Stone Soup Magazine
— The Forest in the Hallway by Gordon Smith; Clarion Books: New York, zoo6; $16 You can’t judge a book by its cover. How many times have you heard that phrase?...
— 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.
— Two friends' argument over building an Alamo versus medieval snow fort escalates into a snowball fight, ending when a snowplow buries one boy and they reconcile.
— A girl resents her attention-stealing stepsister until a horseback riding accident forces her to save Amber from drowning, transforming their relationship.
— A girl takes her dachshund for a run on an unseasonably warm winter day, reveling in the frost-covered grass and their shared joy of movement.
— A girl prepares for prom in 1946, wearing a dress made from her brother's WWII parachute, reflecting on family sacrifice and finding beauty in hardship.
— A young observer watches sunset over San Francisco Bay, experiencing a moment of cosmic solitude before the city lights pull her back to the present.
— A boy discovers his grandparents' chest of diaries in the attic, reading accounts from a homeless man, a Japanese-American internment camp, and a 90-year-old woman, ultimately deciding to start his...