Imagine if Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Snow White, and Rumplestiltskin were all real. Imagine if all the fairy tale characters lived together, in another world. It’s not possible right? That’s what Alex and Conner Bailey think, that is until they are magically transported to this fictional world. What happened to Goldilocks after she left the three bears’ house? How did Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty all marry Prince Charming without marrying the same man? What really happened to the Little Mermaid at the end of her story? All these questions and more, are answered in Chris Colfer’s wonderfully spun story of the fairy tale world. Most adventure books have one character who’s out of the ordinary, who’s super powerful, right from the start. Not this series. Not only is there one, normal protagonist, there are two somewhat average co-protagonists. Twins, named Alex and Conner Bailey. Alex is a bookworm, and Conner is something of a class clown. Later in the series, they both become more powerful, but they stay characters that real people can sympathize with, and feel like aren’t some super-powerful character that’s like nobody else. The twins’ whole world turns upside down when they discover that there is another dimension: A fairy tale dimension. The twins are thrown into one adventure of a lifetime after another. From flying a ship across the clouds in hopes to stop the evil Enchantress who cursed Sleeping Beauty, to battling the Evil Queen who wanted to kill Snow White, to climbing Rapunzel’s tower, or being kidnapped by trolls and goblins. The six-book series is one that I’ve returned to time and again since I read it for the first time when I was eight. Now, at age twelve, I still enjoy it. Not only are Alex and Conner funny, intriguing characters, but it is so interesting to learn what Chris Colfer imagined had happened to your favorite fairy tale characters after their stories are over. Snow White, Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Goldilocks, Jack, and the Fairy Godmother are just a few of the characters you get to meet within the series. And there are so many other things that aren’t in the original fairy tales that make the fairy tales so much more interesting. Like why was the Evil Queen so evil? What made her turn from a lovely young woman to a terrifying monarch? And was there a reason that the Prince Charmings just happened to find Snow White or Sleeping Beauty? Were they searching for something else? Another thing that I love about The Land of Stories is that it’s easy to see yourself within the pages. Maybe you’re a bookworm, like Alex, or a class clown, like Connor. Maybe you yourself have a twin. Maybe you see yourself in Goldilocks, or one of the fairies from the Fairy Kingdom. I would recommend The Land of Stories to anyone ages nine and up. The stories do get scarier as they go on, but the first one is not that scary, and is okay for a slightly younger audience. The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Want more fairy tale-themed stories? Check out the stories that young writers came up with during our Saturday Writing Workshop with the theme Fairy Tales with a Twist.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Travelogue: Whittier, Alaska
Brrrrr! It’s freezing out here! There is only one extremely long tunnel to get in or out. Look! There is only one tall building in this whole place! Where are the rest? Welcome to the tall but small, wild and wonderous Whittier, Alaska. The community under one roof! Last year, my family and I went on a vacation to Alaska. We traveled there to a little town called Whittier–a very unique community. What is a community? It is a group of people who live and work together with rules and laws to help keep them safe. A community is a place they call home. It typically has essential places and services that the people need to go about their daily lives, like a school, hospital, places of worship, grocery store, police and fire station, etc. It may also have fun places to visit like parks, playgrounds, museums, aquariums etc. What makes Whittier, Alaska very unique? The tunnel in and out Whittier is located 60 miles southeast of Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska. It is to the west of Prince William Sound; a sound is a narrow sea or ocean inlet between two bodies of land. It is nestled in between majestic mountains on one end and forests on the other. The only roadway to and from Whittier is a one-way tunnel that is two and a half miles long and shared by cars and trains. It is the longest tunnel in North America and the first ever that can withstand -40 degrees Fahrenheit and winds that are 150 miles per hour! The tunnel is open only during the day and closed at night. Every half hour, the tunnel opens one way and closes the other. You can also get to the town by sea as well as a scenic ride on Alaska Railroad. The climate Whittier, Alaska is in the arctic tundra biome. It is located north of the world’s northernmost coniferous forests. This biome has long cold winters and short cool summers. It is very windy here. The average temperature in summer is 60 degrees Fahrenheit and in winter is 25 Fahrenheit. It has permafrost grounds which means that the ground is permanently covered in a thin layer of ice. The flora are adapted to grow in these condition by being pine-cone shaped and having small spiny leaves to prevent loss of water. You may think Whittier is too cold for animals but there are so many out there! There are black and brown bears, salmon, sea lions, sea otters, humpback and killer whales and bald eagle. The Begich Towers The population of Whittier is just over 200 people. All of them live in a 14 story building called Begich Towers that was built during World War II. It was originally an army barracks built for hurt or ill people in the war. It was designed in 1953 by Anton Anderson and was completed in 1957. There is a church, school, grocery store, police station, a health clinic, and a laundromat within the building. This way, when the weather gets too cold, the residents can go weeks at a time without ever having to leave! The community is very close-knit. The Chugach people form the Native American Indian community. There are also other communities that live here. Kids can just walk up to their teachers’ apartments to get help with their homework and finish it at their teacher’s kitchen table! People can knock on their police chief’s door at any time. Kids can take an underground tunnel to their indoor playground when it is very cold outside! The wonderful sights to see Whittier has breath-taking sights to see! We went on a glacier cruise in Prince William Sound where we saw massive glaciers that towered over us. The glaciers are blue because they are so densely packed with ice that they absorb all the colors in light and reflect only the blue. You can also go kayaking, boating and back- country camping here. Whittier, Alaska is an adventurous place and fun to visit! Fact Sources https://www.whittieralaska.gov/ Welcome to Whittier, Alaska; NPR, Jan 18, 2015.
COVID: The Normality Thief, a poem by Jane Lee, 12
Jane Lee, 12 COVID: The Normality Thief Jane Lee, 12 Before Covid, my mom used to yell “Hurry or you’ll miss the bell!” My dad would add, “You’re going to be late!” But then the pandemic changed our fate I miss The rumble of the bus Even though I had to rush I miss having a freshly sharpened pencil As a writing utensil Replaced by the clacking sound of a keyboard on the rebound I used to think preparing for school was a bore Not anymore I miss wearing barrettes ribbons, and bows Replaced with noise canceling Bose Now I’m at home learning in sweats Instead of at school wearing my sweater sets Zoom and Google meets Replace our classroom seats For math, it’s not bad But for orchestra it’s just sad It’s impossible to have a melodic session When it’s interrupted by a laggy connection I miss break time chatting with friends Now I rest alone until brain break ends The teachers try to keep kids active But exercising alone is not attractive Walking to town with a friend Was once a treat until it had to end Gone are the in-person enrichments and clubs like history, book, drama, and journalism with buds I miss the approaching sound of the bus Announcing the end of the day for all of us Now it’s just a click and a thank you Zoom out the day is done— we push through For our future, for all humankind, we have a common wish, A return to our normal life, before Covid turned our world into a petri dish
