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Talent Is Overrated: Teaching the Three Rs of Great Writers

by Jenn Stefaniak

Published February 9, 2014

When we think of writers who have left their names etched in history, such as Robert Frost or J.K. Rowling, two words that come to mind are talented, unique, and we lift them up on...

Rich or Poor?

by Gerry Mandel

Published January 9, 2014

Realistic Storytelling

by Gerry Mandel

Published November 11, 2013

History Comes Alive

by Gerry Mandel

Published September 10, 2013

A Horse Story with a Twist

by Gerry Mandel

Published January 18, 2013

We hope all our subscribers have had a chance to read the new January/February 2013 issue of Stone Soup. There are so many great stories in this issue, it was hard to choose one to...

Emma T. Capps Stop Action Illustration for Stone Soup

by Michael King 2

Published August 1, 2011

If you are an artist, watch this video! If you are a teacher, then use this video as part of a project in which your students illustrate a story. Art and writing are obviously linked in...

Using Stone Soup to encourage students to produce inventive, creative writing

by William Rubel

Published October 20, 2009

Writing Activity: depicting an obsession, with “The Horse’s Reins” by Nicholas La Cortiglia, 10

by William Rubel

Published July 22, 2009

Talent Is Overrated: Teaching the Three Rs of Great Writers

Post Published February 9, 2014 by Jenn Stefaniak

When we think of writers who have left their names etched in history, such as Robert Frost or J.K. Rowling, two words that come to mind are talented, unique, and we lift them up on a pedestal of literary greatness. We set them apart as endowed with a gift for fashioning one-of-a-kind creations. But this idea is a myth, one that has ruined students of writing for years, including me.

Rich or Poor?

Post Published January 9, 2014 by Gerry Mandel

Sammy Westfall set her story, “More or Less” (the featured story from our January/February 2014 issue) 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 language of the Philippines, but Sammy’s story is a timeless one that could have been set anywhere in the world.

Realistic Storytelling

Post Published November 11, 2013 by Gerry Mandel

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 their friends. A story can have an interesting plot, gripping suspense, life lessons, but if the characters don't seem like real people, the story is less effective.

History Comes Alive

Post Published September 10, 2013 by Gerry Mandel

Many Stone Soup readers tell us that historical fiction is their favorite genre. We think we know why. Realistic characters, whose feelings and concerns are similar to our own, can bring the events of history to life better than a dry textbook. A perfect example of historical fiction is “Curtis Freedom,” the featured story from our September/October 2013 issue.

Bullying Is Wrong

Post Published July 4, 2013 by Gerry Mandel

Bullying is just plain wrong. It hurts the person who is bullied, and the bullies usually live to regret their cruel behavior. No one wins. In “Sticks and Stones,” the featured story from the July/August 2013 issue of Stone Soup, 13-year-old author Nisha Klein manages to turn her bad experience at summer camp into a beautifully written, sensitive story.

Equal Rights for Girls!

Post Published March 14, 2013 by Gerry Mandel

A girl growing up today can join a baseball team if she wants to. In the past, things were different. "Katie's League," the featured story from the March/April issue of Stone Soup, chronicles the struggles of Katie, a girl growing up in the 1940s. Katie loves baseball, and she's really good at it. Her late dad understood her passion.

A Horse Story with a Twist

Post Published January 18, 2013 by Gerry Mandel

We hope all our subscribers have had a chance to read the new January/February 2013 issue of Stone Soup. There are so many great stories in this issue, it was hard to choose one to feature on our website. We finally settled on "Friends Forever," by 11-year-old Naomi Vliet, about a girl named Rachel who has always wanted a horse of her own.

Emma T. Capps Stop Action Illustration for Stone Soup

Post Published August 1, 2011 by Michael King 2

If you are an artist, watch this video! If you are a teacher, then use this video as part of a project in which your students illustrate a story. Art and writing are obviously linked in books for young children, in comics and graphic novels, and also in some of the classic works of children's literature, like Alice in Wonderland, and Wind in the Willows. Emma T.

Using Stone Soup to encourage students to produce inventive, creative writing

Post Published October 20, 2009 by William Rubel

Creative writing, as a term, was invented in the 19th century to express the idea that there was writing, and then there was creative writing. With use, the expression has lost meaning and now creative writing is synonymous with writing fiction or poetry, as opposed to writing nonfiction. But at Stone Soup we think that it is is important to stick with first principles.

Writing Activity: depicting an obsession, with “The Horse’s Reins” by Nicholas La Cortiglia, 10

Post Published July 22, 2009 by William Rubel

Lots of girls dream of horses. And there are lots of stories about horse-loving girls. What makes this story special, The Horse's Reins, by Nicholas La Cortiglia, is how Nicholas, through attention to detail, makes Julie into a full-as-life character, a girl with an obsession, but a girl who is also a normal child within a family.

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