The 42 stories and poem in this volume were written by authors between the ages of seven and 14, selected for publication in Stone Soup magazine. Since its beginning in 1973, Stone Soup has published art, poetry, and short fiction springing from the imaginations of young writers and artists. It's hardly surprising that so much of that creativity is devoted to thoughts on friends and friendship.

Friendship has a special place in our lives as we grow up, and the development of friendships is central to so much of our childhood experience. These stories reflect the many ways that friends both create and shape our world, and the depth of feeling those relationships evoke. All kinds of friendships are explored, in all their stages: making friends and losing friends, friendships across generations and distances, new friends, old friends, long-lost friends, enemies who become friends, and friends who become enemies. We are asked to think deeply about what friendship means-what happens when we lie and the impact of a well-timed gesture of kindness, what betrayal feels like, and the familial closeness of true friendship-and, also, simply to revel in the fun and silliness of time spent with friends.