Several people are kept in a cave. They have lived in the cave their entire lives, chained to the ground, watching blurry shadows dance on the stone wall in front of them. They think that this is all there is to the world. But one day, one of the captives breaks free of his bonds and leaves the cave. He is amazed by all he sees outside, but when he returns to tell the other prisoners of his findings, nobody believes him. Instead, they kill him. This story is known as the allegory of the cave. Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, wrote it in reference to his teacher, Socrates, another Greek philosopher. Socrates was sentenced to death and made to drink poison for “corrupting the youth” with his new ideas. But what would have happened if Socrates was not killed but exiled? And what if he returned one day, years and years later, to teach others about the wonders he discovered while banished? And what if Socrates and the other Athenians were not humans but seagulls? Okay, the last question probably sounds extremely weird, but this is basically the plot of Jonathan Livingston Seagull, a novella written by Richard Bach and first published more than fifty years ago. At the start of the story, a seagull named Jonathan feels incomplete. Unlike the rest of the flock, he yearns for more than food. He wants to learn more about flight. He keeps experimenting, and one day learns how to fold his wings, using only his wingtips for maximum speed. After he bursts through the flock at terminal velocity, he is called forward and banished for disrupting his community. He lives a quiet, peaceful life on the Far Cliffs for many years, and then he goes to the next stage of his existence, in which he realizes his true purpose: to return to the flock and teach them the wonders of flight. I was apprehensive at first about this novella, because it starts off slowly and the action only gradually builds up. But once I warmed up to the story, I saw that it was written wonderfully, with many sensory details. I could feel Jonathan’s heartbreak, his fear, and also his euphoria whenever he discovered a new flying trick. Readers will also learn a lot about amazing aerial acrobatics and flight mechanics from the author, Richard Bach, a pilot who has written many fiction and nonfiction books about flying. Even though I am not a flight expert, I could still picture Jonathan’s aerial whirls and spins in my mind’s eye. I also enjoyed the black-and-white photographs of seagulls in flight, taken by Russell Munson, which illustrate my copy of the book. I would recommend Jonathan Livingston Seagull to eight-year-olds and up. Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. Macmillan Publishers, 1970. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Book Reviews
Review Of “One for the Murphys” by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
One for the Murphys is a coming-of-age novel written by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, bestselling author of Fish In A Tree, a book which received a very favorable review on the Stone Soup blog. One for the Murphys centers around Carley Connors, who moves to Connecticut to live with her foster family after her mother ends up in the hospital. The foster family, which consists of Mr. Murphy, his wife Julie, and their children Michael Eric, Adam, and Daniel, live a very different life than Carley imagined or has ever lived before. As she tries to adjust to her new life, her thoughts on friendships, family, and mother-daughter relationships shift drastically. Carley, her friend Toni, her mom, and her foster family are all very well-developed characters who have complicated and nuanced relationships–one of the novel’s selling points. Carley loves Toni, but they are very different people who end up learning a lot about different family dynamics, books, and Broadway musicals. Carley also loves her mother, although their relationship is far from perfect. Carley often had to fend for herself when she lived with her mother, but she still has many fond memories of her. Meanwhile, she finds herself at once being very fond of the Murphys while feeling undeserving of the affection and attention they shower on her. The characters trying to figure out their places in society and in one another’s hearts are part of what makes the book such a captivating read. Unlike many coming-of-age stories, One for the Murphys does not have a picture-perfect happy ending. Carley has learned a lot, and is a more mature adult ready for the next chapter of her life, but as the reader closes the book, they know that Carley’s happiness was short lived, that she is heading towards a challenge which will leave her longing for the comfort she experienced and wondering what will happen to her when she grows up. The novel shows us that Carley finally has a passion, but that it is not one she is likely to achieve. She knows what it means to be a family, but only just in time to realize she has to leave one forever. She makes friends and establishes her roots only for them to be torn up again. But through all this is a little kernel of hope: that Carley will learn to make do with what she has, get her dream job, see the family she had to leave behind, and move to the place where her life first changed for the better. One for the Murphys is a wonderfully heartwarming story about friends, family, and what being a teenager is all about. The book made me laugh, cry, and root for Carley; with any luck, it will sit on your bookshelf, like it did on mine, getting reread and passed on to those I love the most. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2013. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Chew on This, Reviewed by Iris Ma, 12
If you’ve ever had a sudden need for food, but can’t get a proper meal, you probably thought of going to a fast food restaurant because it’s quick, convenient and cheap. This would be a great solution if it wasn’t for the dozens of secrets hidden behind those famous golden arches and other symbols of fast food. Chew On This, by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson, exposes the unwelcome secrets that fast food restaurants have sealed behind all of their advertisements, toys, characters and jingles. If you enjoy fast food and would like to keep living within these illusions these restaurants have cast upon you, you may. But if you wish to escape and learn the secrets behind the meals that you have happily consumed, be ready to witness the truth, but be willing to accept the consequences because these restaurants might never look the same to you. Think back to the first time you saw or heard of fast food. You probably don’t remember, because fast food restaurants intentionally target young children to become loyal customers so they become lifetime customers. One of the most surprising facts I learned is that “Americans now spend more on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, and recorded music – combined.” Large companies know that children have a great deal of influence on their parents’ spending, so they know that targeting children while they are young is crucial to earning more money. You may have seen some of these tricks, such as advertisements, toys, play areas and characters. You could have been one of those kids who has begged to eat a happy meal, to collect another toy and to play in McDonald land. If this is the case, then you’re not alone. In fact, according to the authors, “One out of every three toys given to a child in the United States each year is from a fast-food restaurant.” These toys aren’t there just for fun, they’re there to attract more kids and keep them coming back for more. Fast food companies specifically work with leading toy industries to create toys that are aimed at young children. These toys such as small dolls, toy cars, and Teletubby toys are aimed at young children, sometimes even those who are too young to speak. There’s a lot of information in this book about marketing, but this book is called Chew On This, so you can expect to learn more about food. No matter how much psychological manipulation these companies use, there is still food to talk about. Your burgers, shakes, sodas and fries may look innocent and appealing on the outside, but they hide a lot of secrets that can often be repulsive. McCannibals? What could they have to do with your McNuggets or your crispy sandwiches? What’s in a milkshake? Milk? Strawberries? Bugs? Artificial flavoring? What’s in the beef? What are the lives of the workers who take care of and process the animals? What happens when you eat too much fast food? Even if some of the details seem fictional and horrific, both authors are journalists who specialize in investigative journalism. The secrets exposed in this book might change your view on the world of fast food—it changed mine. The illusions that fast food companies have created may be changed, even if fast food is quick, the tradeoff for fast food has a price. If you want to open your eyes to the truth, then read Chew On This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson. Chew on This by Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson. Clarion Books, 2007. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
