It is said that guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death, but Jonathan Grisby feels he deserves far worse. After a terrible accident that leaves his family in despair, Jonathan takes responsibility for a crime that he did not commit. He is soon sent to the Slabhenge Reformatory School, a place that was once a prison and, in some ways, still is. As time passes on the forlorn island, chaos erupts like magma from the Earth while Jonathan sinks in guilt. Scar Island is a thrilling work, for author Dan Gemeinhart did an exceptional job crafting this story. The moment he arrived on the island, Jonathan faced his harsh treatment. The head supervisor of the island, the Admiral, kept a firm grip on everything that took place. The boys were forced to take care of every task that needed to be done, leaving the Admiral and his colleagues living in luxury. To ensure their comfortable and extravagant life was eternal, they extended the stay of many boys much longer, excusing themselves by saying, “There’s still more work to do.” Although he faced an excruciating life, Jonathan made a few friends who helped guide him in his new life. Just as he seemed to be getting used to Slabhenge, a strange event occurred on the island. On the second morning of Jonathan’s stay, a brutal storm swept through the island. The Admiral lifted his sword into the air during the morning’s event, completely unexpecting what was about to happen. As all the officials were standing in deep puddles, the outcome was inevitable. They were dead before they hit the ground. By this point, the magma had become lava, seeping through the crevices of the island, melting any form of peace to little more than dust. While this novel incorporates many thrilling elements, it also contains some meaningful value. Throughout the book, Jonathan struggles with guilt that he doesn’t deserve. In life, you should never blame yourself for things you did not do because it will only cause the downfall of your mental health. As the book goes on, Jonathan begins to understand this, something important for everyone to recognize. Altogether, Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart is an excellent book with ideas scarcely found in others of its genre. Author Gemeinhart managed to compose a riveting plot and convey a strong message at the same time, something that made this book a wonderful read. Thus, I recommend this book to the ages of 10-13, as it holds components perfectly suited for those of this age. Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart. Scholastic Press, 2018. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Young Bloggers
Poetry Soup – Ep. 16: “Kids Who Die” by Langston Hughes
https://stonesoup.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Poetry-Soup-Ep.-16-Take-2.MP3.mp3 Hello, and welcome to Poetry Soup! I’m your host, Emma Catherine Hoff. Today, I’ll be talking about the poem, “Kids Who Die,” by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1901, in Joplin, Missouri. As an African American alive at the time of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes wrote influential poetry, prose, and plays. These often talked about the lives of Black people and fought against racism. Many of his poems serve as empowering anthems for Black people. Hughes was raised by his grandmother after his father left his family and his mother had to seek employment. In high school, he began to write in all genres, in addition to editing the school yearbook. Hughes attended Columbia at first, writing poetry all the while, but left soon after because of racism. He eventually settled at Lincoln University, from which he earned a B.A. degree. Langston Hughes was a communist. Much of his writing, especially from the 30s (in fact, “Kids Who Die” was written in 1938), shows this, in uniting Black and white working people to achieve one goal – a communist revolution. This can be seen in “Kids Who Die.” This is for the kids who die, Black and white, For kids will die certainly. The old and rich will live on awhile, As always, Eating blood and gold, Letting kids die. Kids will die in the swamps of Mississippi Organizing sharecroppers Kids will die in the streets of Chicago Organizing workers Kids will die in the orange groves of California Telling others to get together Whites and Filipinos, Negroes and Mexicans, All kinds of kids will die Who don’t believe in lies, and bribes, and contentment And a lousy peace. Of course, the wise and the learned Who pen editorials in the papers, And the gentlemen with Dr. in front of their names White and black, Who make surveys and write books Will live on weaving words to smother the kids who die, And the sleazy courts, And the bribe-reaching police, And the blood-loving generals, And the money-loving preachers Will all raise their hands against the kids who die, Beating them with laws and clubs and bayonets and bullets To frighten the people— For the kids who die are like iron in the blood of the people— And the old and rich don’t want the people To taste the iron of the kids who die, Don’t want the people to get wise to their own power, To believe an Angelo Herndon, or even get together Listen, kids who die— Maybe, now, there will be no monument for you Except in our hearts Maybe your bodies’ll be lost in a swamp Or a prison grave, or the potter’s field, Or the rivers where you’re drowned like Leibknecht But the day will come— You are sure yourselves that it is coming— When the marching feet of the masses Will raise for you a living monument of love, And joy, and laughter, And black hands and white hands clasped as one, And a song that reaches the sky— The song of the life triumphant Through the kids who die. Langston Hughes directs this poem towards the “kids who die.” These people are brave children of all races who organize people to fight for a better future. These children are found all over the world, receiving backlash due to their discontentment with the injustice they face now, their want for something more, for equality and for unity. These children are imprisoned and killed because they fight for their basic human rights. They are forgotten by people who don’t want change – by generals and police officers and the rich. They are wiped out, written over. Their stories are buried, and in that way, important nutrients are being taken away from the people – the children are iron being taken out of their blood. Hughes incorporates a turn into his poem as well, in the last stanza. The rest of the poem describes the deaths of the “kids who die,” and acknowledges that in the society we live in, they will continue to die. However, in the last stanza, he speaks directly to these young victims, singing a song of hope, writing that they will eventually succeed and people of all races will be united. This is a change both in tone and in audience – a very skillful and powerful way to end the poem. One of the most important things about this poem, however, is that it isn’t about Black people fighting against white people, or vice versa. It is, instead, about the fight of working people of all races against the rich, the prejudiced, and those that wish to silence others. Langston Hughes emphasizes the fact that equality and solidarity are key parts of a better world. So the kids who die are dying not only for people of their race, they are dying for all people. The kids who die are not only dying for their own benefit, but for the benefit of all. This message comes across beautifully in Hughes’ writing. In “Kids Who Die,” Hughes portrays a struggle that we should all participate in, a fight that we should all try to win. I hope you enjoyed this episode of Poetry Soup, and I’ll see you soon with the next one!
The History of Soccer By Alex O’Hare, 10
Even though soccer is played by millions around the globe, people do not talk about its history very often. Because of that, I am going to introduce you to the history of one of the greatest sports in the world. Modern soccer was established in England in 1863, when the British founded the Football Association. However, versions of soccer have been played for more than 2,000 years. The ancient Greeks played a ball game call episkyros, which consisted of kicking and throwing a soccer ball on a drawn field. The Romans played a variation of episkyros, called harpastum. Even though this game had rules, they were not very clear. Kemari was introduced to Japan in the 7th century. All a person had to do was keep a buckskin ball in the air with only their feet. During the French Middle Ages, a game called soule was played. It was a combination of soccer and rugby, and was very a savage sport where almost any hit was allowed. The objective was to put a ball in the opponent’s cage. In the late 1400s, Italy invented calcio fiorentino. It was only played in between Epiphany and Lent, and only by the rich. Even popes played it in Vatican City in the 16th and 17th centuries. The objective of the game was to carry a round ball into the opponent’s net. Most of the matches were stopped because of a burst ball or a serious injury. Similar to calcio fiorentino, soccer was played mostly by the rich in the 19th century, but because of urbanization and industrialization, soccer gained popularity with the workers. One of the reasons that soccer gained popularity was that people had Saturdays off, and they didn’t want to do their traditional hobbies anymore, such as badger-baiting. After gaining popularity in England, immigrants started bringing soccer wherever they moved, for example, the United States and continental Europe. As soccer has changed throughout the years, so has the ball. In the Medieval era, the ball was usually an inflated animal bladder surrounded by leather so it would keep its shape. In 1855, a man named Charles Goodyear designed the first soccer ball; it was made out of vulcanized rubber. Because of this, it was hard and spherical. Then in 1862, H.J. Lindon made one of the first inflated rubber bladders for balls. In 1872, the English Football Association changed the rules and made it so that the ball was spherical and had a circumference of 27-28 inches. In 1937, the weight was changed from 13-15 ounces to 14-16 ounces. In the last 30 years, the major difference that has changed the soccer ball is what it is made out of and the panels that make it up. Nowadays, the soccer ball is made up of synthetic leather and has 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons to make a round shape. Today, however old you are determines the size of the soccer ball you use. There are 4 sizes; 1 (mini), 3, 4, and 5. For example, my team, LSC Villa U12 uses a size 4 ball, but when I started playing soccer, I used a size 3 ball. And next year, I will use a size 5 ball. In addition to the game and the ball changing overtime, so did the rules. There were no strict rules for playing, until in 1848 when a meeting was held in Cambridge. Before that, if a school team played at another school, the rules could be different. It is interesting that even though the meetings decided that soccer should be a sport played with the feet, some schools still had rules were you could run with the ball in your hands. Because of these rules, soccer became a more civilized sport. Some of the rules include that if you caught a ball, you were awarded a free kick, and if the ball went over a sideline, the player that got the ball first threw the throw-in. No referees were used until 1871 because it was a so-called gentleman’s sport. The captains of each team were the closest there was to a referee; since the captains sometimes disagreed, referees were added so the game would be fair. Eventually, goalkeeper started to become a distinct position, and in 1909, a rule was made that the goalkeeper had to wear a different colored shirt. Then in 1912, a rule came out that only the goalkeeper could touch the ball inside their 18-yard box. Over the years, there have been lots of new rules added to the game, including extra time, penalties, and offside. Over time, soccer has changed greatly. A sport that started out with almost no rules is now an Olympic sport. As soccer has evolved, the rules have become stricter and the ball more regulated. It is interesting that soccer has changed as the world has changed. In the beginning, there were only rich people playing it and now a lot of people play soccer.
