Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul 2
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The stories are interspersed with cartoons, quotations and poetry that express the many challenges that face these young people. Many of the stories are written by preteens. Some are written by adults — families and professionals who work with these young people every day.
I don't think anyone can get enough of the Chicken Soup stories. I am quite sure there is a story to meet every problem in life as well as every joy and every miracle. This book is no exception, and it is a wonderful addition to the reading list of an age group that is confused by the changes in their bodies, their lives, the way they see the world and the way the world sees them. The preteen years are a very difficult time in a young person's life.
"Chicken Soup" is a nice thick volume of stories for every feeling and emotion. The stories are grouped according to their themes. There is a section "On Friends", a very troubling part of a preteen's life. Friends are the foundation of their very existence and yet friends can also be the biggest problem. Either one has too many and they're unreliable or unsuitable or one doesn't have any at all and struggles through these years very much alone.
Another section is "On Crushes". Doesn't every preteen eventually develop deep emotional feelings for another person? It is confusing, to say the least and it's good for the preteen to read about others and how they deal with these emotions. This section begins with a lovely poem written by twelve-year-old Amanda Beatty:
"I've never felt this way before It's all brand new to me My head is spinning, I can't breathe You are all I see.
I long for you to notice me I wish you'd ask me out So this is what first love is like, And what a crush is all about."
Amanda has presented her feelings in a very simple and straightforward manner. I'm sure there are many other teens who feel the same way and are just as confused by these feelings. How reassuring to read that others feel the same way!
Other sections include "On Achieving Dreams", "On Tough Stuff", "Life Happens", "Bustin' Down Walls", "Family Ties", "On Choices", "On Death & Dying", "All About Attitude", and "Eclectic Wisdom". I can't think of any titles more appropriate than the ones used in "Chicken Soup". They certainly cover all the struggles and confusions of the preteen soul.
