Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists

Restart by Gordon Korman, Reviewed by Serena, 9

I was looking around the library for something to read when my eye caught sight of a book with a bright orange cover. I pulled it off the bookshelf and found out that the book’s name was Restart​ and it was written by an author named Gordan Korman. I tried to remember where I had heard about this book and that’s when it hit me—this was the book that lots of my classmates had been talking about. So I flipped over the book and read the blurb on the back cover. The story is about a boy named Chase who fell off a roof and landed on his head. He got a concussion and ended up in the hospital with amnesia. He barely remembered his own name. When he returns to school, he finds out that he used to be a jerk and a bully. He no longer has any interest in his old ways but it takes some time for the other kids to adjust to the new Chase and to learn to trust the former bully. This book has a strong theme of friendship. Friendship is important because if you don’t have any friends, you will be lonely. A true friend will stand up for you if you are being bullied. They will cheer you up if you are having a bad day. Your friends will worry about you if you are sick. Those are only some examples of a good friend. Restart made me think of a person in my school who enjoys bullying and teasing other students. I used to be friends with this bully and then I started getting tired of her being mean to other people so I stopped being friends with her and decided to stand up for the people getting bullied by her. I discovered that I really liked being friends with people who have a kind heart and that we had a lot more in common. I really enjoyed reading this book and I hope that by reading this, you will like it too. Something unique that I liked about this book is that each chapter is written from a different person’s perspective: Chase’s, his victim Joel Weber’s, the victim’s twin sister Shoshonna Weber, and many more. I highly recommend this book because it has lots of action and it shows what it’s like to be a bully and what it’s like to be bullied. If you want to find out how Chase Ambrose finds his life, read this realistic fiction book called Restart by Gordan Korman. Restart by Gordon Korman. Scholastic, 2018. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!

Free, a song written and performed by Alexandra Sheinkin, 12

Alexandra Sheinkin, 12Bedford, NY Free Alexandra Sheinkin, 12 I made an inspiring song called “Free,” working title “The Quarantine Song.” It is uplifting and optimistic. Watch and listen to Alexandra performing her song below. Do you play guitar? Alexandra has shared her chords and lyrics so you can perform her song for yourselves – look just beneath the video. https://youtu.be/jfuotZk30NU   Verse (D major-G major-A major) x 2 Heard the forecast on the radio, it’s gonna rain and it will be cold, I’m stuck inside binge watching shows, and eating food that’s how it goes, I know. Pre-chorus (G major-C^9) But don’t be to quick to give into the gloom, You can still see people over Zoom, hello. Turn off the TV, put down the phone, and tune into imagination of your own. Chorus (A major-G major-E major-G major A major-G major-E major-G major) Where no news is bad news, at least not for me, ‘Cause my news is news that I wanna see. Verse (D major-G major-A major) x 2 You called me up and said you were down, I think we all wear a frown sometimes. Just try to do what you love, you’re not alone, just don’t give up, heave ho. Pre-chorus (G major-C^9) Turn off the TV, put down the phone, and tune into imagination of your own. Chorus (A major-G major-E major-G major A major-G major-E major-G major) Where no news is bad news, at least not for me, ‘Cause my news is news that I wanna see. No news is bad news, not like on TV ‘Cause I do what I like and being trapped I never felt more free . . . End (A major G major x2) D major No being trapped I never felt Being trapped I felt Being trapped I never felt more free.