Grace Mancini, 11Glenside, PA It Was Grace Mancini, 11 It was red, like a ripe strawberry It was orange, like a bright neon glow It was yellow, like the blinding sun It was green, like the soft touch of grass It was blue, like the depths of the ocean It was purple, like a lilac in full bloom It was spreading farther then my fingertips could ever touch It was the world So warm So welcoming Yet so far away from the mess that we are living in.
COVID-19
Believe, a poem by Ben Starner, 12
Believe Ben Starner, 12 The greater the challenge The rougher the sea The thinner the bridge The less you believe The wider the water The bigger the plight The harder the problem The darker the night The imposing contagion There’s people who fight So don’t be afraid But careful of night It soon will be over Soon it will end its rampage And will not come back Until a different age The greater the challenge The rougher the sea The thinner the bridge The more you believe Ben Starner, 12Seattle, WA
Book Club Report: Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper
An update from our sixth Stone Soup Book Club meeting! This week, in Book Club, we began discussing Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper. This is the story of a 10-year-old girl with Cerebral Palsy. She is extremely intelligent but struggles to communicate her thoughts—she cannot speak, write, or walk. We began our session talking in small groups about the importance of words. We discussed the role words play in our lives, whether words are more valued verbally or written, and how we might try to communicate without the ability to speak or move our bodies. We went on to discuss the strength of Melody as the main character and the role of the many companion characters the author uses to tell her story. We also talked about what we considered the core themes of the book, including perseverance, courage, strength, the importance of friendship, and our deep human yearning to communicate with others. Next week, we are so excited to be joined by Adam Gidwitz, author of The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, for the first part of our session. Please come prepared with a few questions about the book, if you read it, or writing more generally. Since we have only a short time with Mr. Gidwitz, please keep in mind that everyone may not have the opportunity to ask a question directly. Following our time with Adam Gidwitz, we will continue discussing Out of My Mind and conclude by voting on the next one or two books we will read in Book Club. The Participants: Anya, Georgia, Lena, Vishnu, Rachel, Lucy, Joanna, Djin, Enni, Kaya, Allegra, Arianna, Katie, Zoe, Penelope, Em Jay, Isabel, Chloe The Stone Soup Book Club is open to all Stone Soup contributors and subscribers, age 9-13, during the COVID-19-related school closures and shelter-in-place arrangements. We meet every Wednesday for one hour via Zoom to discuss our chosen book.
