September/October 2000

Story·Laura Aberle, age 12 — A curious girl investigates her neighborhood's 'crazy' artist who painted a giant portrait on his house, discovering the painting is made of tiny diverse people and the man is misunderstood.

Poetry·Danny Musher, age 11 — A pond at dusk becomes a cradle of stillness as autumn winds rustle reeds, rushes peer at their reflections, and night settles like a soft blanket.

Story·Chappell Sargent, age 10 — A frustrated girl takes a bareback ride on her old horse when a crimson butterfly spooks the mare, throwing the rider and revealing unexpected beauty.

Book Review·Catherine Clinton, Reviewed by Jessica Arguilez Bans — I, Too, Sing America by Catherine Clinton; Houghton Mifflin Company: Boston, 1998; $20 This is a collection of African-American poetry that is tragic and triumphant. You will learn a lot...

Story·Liza Brown, age 11 — Four children at a beach each find their own source of joy: Sally plays fetch with dogs, Jordan helps his brother find a lost pet, Rita collects seashells, and Todd...

Book Review·John B. Severance, Reviewed by Casey Pelletier — Einstein: Visionary Scientist by John B. Severance; Clarion Books: New York, 1999; $15 To most kids, Einstein: Visionary Scientist would seem like “a book about some dead guy whose ideas...

Story·Allison Stadd, age 12 — A girl struggling with writer's block finds inspiration in memories of her late father and writes through the night, discovering she's already won by making the effort.

Story·Leah Karker, age 12 — A girl raised on a farm discovers she's a wolf when she finds her birth mother among a wolf pack and transforms to join them.

Story·Daniel Lyons, age 12 — At summer camp, a boy befriends Caylan, a special needs camper, and defies the drama director by bringing him onstage to perform in the camp musical together.

Story·Laurel Lathrop, age 13 — A girl on the social outskirts is chosen as the healer's apprentice, severing ties with family and friends to begin her new life in the forest.