Girl with a Camera (iPhone SE) By Eliana Pacillo, 12 (Walpole, MA), published in Stone Soup October 2021 A note from Sarah Happy Saturday! First off, we wanted to highlight another tremendous accomplishment from our former contributor Sabrina Guo. Sabrina will be reading aloud her commended poem “65 Cybele” at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) scheduled for November 6 of this year. Sabrina has written a powerful poem about the interconnectedness of the earth and contemplating the beginnings of our world. You can read it here on the Poetry Society website. We’re so in awe of Sabrina’s efforts as a poet and activist and so pleased she will be able to advocate for a better future through her art on this global scale. Now to the main portion of the newsletter: have you gotten the chance to read the October issue yet? If not, I highly recommend you dedicate some time to do so. It’s always heartening and well worth your while to read the work of the young writers of Stone Soup magazine—we’ve said it before but it still stands: these are the writers, thinkers, and leaders of the future. In particular, I want to draw your attention to the series of autobiographical vignettes by Anushka, 10 (you can scroll down to read the first, “Emperor Monsoon”). Anushka writes reflectively and honestly about so many different subjects—family, faith, and the pandemic, to name a few. Her vignettes remind me of the therapeutic power of writing, especially when it comes to writing autobiographically. In tumultuous, transitional times, it can be very helpful to process your thoughts and feeling through writing. For many, if not all of us, the past year and a half has been one of those difficult periods. Did you keep a journal through any or part of pandemic, as William suggested? And if so, did you find it helpful? If you are up to it, the project I suggest for this weekend is to write about a topic that has personally affected you recently. It may be about school, friends, family, or even a book that made an impact on you. Try not to set any expectations for length—express what you want to in as many words as seems necessary. Oftentimes, writing about your own life can be a private exercise, and we understand that. However, if you do want to share your writing with us, as Anushka has done, we will of course be grateful for the chance to read your piece. Here is the link to submit. Until next time, Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers on our blog! Orin, 11, wrote a glowing review of the second novel in the City of Ember Series by Jeanne DuPrau, The People of Sparks. Anushka, 11, reflected on her return to in-person schooling in her piece, “Schooling in the Midst of a Global Pandemic: Thoughts of an 11-Year-Old.” Jackson, 12, wrote a review of the first book in the Wings of Fire Series by Tui T. Sutherland, The Dragonet Prophecy. From Stone Soup October 2021 An Excerpt from Autobiographical Vignettes By Anushka Trivedi, 10 (Silver Spring, MD) EMPEROR MONSOON The rain looks like crystallized icicles falling in gray sheets from the sky. The earth moves with its impact. Every other sound is subdued, as if bowing down respectfully to Emperor Monsoon. I watch from the window of my grandparents’ home in the city of Ahmedabad, India. The plants dance as the cascade of water washes off layers of dust from their delicate leaves. The rains have breathed life into them. Green looks greener, grey looks greyer, red looks redder, white looks whiter. Water has colored the world. About a dozen langur monkeys are escaping into the branches before they are completely drenched, leaping from roof to roof, balcony to balcony, with confidence and ease. They never miss a step or make a mistake. Tiny baby monkeys clutch their mothers’ bellies. They do not have a care in the world. They are safe as they glide above the world with their family. The stray dogs scurry away as well. They welcome the cool water on their overheated backs but prefer the shaded garage or the space under the cars. They want to hear the rain and feel the earth cool off before they venture out again. I cannot resist feeling the rain on my skin. I skip to the patio and watch the drenched swing swinging gently by itself in the rain. Even the wood and metal on the swing seem grateful for the cool water on their burning bodies. I reach out and feel the drops on my palms. Slowly, I move forward beyond the shade of the patio and feel the rain thundering on my body. I feel like I am standing under a waterfall. I am completely wet in seconds. There is no stopping me now. I jump in the small puddles that rain has created on the patio, kick water into the air, and raise my face to the sky in utter delight. I skip, hop, and sing in the rain. To read more of Anushka’s “Autobiographical Vignettes,” click here. Stone Soup is published by Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup Inc., a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization registered in the United States of America, EIN: 23-7317498. Stone Soup’s advisors: Abby Austin, Mike Axelrod, Annabelle Baird, Jem Burch, Evelyn Chen, Juliet Fraser, Zoe Hall, Montanna Harling, Alicia & Joe Havilland, Lara Katz, Rebecca Kilroy, Christine Leishman, Julie Minnis, Jessica Opolko, Tara Prakash, Denise Prata, Logan Roberts, Emily Tarco, Rebecca Ramos Velasquez, Susan Wilky.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
The Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy, Reviewed by Jackson, 12
When people think of fairy tales, they often think of traditional stories like Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Shrek. While these are all amazing fairy tales, the book Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy is far superior due to its thrilling action and deep plot. The Book, written by Tui T. Sutherland, starts with a shy little dragonet named Clay. Unlike other dragonets, he is met with a massive task that challenges him physically and emotionally. He is “destined” to end a raging war between different groups of dragonets—all fighting for power. The dragonet war is as violent and widespread as our World War I and II combined. Clay doesn’t think he is up for stopping a whole war even with the help of his friends, who are also “destined” to fulfill the prophecy that guides them to end the war. He thinks he is just an average dragonet that has little to no importance in the prophecy. Is he up to the challenge? At first, Clay doesn’t seem special enough to be a part of a massive prophecy. He is quite shy, considered average, and is almost always ignored by the dragonets around him. He struggles with becoming his own independent dragonet. In a way, Clay is like the shadow of the other dragonets. Throughout the book, Clay is constantly under pressure from trying to fulfill the prophecy, be a part of his peer group, and escape and deal with the members of the Skywing kingdom who seem to hate him. He tries to change his ways in order to not get pushed around. You don’t have to be a “destined” dragonet in the middle of a war to understand how it feels to be ignored and want to express your own opinion. Anyone, not only dragonets, can understand what Clay experiences emotionally, but the author hides this deep theme under crazy dragon warfare. Aside from the mythological dragons, death, and a massive prophecy, this book is about how someone can change when faced with conflict. I think almost anyone would describe Clay as a character who is gullible and gets lured by peer pressure. If you were ever in Clay’s position what would you do? Would you crumble due to stress or would you learn to deal with everything? It’s kind of hard to imagine yourself in this position, but anything can happen. I would recommend this book for people who want a series that is action-packed, exciting, and engaging. This book, and the rest of the series is optimal for people around the age of 9-12. If you like to deeply think about the true meaning of a book, then the first book of the Wings of Fire series is perfect for you. Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland. Scholastic Press, 2013. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Schooling in the Midst of a Global Pandemic: Thoughts of an 11-Year-Old
“Returning to school is a privilege.” These were the first words I remember hearing when I stepped into the school building this August after more than a year of online school. Like millions of children and adolescents around the country, my sister and I returned to in person school this fall. With the delta variant of the coronavirus surging, especially among the unvaccinated, and many kids in my school still not eligible for the vaccine, I am confused about how these decisions make sense. Perhaps we are being told that returning to school is a privilege to make us feel grateful for the opportunity to learn in school again. However, returning to school is not a privilege. It is a right and it is the law of the land. What if me, my sister, or my friends get COVID? Will children be okay and get better? What if there is an outbreak? Will we go back to online school again? How will it all work out? How are we being sent back to school without having a proper plan? Every now and then kids have colds and coughs, especially during the fall and winter seasons. Will they need to be away from school? How will the constant disruption affect our education? My teachers do not seem to have satisfying answers to these questions. This makes me even more disturbed and anxious than I already am. To be fair, my teachers probably agree with my sentiments and may not have had much say in these decisions. My feelings of anxiousness are mixed with curious observations of my classmates’ behaviors. Adults are always saying that “kids need to socialize.” It seems to me that most kids are not interested in socializing when they have the opportunity to do so. Most kids are glued to their phones or Chromebooks at lunchtime when they are sitting right next to each other. Even during class, I see my classmates distracted with video games or checking their phones under the table. There is scarcely any socializing. Being one of the few 6th graders who does not have a phone and has no interest in having one, I am dismayed. My friends are missing their childhood and adolescence. I wonder what their memories of middle school will be when they grow up and grow old. Will they remember losing their tooth and getting excited about it and sharing it with others? Will they remember their friends’ laughter and smiles? Will they remember long conversations and walks around the school grounds? There is so much to life beyond these screens. I hope I am never so absorbed in these screens that I forget to see the life around me. Despite my anxiousness, anger, and dismay, I am very fortunate to have friends who think like me. We take walks around the school’s outdoor garden and have lunch in the midst of blooming flowers. We observe the squirrels, spiders, and butterflies. We observe other students and the strange racial, ethnic, and gender segregation in middle school. We are glad not to feel as if we have to be in this box or that category. We get to know more about each other with each passing day, check each other’s homework, and discuss all of our ideas for after school clubs. So much seems possible! Even though everything seems messed up and uncertain, I am thankful for the opportunity to meet new people in 6th grade, make new friends, and have the chance to talk to old friends as well. My mom says I look happier now that I have returned to school. I have so much to report each afternoon, which contrasts with the severely limited experiences in online school. My mom is delighted to hear my stories. I didn’t even see my classmates’ faces on zoom because so many kept their cameras off. Now, of course, half our faces are covered with our masks. I have forgotten some of my friends’ faces. Still, I think I am happier, too. I think it is because I have something more than the four walls of my room and a screen to experience. I am stunned to think about how limited my world has been for the past year and a half. As the pandemic goes on relentlessly, I hear platitudes like “…everything will be ok…. we are resilient…. we will stop COVID from spreading in the school….we should hold on to hope…” My heart wants to believe that everything will be okay, but my mind resists. For now, I stop myself from thinking about the future and dwelling on the past. I just accept my situation.
