Product Description

This survival guide to the preteen years is packed with stories by and about readers ages nine to thirteen, including celebrity pieces by *NSYNC, Mia Hamm and more.

From remembering their own life experience or to watching their own children grow, most people recognize that the preteen years, ages nine to thirteen, can be one of the most awkward times in life-a period of tremendous physical and emotional change. At this age, youngsters are eager to leave the "kid" stage, yet are uncertain about what adolescence will bring; they'd rather listen to peers over parents, and hear all too often to "wait until you're older." Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul will guide kids through this transition.

Written by and for preteens, this uplifting collection of stories touches on the emotions and situations they experience every day: making and losing friends, fitting in while keeping their personal identity, discovering the opposite sex, dealing with pressures at school including violence, and coping with family issues such as divorce.

Chapters include: On Love, On Family, On Friendship, On Choices, On Changes, On Overcoming Obstacles, Eclectic Wisdom, Tough Stuff, Attitude and Perspective and Achieving Dreams. Contributors include: *NSYNC, Mia Hamm, Beverley Mitchell and Karl Malone.

Whether first-time Chicken Soup readers or "graduates" of the bestselling Kid's Soul book, preteens are sure to include this in their backpacks and book bags.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6774 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-12
• Released on: 2000-10-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 380 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781558748002
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

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.

About the Author
JACK CANFIELD and MARK VICTOR HANSEN, # 1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling coauthors of thirty-one books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, have dedicated their lives to the personal and professional development of others. They are based out of Santa Barbara, California, and Newport Beach, California respectively.

PATTY HANSEN is coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul, which has sold over two million copies since its release in 1998. She is also the coauthor of Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul (Health Communications, Inc.) and Out of the Blue: Delight Comes Into Our Lives (HarperCollins). In 1998, Mom's House, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides free childcare for school-age mothers, nominated Patty as Celebrity Mother of the Year. In the spring of 2000, the first annual "Patty Hansen Scholarship" was awarded by Mom's House, funded by a $10,000.00 grant.

IRENE DUNLAP is coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul. She's also a writer, and a mother of two, who is involved in enhancing the quality of education in her community. She lives in Newport Beach, California.

Customer Reviews

Thoughtful, hard edge realism
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.

A very Soulful and deep book.
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.

Great Book
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.