Ena, 12 (San Francisco, CA) Materials used: cardboard, paint, corkboard, plastic eggshells, plastic flowers, cardstock, paper “Last year, in the first few months of quarantine, I was feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, but most of all, alone. We have all had those moments of feeling a crushing loneliness, of wanting to dig a hole and stay there. These feelings of isolation have only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and sometimes it is hard to realize that many others are experiencing the same thing. On the surface, flowers are bright and blooming and the sky is blue and clear, but underneath, the reality might be darker and lonelier. “Making this piece helped me express my emotions through art, which I didn’t know was possible. I love how the different textures combined to show different aspects of what we are all going through. I hope this can encourage people to reach out to others who might be experiencing similar feelings during these difficult times.” -Ena
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Relocating, by Diya, 12
Diya Chakrabarti, 12 (Cupertino, CA) Hello, it’s Diya again! Today, I wanted to keep this write-up short and simple. I recently moved to the Bay Area in California, as one of my parents moved jobs. My family and I relocated from Portland, Oregon, and I would like to share a few of my thoughts about moving. At first, when I got the news that my family was moving, it didn’t seem like as much of a deal. The following day was just another typical day, going to school, doing homework, playing outside, etc. The same routine as always. But with each moving box being packed up, I felt a stone in my heart drop, making my stomach churn, and I sighed, knowing the house would soon be empty. Sometimes I would stare at a room, noticing even the most insignificant detail, and imagining in my head how it would look without our chairs, rugs, desks, and our favorite stuff, and soon all would be packed away and moved to our new abode. But on the other hand, I had a few exciting things to look forward to. One of our closest friends lived there, the weather was much more pleasant, and we would get to experience new things. Going to a new place can sometimes feel like taking a fresh breath of air. But, this was not a vacation, we were moving! That meant our family had to adapt to a new place, new surroundings, even if we did not like it in the beginning as change always creates some imbalances. A couple of weeks passed by, and a team of movers packed up the bulky furniture, also packing the small boxes we packed along with it. We had to be confined to one room since the workers were buzzing around like bees in a hive! It felt fun, being able to connect with my family and my little sister, and I got a lot more screen time, although my mom was not too happy with that. Fast forward a couple of days, and we were spending our last night in Portland, Oregon. I had mixed emotions; my heart was heavy, yet I was looking forward to moving to California. The entire house was empty and it felt surreal. The next day, the entire family said our farewells to our neighbors—which was very hard—got the car ready, and looked around the house for stuff that we might have forgotten to pack. Walking around the house, I saw each room, completely empty and spacious. Every room felt like it was missing something, and it was. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would have to say goodbye to our beloved home so soon. Soon, It was finally time to lock the door from behind, this time for the last time. To this very day, it still somewhat feels like we are on summer vacation. California is a state I’ve heard a lot about and visited several times in the past, but to really know more, I must experience living here myself.
Book Club Report: Beyond the Bright Sea, Loren Wolk
An update from our thirtieth Book Club meeting! On September 25, the Stone Soup Book Club discussed Beyond the Bright Sea, by Loren Wolk. Beyond the Bright Sea tells the story of twelve-year-old Crow and her search for her birth family after having spent her entire life on an isolated island off the coast of Massachusetts, with Osh, the guardian who rescued and raised her. There were ten Book Club participants in attendance from the US, England, and Dubai. We engaged in in-depth conversations about the book’s various themes as well as character, setting and plot. As always, we endeavored to unpack how and for what purpose each of these elements were crafted in Wolk’s development of the novel. We also participated in a couple of fun writing activities. We explored, in writing, the notion of home; what makes a place a home and what is it like to feel a sense of yearning for home? Participants could choose to share their reflections about home directly from their own perspectives, or to explore their ideas about home through a fictionalized account. We also engaged in a writing activity that allowed us to imagine a sequel to the book. In doing so, we discussed what aspects of the book’s current ending we would like to see preserved, and what aspects would be fun to disrupt! The overwhelming consensus of the group was that this was a great read with vivid, believable characters, an intriguing setting, and a fast-paced, exciting plot! Remember: if you attended book club and liked what you wrote for these activities, submit it through the Writing Workshop Submission Form and we will post it along with other stories on the Stone Soup website! At the conclusion of our discussion, we chose our October book and the December book was announced! Our Next Book, to be discussed on October 30: When Stars are Scattered, by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed We are excited to share that on, December 11th, our final Book Club meeting of this session, we will be joined by author and historian, Lucy Worsley, to discuss her book The Austen Girls!
