Stone Soup Magazine
— Castle of Shadows, by Ellen Renner; Houghton Mifflin Books for Children: New York, 2012; $15.99 Charlie is the princess of Quale. Yes, she lives in a castle, with gardens and...
— A boy spends his summer earning money for a BMX bike, falling just short until his best friend arrives with the final dollar he needs.
— A girl in a hammock captures the sounds of summer — breeze, splashing, insects, lawnmower — then sprints toward an ice cream truck's tinkling music.
— A boy finds his rival's lost championship kite before a competition and must decide whether to return it or keep it to ensure his own victory.
— A poem of lost childhood intimacy between cousins or friends, marked by shared memories of orchards, butterfly funerals, and the gulf that opens when one becomes a teenager.
— A daughter celebrates her father through vivid portraits of his loud presence, humor, work ethic, and creative cooking experiments, declaring him the 'King of San Marino.'
— Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua; Penguin Books: New York, 2011; $16 Sophia and Louisa Chua are perfect kids. They get straight A’s and are the best...
— A girl on a manatee tour in Crystal River struggles with the ethics of wildlife tourism, choosing not to alert her group when she encounters a manatee alone.
— Two birds chase through the air, forming a brief circular pattern in their acrobatic flight before landing and returning the world to its usual sounds.
— Speaking of sorrow and happiness. Telling a short story with a new voice. Speaking with a mouth of words. Soft as a baby’s cheek. Poem.