The Fort, by Gordon Korman, is a novel about four 6th grade boys who all share a clubhouse in the woods. Their special place has remained secret until a new kid, Ricky, follows them into the woods. Together, the group discovers a hidden bomb shelter complete with food, a sink, a stove, a TV and a couch. These kids, working to keep their find from everybody, must also strive to accept Ricky as a new member of their group. All the while, each boy is facing serious life challenges. It’s inspiring to watch how the fort helps all the characters with their own individual problems but still helps each of them bond together as friends who confide in each other. One special feature of the novel is that each character encounters an individual problem that makes all of them need the fort in different ways. One example is CJ who uses the fort because his parents are divorced, and he does not like his new stepfather, Marcus. The fort helps CJ escape from his stepfather who gives CJ many presents but is abusive. When Marcus gets mad, he hits his family members, and then after that goes back to being his happy self again. CJ is frustrated with his mother and her texts, “12:02 AM from Mom. Why are you doing this?” CJ explains, “ It bothers me because my mother knows the answer to that question. I’m doing this because my scrapes and bumps and bruised ribs have nothing to do with the bike jumps or skateboard stunts, or death-defiers. They come from the man who became my stepfather when she married him.” The readers learn that not only is Marcus hurting CJ, he is also hurting CJ’s mother. He uses death-defiers as a way of making purposeful injuries in order to cover up the real ones and, as a safe place, CJ needs to hide out in the fort. The second reason I like this book is because the characters know how to deal with bullies. The bullies in this book are Jager and Luke, who are older and carry a knife, and their whole mission is to find out what these five kids are doing in the woods alone after school. The fort kids come up with ways to mislead Jager and Luke, like making a decoy fort and creating a lookout tree. They find victory in other great ways as well. Third, through the character of Mitchell, this book helps readers understand the struggles of kids with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). For example, Mitchell needs to make sure the couch in the fort is positioned perfectly before he sits down. For him, this is just a normal thing he does, and he does it with anything he sits, stands, or lays on. Mitchell’s need to control his environment in this way creates special challenges for him because he gets judged for these behaviors. On the contrary, Mitchell thinks these actions are as natural as breathing or walking. Meeting Mitchell helps the readers expand their empathy for kids with OCD. In conclusion, The Fort by Gordon Korman is a great read for rising sixth graders. I recommend this book because its characters exhibit courage, independence and friendship. It is a wonderful story about how trust binds us together. Similar themes are emphasized in Gordon Korman’s other books like Mixed Up and Restart which are also stories about challenges teens might face. The Fort by Gordon Korman. Scholastic Press, 2022. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Young Bloggers
Taking to the Sky: Aerial Yoga by Priscilla Chow, 10
As part of the circus, aerial yoga, or “aerial dance,” is a unique way to the sky. It allows students to be free with their moves by tangling in the hanging cloth. As widely suggested, a good age to start aerial yoga is 7 to 8 years old. Teachers of aerial yoga say it is almost never too late to do aerial dance. Some risks for doing aerial yoga are falling from up high or getting tangled in the silks. In terms of its benefits, aerial yoga is almost a full body exercise of fingers, arms, core, and legs. Besides building muscles, it can also help with flexibility. Aerial yoga can be accommodated for people in wheelchairs too. I learned aerial hammock at 10 years old, a type of aerial yoga because my mom went to this fitness studio next to my grandparents’ apartment in China to do Pilates. One time I went with my mom and found out about aerial hammock. I took one class and was already in love with it. So, I continued with aerial hammock for the rest of my summer vacation there. I did not fall or get tangled. Even though my fingers were sore at the end of each class, I felt my full body become stronger. After the sessions, I could do handstands which I had never been able to do. Moving back to Miami, Florida. I explored online about aerial yoga because I hoped to continue the training. Luckily, I found that Florida even has aerial silk championships. Some locations of learning aerial yoga in Miami are at Aerial Fitness Miami or Miami Circus Arts Center. For aerial yoga you can just wear a yoga outfit – yoga pants and yoga top. My tip is to wear a long-sleeved yoga top and long yoga pants. A fun fact about aerial silks is they are not actually made of silk, because silk has no stretch and would hurt. Instead, they are made of nylon, a stretchy and silky material. Nylon is also called artificial silk because it is made of longer threads. Now that I have provided many details about aerial yoga, I have a question for you: Do you want to try aerial yoga?
Space Case, Reviewed by Arjun Nair, 11
Dashiell Gibson is the luckiest 12-year-old on Earth, although he sees it through a different lens. The truth is, no one on Moon Base Alpha (MBA) feels different about their “extraordinary” opportunity. As this is the first-ever moon base to exist in 2040, everyone has their fair share of responsibilities. In Space Case, Stuart Gibbs shows how in the end, some of the limitations of the moon will always hold back humanity, or at least for now. Dash’s only friend at MBA is Roddy, another boy just one year older than him. Back on Earth, they probably wouldn’t have been friends. However, because they were the only ones around the same age, they didn’t get to choose. The story kicks off when a spaceship arrives with more people after Dr. Holtz’s murder. Well, that was what Dash assumed. The noble scientist stepped out of the air-lock alone and died immediately. With surprising persistence for a twelve-year-old, Dash continues to state that Holtz was murdered, which makes everyone else at the base think he is going mad. Kira, another twelve-year-old, has just arrived on the spaceship with new arrivals, and after hearing Dash’s theory, she starts to help him investigate. Along with her, a very mysterious character joins him in the quest to discover the cause of Holtz’s murder. Eventually, the suspects narrowed down to just a few, and to prove their theory, Dash and Kira go on a dangerous mission. But when they all think that everything is finally making sense, confusion rings the doorbell. I connected with Dash deeply because I just started middle school this year, and there is a significant change in everything, including the environment. In his case, Dash had to adjust to the new life at MBA and learn to cope with everything. This connection made the book an even better experience for me, which is why I recommend it. Overall, Space Case by Stuart Gibbs had me waiting with bated breath on every page. This thrilling mystery novel with hints of humor is the perfect read for any young reader around 9-14. As I progressed through the book, every page surprised me beyond comprehension. Even after completing the book, I wondered what would happen next, which meant that I had to read the next book in the series to satisfy the rising suspense, of course! Space Case by Stuart Gibbs. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
