May/June 2009

Story·Emmy J. X. Wong, age 12 — A Newfoundland girl finds a mysterious bottle on the shore, launches it with a carved whale inside, and watches it travel the world collecting treasures from children in different countries.

Poetry·Alec Zollman, age 13 — A cyclist pushes through burning thighs and approaching storms, hill by hill, until reaching the lake's perfect relief.

Story·Mae Hardman-Hill, age 10 — When Leo announces he's moving to New York City, his best friend Anabeth gives him a drawing of them biking by Seneca Lake, which he keeps for nine years.

Story·Aoife Troxel, age 12 — A boy saves his friend from an oncoming train after the friend becomes disoriented from a fall, but the rescue happens so fast he can barely process it.

Book Review·Carolyn Meyer, Reviewed by Gertrude S. Suokko — In Mozart’s Shadow: His Sister’s Story, by Carolyn Meyer; Harcourt Children’s Books: New York, 2008; $17 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was gifted in music beyond imagination. He was a genius, a...

Story·Eliza Putnam, age 12 — Three friends spend a summer day cloud-watching, playing word games, climbing rocks, and spinning down hills until they're dizzy and mud-covered.

Story·Rose Diltz, age 13 — A girl afraid of everything must rescue her best friend when a storm causes a riding accident, discovering courage she didn't know she had.

Poetry·Andrew Lee, age 13 — A speedcuber's hands fly over a Rubik's cube, colors sparking through the air, until the puzzle emerges whole again as the stopwatch beeps.

Story·Madison Kwasny, age 12 — A girl returns to an unchanged room filled with soap collections, antique brushes, and family memorabilia, finding comfort in its familiar details and lake views.

Book Review·Mike Lupica, Reviewed by Aidan Quigley — Summer Ball, by Mike Lupica; Philomel Books: New York, 2007; $17.99 Have you ever read the sequel to a book that you loved and felt utterly disappointed or, even worse,...