I don’t know about you, but I like the characters in the stories I read to seem like real people. Realistic characters have strengths and weaknesses, they talk in everyday language, they joke with their friends. A story can have an interesting plot, gripping suspense, life lessons, but if the characters don’t seem like real people, the story is less effective. “Heights,” by Jaida Johnson, age 12, in the November/December 2013 issue of Stone Soup, paints a portrait of two friends who seem very real. Addie and Conner have been best friends for a long time. That’s clear from the easy way they have of bantering with each other. Addie teases Conner mercilessly about his fear of heights. Then she reveals a softer side when she sees how scared Conner really is. “Don’t worry, we only have ten rungs left,” she says. Conner’s sense of humor comes across in his thoughts, such as this one: “My mom would be so proud. Oh, wait—I snuck out of the house past curfew, climbed up an old water tower, and was now praying it didn’t fall down. I don’t think she’d be too proud. Win some, lose some.” Just when we think Addie is so brave, nothing can ruffle her feathers, the tables are turned. Suddenly Conner is teasing Addie about her fear of drowning. “Hey, Adds, wanna go to the pool tomorrow?” Now that we know these two so well, we know that Addie’s final words, “Oh, shut up,” aren’t meant to be mean. It’s just the way real friends talk to each other, friends who are comfortable with one another and whose friendship runs deep. Isn’t it amazing how Jaida was able to bring Addie and Conner to life for us in just over two pages? Because we believe the story, we also learn a lot, about friendship, adventure, and overcoming fears.
Teacher Resources
History Comes Alive
Many Stone Soup readers tell us that historical fiction is their favorite genre. We think we know why. Realistic characters, whose feelings and concerns are similar to our own, can bring the events of history to life better than a dry textbook. A perfect example of historical fiction is “Curtis Freedom,” the featured story from our September/October 2013 issue. The setting is a cotton plantation in the South. The time is the mid-1800s. Curtis is a fictional slave boy who lives during this real time in American history. In the story, Curtis meets the famous abolitionist, Harriet Tubman, a real person. Like many real slaves of the time, Curtis escapes from the plantation with the help of Harriet Tubman and her Underground Railroad. He stays in safe houses along the way and eventually makes his way to Canada and freedom, just like many real slaves did at the time. Thirteen-year-old author Anna Haverly shows us this time in history through Curtis’s eyes, and we experience it with him. It’s unbearable to work in the hot sun and be yelled at by a master who calls you “boy” because he doesn’t even care to learn your name. It’s tragic to be separated from your parents when you’re sold into slavery. It’s terrifying to run away from a cruel master and fear being caught and sent back. And finally, what joy to find your father again in a new land! Did we just learn a lot about history? What a great way to learn, through a relatable character and a story that sweeps us away to another time and place.
Bullying Is Wrong
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.
