Stone Soup Magazine
— A muskie hunt in Wisconsin waters builds through sensory details until the predator strikes, snapping the fishing line with the lure in its teeth.
— A girl whose family is fragmenting befriends her silent cousin by creating a mechanical dancing bird that mirrors the shorebirds they both love.
— A drowsy afternoon in a garden becomes a meditation on the sensory pull between nature's beauty and the body's desire for rest.
— A young poet maps her beloved seaside town through sensory details — from a whale door knocker to turquoise wharfs to sailboats floating like butterflies.
— A delicate observation of trying to help an injured insect fly again, capturing the fragility of both the creature and the moment of attempted rescue.
— Matched, by Ally Condie; Speak (an imprint of Penguin Books): New York, 2011; $9.99 Part of leading your own, individual life is choosing whom you love and where you work....
— At summer camp, a girl lies about her grandmother's earrings to avoid teasing, loses them, and discovers her new friend stole them out of misguided kindness.
— 18 Things, by Jamie Ayres; Curiosity Quills Press: Reston, Virginia, 2012; $14.99 Jamie Ayres has written an inspiring story about overcoming grief. In 18 Things, teenager Olga Gay Worontzoff suffers...
— Sisters collect shells and sea glass at the beach, but discover the treasures lose their magic when brought home, separated from ocean and memory.
— A basketball player misses shots on a worn court, the ball landing in mud, but persists until finally hearing the satisfying swish.