I realized that I’d probably never have what she had. She had hope Illustrator Anika Knudson, 13, for Hope, by Isabel Folger, 12 Published January/February 2014. A note from William Rubel Another week! Where do they go? Last week, I said that I’d write about blogs this week. To begin, I’d like to acknowledge my colleague, Sarah Ainsworth, who manages the blogs, including the book reviews. We at Stone Soup are very excited by the material that our young bloggers and reviewers have been sending to us. I would like to ask you–whether you are a young Stone Soup reader or an adult Stone Soup reader–to please look at the material being published in our blogs. The blogs enable us to publish more book reviews than we can in Stone Soup, and they enable us to publish writing by young writers that falls outside of the literary framework of the magazine itself. When you read a blog post or a book review that you like (and I’m sure you will), then leave a supportive comment. If anything you read on the Stone Soup website makes you think of something, if a blog post or review gets your own thoughts and creative juices flowing, then please share. I am now working with a web developer who is going to set us up with a system to reward you for commenting on blogs, but in the meantime, please leave comments anyway! I can tell you as a writer of books and magazine articles that it is rewarding for authors to receive feedback and fan mail. We are so pleased with the additional material we are publishing online that I’d like to issue another call for bloggers. We are particularly looking for young bloggers–that is, age 13 and under–and we are also looking for teenagers, young adults, and adults. If you are a homeschool parent or a teacher, then we especially want to hear from you. We are about to launch an educator blog. To become a blogger you need to to first send us an example of a blog entry. You will find full instructions on our submissions platform. I want to share with you an excerpt from Vandana Ravi’s review of The Book of Boy. It is thought provoking. “I think that this book, though told in a medieval setting, really applies to modern day. Everyone is different. Although most kids have been told this many times, we still tend to single out the people who are very tall, very short, who have learning problems, who look different. We look at someone and judge them, forgetting hidden under everybody’s metaphorical disfigurement, there is a mind that thinks and feels just like we do. Everyone has, at some point, felt that they don’t fit into the norm. It’s hard to realize that our differences might actually be assets. When you are singled out or made fun of, it’s difficult to put a smile on your face and show the world that you may be different, but you have your own special powers. When you do, however, you are given wings for your personality to fly free.” For something very different, I recommend ‘The Winds of Change,’ by Lukas Cooke, who we think of as our nature blogger. This is Lukas’ fifth post. ‘The Winds of Change’ is about Spring. Lukas talks about the smell of the air, the signs of the season’s change. At the center of his story is a nest of moles that he saves from from a bonfire. The post includes a photograph of the nest. My summary does not do Lukas’ work justice. It is a well written evocation of Spring on a farm. Here is the link to find all of the work by our young Stone Soup bloggers: STONE SOUP BLOGGERS. Until next week, Making Stone Soup even more accessible Those of you who read our masthead will have noticed that for many years Stone Soup has been available in braille and ebraille for our visually impaired readers. This free service, in print and online, is provided by the US Library of Congress’ National Library Service, who you can contact to sign up or receive more information either at their website or by calling +1 800-424-8567. Now, we have expanded our accessible options by partnering with the US National Federation of the Blind’s NFB-NEWSLINE®, a free audio information service available to anyone who is blind, visually impaired, or print-disabled. We are delighted to add Stone Soup to the list of more than 500 publications already available via this service. Our young authors’ writing is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with an incredible range of publications: national, international and regional newspapers (like the New York Times), breaking news sources (such as Sports Illustrated Online, CBS, and the BBC), and magazines including Air and Space Smithsonian, Discover, Family Fun, Poets and Writers and Teen Vogue. There are a variety of ways to access NFB-NEWSLINE, always free of charge. You can use your touch-tone telephone in your home; you can access the service via the website, receive On Demand emails, or use your portable player or mobile devices. To learn more about NFB-NEWSLINE and to register, please visit www.nfbnewsline.org or call +1 866-504-7300. Please spread the word to friends, family and colleagues who could benefit from these accessible options! Business News Our Santa Cruz web designer has time for us, again! I met with Jordan Iverson last week and will be meeting with him again on Monday. Over the next couple of weeks you will be seeing tweaks to the website. When we finish fixing what we know could use improvement, then we will come to you to ask for direction. Now that the subscription login system has been simplified (you just need your email address) we have started sending out letters to make absolutely sure that those of you who are subscribers know how to get in. We also have a one-month free offer for non subscribers. If you are a newsletter reader, but not yet a subscriber, you may go to our homepage and choose ‘Subscribe’ on the menu bar. This will take you to our order form. Enter MAY18 where it asks
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
The Lost Rainforest: Mez’s Magic, Reviewed by Julius Ugo, 11
Unceasing darkness. Eternal light. Both? Not possible without serious repercussions. “What, then, will happen…to those animals…born during the eclipse?” Mez’s Magic is set in the otherworldly rainforest of Caldera, an alternate reality divided between daywalkers and nightwalkers. All animals naturally fall into one of the two groups, or veils, based on their species. Only the ants walk between veils. And the animals born during the eclipse. A young panther named Mez is one of these “eclipse born”. These “unnaturals” are able to go between groups. They are blessed (or cursed) with special powers, enabling them to see and do things that regular animals can’t. Mez is an older sibling to her sister, Chumba, and she is motivated throughout the entire story by a desire to protect her little sister from harm. While she generally does an excellent job of this, eventually, Chumba is happiest protecting herself. I have an older sister who similarly looks out for me. But like Chumba, near the end of the book, I too prefer it when I sometimes have the opportunity to “fight my own battles”. And though I am a younger sibling, like Chumba, I sometimes even help my older sister out with hers. I think that is one of the most important parts of a sibling relationship. Figuring out when it’s your turn to give the support, or to get it. Throughout the story, I also came to appreciate the strong sense of loyalty that made up a dominant part of Mez’s character. She pushes herself as hard as necessary in hopes of saving the other eclipse-born animals and all of Caldera itself from the evil Ant Queen’s destructive power. Caldera is a world that is cosmetically very different from mine. While I live in flashy downtown Toronto, surrounded by light pollution, sometimes the rainforest of Caldera gets so dark that you can’t even see directly in front of you, and animals use other senses to navigate their surroundings. I come home to a hot meal made by my mom, while Mez’s whole family relies on each other for hunting help in order to eat and survive. But these unfamiliar elements, along with the more relatable ones, combine perfectly to create an interesting experience that would not be possible if the whole world of Caldera was exactly like my own. Throughout the entire book, author Eliot Schrefer mixes a shimmering rainforest setting with intriguing characters until the reader can’t help but be inspired by what the rainforest has to offer. But once the magic power component of the eclipse penetrates the plot and characters start betraying each other, the story changes from a gently moving animal fable to a fast-paced adventure that leaves you dying for more. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging animal story, spiced up with magic, and heartwarming sibling relationships. It’s about looking beyond the superficial, finding friends in unexpected places, and working together to defeat some really bad ants. Enjoy! The Lost Rainforest: Mez’s Magic by Eliot Schrefer. Harper Collins, 2017. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
Between the Lines, Reviewed by Lauren Stewart, 13
Between the Lines by Nikki Grimes tell the stories of nine teenagers connected by one powerful poetry class. It describes the teens’ hopes, dreams, and ambitions and how each is working to achieve his/her goals against all odds. While some books can be confusing when told from multiple perspectives, Grimes simplifies things for the reader by changing grammar and style to reflect each character. She also employs a unique structural element. Almost every chapter ends with a poem, reflected upon by the main character, Darrian. This helps keep the reader intrigued, amused, and on track. Reading Between the Lines greatly deepened my understanding of the purpose and power of poetry. It shows how strong friendships and one common interest (in this case, poetry) can help youth overcome life challenges. It also provides a glimpse into a world of immigration struggles and stereotypes, an unjust foster and legal system, dysfunctional families, and an unplanned child born to an unready mother. Between the Lines gives multiple examples of how you can never truly know what’s going on in a person’s life. Empathy and compassion, however, are the bonds that unite us. While I have not read any book similar to Between the Lines, I have watched a movie with a similarly oppressed main character. American Violet tells the story of a young woman living in a neighborhood under siege. She is offered a plea deal even though she is innocent. She refuses, battles the system, and rights an unconstitutional wrong. The father of one of Between the Lines main characters is not so lucky. He accepts the plea bargain in order to return to his family, but as his son says, he does not return the same. He is angry that he cannot get a decent job, that his children are hungry, and that his family has been forced to move to a smaller apartment even though he has done nothing wrong. The author comments on the complexity of the judicial system and how it plays out for poor Black and Brown males, in particular, whether innocent or guilty. Despite these heavy themes, I greatly enjoyed Between the Lines. It tells the truth but in such a way that I felt empowered not overwhelmed. Between the Lines is a book that is sure to lift your spirits, to make you feel like you can accomplish anything, all the while teaching you valuable life and history lessons. Between the Lines by Nikki Grimes. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2018. Buy the book here and support Children’s Art Foundation-Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
