Blue Jay photo by Dawn Huczek via Creative Commons Having fun birdwatching yet? (Read my last 2 posts for great birdwatching information) Here are 10 species of birds that you might find in your backyard (Eastern and Central US): Robin: Gray on top and orange on belly. Medium sized; bigger than small songbirds and smaller than crows or geese. Like to look for worms on the ground. Cardinal: Males are bright red all over with a black face. Females are brown with a red beak. Both have a crest(a pointy hat shape) on their heads. Cardinals are medium sized. Blue Jay: Blue, white, and black. Medium sized. Has a crest. Chipping sparrow: Small sparrows with brown and white streaks and stripes. Large reddish-brown cap on their heads with white and black next to it. House Finch: Small finch with brown and white streaks. Males have red on their head and belly. Females don’t, but if you see one with a male house finch you can probably assume that she’s a house finch too. Black-capped Chickadee: Small bird. Black cap on head with white face and tan belly. Common Grackle: Medium sized bird. Black, with shiny green and purple head feathers that you can see sometimes. Yellow and black eyes. Canada Goose: Goose with black neck and head, brown back, white belly, and webbed feet. They swim in water. They honk. You can see them flying together in a v shape. Crow: Large and black. Makes classic “caw” sound Vulture: Very large, black, with pink head. Flies in circles.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Hoops: Elle of the Ball, Reviewed by Christine Chang, age 10
In Hoops: Elle of the Ball, Elle is the type of girl who would prefer basketball over dancing. Especially since she’s six feet tall at age twelve. And, for the past few months, this has worked out fine for her. But, when the new school year comes, and her new coach sees her height, she has high hopes for Elle to be a great player in a new position. Unfortunately, Elle isn’t used to being so tall! She keeps on tripping over her feet and stumbling. Not only does she have to amp up her basketball practice, but when the school announces their annual mandatory cotillion, Elle is in for a hard time. Wait, what? She is going to be dancing for a grade with a boy much shorter than her, and she’ll be performing in front of the whole school? Elle must find a way to keep up her passion for basketball and learn to please others as well. I think the author of this book, Elena Delle Donne, WNBA MVP and Olympic Gold Medalist, wrote Hoops: Elle of the Ball because Delle Donne used to be just like Elle and wanted to express how she felt and show how hard she worked to be a professional basketball player. Being a WNBA MVP and Olympic gold medalist, she was predictably very into basketball at Elle’s age. She might have been six feet tall at Elle’s age, and because of this, she could have been upset by people expecting her to rule the court. I wonder if it is a coincidence that Elle’s name is kind of a combination of the author’s name, Elena and Delle? This book gave me insight into different kinds of girls, how the pull of relationships and school struggles affect for girls of all ages and how everyone experiences bullying. I also learned a little about basketball. Delle Donne does her best to bring out the characters and use dialogue to make the book more interesting. However, if you appreciate more in-depth and thought provoking books, this book is most likely not for you because Elle of the Ball did not necessarily have a plot that made you care about the characters, a pronounced climax, and it did not suck me into Elle’s life. Unfortunately, I think Delle Donne’s incredible skill and talent on the basketball court did not translate well to the pages of her book. But, if you really like basketball or are looking for a fun quick-read, perhaps you can give it a shot. However, Elle of the Ball is a fun and entertaining quick read for basketball lovers everywhere, and Elle’s basketball adventures will hopefully continue on in the Hoops series for everyone who wants more books about girls and basketball, which we don’t often see nowadays. Hoops: Elle of the Ball by Elena Della Donne. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 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!
Paper Things, Reviewed by Shelley Tang, age 10
Do you ever worry about anything when you are in school? About your grade on a test? About who your new lab partner will be? Arianna Hazard worries too, but her worry is where she will sleep at night. When Gage, Ari’s brother decides he can’t live with Janna, their guardian, anymore, Ari goes with him to live in his “new apartment.” But it turns out that Gage doesn’t really have a new apartment, and they start crashing at different friends’ houses. Ari didn’t really want to leave Janna, but felt that she needed to because of a promise she had made to her mother that Ari and Gage would “always stick together.” Arianna and Gage go from house to house to avoid frigid nights in Maine. Showers are no longer available, and her class now looks at her as a dirty child. Worse than that, her teachers now have low expectations of her and even her best friend joins with others that stare at Arianna’s greasy hair all day. Tired of people making fun of her, Ari doesn’t know what to do. Adding to her problems is a second promise Ari made to her mother that she would get into Carter Junior High School, a very selective school. Both of her parents and even Gage had gotten into Carter so this places a whole lot more pressure on Arianna. As the application deadline draws closer, Arianna worries more and more. At the same time, Ari feels ashamed about being homeless, so she decides to keep it a secret from everyone else. I did some research and found out that homelessness is a hidden problem in many towns. When children are homeless, they are often embarrassed at the fact and try to keep it hidden as they struggle to concentrate at school. They get bullied and made fun of, like Ari did for her dirty clothes and “greasy hair.” Being homeless can also make it hard to do homework if you don’t have a desk to write on. This situation is all around the world, even in places where you might not expect to see it, and this book made me aware of this. Even in my own town and in my own school there are kids that are homeless. Sometimes, as a child, you don’t know about poverty and homelessness; all you really think about is happiness. Paper Things is an amazing story full of happiness and sadness balanced like a seesaw. Sometimes you will feel yourself cheering Arianna on, supporting her as you read. Other times, you will feel your stomach ache for her to stay strong and never give in again. Other times, you will feel frustrated with her brother or angry at the people who are being mean to her. The author, Jennifer Jacobson, wrote this story in a tone that makes the reader want to never let go of the book. The main character Arianna feels like a close friend that you’ve never met but know a lot about. Jacobson describes the characters so well, it is as if they are real. In my opinion, this book will appeal to readers who love realistic fiction. The author wrote the story in such a manner that it was like I was on a leash, captivated by the book and not wanting to look away. The story actually does have a wonderful ending but you will need to find out what it is for yourself. So don’t waste time, and go check out Paper Things now! Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson. Candlewick, 2014. 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!
