Our December Flash Contest was based on our weekly creativity prompt #130, a wonderful creative challenge issued by our Stone Soup intern, Anya Geist, asking you to make a piece of art inspired by a family tradition. Needless to say, given the time of year, we received lots of entries based on holidays, including Christmas, Chinese New Year, and Navratri, plus some regular family traditions that go on all the year round. As well as encountering a diverse range of traditions, we also received works of art in many, many styles and media: collage, drawing, oil on canvas, knitting, models made in paper and clay, paper cut outs and digital art. It was really exciting to see the range of materials and cultures represented in these stories from your families. Well done to everyone who entered, and thank you for bringing us so much holiday cheer! And thank you Anya, for a great seasonal prompt! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners Rangoli by Prisha Aswal, 8, Portland, OR Family of Pirates by Paris Andreou Hadjipavlou, 7, Nicosia, Cyprus Knitting up Memories by Audrey Hou, 11, Portland, OR Chinese New Year Windmill by Sophia Li, 9, Redwood City, CA A Paper Chinese New Year by Serena Lin, 10, Scarsdale, NY Honorable Mentions Chinese New Year by Yuxuan Jiang, 11, Portland, OR Secret Santa with my Sisters by Lucinda Mancini, 8, Glenside, PA Soaring in the Sky by Jessie Zhang, 9, Portland, OR Christmas Chaos by Joycelyn Zhang, 10, San Diego, CA Paper Art by Alexis Zou, 13, Lake Oswego, OR Prisha Aswal, 8Portland, OR Rangoli Prisha Aswal, 8 In our family, we celebrate a lot of traditions from all the cultures. One of my favorite festivals is Navratri, and during this festival we have a tradition of making Rangoli. Navratri occurs just before Diwali (the festival of Lights) and is celebrated to mark the victory of Good over Evil and Light over Darkness. A Rangoli is a colourful design, made on the floor near the entrance of the house, to welcome guests. Usually people make it with powder colors or colored chalks. It is usually made in a circle and then a pattern is repeated to complete the circle using bright colors. I love making Rangoli with my parents. For this project, I chose to make a Rangoli on canvas. Since Rangolis are usually round, I really wanted to use Earth as my design . It was not easy for me to make it perfectly, so I decided to go with an outline and chose red color to fill the land because red is the color of Love. I also put an oil lamp in the center as Light means knowledge and drives away darkness. I added Namaste, Hola, Bonjour, Ni Hao and Hello, to show that even though people speak different languages , their feelings are the same. Around my Earth, I used bright and colorful patterns and then colored the rest of the canvas in midnight blue to show the universe. Rangoli for Navratri by Prisha Aswal, 8, Portland, OR Paris Andreou Hadjipavlou, 7Nicosia, Cyprus Family of Pirates Paris Andreou Hadjipavlou, 7 Due to quarantine we have developed a family tradition of dress up. In this one we are dressing up as pirates, to hunt for treasure and explore the seas. . . Family of Pirates by Paris Andreou Hadjipavlou, 7, Nicosia, Cyprus Audrey Hou, 11Portland, OR Knitting up Memories Audrey Hou, 11 Knitting up Memories by Audrey Hou, 11, Portland, OR Sophia Li, 9Redwood City, CA Chinese New Year Windmill Sophia Li, 9 I made this for fun and gave it to my mom. It’s a Chinese New Year windmill that means good luck and health. I wrote thank you in Chinese on it and drew a dragon. Chinese New Year Windmill by Sophia Li, 9, Redwood City, CA Serena Lin, 10Scarsdale, NY A Paper Chinese New Year Serena Lin, 10, Scarsdale, NY My family is Chinese and we celebrate Chinese New Year every year. My artwork is made by hand with paper and clay, representing Chinese New Year. A Paper Chinese New Year by Serena Lin, 10, Scarsdale, NY
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
The Chosen by Chaim Potok: A Discussion Guide created by Sofie, 10
Introduction The Chosen by Chaim Potok is a wonderful book about coming of age and growth. It shows how you mature as you get older and the important things you understand about life. This book is also about Jewish history, tradition, and customs, some of which are in conflict with each other. It’s important to understand this because this is what leads the book on, the skeleton of the story. This concept is what leads to the main messages of the book and it’s also vital to understand what happened to different types of religions in the past. I loved this book because it was well written but it had amazing symbolism that went deeper and beyond the surface. The characters in this story were well – developed and represented so many important symbols that we can learn from. If you chose to read this book, I hope this discussion guide is helpful! Chapter 1 Why does Reuven attribute so much significance to the baseball game? What do you think Davey Cantor represents in the book, as he keeps repeating “you’ll see?” Why does Reuven describe Danny Saunders in so much detail? Why does Reuven feel that his whole life has led him to this ball game and his future life will depend on its outcome? What is the meaning behind Danny’s strange grin? Chapter 2 When the doctor asks Reuven, “can you see the light?” Reuven answers, “it’s a little blurred.” Based on the theme of vision, what might this symbolize? Why do you think Billy and Mr. Savo are on either side of Reuven in the hospital? What do you think they represent in the story? Why does Reuven introduce himself as Robert to Billy and Mr. Savo? How do you think Reuven’s injury affects his father’s health? When Reuven talks about the concept of blindness, what might the author be trying to convey? Chapter 3 Why do you think the author brings the radio into the story? Why does Danny return after Reuven dismissed him at first from the hospital? Why did Danny want to kill Reuven in the ball game? What does Reuven represent? When Danny recites the Talmud, why do you think it is described as “cold and mechanical?” Why did Danny have to convince his father to play in that baseball game? Consider the quote, “words distort what a person really feels in his heart.” What do you think of this? What do you think “talking in silence” means to Danny? What can you infer about Danny’s feelings about his religion based on his body language? What do you think “crazy world, cockeyed” (pg. 57) means? Why might it be important? Chapter 4 Explain what Reuven’s father means when he says “ ‘No one knows he is fortunate until he becomes unfortunate. That is the way the world is.’” (pg. 73) What do you think of the quote “people are not always what they seem to be?” (pg. 74) Is it true? How does that relate to Reuven’s father wanting Reuven to make Danny his friend? How does Danny’s analogy of ants to people relate to the mission of obeying God? Why did Reuven’s father not tell Reuven that he had been meeting Danny in the library? Why is Reuven’s father suggesting books for Danny to read? Thinking back to theme of vision, why is it so important that Reuven’s eyesight will recover? Contrast that to what happened to Mr. Savo. How does this also relate to things being out of focus, and objects being crystal clear? Chapter 5 What does Reuven mean when he says “there was newness everywhere?” Why do you think there is such a change in perspective leading back to the theme of this book? How does the author use the power of description to emphasize this theme? Describe Reuven’s transformation from his time in the hospital. Chapter 6 Why does Reuven’s father answer Reuven’s questions about Danny by going back a long time in history? What does the “silly baseball game” (pg. 110) mean to Reuven now? Does he really think it was silly? Why does Danny need a friend so badly? Why should that friend be Reuven? What do you think Reuven’s father was thinking at the very end of the chapter when he doesn’t finish his sentence? Chapter 7 As Reuven falls asleep, he’s thinking about the color blue and eyes. What is the significance of comparing blue sky and blue eyes? Why does Reb Saunders want to meet Reuven? Explain why a community would follow Reb Saunders from Russia to New York. Why do you think Danny’s neighborhood is in such a disarray? How does Reuven feel as he enters the shul with Danny? Why does Reb Saunders ask Reuven if he’s good at mathematics, and say “we will see?” What is Reuven’s reaction to how Reb Saunders tests Danny? How about when Reb Saunders tests him? What is the relationship between the gematriya and the structure of the book itself? Why does Reuven’s father say “it is a pity” that Reb Saunders lives in his own world, and so will Danny? What is the meaning of the change of emotions in Reb Saunders speech? Chapter 8 Why is Reuven considered a hero when he returned to school? What is important about the way Danny reads? How is it reflective of his perspective? Why do you think Danny is so interested in psychology? Based on what Reuven’s father says at the very bottom of page 169, why did Reb Saunders really want to meet Reuven? Why do you think Danny feels uncomfortable discussing with Reuven the silence between him and his father? Why does Reb Saunders raise Danny in silence? How does Reuven feel about the Talmud battle? Why does Reb Saunders ask Danny to go make tea? What is the significance of his discussion with Reuven? Chapter 9 Why does Reuven get so much enjoyment out of taking his final exams? How does Reuven
Ways to Make Sunshine, Reviewed by Samantha, 11
Have you ever had one of those devastatingly rainy days? Your plans are ruined and you just feel kind of defeated? What do you do when that happens? In Ways to Make Sunshine, author Renée Watson shows that with spirit, kindness, and determination, you can make sunshine on any rainy day. If you’ve read the Ramona Quimby books, you’ll likely be thinking of them when you read Ways to Make Sunshine. Both girls have strong spirits, great personalities, and unique opinions. But you can definitely feel the different times the books take place in as you read. In Ramona’s story, children are expected to be in their place, and the characters are also more old fashioned in the ways they talk and act. Ryan’s story is much more like life today. But both stories are great books with even better characters. In Ways to Make Sunshine, Ryan goes through experiences that are very relatable for most of us. One time, Ryan’s not sure how to react to a not-so-nice girl. I’ve been in similar situations and understand it’s tough to know what to do. But even if you don’t always make the right choices, you can learn from your mistakes and do better next time, like Ryan. That’s what good leaders do: they learn from their mistakes and never give up on their dreams. The name Ryan means “king,” and she is always trying to be a leader. From moving to a new home to school talent shows, she shows everyone what it really means to set an example of kindness and determination. Her parents are always telling her to “be who we named you to be,” and Ryan works towards living up to that again and again. Sometimes, as a girl and a person of color, I feel a little looked down upon. Although Watson doesn’t specifically mention it in the book, I wonder if Ryan has had to deal with this as well. I also wonder if that’s why her parents gave her such a strong name. She doesn’t give up, she doesn’t settle, and she believes in herself. That’s one thing I admire about Ryan: she stays strong and kind and herself. She inspires me to always do that too. Ryan’s story is also full of fun and laughter. I love her spirit and personality. Ryan’s experiences always make me smile and a lot of them make me laugh. Her sense of humor is just the right amount of hilarious, and her personality is one of my favorite aspects of the story. If you like books that entertain and inspire you at the same time, you should definitely check out Ways to Make Sunshine. Ryan will show you her determination to be kind and make the best out of situations. She will make you experience the full range of emotions as she leads you through her story. You’ll find yourself thinking hard and laughing too. Ryan has her own special way of doing things, a way that makes sunshine. Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson. Bloomsbury, 2020. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
