Stone Soup Magazine
— A boy escapes to his backyard creek where trees arch overhead and sunlight dances through leaves, finding solace in nature's protective embrace.
— A slave girl named Min-Li discovers she is a Guardian of the Phoenix when a magical bird rescues her and reveals her destiny to heal villages.
— On the last day of eighth grade, seven best friends release a balloon with a wish to stay friends forever, as they face separation for high school.
— A girl recounts the life and death of her beloved white cat Moon, from finding her as a kitten at a yard sale to her tragic death under a car's...
— A jockey races her horse Rose for the last time before retirement, losing a stirrup mid-race but recovering to win by a nose against rival Angel.
— A thirteen-year-old bassoonist battles nerves and nausea before performing at Carnegie Hall, then discovers transcendence when she forgets her music and must play from memory.
— Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby; Starscape: New York, 2007; $5.99 I can’t imagine what life would be like if everyday sounds, such as the voices of my friends and...
— A poet escapes his chaotic household at night to write in the barn, where the sounds of sleeping animals inspire verses that flow from his heart.
— Home, and Other Big Fat Lies by Jill Wolfson; Henry Holt and Company: New York, 2006; $16.95 This story begins when the great and mighty “Termite” gets sent to her...
— At art camp, a girl joins a secret nickname club where everyone has a summer identity, until the club's leader reveals her own name was never a nickname at all.