Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV (Chicken Soup for the Soul)

I remember being a teenager and my aunt got me this book for Christmas back in either 2004 or 2005. I remember reading it and it helped me in my teen years. I’ve always loved the chicken soup for the soul books.

i would recomend this bok because it expresses true feelings about everything that happens in life.it kind of gives you an ideal picture in your head about what they are talking about.you can feel their soul deep inside cause you read some of the words and you can feel what they are expressing to you.It is mainly about life experiences with anything for instance:life of course,love,family,friends,school,basically anything that happens in life that you know you can express on a piece of paper.

This first semester I've been reading the Chicken Soup books during SSR time. One I enjoyed reading the most was the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV, a nonfiction book. There are a few authors who submit their stories and they are all true. The authors who put the book together though are Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Kimberley Kirberger, and Mitch Claspy. The book is full of true stories different people go through and deal with. They're either about friendship, making a difference, relationships, lessons and learning, family, tough stuff, overcoming obstacles, and growing up. My favorites are the ones about friendships and relationships. The main themes of what I read were friendship, love, and taking things for granted. Those are things everyone does at one point in there life. Certain friendship stories really stuck out to me and made me think about, and realize some stuff. One of them was called "Andy". Two best friends since 5th grade were hanging out and the next thing Scott knew, Andy was dead. Shot right in the head. They said it was a freak accident. That short story right there made me realize how lucky I am to still have my best friend around in such a messed up world. Makes me very appreciative and taught me to never take any of the time I get to spend with her for granted, but to only cherish it. Another short story I really liked reading was from the Relationship section called "Not Forgotten". It's about a "perfect high school couple in love" and how love is possible in High School. Even if we are just "young kids", love is possible at any age and at anytime in someone's life. So, in conclusion I really enjoyed the SSR time we had in the beginning of class. It was a good time and I got to learn a lot of things from my readings. I think now, Chicken Soup books are among the very few books I actually like to read without having to and I'm going to read the entire series. I think the reason I like these books more than most is, because I can relate the problems to my every day life and it was very easy to read. Some of the stories are things that I have or probably will go through sometime in my lifetime. The book kept me interested and I never got bored one time while reading it.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul books are usually inspirational. Teenagers can relate to their stories in ways unimaginable. It's a great book for teens to read so that they know that they're normal. It was why I read them when I was younger and why some stories still hold true today. It's great to pick up the fourth one. More stories on love, relationships, friendships, family, and on the occasion, tough stuff. What I'm disappointed with is why it took so long to get the fourth one out. It was a four year wait! I loved the first three books, I could relate to them at the time of reading them. Four years ago I was fourteen going on fifteen, those are some of the years where every teen really should read these books (it's the time of drama and the all time famous threat for suicide). A teenager needs a book to let him/her know their life isn't all that bad, and that what happens to them really does happen to everyone else. The stories in this one, for those who were like me and read them as they came out, have no bearing anymore. For older teenagers around seventeen to nineteen years old, like myself, the stories aren't nearly as inspirational as they could be anymore. Part of it really IS due to it's late release. Those of us who enjoyed the first three when they came out... have grown up! Although, a part of me still yearns for teen stories because I went and picked this up, but I don't want to read a story and say to myself, "Been there done that." I want to read a story and say, "I can relate." That's lost in this compilation, and perhaps it's because I'm eighteen as opposed to fourteen. In short, the stories ARE good, but the older teen doesn't gain or learn from them. As an older teen you probably already know. I did enjoy the stories, though, for the sheer fact that I know the people who wrote them probably learned. However, I can't help but express my disappointment that they lost the ability to touch me in the way they used to. For the younger teens this is gold found at the end of the rainbow. Take it home and enjoy it. For the teens who have been there since the beginning, the stories are gold, but not life changing anymore. Either way, I recommend picking this up. Each story is charming in it's own way.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul 4 is a very inspiring book for teenagers living in our crazy everyday world just like you and me. From rough times with friends, to dealing with the death of a loved one, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul 4 shows the true meaning of what it's like to be a teenager. It is written from the hands of ordinary teenagers who face the victories and hard times that we all have had our fair share of. If not, we are sure to face these challenges in the future. This book is filled with stories of life, love, and learning that sometimes we all need to hear to know that we are not alone. One of my favorite stories in this book is from the section of Overcoming Obstacles. The story is titled Tear-Stained Eyes. It starts off when a girl took her boyfriend to the airport because he was leaving for college. She was so heart-broken because she had to see him leave, and wondered if he loved her as much as she loved him still. Before he left, they promised each other that they would always love each other, but wouldn't keep in contact. A month goes by and she still has the same feelings for her long lost boyfriend, but later that night, you wouldn't imagine what showed up on the front porch. Of course you would have to read the book to know the ending. I wouldn't want to ruin it for you right? I would definitely recommend this book to teenagers of any sort. The stories you read could change the way you view other teenagers, as it did to me.

The story that moved me the most is the story about the young man who was afraid to tell his father about dating - titled "When the World Stopped Turning." The story was written by Michael Punsalan and is quite entertaining. I felt the same way about dating when I was a teenager living with my parents. Another moving one was "When Daddy Died." THe Chicken Soup books continue to write stories that all of us feel we can relate to! Keep up the good work!!!