Stone Soup Magazine

Book Review·Russell Freedman, Reviewed by Ben Dauphinais — Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion, by Russell Freedman; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers: Boston, 2014; $10.99 Russell Freedman’s biography, Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of...

Story·Emily Stevens, age 13 — A girl searches desperately for her beloved lesson horse Judah after he's retired without warning, finally finding him at a distant stable.

Poetry·Alexandra Orczyk, age 11 — A girl swings on a rope swing, crashing through bushes and spinning wildly, finding joy despite scratches and the threatening branch above.

Story·Evelyn Chen, age 12 — Bailey competes against her rival Rhonda in a state track championship, then gives Rhonda the $1000 prize money after learning her brother needs life-saving surgery.

Book Review·Tonya Cherie Hegamin, Reviewed by Jessica McGaughey — Willow, by Tonya Cherie Hegamin; Candlewick Press: Somerville, Massachusetts, 2014; $16.99 The first thing I noticed about this book was the fact that Willow is both the main character’s name...

Story·Carrie Merhout, age 10 — A lonely ranch girl discovers a stray silver cat in the barn, secretly feeds it, and eventually adopts it when the cat needs help giving birth to kittens.

Poetry·Julia Caggiano, age 10 — A child sends love through night sounds and constellations to someone far away, finding connection in shared memories of crickets and stars.

Story·Juliette Shang, age 10 — A young pianist reflects on why she continues despite the tedium of practice, finding meaning in performance, emotional expression, and connecting with elderly audiences.

Book Review·Ryan Gebhart, Reviewed by Jeffrey Huang — There Will Be Bears, by Ryan Gebhart; Candlewick Press: Somerville, Massachusetts, 2014; $16.99 When I first saw the cover of this book, I wasn’t very interested, so I put it...

Story·Lukas Bacho, age 12 — A businesswoman at San Francisco airport reluctantly agrees to deliver a mysterious package from a deaf stranger to his daughter in New York.