Twists and Turns
What makes a story interesting? Yes, it could be fun to read a story about a girl who spends two enjoyable weeks at summer camp, plays some archery, makes a few friends, and then goes home. But how...
View ArticleBreaking the Rules
Is it ever OK to break the rules? The two main characters in “Life Among the Whispers,” the featured story from the November/December 2014 issue of Stone Soup, make us think about this question. Lise,...
View ArticleThe Melting Pot
The United States is made up of people who immigrated here from all over the world. Some came a long time ago, some more recently. All of us are Americans, who have “melted” together into one culture....
View ArticleIt’s All in the Details
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, we chose “Leprechaun Rain” as the featured story from our March/April issue. This is not a complex story. Emma lives with her parents and grandmother on a...
View ArticleTaking a Stand Through Fiction
Let’s say you have a strong opinion about something you see happening in the world. You know it is wrong, and you want to speak out. The most direct way to make your point would be through a nonfiction...
View ArticleA Touching Story by a Boy
Maybe you’ve noticed. Stone Soup publishes more writing by girls than by boys. This is not intentional. We would love to include an equal number of contributions by boys and girls in every issue. We...
View ArticleJoin the Stone Soup Social Media Team
Contact William Rubel: william@stonesoup.com Stone Soup was founded in 1973. Through our magazine, Stone Soup, an through anthologies of children’s writing we are the leading publishers of children’s...
View ArticleUsing Silence to Create a Mood
Every once in a while a story comes along that is unlike any other. “Dancing Birds,” the featured story from our September/October 2015 issue, is such a story. What makes it so special? Yes, the...
View ArticleBreaking the Rules
Is it ever OK to break the rules? The two main characters in “Life Among the Whispers,” the featured story from the November/December 2014 issue of Stone Soup, make us think about this question. Lise,...
View ArticleCan Boys Write About Girls, and Vice Versa?
The standard advice for new writers — “Write what you know” — is good advice for all writers. When you write about what you know first hand, you have your own experiences to draw on. You can fill in...
View ArticleWriting Historical Fiction
We know from the letters we receive from prospective book reviewers that many of our readers enjoy historical fiction. That’s one reason we’re always on the lookout for good historical fiction to...
View ArticleThe Making of an Author: Evelyn Chen
Most of the writers we publish in Stone Soup are published only once. This is not a bad thing. Even some very famous authors, like Margaret Mitchell (Gone with the Wind) and Harper Lee (To Kill a...
View ArticleWaiting
I sit in the lobby, on the soft yet rough sofa. Books sit with me, waiting to be opened. The air is sweet and soft like a fresh-washed pillow. I want to go home. While I flip through the yearbook of...
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Realistic Storytelling
I don’t know about you, but I like the characters in the stories I read to seem like real people. Realistic characters have strengths and weaknesses, they talk in everyday language, they joke with...
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Rich or Poor?
Sammy Westfall set her story, “More or Less,” in the Philippines, where her family lives part of the time. It’s fascinating to get a glimpse of another culture and learn some words in Tagalog, the...
View ArticleThe Stone Soup Project
Creative writing by children is at the center of Stone Soup Magazine and all its related activities, including books by kids, journals and sketchbooks, and beautiful prints of children’s art. Taken...
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Everybody Is Different
No two people are alike. For that matter, no two animals are alike either! One mark of a great story is believable characters, each with his or her own distinct personality and habits. Author Kaley...
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Yes He Can!
Can a boy dancer be cool? Yes he can! And yet Alex, the main character in “Standing Alone,” is teased mercilessly by his classmates because he likes to dance. They call him “ballerina,” even though he...
View ArticleJoin the Stone Soup Social Media Team
Contact William Rubel: william@stonesoup.com Stone Soup was founded in 1973. Through our magazine, Stone Soup, and through anthologies of children’s writing, we are the leading publishers of children’s...
View ArticleMore art for more kids
Grand Junction, Colorado is one of those western towns that can’t really decide if it wants to be progressive or good ol’ boy. Maybe the longtime residents just ignore us newbies (anyone who has been...
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