Stone Soup Magazine
— A meditation on feeling trapped by others' expectations transforms into a plea for empathy and a vision of freedom through flight and song.
— A girl faces sexist taunts when joining the Boys' Chess Club but wins over her teammates by reframing their shared experiences of exclusion and leading them to victory.
— A young writer explores the gap between how peers see her—aloof, friendless—and how she sees herself: kind, connected, surviving through writing.
— After falling during pointe hops at Russian ballet camp, a shy dancer gains strength and confidence through a roommate's patient coaching and encouragement.
— After a killer whale destroys his research ship, a marine biologist and his pet cormorant survive on a deserted island until they can build a raft to escape.