The Other Realm

“Wooden Sunset” (iPhone 11) By Amelia Driver, 10 (Woodacre, CA) and published in the July/August 2021 Issue of Stone Soup A note from Malakai Now that we’re a week into summer (if you go by the summer solstice, of course), it’s really starting to feel like a nice summer day: slow, breezy, probably hot. To fully encapsulate that summer feeling, I wanted to highlight a photo from our July/August issue. Wooden Sunset by Amelia Driver gives off that warm golden-hour glow that I just can’t get enough of. Summer sunsets are my favorite to photograph. Here’s a fun photo challenge: try to use Amelia’s picture as inspiration to capture a sunset within the reflection of another object. Tag us on Instagram @stonesoupbykids and I’ll share your photos! Spring/Summer 2021 Writing Workshop Reading For our Spring/Summer session of 2021, we are holding a public reading, where our workshop members will give author readings. They have chosen their favorite work, written during one of the year’s Workshops. Come join us to hear this fantastic writing, read aloud in the authors’ own voices. We are so proud of all of their work. Don’t miss it! A little about myself Since this is my first newsletter as the engagement editor for Stone Soup, I wanted to introduce myself. I’m a Santa Cruz local and grew up hearing about Stone Soup; when I tell folks I work here they usually say, “Oh yeah, I know Stone Soup!” I have a degree in journalism from San Francisco State University, where I specialized in editing, podcasting, magazine design, and documentary video production. I’m here to grow our social media and promote the magazine, books, classes, and special projects. I like to spend my free time in the garden with my mom, working on sewing projects, and playing D&D. Book Contest I’ve been working on promoting our book contest, which is currently open and runs until August 16. Here is the basic rundown: Genre: Fiction (novel, novella, short story collection) or poetry Length: For fiction submissions, the minimum length is 20,000 words. For poetry submissions, the minimum length is 40 pages. There is no maximum word or page limit. Age limit: For this contest, we will accept manuscripts written by those age 14 or under. Deadline: Monday, August 16, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) Entry fee: $15.00 And you can find more info here. Preorder The Other Realm In the July/August issue you’ll see an excerpt from a soon-to-be-published novel: The Other Realm by Tristan Hui. The book will be available starting September 1, but you can preorder it now! As put by Tristan herself, “The Other Realm is an adventure story. It combines elements of portal and urban fantasy to pull readers into the world of two endearingly late-blooming teenage girls, who are struggling across a desert in a car they aren’t sure how to drive.” You can pre-order Tristan’s novel here. Also a reminder to check out the Refugee Project; the art, writing, poetry, and photography are truly phenomenal. Till next time, Book Contest 2021 For information on submitting to the Stone Soup Book Contest 2021, please click here. To submit your manuscript, please visit our submittable site. Highlights from the past week online Don’t miss the latest content from our Book Reviewers and Young Bloggers at Stonesoup.com! Cleo takes us through the process of making chocolate in her post that details her experience on vacation in Belize. Read about it here. On the COVID-19 blog, we published a contemplative poem by Otis, 13, inspired by his frequent trips to the park near his house. Also on the COVID-19 blog, Mason reflects on parts of American history and concludes that “one day we will take our steps out of COVID-19.” Summer Classes and Events! Our weekly weekend writing workshops and book club are on a summer break after today, but we’ll be back in the Fall Meanwhile, to get a flavour of the kind of writing our students have been doing this semester, why not join us at their public reading on July 3rd? It’s free to attend, and you’ll hear some great writing in the authors own voice! Young Author’s Studio Summer Camps: we are offering a wide range of classes through the summer jointly with the Society of Young Inklings. Each camp runs for two hours per day, Monday through Thursday. All details and bookings via Society of Young Inklings. From Stone Soup July/August 2021 Get Myself a Rocking Chair By Nora Heiskell, 12 (Philadelphia, PA) Illustrated by Amelia Driver, 10 (Woodacre, CA) Chapter One  Lord I been hangin’ out of town in that low-down rain Watchin’ good-time Charlie, friend, is drivin’ me insane Down on shady Charlotte Street, the green lights look red Wish I was back home on the farm, in my feather bed The soft music of the guitar floated through the still air. Smoke from a chimney could be seen above the rooftops of town. Peter McCumber was an odd man. He spoke to no one, but he sang and played his guitar as if he was all alone in his own world. Nobody could remember the last time Peter McCumber had gone to church, let alone to visit somebody. The townspeople all kept their distance, as if he were ill or crazy or something. My father was the only person that would speak to him. I was interested in the old man; there were not many elderly people in Emerald Hills, where we lived. The only other one was Mrs. Gaffney, the milliner. But, like everyone else, I kept my distance. Our town, Emerald Hills, consisted of two neighborhoods. I lived at the very edge of the smaller neighborhood, closer to the part of town where all the shops were. My house was a tiny one-story cottage with whitewashed boards and sky-blue trim around the windows. I lived with my father and our cook, Helen. My mother died when I was only four, and I hardly remembered her. Helen came shortly after Mother died, and she had raised