Three Friends. One cookbook. A chance to change the world. “Just Add Magic” is an Amazon Prime Original TV series based on a series of books by the same name by Cindy Callahagan. It focuses on the lives of three best friends- Kelly Quinn, (Olivia Sanabia) Darbie O’Brian, (Abby Donnelly) and Hannah Parker-Kent, (Aubrey Miller)- in the tiny town of Saffron Falls. They’re just your ordinary preteen girls- until the book comes into their lives. It all starts with an accident. While exploring Kelly’s attic, the three girls find an old cookbook, full of strange recipes like “Bitter Truth Truffles” and “Mind Peering Peppermints.” Believing it to be an old book that Kelly’s grandmother (Dee Wallace) had written as a girl, they decide to try one of the recipes for a birthday present for Grandma Quinn. They whip up a “Shut ‘Em Up” Shortcake, only to discover that the book might be more than just a little girl’s afternoon project. The cake has literally “shut up” both Hannah and Kelly’s brother Buddy, who are both unable to talk after eating it. Even worse, when Grandma Quinn sees the book, she seems terrified, and tries to warn Kelly of a possible danger, but is unable to explain herself, which helps Kelly realize that Buddy and Hannah aren’t the only ones under some strange spell- Grandma Quinn is, too. But who spelled her? Who else in Saffron Falls knows about this strange book? And will they stop at her Grandma? “Just Add Magic” is really an incredible show. It’s intriguing plot and relatable characters make it a show that kids of any age-and maybe their parents, too- can enjoy. But it is more than just enjoyable entertainment. Woven throughout the story are many thought-provoking ideas- like the need for respecting as well as loving your friends and family. For example, to break one spell, Kelly has to apologize to her younger brother for insulting him. Like everyone, the characters aren’t perfect, but they are willing to realize when they make a mistake and try to fix it. They love each other and work to cooperate, knowing that, at the end of the day, teamwork is what is going to help them save Grandma Quinn- and, ultimately, all of Saffron Falls. Have you watched this show? Or do you plan on watching it? Let us know in the comments below!
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Knitting Socks and Learning from Someone Younger Than You
My fingers crept along, slowly following the pattern–wrapping the yarn, twisting, poking, prodding. My sister’s fingers flew. “You are still there?” she would say, teasingly, every few minutes. By the time I had finished the first row, she was at the fifth, by the time I was at the fifth, she was at the fifteenth. How embarrassing. What was I doing letting my younger sister tell me what to do, act like she is better than me?! And yet, here she was. Carefully guiding me, experimenting, correcting, laughing with me, at me. Who was I to pretend that I wasn’t having fun or that she wasn’t doing a perfect job? Zoe kindly–like always–helping me with my sock on a ferry. There is usually a bizarre discomfort that older siblings have when their younger sibling–or any younger person–starts teaching them something. I feel this discomfort sometimes and try my best to fight it. My sister, Zoe, and I have a wonderful relationship. We homeschooled together for 6 years and my parents mostly decided to pull me out of school so that we could spend more time together, resulting in a close relationship between us. However, children grow up these days with a strong distinction between ages. When we start school, we are separated by age into grades, almost never crossing in between. We are led to believe that older kids learn more complicated stuff, so they must clearly be more advanced, and therefore do not need the help of younger kids. In the homeschooling world, ages interlap often. My close friend group for most of my homeschooling time was made up of kids both four years older and younger than me. We were a group of varying ages, personalities, and experiences. The differences in our ages didn’t separate us, instead it enriched our friendships. Now that I am in school, I can feel myself slipping back into the mindset that I should not hang out with kids that are a different age than me and it impacts my opportunities for friendships at school and at home. When I push myself to break the barrier of age, the different stages that the kids I meet are in and the interests that come with them push me to think harder and be more compassionate, resulting in my greater happiness. When I think of Zoe as an equal, someone who I can learn from and grow with, I find myself growing in ways that I wouldn’t normally. Our personalities and interests overlap and twist together, like knitting, making something special. I finished my sock a couple of weeks ago. It is a little crooked in some places, has holes in others, and is in no way compared to Zoe’s pairs of socks, but it carries the air of a new skill. It has reminded me that I am not stuck to people only my age, but am able to learn from everyone. My finished sock! This summer, reach out to someone younger than you and let yourself learn from them. Whether it be your younger sibling or someone else that you know, try to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Happy learning!
Saturday Newsletter: July 14, 2018
I feel the thrill of the moment as my coconut wobbles, surprisingly fast, past me Illustrator Ester Luna, 12 for Racing Coconuts by Rachel Barglow, 10. Published July/August 2015. A note from Emma Wood Announcing the winners of our short short fiction contest First Place: “The Pendulum” by Sabrina Guo, 12 Second Place: “The Sycamore Tree” by Mira Johnson, 8 Third Place: “A Dinner Party” by Anyi Sharma, 10 Fourth Place: “The Hummingbird” by Clare McDermott, 12 Honorable Mentions: Symbiotic by Madeline Pass, 13 Potato Diaries by Christian Goh, 10 The Mystical Trees by Hannah Lee, 10 A cat literally watching time pass. A magical tree that heals and protects an injured bunny being chased by a dog. A mysterious hermit who throws a lavish dinner party. A hummingbird whose light, joyful presence delights the whole forest. These are descriptions of the stories that won our short short fiction contest—and a very small sample of the range of stories we received. I was amazed, reading these submissions, at how much can fit into 300 words. Some of you chose to focus on describing a moment or scene in sparkling, clear prose. Others chose to tell an action-packed narrative. Both types worked, and both felt much longer than the word limit. Short short fiction, or flash fiction as it is also called, reminds me of a clown car: each story managed to pack in so much more than I thought possible. I want to directly thank everyone who had the inspiration to write a story and the courage to submit it to our contest. Your excellent, imaginative writing made our choices very difficult. We encourage all of you to continue writing and to submit your work to us again soon. Flash fiction is an excellent genre to work in, especially if you are new to writing fiction. Repetition is the mother of learning—and the shorter the story you are writing, the easier it will be to keep repeating and keep learning. Until next week Read the latest updates on our blog Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at stonesoup.com! This week, Sabrina Guo – who also happens to be our flash fiction contest winner! – has written a thought provoking, compassionate and informative article on The Refugee Children Crisis. Please read it and share your thoughts with her and with us on the website. From Stone Soup July/August 2015 Racing Coconuts By Rachel Barglow, 10 Illustrated by Ester Luna, 12 “Truth or Dare?” my best friend Jackson challenges me. I glance around at my circle of friends like they might have an answer. “Dare,” I say confidently. My friends and I always get together Saturday evenings. We’re gathered around a campfire eating marshmallows on a beach in Florida. Just then, Jackson grins wickedly at a tall palm tree with four coconuts cradled under its huge green leaves, and then back at me. “Simon—I dare you to a coconut race with me. Take it or leave it.” “I’ll take it,” I say, feeling my face turn red like it always does when I’m excited. Jackson and I know the drill. We each jog over to separate palm trees and shake them vigorously. When the tree gives up a coconut, I catch it as it falls. Jackson also gets a coconut. Then we drag our feet in the sand, creating one wide racetrack going for maybe twenty-five feet down a hill. The hill is steep enough to give the coconuts momentum. Jackson and I go to the starting line and bend down, the coconuts barely touching the ground. I feel the tense feeling of excitement in the air, my heart beating quickly. Everyone has their eye on our coconuts. A surfer shouts loudly to a friend in the distance. No one budges, no one hears. I will win this race. I will. “On your mark, get set…” Jackson starts, my heart beating even quicker. “On your mark, get set…” everyone cries, “Go!” …/more Stone Soup’s Advisors: Abby Austin, Mike Axelrod, Annabelle Baird, Jem Burch, Evelyn Chen, Juliet Fraser, Zoe Hall, Montanna Harling, Alicia & Joe Havilland, Lara Katz, Rebecca Kilroy, Christine Leishman, Julie Minnis, Jessica Opolko, Tara Prakash, Denise Prata, Logan Roberts, Emily Tarco, Rebecca Ramos Velasquez, Susan Wilky.
