We have lived in this world for so long that we often forget to notice its beauties and terrors. Although a blossoming of flowers on a tree branch or the putrid smoke of factory pollution might be perfectly normal to us, there’s something incredibly special about them in different ways. In Born on the First of Two, Anya Geist crafts a otherworldly society that views the Earth with exactly this unique perspective, for this society lives above the clouds. The Land of the Clouds is a bustling, ever-moving network of people above the clouds. Although Maya should be just another eleven-year-old living in the Land, there’s always been something amiss in her life. Perhaps it’s because her parents mysteriously disappeared when she was young. While Maya loves the aunt she lives with, she can’t help the tension between them as her curiosity about her real parents grows. When Maya’s history teacher unintentionally drops a clue about Maya’s identity, however, everything changes. Suddenly, Maya is convinced that she is the one in a prophecy destined to fight a group of evil people named the OCT. And it adds up—on the back of her locket, the ones her parents gave her, is a street name on Earth: 15 Harding Street. In her eyes, this can’t be a coincidence. Now, Maya must embark on a journey to Earth to discover the importance of the elusive 15 Harding Street. Between “motion sickness” when she time-travels throughout Earth’s history to deadly voices preying on her, Maya is on a race against all odds to figure out who she and her parents really are—if the OCT don’t intercept her first. Geist’s debut novel is a riveting blend of bildungsroman and familial love, highlighted by the science fiction elements! It was powerful getting to see not only Maya’s self-exploration and development, but how much her aunt and her best friend, Scarlett, loved her as well. Although Maya felt alone and small for much of her journey on Earth, there were two people trying to find her the entire time. Although this is a girl from the Land of the Clouds, I felt like I could resonate with her so deeply in this aspect. Ah, Geist’s writing was simply delightful! The vivid description, especially of Maya’s time-traveling process, was a spelling series of events that truly allowed me to visualize the scene. It felt like I was there with Maya, seeing the gray, frothy beach and the Tunnel of Time right beside her. I also loved the idea of people living above the clouds, operating in tight-knit communities and schools similar to ours, but in an entirely different environment. I was, however, hoping for more world-building. It was unclear what the citizens of the Land of the Clouds looked like, what they did every day, et cetera, so it was difficult for me to understand the difference between people on the Land and people on Earth. In turn, when Maya visited Earth and expressed awe in everything, it made me confused about what was so strange to her. The lack of concrete world-building caused a sort of disconnect between the reader and the character at times. Overall, this was just a mind-blowing novel. Geist is such a promising writer who infuses heart and hope into her characters, no matter how dire their situations may be. Submerge yourself in this classic tale of soul-searching and internal courage—it won’t disappoint! Born on the First of Two by Anya Geist, selected Editor’s Choice of the Stone Soup Book Contest 2020. Children’s Art Foundation, Incorporated, 2021. Buy the book at our store, Amazon, or Bookshop.org.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Flash Contest #38, December 2021: Write a creation story for a fictional world you create—our winners and their work
Our December Flash Contest was based on Creativity Prompt #181 (provided by Molly Torinus, Stone Soup contributor), which challenged participants to write a creation story for a fictional world of their own imagination. For the third consecutive month we set a record for number of submissions, all of them worthy of recognition. Molly’s ingenious prompt led to a breadth of creativity, with creation stories for fully realized worlds containing mathematical sets with biblical influence to anthropomorphic clouds to the misadventures of a musical note. In the end, we selected our usual five winners and five honorable mentions. As always, thank you to all who submitted, and please submit again next month! In particular, we congratulate our Winners and our Honorable Mentions, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “Darkness” by Kimberly Hu, 9 (Lake Oswego, OR) “Adventure to the Lost Kingdoms” by Tang Li, 9 (Palmetto Bay, FL) “The Beginning, the End, the Rebirth” by Lui Lung, 12 (Danville, CA) “The Fearful Cloud” by Julia Ma, 11 (Portland, OR) “The World of the Grand Staff” by Maya Mourshed, 10 (Silver Spring, MD) Honorable Mentions “One Dance” by Audrey Billington, 10 (Hillsboro, IL) “Math: The Origin” by Lucas Hinds, 13 (Lenoir City, TN) “The Creation of Warland” by Sophie Li, 11 (Palo Alto, CA) “Eternalia” by Brooke Negin, 11 (Kanata, ON, Canada) “The Fourth Dawn” by Divya Srinivasan, 12 (Sammamish, WA) Kimberly Hu, 9 (Lake Oswego, OR) Darkness Kimberly Hu, 9 Where am I? What am I? Why am I here? What even is this place? Is this even a place? What is happening? I glance around. Complete darkness. Complete darkness is everywhere. There is only one word to describe it. Darkness. That’s it. Silently, I repeat the questions over and over. Still, no answer. I don’t know what I’m expecting. Here, there is just darkness and no accompaniment. Just nothing. I am in the World Of Nothing Darkness. I wonder, are there really any other creatures out there? Am I the first? Am I the last? Am I really the only one? But deep down, I know it’s pointless asking. I am the first and last. I am the only one. But the first thing I need is— A name. A name. What even is a name? Something like Martha? No. I am lone. I am alone. I am the only one in the complete darkness, the nothing. The World Of Nothing Darkness. So yes, my name is Lone. Will I stay here for eternity, with no meaning of creation, but then, where do I even come from? How did I end up here? Those questions repeat in my mind over and over, and all the questions I have possibly asked, here in my mind. Those questions remain unanswered. I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to think. Can I even speak? I search myself. I search my insides. I close myself, looking in the deeps of Lone. Of me. And I find something surprising. I find… the bit of creation that was used to create me. But why is it left in me? I find feelings. I can feel? What can I do? Do I truly have a meaning for existing? A spark of hope jolts through me. Do I? I dig deeper, willing myself. I find creation. More and more creation. I find… I can. I can! I, Lone, eagerly, willingly, opening my mind. I want to create a world. Not a nothingness world, a true world. Where peace can be found. What will the world contain? A mysterious whispering voice asks me. I feel more hopeful at the thought that another exists, but first I reply: A world full of creatures. Creatures that live in peace and harmony meaningfully, beings. I picture the creatures in my mind. I can imagine! Does my existence have a true reason now? Now, I create. I create more and more. Things I never imagined I could create. Plants—like flowers. Animals—like birds. More creatures—like kyones. Things that couldn’t be seen with the ordinary eye. I create Artara, the world of pure magic and wondrous creatures. I create Universe, the world of mortality and simplicity. I have created all. My name is not Lone. I don’t know what my true name is, just yet, but I will figure it out. I, the creator of the Two Worlds, have finally learned that no one’s life is meaningless. Mine included. Tang Li, 9 (Palmetto Bay, FL) Adventure to the Lost Kingdoms Tang Li, 9 Introducing the Kingdoms Plantasia: This kingdom was a clutch of forests and meadows. In this lush green territory lived all sorts of plants and animals as well as Plantasians. The Plantasians had the ability to create plants. Their enemy was the inhabitants of Virsca. Their king was Pothos and their queen was Lily. If humans didn’t protect nature, Plantasia would disappear. Virsca: A kingdom full of devils and monsters, along with fire-breathing dragons. All these creatures were banned from the other kingdoms and were given this piece of land. The land was rough and many parts were covered with lava. All the trees were dead. No outsider has ever been able to get out of there alive. The Virsacans had the power to destroy things. Their enemy was the Plantasians. The land had no laws and no rulers. Cloudpolis: In this kingdom made of clouds, everyone had flowing blue, pink, or white hair and their hair was as soft as silk. Their queen was Cloudia and their king was Cirrus. The cloud fairies collected children’s dreams and turned them into soft silky clouds. It was said that if the world below them ran out of dreams, Cloudpolis would disappear. Cloudpolisers was the name of its residents. Munchville: A piece of land that was made of food. The houses were made of gingerbread and the windows were made of pretzels. And the mountains were crackers and cookies. The snow was ice cream. The clouds were made of cotton candy.
The Other Realm, Reviewed by Ismini, 12
Tristan Hui’s The Other Realm is a story of family and adventure sure to enthrall even the most hesitant reader. After falling into a dimension parallel to her world, Azalea Morroe sets off on a quest to save the job of her eccentric father. Along the way, she befriends Sunny, a 15-year-old native in search of her older brother, and Sam, a 10-year-old ghost desperate to flee the unrelenting Prileidian Desert. Together, they make their way towards the city of Cambelt, facing numerous challenges guaranteed to capture the reader’s attention. The Other Realm is a quick but enticing five-star read. The prose is beautiful, rich, and vivid. From the “graying aspens” to the “glaring sun,” I felt as if I were trekking through the sweltering desert myself. Tristan writes, “Azalea was crouched on the hard, dry ground of an expansive desert, the air hazy and landscape painted in muted hues.” Tristan seems to have carefully chosen each word, making the landscape spring to life. Additionally, the plot is fresh and easy to follow, but complex enough that the reader constantly wants more. The characters are well-rounded, dynamic, and relatable. While this book is action-packed, much internal conflict occurs, and we see the characters evolve from start to finish. I also love how Tristan explores family bonds. I’ve had many moments these past few years where I’ve taken a comment or critique from my family too personally and ended up hurt or ignored. Through characters like Sunny, Tristan shows that no matter what blows are exchanged, the love of family trumps all. Not only that, the protagonist, Azalea, demonstrates how far she is willing to go to help her family as she continues to persevere to save her father’s job, despite all the challenges thrown her way. I would have liked to see more growth in the main character, but overall Tristan Hui’s The Other Realm is a must-read for lovers of fantasy, adventure, and magical realism. The Other Realm by Tristan Hui, winner of the Stone Soup Book Contest 2020. Children’s Art Foundation, Incorporated, 2021. Buy the book at our store, Amazon, or Bookshop.com.
