Sometimes teachers are right. From the moment I set my eyes on the first word of The City of Ember, I was intrigued. Yes. Leads are indeed effective. As I read through the rich storytelling and the writing style in The City of Ember, I fell in love with. The adventure that Lina and Doon went on together was a sight for sore eyes. When I realized that there was a sequel to this book, I instantly went to my school library and checked the second one out. Some people say that sequels are not as quite good as the first book. That might be the case of most movie franchises or successful book series’, but in that case, The City of Ember series is extraordinary. The reason The People of Sparks stood up just like the first book was because of questions that the characters had throughout the story. It is explained in the series that a gigantic disaster—consisting of the Four Wars caused by humans, which were followed by the Three Plagues—wiped out most of humanity. Because of this the Builders—who are like the gods in this series—created Ember, which was a refuge. However, after the events of the first book the People of Ember escape their underground refuge and meet the People of Sparks who lived in their village. The characters from both sides constantly asked each other different questions after the leader of Sparks declared that they would help the People of Ember for 6 months. Why don’t these cavemen know how to farm? Why do these villagers live backwards and not have electricity? Additionally, the characters ask themselves what the ancient people were like. They ask questions about our society today, and as an audience that is part of that society, it was really entertaining and interesting. Overall, these questions kept me hooked. Over time, this book also expressed an important theme to the audience. As the People of Sparks and Ember began living together in different ways, confusion later became exhaustion and anger when the People of Sparks started to get tired of helping Ember all the time. Later, an all-out war began, and the author carefully put a message to not let hatred and anger fuel you and try to work together with different people. Overall, this book was incredible for me as it untangled the aftermath of humanity and important lessons. The author did an outstanding job establishing this world and the characters of Lina and Doon, who represented Ember as well as the People of Sparks. I recommend this to all young audiences. This book unleashed my imagination and I strongly urge you to try out the series. The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau. Yearling Books, 2005. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Young Bloggers
Apart Together, a mixed media piece by Ena, 12
Ena, 12 (San Francisco, CA) Materials used: cardboard, paint, corkboard, plastic eggshells, plastic flowers, cardstock, paper “Last year, in the first few months of quarantine, I was feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, but most of all, alone. We have all had those moments of feeling a crushing loneliness, of wanting to dig a hole and stay there. These feelings of isolation have only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and sometimes it is hard to realize that many others are experiencing the same thing. On the surface, flowers are bright and blooming and the sky is blue and clear, but underneath, the reality might be darker and lonelier. “Making this piece helped me express my emotions through art, which I didn’t know was possible. I love how the different textures combined to show different aspects of what we are all going through. I hope this can encourage people to reach out to others who might be experiencing similar feelings during these difficult times.” -Ena
Relocating, by Diya, 12
Diya Chakrabarti, 12 (Cupertino, CA) Hello, it’s Diya again! Today, I wanted to keep this write-up short and simple. I recently moved to the Bay Area in California, as one of my parents moved jobs. My family and I relocated from Portland, Oregon, and I would like to share a few of my thoughts about moving. At first, when I got the news that my family was moving, it didn’t seem like as much of a deal. The following day was just another typical day, going to school, doing homework, playing outside, etc. The same routine as always. But with each moving box being packed up, I felt a stone in my heart drop, making my stomach churn, and I sighed, knowing the house would soon be empty. Sometimes I would stare at a room, noticing even the most insignificant detail, and imagining in my head how it would look without our chairs, rugs, desks, and our favorite stuff, and soon all would be packed away and moved to our new abode. But on the other hand, I had a few exciting things to look forward to. One of our closest friends lived there, the weather was much more pleasant, and we would get to experience new things. Going to a new place can sometimes feel like taking a fresh breath of air. But, this was not a vacation, we were moving! That meant our family had to adapt to a new place, new surroundings, even if we did not like it in the beginning as change always creates some imbalances. A couple of weeks passed by, and a team of movers packed up the bulky furniture, also packing the small boxes we packed along with it. We had to be confined to one room since the workers were buzzing around like bees in a hive! It felt fun, being able to connect with my family and my little sister, and I got a lot more screen time, although my mom was not too happy with that. Fast forward a couple of days, and we were spending our last night in Portland, Oregon. I had mixed emotions; my heart was heavy, yet I was looking forward to moving to California. The entire house was empty and it felt surreal. The next day, the entire family said our farewells to our neighbors—which was very hard—got the car ready, and looked around the house for stuff that we might have forgotten to pack. Walking around the house, I saw each room, completely empty and spacious. Every room felt like it was missing something, and it was. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would have to say goodbye to our beloved home so soon. Soon, It was finally time to lock the door from behind, this time for the last time. To this very day, it still somewhat feels like we are on summer vacation. California is a state I’ve heard a lot about and visited several times in the past, but to really know more, I must experience living here myself.
