated breath on every page. This thrilling mystery novel with hints of humor is the perfect read for any young reader around 9-14. As I progressed through the book, every page surprised me beyond comprehension. Even after completing the book, I wondered what would happen next, which meant that I had to read the next book in the series to satisfy the rising suspense, of course! Space Case by Stuart Gibbs. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Saturday Newsletter: September 2, 2023
Rothko Mountain (acrylic) by Dongeun Lucy Rhee, 13; published in the September/October issue of Stone Soup A note from Emma Wood Hello, everyone! I chose Dongeun’s incredible painting of a mountain, in the style of Rothko, for this newsletter because in this past month, I feel as if I have scaled a mountain; earlier this month, we moved for the fourth time in the past three years—with a three-year-old and a one-year-old, only a week before Conner and I both started new jobs as writing professors at Xavier University in Cincinnati. I’m still in survival mode, and am starting to suspect I will be for a while, but Cincinnati is a wonderful, welcoming city with lots of wonderful parks, and we love our new neighborhood. Everyone is happy to be here and adjusting well! There have been a lot of transitions at Stone Soup in these past three years as well—a new operations manager, a new director, three new board members, and now, a new editor for the magazine and books as well as a new editor for the blog. Change can be invigorating and exciting—it forces change and growth. It helps us see more clearly. But, it can also be exhausting and destabilizing. I am feeling hopeful that as my life stabilizes, the life of Stone Soup will as well, and I am excited to help make that happen. This month, we are all back to school—and my three-year-old daughter Margot will be starting preschool for the first time. Class will soon be back in session for Stone Soup, too; Conner Bassett will, for the first time, be leading a novel writing workshop, starting September 16th! To ring in the new school year, we’re offering 30% off annual print + digital subscriptions. Use code BACK2SCHOOL30 at checkout! Only three spots left! This fall, we’re offering an all new course: Novel Writing! Class begins Saturday, September 16th at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time, and seats are filling up quickly, so register today! Join us this fall for Novel Writing, a multi-week, virtual course instructed by writer, translator, and professor Conner Bassett that will teach you how to write a novel. We will focus on the basic techniques and tools of good storytelling: voice, description, setting, character, plot, conflict, and dialogue. The course will consist of brainstorming activities, in-class writing exercises, readings, and workshops. By the end of our time together, you will have a complete novel draft. Register now! Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498.
Weekly Creativity #268: Make a Hybrid Drawing/Collage of a Landscape
Make a hybrid drawing/collage of a landscape. For example, you might draw the sun but you might cut out an image of a tree and paste it into the artwork.
