I remember picking up “Gorilla Dawn” from the Scholastic Book Fair in our school just over two years ago. I was drawn to the cover image of the baby gorilla clutching the girl with vibrant eyes and a scar across her face. I just loved the way the girl was holding the baby gorilla. At age 8, however, I found the words difficult to understand and the plot confusing. So, I put the book back on my bookshelf, where it lay untouched for two years. Tired of reading the same books over again during COVID-19 pandemic, I gave “Gorilla Dawn” another chance because the cover image, beautiful illustrations, and the excerpt intrigued me. I am so glad I did! Only a few books have touched me the way this book has. It is one the most heartwarming, inspiring, thought-provoking, and informative books I have ever read! Deep inside the Congo forests, a baby gorilla has been taken away from his family to the The Black Mamba rebel camp where he meets Imara, a girl who was stolen from her family too. The baby gorilla and Imara share an inner pain, love, and hope. Imara doesn’t know how to care for the baby gorilla, so she turns to a boy named Bobo, who was also taken from his family. When Imara and Bobo learned that the baby gorilla was going to be sold to a mysterious white woman, they are determined to save it. The main character, Imara, has convinced the rebel leader that she is a “spirit child” who has magical powers that will protect the rebel group. Imara feels like she has a demon inside of her making her do things. The demon says agonizing words to her like “You are mine Imara” or “You are the devil’s child,” but when she holds the baby gorilla, the demon seems to go away. I could feel Imara’s suffering, loneliness, and fear through these inner conversations with her subconscious mind. Bobo, the other character in the book, is a curious and determined boy. Bobo was captured and taken to a rebel camp where he met Imara and the baby gorilla who was later named Kitwana after Imara’s brother. Together they fought back the rebels and saved Kitwana. Lastly, Kitwana is a playful gorilla who is always ready for fun. Once when Kitwana fell down from the trees and the rebels captured him. He met Imara in the rebel camp, who held him in his arms just like his mother did. Kitwana trusted Imara more than anyone else. Instead of traditional chapters, the book is organized around the story and perspective of each of these characters (Imara, Kitwana, and Bobo). I think this is a great method to understand the characters and portray their feelings in deep, detailed, and sensitive way. The story takes place in the forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a place not many have visited or know about. Congo had a violent and horrifying civil war. Rebels, called the M23, fought against the government. Children were stolen from their families and forced to fight with the rebels and work in mines. Gill Lewis tells us the truth about the war, violence, and destruction of the gorilla habitats through mining and poaching just as it is. The rare metals that we use in our electronic devices, like coltan and cobalt come from Congo. The story showed me how the environment, poverty, and greed are related to each other and how we are connected to the people and animals of Congo even though we might not see them or hear about them. Another illuminating and unique aspect of the book is how it explains human behavior through the eyes of an animal. In the book, Kitwana reflects on the rebels, who he calls “killer apes.” “…..Angry, scared, and wary. They had no mothers to protect them or reprimand them. They didn’t let each other close. Each one had a boundary that another couldn’t cross. The only thing that bound them together was their fear.” Animals can understand us, maybe better than we do ourselves. They can feel the same feelings. They can love as we do. This book can inspire children and adults to work to conserve our environment and stop its mindless destruction. It brings awareness of about the lives of people who are far away and how we are all connected. It is a book about hope, bravery, and trust and it will touch your heart. It shows the true meaning of love. I would recommend it for anyone 10 years and older and I am looking forward to reading more Gill Lewis books. Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis, illustrated by Susan Meyer. Simon and Schuster, 2018. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Creative Brain Candy
Do you know what video entertainment is perfect for 7 years old and up, and it’s also my favorite game? Monopoly, Pac-Man, or Minecraft? You might have guessed it was Minecraft, so you are right! After all, six hundred million people played Minecraft in 2020! The game has two formats: creative and survival, but I’m only telling you about creative because it is easier to explain. Not only is it a 3D video game world made out of cubes, even the people are made out of cubes! Also, you can make portals to the nether (which takes you to an underground cave.) In fact, it’s a “sandbox” game because it lets you design anything just like children create worlds in a sandbox without specific rules. This world is the background and you add any details to it: houses, trees, or roads. Additionally, the blocks can be tapped apart with your fingers by pressing on the blocks for 2 to 3 seconds. The PC version costs $26.99, although the good news is that you can play the original Minecraft for free with up to 9 friends. However, you have to pay for the clothing accessories for your avatar. In addition, you can pay with real money initially, so that you have the opportunity to use minecoins throughout the game instead of cash. Wow! Did you know Microsoft purchased it for $2.5B in 2014? Now, do you want me to tell you how to start to be a player??? To get you started, YouTube has tutorials or someone can show you that has experience. Without a doubt, the purpose of the game is not to win or lose, it’s about creating a fantasy location with the materials that you earn or find. Some people, especially parents, doubt that video games are healthy for you. In my experience, I feel more focused when I play and overjoyed when I finish a build that has taken me a long time to create. Furthermore, it helps me learn to organize the steps to make a build and makes me so curious that it sends me to do research. Also, you meet other kids that you would maybe never meet in person and establish a deeper friendship by using FaceTime or Zoom meet. One person can play on their own, but you can ask other people you know to join. I hope I persuaded you to try Minecraft. After all, 200 million copies were sold in 2020!
Animal Farm, Reviewed by Ashlyn, 11
Animal Farm is a fictional book by a man named George Orwell, based on the events that happened during the Russian Revolution. The book starts off with the animals on Manor Farm, where they get tortured and starved by Mr. Jones, the owner. One night, a boar named Old Major tells all the animals that they must revolt against mankind and take over the farm. A few days later, Old Major dies, and the animals successfully rebel. They rename the farm to Animal Farm to celebrate their victory. Since the pigs are the cleverest animals, they take over, ruling over the others. However, soon, the power that the pigs have begins to corrupt them. The first way that power corrupts the pigs is that they end up going against the ten commandments that they created themselves. First, they kill other animals. The ten commandments clearly state how the animals cannot kill each other, but the pigs bypass this and kill some of the other animals for betraying them and not following the rules that they had created. The pigs also begin to act like humans more by walking on two legs and sleeping on beds, which is also against the ten commandments. How do the pigs not get punished for doing such things? The pigs do not get punished because they constantly change the ten commandments so that they can have their way, which is not right. The second way that power corrupts the pigs is that they take advantage of the animals’ lack of intelligence and education so that they can get their way. Throughout the story, the pigs constantly change the ten commandments so that they can break the rules without being noticed or punished for it. However, since the animals cannot read or write very well, they do not notice this happening. Another instance is Boxer’s death. When Boxer was about to die, the pigs told the animals that they would take him to the hospital so that he could live and heal. However, they instead send him into the truck that will take him to the horse slaughterer, where he gets killed. Since the animals cannot read things very well, they do not notice the logo on the truck that takes Boxer away. Benjamin the donkey is the only one who notices. He tells all the animals what is actually happening, but the pigs manage to deceive the animals once again by telling them that the truck used to be used to slaughter horses, but is now an ambulance. The last example is when the pigs tell the animals that the cows’ milk would be mixed with apples for the pigs to eat. The pigs say that they are doing this to benefit their health, but they are actually eating it because it is better than all the food that the others eat. The third way that power corrupts the pigs is that they start to become more and more human-like. A good example of this is how they changed and tweaked the ten commandments so that they could do things like sleep in beds, walk on their legs, wear clothes, and also interact with humans. The pigs say that they are allowed to sleep in beds without the blankets, as an excuse for sleeping in beds. The pigs say that they are talking to the humans for trading and business purposes as an excuse for interacting with the humans. Towards the end, the pigs get rid of all of the ten commandments and replace it with one commandment, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” to make up for the fact that they are now wearing clothes and also walking on two legs. The most significant example is the ending of Animal Farm. The book ends with the pigs holding a ceremony to celebrate with the humans and then changing the name of the farm back to “Manor Farm.” After that, the pigs and the humans play a game of cards together. As Clover, the old horse, looks at the pigs and the humans, the book states that she could not tell the difference between them. This signifies that the pigs have become so much like the humans that there is no difference between the two anymore. After the pigs gain a lot of power, it starts to slowly corrupt them. They start to go against and break their own rules and commandments; they take advantage of the animal’s lack of intelligence and knowledge to manipulate them and use them like slaves; and finally, they turn into humans, acting like them and also changing the ten commandments so that they can get away with everything. Animal Farm does not have a very happy ending, as the pigs stay as the “rulers” of Animal Farm, continuing to use the animals and trick them. The main lesson of this story is that power can corrupt the people who have it. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend that you read it if you have not already. Animal Farm by George Orwell. Signet Books, 1945. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
