On August 21st, 1911, a person named Vincenzo Peruggia committed one of the most famous art heists in history. He stole one of the most remarkable paintings in the world, the Mona Lisa, made by Leonardo Da Vinci, from the Louvre in Paris. But who was Vincenzo Peruggia, and how did he get away with stealing the Mona Lisa? Vincenzo Peruggia was an Italian man who had moved to Paris. He then got a job in the Louvre, installing protective glass onto new paintings that the museum received. This job gave him special access to the secured art and a way to know how to access all the paintings in the Louvre, without tripping security set for criminals (like him). In his Louvre uniform, a white smock, Vincenzo Peruggia could walk in the gallery when no one else was there, and it was this access to the gallery that helped him steal the painting. After that, he had hoped he could sell the artwork to a wealthy person. But when news of the painting’s theft hit the media and police began offering a large reward for its return, he realized this might be more difficult than expected. When Peruggia eventually tried to sell it in the black market for a lot of money, he was caught instantly. This stunt, which dragged on for almost 3.5 years, helped make the Mona Lisa as famous as it is today. Last summer, I was able to go see the Mona Lisa in the Louvre in person and learn all about it. The experience of it was truly phenomenal: from the bustling crowd in the small room to the far enhanced security around it, perhaps due to fear of another Peruggia. My first thought was the painting is way smaller than I expected. When I looked at the painting for the first time, I felt awed because I was in the room with one of the most valued works of art in the world, and it was just a couple of feet away from me. The painting itself is a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo, an Italian noblewoman, although whether Da Vinci used a different person for the model is very controversial. I observed that Mona Lisa’s eyes followed me around the room, watching me as I explored. There are many stories to be told about the Louvre, like how the workers designed a metal cage to go around the painting in case of a fire, but the theft of the Mona Lisa has to be the most exciting one. Recently, I read The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day, a nonfiction novel about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The writing style of this book was a narrative and explains the theft of the painting. Although written in the style of a history book, the author made the story engaging and funny. For example, on pages 248 and 249, Nicholas describes Da Vinci’s mathematics notebook in which Da Vinci wrote a short note about stopping his entry because his “soup was getting cold.” Instead of deleting that part from his story, Day keeps it in and writes, “He would go on, you see, but he has to eat.” I learned a lot from Day’s book about the Mona Lisa, and at the same time, I was never tired of reading it. I enjoyed that the book had pictures with each chapter; this choice can help readers envision different parts of the book. I recommend this book to 5th and 6th graders wanting to learn more about art history, or someone planning a trip to Paris who wants to learn more about the story of the Mona Lisa. The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day. Random House Studio, 2023. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Book Reviews
We will fly higher, Reviewed by Caroline Gao, 12
“Once upon a time, from a wounded land/ My family was pushed to leave our homeland,” writes Parwana Amiri in her book of poems, We will fly higher. This collection focuses on her love for her homeland, Afghanistan, and her experiences as a refugee at Lesvos Island. She writes about the feeling of her loss of identity and her longing for safety after losing her country to war. In the book, she portrays the untold stories of refugees who are silently calling out for help. Parwana uses poetic devices such as repetition, punctuation, and sensory detail to emphasize the emotion inside her poems. We will fly higher begins with a poem, “We are burning,” about a family of refugees who lost their child in a fire. They mourn the loss of the baby and challenge their oppressors to imagine the situation that they now live in. The last poem, “The Displaced,” recounts the poet’s life as a refugee. She reflects her struggles and the small flicker of hope that remains inside her. She passionately encourages each reader to work hard to give each refugee their rights back. The poet uses repetition frequently to make her messages strong. The emphasis is especially powerful when she repeats the structure. For example, in the poem “Your Eyes Bother Us,” the same four line stanza is repeated seven times throughout the poem. Five end with the verse “Your eyes bother us!” The stanzas reflect the idea that outsiders should not be bystanders but instead protest for change. She also repeats the use of exclamation marks, which convey strong emotion. When Parwana wrote about her homeland, she used sensory detail to make the reader feel as if they were with her in that moment of her childhood. In “Greetings to nature,” she describes her homeland: “Hey green fields, touch my knees” and “Hey sky, welcome my night / Through your smiling, sparkling stars.” Her attention to detail shows her deep love for her home, Afghanistan. Although refugees have lost their power to speak in their homeland, she protests the loss of power through words on paper, which are just as loud as their voices. In many of the poems, the poet writes about how she will not stop until all refugees gain their rights back. In the poem “The Displaced” she writes, “We will raise the sails of freedom…I am committed to that struggle! For no one is free, until we are!” She vows to never stop writing and protesting. Her drive and emotion aim to empower the reader to join refugees in their struggle instead of being a bystander. Ultimately, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves poetry and is interested in learning more about the untold stories of refugees and the beauty and culture of Afghanistan. We will fly higher by Parwana Amiri. Palewell Press, 2022. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
The Story That Cannot Be Told, Reviewed by Roxy Messier, 12
A few days ago, something happened. If it had not happened, it wouldn’t have been told. What happened was this: I picked up The Story That Cannot Be Told at the library. I did this without knowing that this book would be so very fantastic that I want to learn more about Romania, and of course, get my own copy! The story focuses on a very relatable ten-year-old girl named Ileana. She acts a lot like I feel I acted as a ten-year-old, though of course, I didn’t experience any of the things she experienced. Ileana lives under the hand of the “Leader,” as she calls him throughout the whole story. Ileana writes of how life was back when the “Leader” wasn’t in power, though she’s only ever heard about it in the stories her parents tell. Ileana loves stories, and writes them in her “Great Tome,” not knowing that her life will soon be turned upside down. When her uncle is presumed dead for writing poetry against the “Leader” and his regime it becomes dangerous for Ileana to stay with her family. She is sent to the grandparents she has never met, in rural Romania. Ileana knows nothing of her grandparents and their town except for what her mother has told her. When she arrives she meets a new friend and learns how to farm with her grandparents. As time goes on, Ileana grows close to this town and must fight to defend it with nothing but bravery, her friend, and the power of stories. This book also carries a story within the story, the story of cunning Ileana, for whom Ileana was named. Cunning Ileana must go against her own sisters to survive in a world that is against her father, whom she dearly loves. This book, like all good books do, made me angry at many of the characters, and some parts made me eager to see what happened next. As a plus, the cover is lovely. Ileana’s character development is noticeable, as she transforms from a little girl who loves to write stories, to an older, braver girl, who still loves to write stories! In the end, The Story That Cannot Be Told is a spectacular tale about family, courage, and the power of stories. Everyone between the age of 8 and 800 should read this book, especially people who love history and stories. The Story That Cannot Be Told by J. Kasper Kramer. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2020. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
