Anya Geist, 13Worcester, MA Review of The Ickabog by J.K. Rowling Anya Geist, 13 All over the world, children are stuck in quarantine. And, I’d imagine, a lot of them (myself included) have been staring at their bookshelves, trying to find books they’ve never read and suffering through rereading books that they never really liked in the first place. Libraries are closed, and ordering new books can often take a long time. So, how are kids supposed to find and read new books? J.K. Rowling, internationally famous author of Harry Potter, has come up with a solution. Her new book, The Ickabog, a medieval adventure, is being released chapter-by-chapter on her website (listed at bottom). The Ickabog’s target age range is probably from ages 7-11. However, I am positive that anyone will enjoy this new, creative story by one of the world’s favorite authors! The Ickabog is not a Harry Potter story. It doesn’t even take place in the same world. Instead, it describes the made-up, medieval land of Cornucopia. There is no magic in Cornucopia–at least, not yet–but Rowling’s descriptive language and thoughtful, memorable characters give it a magical feeling of its own. King Fred the Fearless is the main character of the book, a somewhat blundering, ignorant ruler, who has a good heart. His entourage includes the slightly despicable lords Spittleworth and Flapoon, as well as the more honorable Major Beamish. Rowling’s characters are as solid as they are in Harry Potter, and their names hold the same charm; Daisie Dovetail and Bert Beamish, two children who play a role in the story, both with well-crafted personalities, would fit in well with the witches and wizards of Harry Potter, what with their alliterated names. The Ickabog takes place in a very fun world. Cornucopia is a land renowned for its foods. The King lives in the capital city of Chouxville (pronounced Shoe-ville), where they are famous for their pastries (a choux is a type of pastry). There is Baronstown, the city of sausages and hams, and Kurdsburg, which produces the finest cheeses. The last city of note is Jeroboam, which makes wines–Rowling comments, “They said of the Jeroboam air that you could get tipsy simply walking its streets.” As you can see, all of Cornucopia is a lively, luscious land. Well, most of it. Beyond Jeroboam is the Marshlands, which are a source of intrigue in the book. The people of the Marshlands are haggard, and their farm animals thin; altogether, this region of the country is rather ignored by the rest of the kingdom. However, the Marshlands is the site of the mysterious, mythical Ickabog, a monster that is said to roam its distasteful lands, snatching both animals and people away. But no one has ever seen the Ickabog. Most people regard it as lore, something to tell children about so that they behave. What if it is real, though? Could it be? And, if it is, what is it’s story? What dangers could it pose for the kingdom? For now, these questions are unanswered, spinning a web of mystery and intrigue, as currently, as only chapters 1 through 11 have been released online, though more are being added everyday and will be until July 10. Each chapter is around 1000 words–equivalent to 3 pages in a book–which means that the story is not too much of a commitment to read, perfect for times when you just need a short break from this quarantine world and want to disappear into a new land, a place filled with life and adventure. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading The Ickabog as it comes out, and I am 13. I strongly urge all of you to read it, either by yourself or with your family. It is really a fabulous tale. Furthermore, J.K. Rowling is offering a really exciting opportunity for all artists ages 7-12! On her website (which, again, is listed below), you will find all of the details for an illustration contest! Draw your own illustrations for The Ickabog, and follow the link to the Scholastic website, where you can submit them. When The Ickabog is published in print, later this year, Scholastic will choose a number of submitted drawings to illustrate the book! Once again, The Ickabog is a really fun story, and I would highly recommend reading it! And, it’s already been translated into 5 different languages so you can share it with friends across the world. This is the link to the official Ickabog website, where you can read the story and learn more about the illustration contest: https://www.theickabog.com/home/
COVID-19
Snow White Has COVID-19, a story by Simran Adnani, 6
Simran Adnani, 6Troy, MI Snow White Has COVID-19 Simran Adnani, 6 The Queen sat by her window. Pricking her finger on a needle, she wished for a child. She had a beautiful daughter called Snow White. When Snow White was 6 years old, the Queen died, and the King married a cruel stepmother. Stepmother made a magic mirror and asked it,” Who is the fairest of all?” Mirror said, “Snow White is the fairest of all. Queen you look very fair normally but today you look rather pale, what is the matter?” The Queen got a nasal swab and her COVID test came back positive. She made a COVID poisoned apple by biting it that she thought she would use later for hurting Snow White. Then she took Remdesavir (the drug that treats COVID) which completely cured the Queen. But the Queen did not believe in social distancing and called the Huntsman. She ordered him to take Snow White to the jungle and kill her. But the Huntsman was kind and let Snow White go. Snow White was tired walking in the forest. She decided to rest in the house of the seven dwarfs. They were called Cheeky, Squeezy, Fishy, Curious, Puffy, Lazy and Knowledgy . Snow White ate from Cheeky’s cereal bowl and slept off. When the dwarfs returned, they all had masks on their faces. Snow White was alarmed to see them and she started to run away. Knowledgy stopped her and informed her that masks were only to protect them from COVID. She didn’t understand the need for masks. Next day the dwarfs left for work and warned Snow White of the wicked stepmother. Snow White didn’t listen and opened the door to the evil step mother. The queen who was a COVID survivor and was wearing a mask, offered Snow White an apple that she had previously poisoned. Snow White took a bite and fell unconscious. The dwarfs returned and were very sad. Knowledgy checked her heart and noticed that it wasn’t beating. “The evil stepmother gave her COVID,” said Curious. Then they buried her in the cemetery as it would be dangerous to put her in a glass coffin. The Prince heard about Snow White’s death and was very sad. However, he did not kiss her for fear of getting sick.
Friendship, a cartoon by Natya Chandrasekar, 12
Natya Chandrasekar, 12Palo Alto, CA Friendship Natya Chandrasekar, 12 I created the friendship cartoon after I came from a walk where 2 friends were walking 6 feet apart and I realized this is going to be the way of life after the coronavirus. Natya is selling prints of all of her cartoons to raise funds for a nonprofit organization in her local area called REF (Ravenswood Education Foundation), which has established an emergency fund to provide financial relief related to the school closures due to COVID-19. Ninety percent of students in the school area qualify for free and reduced-price lunch, and the majority of their parents work hourly service jobs. REF is working closely with the school district to plan and address specific needs, including in technology and distance learning, food and food distribution, emergency childcare, and financial support. We at Stone Soup are very happy to support Natya in spreading the word, and congratulate her on her work and her fundraising efforts for her community–well done, Natya! You can look at the complete collection of cartoons and choose your favourites either in this Dropbox Folder or Google Drive folder, and write to Natya if you would like to obtain a copy of your own. You may pay for the prints either by making a direct donation to REF here, or discussing directly with Natya and her family.
