Stone Soup Magazine

Story·Aleydis Barnes, age 12 — A family that never decorates for the holidays judges their neighbors' elaborate displays until one daughter tries to fit in, then realizes their tradition matters more.

Story·Benny Mitchell, age 11 — A book-obsessed boy forced on a tech-free vacation meets Chester, a local kid who gives him a tour of the quirky town and becomes his first real friend.

Story·Anika Walkes, age 11 — When her father's train is delayed, eight-year-old Katy opens his shoe store herself and successfully completes her first sale to a surprised customer.

Story·Hannah Krenn, age 13 — A girl shares her late grandfather's memory box with her younger sister to comfort her after classmates call her stupid, discovering that giving memories away multiplies their power.

Poetry·Lotus Shen, age 11 — A catalog poem traces things that vanish — vapor trails, insects, melting snowflakes, flowing water — finding the hidden nature of everyday disappearances.

Poetry·Brooke Hemingway, age 13 — A wolf leads its pack into a moonlit clearing where the forest holds its breath and the world sparkles with otherworldly light.

Story·Elia Smith, age 11 — A girl puzzled by magic's selective protection during a storm discovers through dreams and her sister's unexpected kindness that magic exists in everyday moments and reconnected relationships.

Book Review·Will Hobbs, Reviewed by By Sarah Gu — Crossing the Wire, by Will Hobbs; HarperCollins Publishers: New York, 2006; $16.99 When his father died years ago trying to cross the Arizona border, fifteen-year-old Victor Flores dropped out of...

Story·Christina Suh, age 12 — A privileged Southern girl discovers her family's enslaved girl Susan attempting to escape and, after hearing Susan's story, helps her flee north to freedom.

Book Review·Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Reviewed by Catherine Chung — One for the Murphys, by Lynda Mullaly Hunt; Nancy Paulsen Books: New York, 2012; $16.99 Growing up browsing through Salvation Army bins and snoozing in the basement, twelve-year-old Carley Connors...