To the Wild (oil) by Sophia Zhang, 12; published in the July/August issue of Stone Soup A note from Diane Landolf Hello, readers! I am no rider, but this painting from the latest issue of Stone Soup, To the Wild by Sophia Zhang, captures the spirit of adventure I’m feeling as I embark on my new role as Stone Soup editor. I first read the magazine when I was in elementary school, and I was blown away by the idea that kids like me could be published authors and artists. And the work was really good! Not just good for a ten-year-old or a twelve-year-old, but high quality by any standards. After more than twenty years as a children’s book editor at a major publisher, I am proud to be joining an organization that inspires kids to create and publish their own wonderful poetry, prose, plays, and artwork. I’m also happy to discover that, now in its 50th year, Stone Soup is every bit as good as ever. Lucky for me, I came on board just in time to be part of judging our Annual Book Contest. The August 15th deadline is fast approaching, so don’t miss your chance to submit you novel, short story collection, or poetry collection for possible publication! I can’t wait to read your stories and poems. Finally, don’t forget our monthly Flash Contest. Check the blog on Monday, August 7th for this month’s creativity prompt and submit your response. Happy summer writing! From Stone Soup July/August 2023 The Fish’s Song by Sage Surra, 9 It was foolish to say it could be done. The boat washing through the shimmering water, the cannons loaded and ready. The world could be a striking place to venture. And as the Earth moved in long ovals, everyone stopped. The fish stopped darting and all their thoughts were focused on the world as the boat sailed and made a street to carry. Then the fish started to twitch and swam forth and everyone stopped peering through their windows. Everything stopped watching. and so the ocean rose and the laws of gravity paused and all the fish flew and took breaths and began to sing. They sang of the life and death of the world. The sailors clutched the sides of the boat. The fish sang of longing and hope. Click here to read “The Fish’s Song” in full… Our Annual Book Contest ends August 15th! Submit your manuscript Registration is open for our fall workshops! We are so pleased to announce the continuation of our writing workshops with an all new course: Novel Writing! Class begins Saturday, September 16th at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time. 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.
Simplicity, a Political Cartoon by Sage Kramer, 11
Stone Soup Author Interview Series: Sarah Hunt Discusses Her Debut Novel, Foxtale
A conversation between Sarah Hunt, winner of the 2021 Stone Soup Book Contest, and Tristan Hui, former Stone Soup contributor and winner of the 2020 Stone Soup Book Contest, about Sarah Hunt’s debut novel, Foxtale. Foxtale was also a finalist in the youth author (under 25) category for the 2023 Indie Book Awards. 0:34 — What does Stone Soup mean for you? 1:31 — What was the hardest part of the publishing process? 2:32 — How did you come up with the idea for Foxtale? 4:13 — Was there anything you read during the writing process that inspired you? 5:07 — Do you have a favorite character from Foxtale? 5:41 — What impact do you hope Foxtale will have on your readers? 6:53 — During the editing process, how did you decide what to cut and what to keep? 8:42 — Can you talk about your writing process? 11:46 — What advice do you have for other young readers? 12:42 — Has your belief that you’re your own target audience helped to deal with outside criticism? 13:33 — What are your future writing goals?
