Galaxies are one of the most interesting things in space. They are all filled up with stars, planets, and dust. Did you know that you are made of star dust because our galaxy is filled with dust? Comets are falling on earth all the time spreading this dust. Galaxies, as you know are made of stars, planets, and dust. They flood the universe together. Every few light years, galaxies are seen. NASA even found a nearly habitable solar system in the Milky Way. It has a planet with plants, but they have not seen water, yet. Even if there was water the star is much too young and dim to live in. All galaxies keep their stars, planets, and star dust together with gravity. They keep these things because it is held together by gravity. Gravity is a galaxy’s best friend. Galaxies are huge and seem endless! Even after so much research and space travel, we still do not know where our galaxy ends. As you know we live in the Milky Way galaxy. Do you know that the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy? A spiral galaxy looks like an octopus, with its “arms” swinging around. We live on one of the outer part of an “arm” in the Milky Way. There are three main kinds of galaxies. Spiral, irregular, and elliptical. An irregular galaxy is a galaxy with no proper shape. Hence the word irregular. A elliptical galaxy looks oval shaped, like an egg except flatter. It is important to classify galaxies’ features from each other. There are millions of galaxies in the universe, but we can only see so many, specifically three galaxies. People who are north of the equator see the Andromeda Galaxy. This galaxy will crash into our galaxy in a few million years. The Andromeda Galaxy has a weird gravitational force. Instead of getting pushed backwards like all other galaxies, because of the power of the Big Bang. On the south equator people can see the large and small Magellanic Clouds. Although not much is known about them scientists think these galaxies are two of the brightest galaxies in our universe. You can’t exactly see these three galaxies properly. They look like small, hazy patches of light. We need to research more about these galaxies and see if we find intelligent life. Galaxies have so many interesting facts about them. People have learned more about galaxies from 2015 than ever before! Galaxies are or one the most intriguing puzzle pieces to the biggest puzzle of all, the universe.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Saturday Newsletter: April 13, 2019
“The rosy color of dawn spreads all over the sky” Photograph by Julia Li, 12, Mason, OH Published September 2017 A note from William Rubel Friends! Jane Levi and I are both in Lengusaka, Kenya, at our friend’s camp. His name is Haile and the camp is called Haile’s Camp. We are here setting up a research station for studying pastoralism and the ecology of the Samburu lowlands. Our camp is under a canopy of acacia trees by a dry river bed. Monkeys live in the trees—very cute but also very mischievous! Thousands of birds live in the trees also, and as I write this a huge flock of small birds has arrived back at our trees from a day out foraging in the nearby mountains. Goats, sheep, chickens, and the household dog and cat roam the grounds. We are very far from home, but at the same time we are at a home away from home; I have been coming to this part of the world for 26 years. In the coming weeks we will have news for you regarding an exchange program we are setting up with a small, remote school (appropriately named Remote Primary School; it’s motto is “To be strong and focussed like a lion”) in the Samburu District’s Westgate Conservancy. Jane and I went to the ceremony for opening their new classroom building on Wednesday. I can say now that they don’t have any books, so we will be collecting books to bring to them when we return here in July. Details will follow. Good news! I have some really fabulous news to share with you. Our book agent for Asia has just sold the Chinese-language rights to our anthologies to Beijing Yutian Hangfen Books Company, the most prestigious Chinese publisher of foreign-language children’s books. Here is an article in the American professional magazine Publishers Weekly that tells you something about this company. We are going to use money from this rights sale to improve our website. Can’t wait to see the anthologies in Chinese! William’s Weekend Project For this Saturday project, I’d like you to write a poem that is 8–12 twelve lines. Don’t write anything today. Just live your day. When you are in bed, before going to sleep, think back on your day. What most stands out? Poetry is often exploring essence—the inner core of a thing. As you fall asleep, let what stood out from your day play in your mind. Feelings, thoughts, colors, sounds, images, music, words—let them all be tumble. Tomorrow, during the day, think back on those thoughts and let your words flow. As always, this writing project is for newsletter readers of all ages, but if you are 13 or younger, if you write something you are super pleased with, then please send it to our editor, Emma Wood, by going to the Submit link on our website. Follow the instructions for how to submit your poem. Until next week, William To celebrate National Poetry month we are offering a discount on the wonderful Stone Soup Book of Poetry, a collection of 120 poems published in Stone Soup between 1988 and 2011. Pick up print copies at 25% off, and eBook editions at half price in the Stone Soup Online Store, throughout April 2019. And, for more poetry ideas, don’t forget to visit the Academy of American Poets’ website–especially, check our their “Dear Poet” initiative. Our spring contest and partnership news Write for a podcast: Closing date April 15 Our current contest, in partnership with the By Kids, for Kids Story Time podcast, to write a short story about climate change or other environmental theme. Your work could become a dramatized reading, broadcast on the podcast, and be published in an issue of Stone Soup! All the details about entries and prizes are on our website contest pages. Summer writing mentorship program for 9th-graders and up: Application deadline April 15 We’ve partnered with The Adroit Journal, a literary magazine for teens. The applications for their Summer Mentorship program, which takes place from June to August, are open now. This program pairs young writers in grades 9 through 12 with an experienced writer who helps them learn more about the creative process. We know this is for an audience older than ours, but if you are a former reader or contributor, or know any teenagers who are aspiring writers, encourage them to apply! Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! Check out blogger Mirembe’s interview with Kid Beowulf: The Rise of El Cid author Alexis E. Fajardo! Here’s an excerpt: Mirembe: What was your process for writing the storyline and making the art? Alexis E. Fajardo: There are lots of different ways to make comics, and each cartoonist has their own method. For me, I like to write out full scripts that I then draw out. There are several stages to creating the art: pencils, inks, color, and letters. I pencil and ink on paper, after which I scan the artwork into the computer and color and letter digitally. I also have a colorist who helps me color the book. Comics are deceptively complex to make. It’s sort of like putting together a giant puzzle. From Stone Soup, September 2017 My Tenth Summer Part One: What I Learned About Hard Work By Zoe Lynch, 10 I’ve learned this week, Something I knew already But not well My mother, She sits at her desk. Typing. Writing. Scribbling furiously. I felt sorry for her. I thought she hated it. My father, He used to sit at his computer, Frowning. He’s good at numbers, But he’s tired My mom hates to build trails. He helped her. He learned. He’s still learning Everyone is. Me, I found two things, They are sort of one, Violin and poetry. They go hand in hand It takes a long time to do either I love projects We, Found something Something we loved to do As long as each of us are happy, We all are We work at our joys, Have fun, Daydream. Now I understand It. Makes. Sense
Author Interview: Alexis Fajardo, author of Kid Beowulf, talks to blogger Mirembe
Mirembe Mubanda, one of our young bloggers, recently got the chance to read Alexis E. Fajardo’s graphic novel Kid Beowulf: The Rise of El Cid, and then talk to the author about his inspirations, his process, and writing multiple storylines. Read the interview below! Mirembe Mubanda: As a child, what were some of your favorite stories? Did they play a part in your inspiration to write Kid Beowulf: The Rise of El Cid? Alexis Fajardo: I’ve always loved mythology, in particular the Greek and Norse myths. One of my favorite books growing up was the D’Aulaire’s editions of Greek and Norse mythology; they were wonderfully written and illustrated. As a young reader I was particularly drawn to the Norse myths because they were always a little bloodier than the more refined Greek myths. Those stories were a gateway to epics like Beowulf and El Cid. MM: If you were to host a dinner party where you invited characters from different comics and graphic novels, whom would you invite, and why would you invite them? AF: This is a hard question! Hmm…I suppose first off we would need someone to cook the meal, and I think Phoney Bone (from the graphic novel BONE) is a pretty good cook. Then of course we need some good conversation, so I would invite Delilah Dirk (from the graphic novel series, Delilah Dirk), Tintin, and Asterix to tell me about all their adventures (and we’ll need plenty of food if Obelix and Captain Haddock come along too). Finally, I don’t want to do any dishes so I think we’ll probably need Smiley Bone in the kitchen to help Phoney clean up. MM: What was it like when the idea of writing The Rise of El Cid came to mind? AF: When I started the Kid Beowulf series I knew I wanted Beowulf and Grendel to interact with epic heroes from other countries, Spain was always on the list because of El Cid. I was also looking forward to writing The Rise of El Cid because part of my family is from Spain, so to weave in some of that history was important to me. One of my favorite parts of creating new stories is doing all the research. I love reading the source material (in this case, the epic poem El Cid) as well as histories and other stories related to the topic. The research is fun because it means all ideas are on the table. Eventually, the hard part of writing begins when I have to whittle away at the story until the story takes shape. I knew for the Rise of El Cid, I wanted to tell the story of how a Rodrigo Díaz becomes the great knight known as “El Cid” but must stay true to himself to achieve that title. MM: While creating Kid Beowulf: The Rise of El Cid, did you have a favorite character? If so, who and why? AF: There are a lot of fun characters in this book but one of my favorites is Rodrigo’s friend Pedro the mute. He is small, feisty, but never says a word! He has a slate board that he communicates with by drawing pictures on it; it was fun to come up with the different things he would have to say. I am also fond of Rodrigo’s horse, Babieca and especially enjoyed creating the part of the story where the two first meet. Horses are very hard to draw though so Babieca was a challenge. MM: On a scale of one through ten, how much is Kid Beowulf: The Rise of El Cid based on the poem El Cid? Why is it this number? AF: In the book there is a Prologue in which I retell the original epic poem and that is a solid “10.” The rest of the book is inspired by events in the epic poem, other stories about El Cid, as well as the history of the time. My story is intended to be a prequel to the events depicted in the epic poem. The research is pretty detailed and thorough and the history is mostly accurate, at the same time it’s an original story, especially the parts involving Beowulf and Grendel! MM: Kid Beowulf: The Rise of El Cid is the third graphic novel in the Kid Beowulf series. Which comic book did you enjoy writing the most? AF: Even though they are all part of the same series and we follow Beowulf and Grendel from one book to the next, each book is very different from the other. Book one is very much a fantasy that has elements of magic in it. Book two is a swashbuckling adventure story with some comedy thrown in. And book three is a more serious adventure with some romance and political intrigue. Each one has its own challenges and when I’m creating them I am fully invested in that adventure; it’s only after I’m finished when I can begin to judge them. That said, book two, The Song of Roland has some of my favorite characters and sequences in it and I always like coming back to that setting. MM: In Kid Beowulf:The Rise of El Cid there are three different story lines. Did you ever think of making only one? AF: Ha! There are multiple storylines in all my books! I think that’s because I try to create three-dimensional characters who have a lives and stories of their own…which can sometimes complicate plots. Ideally all the different storylines come together by the end of the big story; so in the case of El Cid, we have the story of Rodrigo Díaz which is very separate from what Beowulf and Grendel are doing however by the climax of the book all their storylines intersect and (hopefully) pay off. MM: Were any of the characters personalities based on yours or someone you know well? If so which characters and people? AF: I have a few friends who sometimes become the
