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!
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
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.
The People of Sparks, Reviewed by Orin, 11
Sometimes teachers are right. From the moment I set my eyes on the first word of The City of Ember, I was intrigued. Yes. Leads are indeed effective. As I read through the rich storytelling and the writing style in The City of Ember, I fell in love with. The adventure that Lina and Doon went on together was a sight for sore eyes. When I realized that there was a sequel to this book, I instantly went to my school library and checked the second one out. Some people say that sequels are not as quite good as the first book. That might be the case of most movie franchises or successful book series’, but in that case, The City of Ember series is extraordinary. The reason The People of Sparks stood up just like the first book was because of questions that the characters had throughout the story. It is explained in the series that a gigantic disaster—consisting of the Four Wars caused by humans, which were followed by the Three Plagues—wiped out most of humanity. Because of this the Builders—who are like the gods in this series—created Ember, which was a refuge. However, after the events of the first book the People of Ember escape their underground refuge and meet the People of Sparks who lived in their village. The characters from both sides constantly asked each other different questions after the leader of Sparks declared that they would help the People of Ember for 6 months. Why don’t these cavemen know how to farm? Why do these villagers live backwards and not have electricity? Additionally, the characters ask themselves what the ancient people were like. They ask questions about our society today, and as an audience that is part of that society, it was really entertaining and interesting. Overall, these questions kept me hooked. Over time, this book also expressed an important theme to the audience. As the People of Sparks and Ember began living together in different ways, confusion later became exhaustion and anger when the People of Sparks started to get tired of helping Ember all the time. Later, an all-out war began, and the author carefully put a message to not let hatred and anger fuel you and try to work together with different people. Overall, this book was incredible for me as it untangled the aftermath of humanity and important lessons. The author did an outstanding job establishing this world and the characters of Lina and Doon, who represented Ember as well as the People of Sparks. I recommend this to all young audiences. This book unleashed my imagination and I strongly urge you to try out the series. The People of Sparks by Jeanne DuPrau. Yearling Books, 2005. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
