Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul: 101 Stories of Changes, Choices and Growing Up for Kids, ages 9-13 (Kindle Edition)

by Jack Canfield (Author), Mark Victor Hansen (Author), Patty Hansen (Author), Irene Dunlap (Author), Rusty Fischer (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Inspired by the many readers of Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul (one of many in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series), the authors decided to reach out to young people at that incredibly confusing, exciting chapter of life, the preteen years. Readers between the ages of 9 and 12 (give or take a year) sometimes felt that the book for kids was too young, while the edition for teens (Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul) was too old. In this warm, supportive anthology of true stories by and about preteens, the very issues that seem so complicated and insurmountable are addressed with intelligence and openness. Divorce, violence, death, friendships, school, family, attitudes, changes, dreams... preteens have a lot to offer and a lot to learn on these subjects. Many of the brief essays, cartoons, quotations, and introductions are witty as well as wise and touching; readers might devour the book from start to finish, drop in for a story here and there, or focus on a concern that is most important at the moment. The preteen years seem to be the perfect time to reach kids, before they are lost in teen angst and coolness. And who better to learn from than their own peers? For some added incentive to read, celebrities such as Mia Hamm, Karl Malone, and 'N Sync have contributed essays as well. (Ages 9 to 13) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-Like other titles in the "Chicken Soup" series, this volume contains numerous short pieces of verse and prose, interspersed with comic strips of "Calvin & Hobbes," "Family Circus," and "Dennis the Menace," as well as pithy quotations selected as lead-ins to some of the pieces. The writings are grouped under headings such as "Achieving Dreams," "Overcoming Obstacles," "On Choices," and "Eclectic Wisdom" (for the bits that didn't fit elsewhere?). They are intended to encourage, inspire, and comfort. Each of the stories carries an author's name, and those written by young people give an age as well. Snail mail and e-mail addresses are included for those who want to respond to the book or submit stories and poems of their own. Children who loved Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul (Health Communications, 1998) will no doubt welcome another serving.-Elaine Fort Weischedel, Franklin Public Library, MA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• Print Length: 380 pages
• Publisher: HCI; 1 edition (October 12, 2000)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• ASIN: B001DDGBS8
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,503 in Kindle Store (See Bestsellers in Kindle Store)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 98 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful, hard edge realism, November 28, 2000

By	W. E. Fleming "justusfour" (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul - 101 Stories of Changes, Choices (Paperback)

I purchased this Chicken Soup book for my eight year old son, although the book states 9-12. The younger version for kids seemed too "slight." And his teacher had read a few stories from this version, so we decided to buy it for him as an Xmas 2000 book.

I have found it riveting, and many of the stories can bring tears to your eyes. The stories are concise. The writing is fluid and easy to understand. I was struck, however, by the intensity and hard edge realism of some of them. There is a section on death and a number of the other stories touch on grief, divorce, loss and death. My son just lost his grandmother in March (my mom) so I believe some of these tales will be helpful. They touched my own heart. Parents should be aware however that there is a heavy dose of despair--albeit overcome by strength and love. Also some nine year olds are more mature, wiser and perhaps less innocent than others. A nine year old from an otherwise happy, intact family who has yet to face a great deal of loss or grief may be taken a back, perhaps even a little frightened. This is a good work that should be reviewed first by a parent. Certainly consider the age prescribed. Also examine your own views on death, dying and marriage dissolution. These stories may helpfully support them, or they may not.

As a consultant in the child and youth development field, I would be more likely to steer the 11-13 year old grappling with specific issues to this Chicken Soup.

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very Soulful and deep book., October 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul - 101 Stories of Changes, Choices (Paperback)

I love this book ! It helped me and many preteens through the hard times together. This book is like a Best Friend. You feel like you have "Shared experiences" with it so when something occours in your life, this book has stories about it to comfort you and help you through your troubles. This book was origanally supposed to be Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul 2, but they got so many letters saying they need a preteen book that they changed the name and added a few different stories. I found out that, when I read the Kids soul, It was too babyish for me and the Teen soul was a bit too mature for me( I am 11 years old). So thats how they created teh preteen sould for ages 9-13.I highly recommend this to you and every strugguling preteen out there. You can even read this book just for comfort if you wish. Please make some time to read this book.Thank you.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, January 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul - 101 Stories of Changes, Choices (Paperback)

Recently I purchased Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul. I have just turned 11 years old. So far, I have enjoyed my newest Chicken Soup book. I have already received Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul as a gift, but now I believe I am growing out of it. I am almost a teenager who is going through her preteen years. This book has helped me find myself inside myself. I really love the authors who write Chicken Soup and the contributors who send in their funny, sad, and meaningful stories. This book talks about changes in life, getting older, the tough stuff we go through as preteens. My favorite stories are the ones of the people who are actually in their preteen years and how they deal with this tough time in their lives. Overall, I enjoy the book very much.