An Update from our Second Stone Soup Book Club meeting! 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. On Wednesday, April 22nd, we began discussing our first book, The End of the Wild, by Nicole Helget. We talked generally about how people felt about the book so far–whether they were hooked right away, how they felt about the writing style, etc.–before breaking into smaller groups for more in-depth discussions on setting and character development. We had a productive discussion where many interesting points were raised and some different opinions about characters emerged! The group decided to devote 2 weeks to each book we read. Next week will be our last session with The End of the Wild. We will delve into plot development and the book’s many themes, as well as revisit ideas about setting and characters. The following week we will begin discussing our 2nd book, The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or the Three Magical Children and their Holy Dog, by Adam Gidwitz. Finally, we are very lucky to have Anya Geist (13), a Stone Soup contributor, act as a co-facilitator of our book club! 1st Book The End of the Wild, by Nicole Helget 2nd Book (beginning May 6th) The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or the Three Magical Children and their Holy Dog, by Adam Gidwitz The Participants: Enni (13), Abhi (12), Anya (13), Lucy (12), Georgia (11), Lena (11), Mehr (12), Simar (6), Ever (10), Djin (10), Chloe (10), Joanna (10), Penelope (12), Allegra (10), Arianna (9) Next meeting: Wednesday April 29, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. PST, via Zoom. To receive full meeting details and reminders, please sign up for the COVID-19 mailing list here. Note that the Book Club is still open to new members if anyone couldn’t make it this time, but wants to join and read with us. Join us!
Young Bloggers
Symbols of Hope, photography and thoughts by Alyssa Wu, 13
My previous elementary school feels empty this month, but nature continues to show beauty and symbols of hope. Alyssa Wu, 13 Pleasanton, CA
Coronavirus Haiku, poetry by Amy Richman, 10
Coronavirus Haiku By Amy Richman, 10 Coronavirus I am lonely now because I am at home Coronavirus Friends to see in the morning No I can’t no more Coronavirus I will try to stay strong now I know I can fight Coronavirus I am stuck inside for now I want to get out Coronavirus But for now I will fight you. I wish you were gone I have been sheltered in place with my mom and dad for 4 weeks (this is going to be my 5th week). I am lonely and I try to smile but sometimes it is hard. I think then that I am fortunate, I am lucky. I have food. I have my family. Some people do not have that. Some are sick. Some have to go out to work. I am thankful for what I have. I like to write poems in Haiku style. Here is my Coronavirus Haiku. I want to share it with others because maybe then they won’t feel so alone. Amy Richman, 10 Basking Ridge, NJ