Canfield, Jack, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberly Kirberger, and

Mitch Claspy. (1997) Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul (Chicken Soup for the Soul). HCI Teens.

OVERVIEW

Jack Canfield and Mark V. Hansen,  write the majority of the entries in this book. Others are written anonymously. Among the celebrity contributors are Bill Cosby, Jenny Garth, and A.J. Langer.

Some items are humorous, yet others are poignant. All have a message for teens. The book is divided into eight segments: "On Relationships," "On Friendship," "On Family," "On Love and Kindness," "On Learning," "Tough Stuff," "Making A Difference," and "Going for It." The book discusses such issues as drunk driving; teen suicide; working hard to achieve a goal; feeling "different"; anorexia; kids who have made a difference in their schools and neighborhoods; and relationships with parents, siblings, teachers, and friends.

The book was written to talk to teens; to encourage them with stories of other kids who had had a positive effect on the world; to remind them that the teen years are hard for everyone, even those who grow up to be famous; and to offer an avenue for sharing their own stories.

QUOTATIONS

Barbara DeAngelis, author of Real Moments describes Chicken Soup this way: " 'What a wonderful gift this book is for teenagers. These stories will make you laugh, make you cry and inspire you to feel better about life, love and learning.' " Jenny Garth of "Beverly Hills 90210" writes, " 'I was happy to contribute to this book, knowing it would be the type of book young people could relate to and gain from. It turned out to be even more that that: it is a book that they will love.' "

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

This book might best be used in a question and reflection time with youth. Students in a peer counseling session recently used the book to provoke discussion on how to help students who were "the invisible ones" at school. One person read aloud, "Smile," by Barbara Hauck (p. 123). This led to conversation on some of the simple things one person could do for another to make him or her feel cared about or included. This approach could be taken with many of the other stories or poems. Ask a student or students to read or enact one of the pieces. Ask open-ended questions, for example, "How do you think each of the characters felt?", "Has anything like this ever happened to any of you?", "How does this story/poem make you feel?" etc. This book has the potential to initiate many meaningful discussions.

IMPLICATIONS

Reading stories and poems by and about other teens often helps youth to feel less alone and better able to face their struggles. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

• Reading a brief story or poem is one way to kick off a discussion on a given topic. Chicken Soup covers many topics and is a wonderful resource for youth leaders and teachers who want to get kids to talk.