Don’t use words that you don’t understand to impress someone. It can be very embarrassing.
Chastity Sezate, thirteen
Make sure to look at yourself in the mirror before you leave the house, especially if you’re going somewhere important.
Carol Rodriguez, thirteen
Don’t let older siblings get the best of you; that’s just what they want.
Gladys Lau, twelve
You can’t run away from your fears, unless it’s a wasp.
Michael Betancourt, twelve
If your dad asks you, “Do you think I’m an idiot?” carefully consider your answer.
Liz Hansen, fourteen
Your food ends up in your lap when you sit too far away from the table.
Cory Price, nine
With my wheelchair, I can run faster than anyone else in my class and I can write faster than anyone with my computer.
Becca Yurcek, ten
When your parents yell at you they still love you.
Santana Hubert, ten
Pay attention in class. That way, when the teacher calls on you, you won’t make a goof of yourself and have to ask, “What was the question?”
Courtney Stewart, twelve
Sometimes it’s nice to be important, but it’s always important to be nice.
Kaleigh Cronin, ten
Never play with a baby right after it finishes eating.
Don’t bother your cousin when she is on the phone with a guy.
Jade Mason, thirteen
When something bad happens to you, think about someone out there who may have a bigger problem.
Never underestimate the power of love and friendship.
Never laugh with a piece of chocolate in your mouth.
Melissa Quincosa, thirteen
Don’t eat noodles when you are wearing your retainer; they get stuck in there and it’s really hard to get them out.
Ashley Fannon, thirteen
Even if dinner looks disgusting, it doesn’t mean it will taste that way.
Have boys for friends, not just for boyfriends.
No matter how much I learn, there is always stuff I don’t know.
Chelsey Rice, eight
Having had over nine surgeries by the age of fourteen, I will never again take for granted the gift of walking.
Vanessa Cupo, fourteen
If you want to make a difference, get off your butt and do it.
Danielle Relue, thirteen
Begging works, but don’t rely on it. You don’t always get what you want.
Melissa Lansford, thirteen
Play the hand that God has dealt you to the best of your ability. You never know what the next card will be.
Jacqueline Christy, thirteen
When you are waiting for your mom to finish her haircut, don’t spin on the chair or you’ll throw up your lunch.
Lorin Padgurskis, ten
Never play basketball by your parents’ new car.
Kaitlyn Sweeney, twelve
Don’t flush the toilet when your older sister is in the shower getting ready for a date.
Weston Dunlap, ten
It takes years to build up trust, and seconds to destroy it.
Dijana Atikovic, twelve
When you are cleaning your room, don’t shove stuff under your bed, in your closet or under your dresser. You just end up cleaning those places, too.
Eddie Holtz, eleven
Who I am is not what I have but what I try my best at.
Julie Lundgren, eleven
When you are sick or sad, laughter is the best medicine.
Aaron Snyder, eleven
Keep dreaming and you may be writing the next Chicken Soup book.
Jason Trusso, eleven
Afterword
The End
This is it, no more, no more
Now your days will be a bore
You’re out of your mind, going crazy too
Sigh! Now what will you do?
Without this glorious book to read
The sequel to it is all you need.
Paige Holland, ten
We hope that the 101 stories and various pieces in this book have become something more to you than written words. Our highest desire is that they now give you perspective, courage, hope and especially the ability to laugh through awkward moments should you encounter some of these same issues in your preteen years. Thanks for reading. See ya next time!
More Chicken Soup?
Many of the stories and poems you have read in this book were submitted by readers like you who had read earlier Chicken Soup for the Soul books. We publish at least five or six Chicken Soup for the Soul books every year. We invite you to contribute a story to one of these future volumes.
Stories may be up to twelve hundred words and must uplift or inspire. You may submit an original piece or something you clip out of the local newspaper, a magazine, a church bulletin or a company newsletter. It could also be your favorite quotation you’ve put on your refrigerator door or a personal experience that has touched you deeply.
To obtain a copy of our submission guidelines and a listing of upcoming Chicken Soup books, please write, fax or check one of our Websites.
Chicken Soup for the Soul
P.O. Box 30880 • Santa Barbara, CA 93130
fax: 805-563-2945
To e-mail or visit our Websites:
www.chickensoup.com
www.clubchickensoup.com
Just send a copy of your stories and other pieces to any of the above addresses.
We will be sure that both you and the author are credited for your submission.
Supporting Preteens
In the spirit of supporting preteens everywhere, the celebrities who have contributed to this book will have donations from a portion of the profits from Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul contributed in their names to nonprofit organizations.
Chosen by *NSYNC, Beverley Mitchell and Karl Malone
Students Against Violence Everywhere (S.A.V.E.) promotes student involvement in making schools safe. With the Center for the Prevention of School Violence serving as its national clearinghouse, S.A.V.E., a nonprofit organization, seeks to enhance the number of students who participate in safe school efforts. The approach relies heavily on student involvement in their schools. Often students are the initiators of S.A.V.E. chapters, and often they work on generating solutions to specific school safety concerns.
One specific way in which S.A.V.E. addresses school safety is with its partnership with WAVE America. WAVE is a proactive Safe Schools Leadership initiative for schools. WAVE empowers students, parents, teachers, and other community members to promote school safety and encourage ethical responsibility. WAVE America believes students can make a positive difference in schools by communicating openly and embracing the leadership principles of respect, resolve, and responsibility. WAVE also offers a toll-free tipline that receives information regarding school safety concerns.
You can visit www.waveamerica.com for valuable information about the warning signs of violence, resolving conflict peacefully, and creating S.A.V.E. chapters in schools.
Students Against Violence Everywhere
Center for the Prevention of School Violence
313 Chapanoke Road
Suite 140
Raleigh, NC 27603
www.nationalsave.org
Center for the Prevention of School Violence
313 Chapanoke Road, Suite 140
Raleigh, NC 27603
800-299-6054
www.ncsu.edu/cpsv/
The Institute to End School Violence is a not-for-profit organization committed to developing, implementing and sustaining in-school violence-prevention programs with measurable results. IESV defines violence as any action that negatively impacts the social climate within a school. Their cornerstone YouthConnect® Program fits within any existing class grades 6-12, is student-driven, and provides measurable results in strengthening relationships within a school. IESV presen
ts certification training for YouthConnect ® teachers throughout the year in addition to their regular school violence prevention training. Please visit www.endschoolviolence.com.
The Institute to End School Violence
P.O. Box 49648
Austin, TX 78765
512-259-6877
Fax: 512-259-6847
or log on to: www.endschoolviolence.com
Chosen by Mia Hamm
The Mia Hamm Foundation is a nonprofit, national organization focused on providing support for two important causes: raising funds and awareness for bone marrow diseases and continuing growth in opportunities for young women in sports.
Mia Hamm Foundation
P.O. Box 56
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
919-544-2150
www.miafoundation.org
Who Is Jack Canfield?
Jack Canfield is one of America’s leading experts in the development of human potential and personal effectiveness. He is both a dynamic, entertaining speaker and a highly sought-after trainer.
He is the author and narrator of several bestselling audio and videocassette programs, including Self-Esteem and Peak Performance, How to Build High Self-Esteem, Self-Esteem in the Classroom and Chicken Soup for the Soul—Live. He is regularly seen on television shows such as Good Morning America, 20/20 and NBC Nightly News. Jack has coauthored numerous books, including the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Dare to Win and The Aladdin Factor (all with Mark Victor Hansen), 100 Ways to Build Self-Concept in the Classroom (with Harold C. Wells) and Heart at Work (with Jacqueline Miller).
Jack is a regularly featured speaker for professional associations, school districts, government agencies, churches, hospitals, sales organizations and corporations. His clients have included the American Dental Association, the American Management Association, AT&T, Campbell’s Soup, Clairol, Domino’s Pizza, GE, ITT, Hartford Insurance, Johnson & Johnson, the Million Dollar Roundtable, NCR, New England Telephone, Re/Max, Scott Paper, TRW and Virgin Records. Jack is also on the faculty of Income Builders International, a school for entrepreneurs.
Jack conducts an annual eight-day Training of Trainers program in the areas of self-esteem and peak performance. The program attracts educators, counselors, parenting trainers, corporate trainers, professional speakers, ministers and others interested in developing their speaking and seminar-leading skills.
For further information about Jack’s books, tapes and training programs, or to schedule him for a presentation, please contact:
The Canfield Training Group
P.O. Box 30880 • Santa Barbara, CA 93130
Phone: 805-563-2935 • Fax: 805-563-2945
To e-mail or visit our Website: www.chickensoup.com
Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?
Mark Victor Hansen is a professional speaker who, in the last twenty years, has made more than four thousand presentations to more than two million people in thirty-two countries. His presentations cover sales excellence and strategies; personal empowerment and development regardless of stages of life; and how to triple your income and double your time off.
Mark has spent a lifetime dedicated to his mission of making a profound and positive difference in people’s lives. Throughout his career, he has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to create a more powerful and purposeful future for themselves while stimulating the sale of billions of dollars worth of goods and services.
Mark is a prolific writer and has authored Future Diary, How to Achieve Total Prosperity and The Miracle of Tithing. He is coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Dare to Win and The Aladdin Factor (all with Jack Canfield), The Master Motivator (with Joe Batten) and Out of the Blue (with Barbara Nichols).
Mark has also produced a complete library of personal empowerment audio and videocassette programs that have enabled his listeners to recognize and use their innate abilities in their business and personal lives. His message has made him a popular television and radio personality, with appearances on ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, PBS and CNN. He has also appeared on the cover of numerous magazines, including Success, Entrepreneur and Changes. In 2000, Mark was a recipient of the prestigious Horatio Algier Award for his humanitarianism.
Mark is a big man with a heart and spirit to match—an inspiration to people of all ages who seek to better themselves.
For further information about Mark write:
MVH & Associates
P.O. Box 7665
Newport Beach, CA 92658
Phone: 949-759-9304 or 800-433-2314
Fax: 949-722-6912
Website: www.chickensoup.com
Who Is Patty Hansen?
Patty Hansen is coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul, and contributor of some of the most loved stories in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. She is also the coauthor of Condensed Chicken Soup for the Soul and Out of the Blue: Delight Comes into Our Lives.
A third-generation native of California, Patty was raised in Pleasant Hill where her mother, Shirley, still lives. Her sister, Jackie, lives in Oregon.
Prior to her career as an author, Patty worked for United Airlines as a flight attendant for thirteen years. During that time, she received two commendations for bravery. She received the first one when, as the only fight attendant on board, she prepared forty-four passengers for a successful planned emergency landing. The second was for single-handedly extinguishing a fire on board a mid-Pacific flight, thus averting an emergency situation and saving hundreds of lives.
Currently, as president of Legal and Licensing for Chicken Soup for the Soul Enterprises, Inc., she has helped to create an entire line of Chicken Soup for the Soul products.
In 1998, Mom’s House, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides free childcare for school-age mothers, chose Patty as Celebrity Mother of the Year. In the spring of 2000, the first annual “Patty Hansen Scholarship” was awarded by Mom’s House.
Patty shares her home life with her daughters Elisabeth and Melanie; housekeeper and friend, Eva; and three rabbits, one peahen, three horses, four dogs, five cats, five birds, three hamsters, twenty-five fish, twenty-seven chickens, a haven for hummingbirds, and a butterfly farm.
If you would like to contact Patty:
Patty Hansen
LifeWriters
P.O. Box 10879
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Phone: 949-645-5240 • Fax: 949-645-3203
e-mail:
[email protected] www.chickensoup.com or
www.PreteenPlanet.com
Who Is Irene Dunlap?
Irene Dunlap, coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul, began her writing career in elementary school when she discovered her love for creating poetry, a passion she believes she inherited from her paternal grandmother. She expressed her love for words through writing fictional short stories, lyrics, as a participant in speech competitions and eventually as a vocalist.
During her college years, Irene traveled around the world as a student of the Semester at Sea program aboard a ship that served as a classroom, as well as home base, for more than five hundred college students. After earning a bachelor of arts degree in communications, she became the media director of Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, California. She went on to co-own an advertising and public relations agency that specialized in entertainment and health-care clients.
While working on Chicken Soup books, which she absolutely loves, Irene stays involved with her children’s music, theater and sports activities, carries on a successful jazz singing career and continues to be an active member of her church’s music team.
Irene lives in Newport Beach, California, with her husband Kent, daughter Marleigh, son Weston and Australian shepherd, Gracie. In her spare time, Irene enjoys horseback riding, painting, gardening and cooking. If you are wondering how she does it all, she will refer you to her favorite bible passage for her answer: Ephesians 3:20.
If you would like to contact Irene, write to her at:
Irene Dunlap
LifeWriters
P.O. Box 10879
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Phone: 949-645-5240
Fax: 949-645-3203
e-mail:
[email protected] www.chickensoup.com or
www.PreteenPlanet.com
Contributors
Several of the stories in this book were taken from previously published sources, such as books, magazines and newspapers. These sources are acknowledged in the permissions section. However, some of the stories were written by humorists, comedians, professional speakers and workshop presenters as well as kids. If you would like to contact them for information on their books, audiotapes and videotapes, seminars and workshops, you can reach them at the addresses and phone numbers provided below.
The remainder of the stories were submitted by readers of our previous Chicken Soup for the Soul books who responded to our requests for stories. We have also included information about them.
Kim Aaron is a braille specialist working with blind and partially sighted children. She has been married for seventeen years to a television news reporter and has one son, Adam, who is an honors student. She volunteers in her community, and in her spare time, rides an eleven-year-old mule named Bob. You can reach Kim at #3 Maple Tree Ln., Cross Lanes, WV 25313; 304-776-0403;
[email protected] Denise and Rett Ackart live in California. Denise is currently working on a series of children’s books and enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Rett and Rhys. Rett is an active twelve-year-old who enjoys soccer, basketball, snowboarding and drumming for the junior high school jazz band. They can be reached via e-mail at
[email protected]