Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling is a great book in so many ways. This book caught my eye when I was browsing the shelves of Barnes And Noble. The spine had the title on it in bold, bright letters, and it had a colorful background. Who wouldn’t read a book called Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus? So, I pulled the book off the shelf and saw the almost comic-strip-looking design of the front cover, decorated with a picture of a cactus in a green cape. Naturally, that was one of the books I took home, and immediately started reading. But the cover isn’t the only good thing about this novel. Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus is a perfect story of high school life, and many high schoolers will be able to connect with the story. Aven Green, the main character in this novel, is a girl who was born without arms, but her high school experience is unremarkable otherwise. Bullies. Dangerous lunchtimes. Friendships. Crushes. However, Aven’s life outside of school is anything but ordinary. Aven’s parents run an amusement park; in fact, they dragged her to Arizona for that very reason. Some of Aven’s friends are pretty different, too. Trilby’s homeschooled and likes punk rock. Lando and Zion convinced Aven to attend Comic Con. Connor has Tourette’s Syndrome. Henry, an old man who runs an ice cream shop, is losing his memory. These friends are the people Aven sticks close to, in case trouble comes her way—which it always does—and these are the friends who can embrace Aven’s differences. The character and plot development in this book are spectacular. There are so many fun facts about every character in this book. Trilby’s dad used to be in a punk band—that’s why she likes punk rock so much! Lando and Zion’s parents are total superhero nerds. Henry doesn’t know where the rest of his family is. Connor likes to sometimes bark like a dog. This abundance of characters keeps you interested throughout the whole book, until you start seeing each character as having their own story and plot. Speaking of plot, all the little things and problems in this book seem separate until they all connect together into the main theme: navigating high school and finding your own community in the process. To all the young people out there: are you strong enough to make your way through high school? Is Aven? Moments Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. Union Square Kids, 2021. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Young Bloggers
Our Ocean Wildlife
Poorvi Girish, 8 (Fremont, CA) Our Ocean Wildlife Poorvi Girish, 8 When I was about 4 years old, I used to wonder in bed at night “Are oceans dangerous or is it the oceans that are in danger?” As an 8 year old, I have learned about the ocean’s alarming rates of pollution. Grown turtle on the shore of Black Sand Beach in Hawaii Lately, scientists have noticed how this has an effect on ocean wildlife. The 5.2 trillion pieces of trash affects ocean wildlife; it’s painful. Our world is in severe danger. So much is happening to our once peaceful mother earth. If we do not know, we can’t understand. If we can’t understand, we can’t care. If we can’t care, we can’t love our oceans. Make a change. Our world needs it. With so much trash in our ocean, it’s nearly impossible to completely rid our oceans from it, but also impossible to ignore. We can’t get rid of all the trash but we can reduce it. So, what can we do to stop this phenomenon called ocean pollution? We should lessen the use of plastic. With the world’s population, an ounce could count as a ton. There are a lot of things scattered around the environment that could harm many different species of ocean wildlife. Start using reusable bags. Plastic bags harm 100,000 marine organisms each year. Karate chop those plastic bottles into outer space (just stop using them, don’t actually do the former). Pretend plastic straws never existed. Use steel, glass or any other material that could be reused. Have you heard of the time when a plastic straw got stuck in a sea turtle’s nose? Do the right thing and help our earth—not doing so is like leaving your house looking like the landfill. Change the world for the better, together.
Medusa, Reviewed by Nova, 10
Medusa, written by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill, at only 207 pages, is a quick and stimulating read for lovers of Greek mythology seeking a contemporary twist on a classic and well-known tale. With beautiful and wonderfully detailed drawings, Medusa is also ideal for readers who enjoy artwork similar to the paintings you might see in a gallery. Get ready to dive into a world chock-full of excitement, wonder, love, loneliness, betrayal, and the feeling of no longer having to hide. Medusa has lived on an island for four years, hidden from prying eyes, with the sole company of her sisters Stheno and Euryale, her dog Argenthus, and the infamous snakes with which Athena cursed her. One day, a young man and his dog arrive in a boat. Medusa is intrigued and filled with a burning longing for human company other than her sisters’. She engages the young man in conversation while concealing herself behind a boulder, and she finds that his name is Perseus. They bond over the wrongs done to them, and soon become friends with what they think is an unbreakable union. Perseus reveals he has fallen in love with Medusa, and Medusa finds she is in love with Perseus, too. But they are both keeping secrets that may tear them apart. Will Perseus and Medusa fix their friendship? Will they rip each other to shreds? Will one half of this iconic duo hunt down and kill the other half? Or will a strange, unprecedented ending for this story expose the true nature of this timeless myth, and leave one of its protagonists at peace and finally satisfied? Read Medusa by Jessie Burton to find out! This book includes some difficult themes, including the nature of freedom and consent and the objectification of girls. As I am 10 years old, I would recommend Medusa for ten-year-olds and up. Disclaimer: Medusa came out on January 11, 2022. My review is from an Advanced Reader Copy, which only contains a couple of fully colored illustrations as examples. Still, the black and white drawings in my copy are amazing, so I plan to buy the published version as soon as I can so that I can marvel at Olivia Lomenech Gill’s art in all its colorful glory. Medusa by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill. Bloomsbury YA, 2022. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
