Stone Soup Magazine
— A girl loses her handwritten novel when it blows off a San Francisco cable car and disappears down a storm drain marked 'Flows to Bay.'
— A fifth-grader reflects on the finality of elementary school's last day, from yearbook signings to the bell's final ring that marks the end of childhood routines.
— A girl facing yet another move finds comfort in her grandfather's mints, facts, and a farewell gift that promises connection across distance.
— A teenage girl moves to a California cottage and befriends her reclusive neighbor, discovering the woman's tragic past and learning not to judge by appearances.
— A girl gets lost in the forest at dusk and follows a mysterious great horned owl through the darkness back to her parents' campsite.
— A family's failed miniature golf outing becomes an unplanned beach walk, leading to a realization about the perfection found in spontaneous moments versus carefully planned ones.
— Two cousins fight to survive after a storm wrecks their uncle's tourist ship, leaving them adrift in a lifeboat that eventually sinks, forcing them to float until rescue arrives.
— The London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan Dowd; David Fickling Books: New York, 2008; $15.99 The London Eye Mystery is perfect for any reader who is looking for a spectacular book...
— A girl flying alone for the first time finds courage through recorded messages from her parents on her iPod, transforming fear into pride as the plane prepares for takeoff.
— A scrappy urban fox survives by scavenging until a train accident lands him in an animal shelter, where he's healed and released into a forest home.