Stone Soup Magazine

Story·Nina Lampert, age 12 — A girl delivering Christmas cake to her elderly neighbor discovers eight snow globes on the mantle, each holding a story from the woman's adventurous past.

Story·Virginia Mason, age 12 — Three friends seeking relief from drought discover a mysterious river where a glowing woman lures one of them away, then wake to find rain has finally come.

Poetry·Zoe Phillips, age 11 — A child walks through absolute darkness and snow until spotting a cottage light that transforms the cold journey into a homecoming.

Story·Jack Taitel, age 10 — A boy transforms his backyard into an epic racetrack where he finally defeats his rival, the 'Dashing Devil,' in an imagined footrace through fall leaves and mud.

Poetry·Isaac Goodman, age 9 — A whale mourns his sister's death at human hands, his mournful song misunderstood as beautiful by those who hear it.

Story·Emma T. Capps, age 13 — A daughter watches her baker father struggle with a crossword clue about happiness while he tells the story of meeting her mother at a farmers' market, ending with their reconciliation.

Poetry·Kayla Walsh, age 13 — A young writer celebrates the simple pleasures of a family camp by a lake—sailboats, loons, hammocks, and the feeling of being protected from the world.

Story·Emily Grant, age 11 — A girl discovers a magical black horse that transforms into a ghost, learning his true name is Leeto before he gallops away to freedom.

Poetry·Nicky Cannon, age 12 — A poem cataloging moments of joy and freedom — from fireside reading to summer swimming — before an alarm clock shatters the dream.

Story·Silva Baiton, age 13 — After her parents' death, a girl living with her grandmother discovers she can honor memories without being trapped by them when she transforms her mother's journals into a scrapbook.