Stone Soup Magazine

Poetry·Caroline Smyth, age 12 — A young writer explores the paradox of constant transformation and fixed identity, finding that despite daily reinvention, the same eyes witness it all.

Poetry·Ross Mangels, age 11 — A catcher describes the thrill of throwing out a runner stealing second base, celebrating the physical and mental demands of playing behind home plate.

Story·Charlotte Eaton, age 12 — A sixth-grader faces three problems: losing her best friend, being bullied, and missing math homework. She solves them through courage, honesty, and unexpected kindness.

Poetry·Norah Brady, age 13 — Night sounds — cricket drone, rain on gutters, distant conversations — become a symphony as the world falls into sleep.

Story·Jem Burch, age 13 — During a rare July rainstorm in California, two friends watch from the window, chase the storm to the grocery store, and discover joy in shared wonder.

Story·Sandra Detweiler, age 13 — A grieving girl meets a blind pianist after saving her from a bicycle collision, discovering friendship and music can pierce through darkness.

Story·Will Stroud — A young hunter describes his first archery kill, from the three-hour wait in a tree stand to the moment the deer falls, rendered in precise sensory detail.

Story·Niya Wodi, age 12 — A reluctant teen assigned to volunteer at a nursing home bonds with Mrs. Blair, a former Broadway star, discovering the value of intergenerational connection.

Book Review·John Rocco and Jay Primiano, Reviewed by Christian Rice — Swim That Rock, by John Rocco and Jay Primiano; Candlewick Press: Somerville, Massachusetts, 2014; $16.99 If you want a book with daring adventures and even pirates (gasp), then Swim That...

Story·Sonja Skye Wooley, age 12 — Two young scientists searching for Atlantis in the Pacific get caught in a storm, crash on an uncharted island, and discover the lost city underwater just offshore.