Monthly Review !!

In the compilation of stories and poetry, Chicken Soup For The Teenage Soul, Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and Kimberly Kirberger, write a series of short stories about average teen life and the problems they go through. The purpose? the whole point of this is to show people that going through your teen stages arnt always easy. . . .there are times where you get imbarrassed like, the short story, "The Dance" which is about a boy that really liked this girl. He had built up alot of confidence then asked her to the dance in front of the whole school, and she said no with alot of attitude and just laughed! He felt like the up most crap. Another story is, is about regret, and back in high school a boy named tom really liked this girl and always flirted, but never really thought she had feelings for him. A couple years later after high school ended, she had popped up and one of her good friends said that she had just gotten over tom. And he was shocked and could not beleive that he had a chance but passed it up. Everyone makes dumb choices growing up and no one is perfect. I feel that the author's purpose was to make different senarios about other peoples desisions so that people can relate in any way shape or form. For me, i read this book for the benefit of me. It's always nice to hear about real stories from people that experiance some of the same things that i have gone through. The funny thing is, is that when i read it really makes me laugh because i can just imagine me being in the exact situation. The author did acheive the goal of writting this book for people because its just simply easy to relate to.


This book is intended for a teenage audiance due to its content and the most obvious one, the title. In this book there is around 50 stories all about the casual life of the average teen. I would mostly recamend this book to girls ages 13-whatever age, because as girls go through life and they start to get over, they tend to have selfasteam issues and this book will help them get through the hardest part and know that they arnt the only ones that have embarrassing moments or getting dumped, or even losing a really good friend. In this book there are poems such as: "somebody should have taught him" , and "tough love". Which are about two totally different subjects but yet you can relate so much to. This quote is my favorite;
There are three types of women:
1. The ones that go unnoticed.2. The ones that catch the eye but are soon forgotten. 3. The ones that you notice, but you don't know why, almost mysterious in a way, and those are the ones you never forget, never.

I related so much to this because to me it's not about being popular, or being loud and wanting the spotlight, it's more of the real vs. the fake in you. People usually want the sexy fake boobs and not whats on the inside, just for the outside. No one really tries to know the "geeky" people because of "how weird they are" but they are the one that stand by you and dont use you for the money and have some respect for themselves. Some girls dont reolize that but i did once i read this because in reality that makes sooo much sence. I feel that everyone can have some use to this book, no matter what. Another thing is, is that some of the situations make you appriciate how lucky you have things.




Just like every book, Chicken Soup has it's weaknesses as well. Well, to me at least. Even though i said previously taht i can learn from this book, i feel that it would be ten times better if at the end of every story they have a list or something to show you how to get over the situation. Like lets just say getting over being dumped. . not easy! There is a short story called, " why me" which is about a girl committing suicide over a boy that dumped her and she didnt know how to handle it at all. And for me, reading this would tell me flat out dont do what she did, but at the same time there is no words just saying well, what she could have done was see a counsler, talk to a close friend, or even try in keep herself busy for a while.I guess i could say that there is no advice. i mean, not everyone is the same i just really think that they might as well have additional information when they already have tragic stories. Another weakness would be that usually when you read something you tend to get interested and want to know more and more. . but in chicken soup it is just very quick short stories so basicly they just get to the point and on to the next story. It sort of makes me mad because my all time favorite poem "somebody should have taught him" it's very short but filled with so much drama and detail, and i feel like that little amount of information could be made into a whole intire book. But now thinking about it i think that they do that just to keep your attention and make you read more stories thinkning that they will be more interesting as the previous ones that you have read.

But in the end this book is very good and i would remcamend it to everybody. and i want to continue to keep reading this series and hopefully i will find some stories that are better then the ones that i have perviously read. There are pros and cons in every book and to me you can never have anything perfect. it just makes everything more interesting and makes you analyze the book even more!

A Bitter Sweet Home Sweet Home.

As some of you may know. . something very unfortunate happened to my home. about 3 weeks ago i came home for lunch, and i left at 12:50ish and around 1 oclock a fire had started. . .the only people home was my little brother David, my dog Reicko, and my eldest brother Michael.

from Davids story, he said that he had been eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and reicko was sitting with him in the kitchen begging for it.then all of a sudden he smelt smoke. So he ran outside saw that there was smoke coming outside of the window and then ran down stairs to wake up michael. thats left reicko. . .soo as scared as they were. .david got reicko out and saved that dogs life!!! 10 minutes went by and the fire department finally came.Might i add that n that whole 10 minutes my house could have been to crisp! but it wasnt fortunitly. the firemen got into the house and made a huge hole in the sealing and hit all the walls to make holes so that the fire was done for good.

Its weird for me because of the fact that i had just left to go to fourth period. . and nobody called me. . . .hours and hours went by and i still didnt know anything. once the day ended i went to my boyfriend dylan's house like the usual and hung out there for a while and decided to give my parents a call. . .ring, ring, ring, ring, and there was no answer i trieed 7 times .. . .i called my dad, but there was no answer, so i called my other brother Zachie. . .he had told me that, " dont orry but something serious had happened. . .and he said none of my stuff was ruined but our house caught on fire!" my mouth dropped and told dylan we have to go. . . i wasnt sure on what to expect or how to feel. . .soo i just had MAJOR butterflies!

As we drove my i saw neighbors and more neighbors helping my family throw wood and ashes out the FRONT window! my house was thrashed and then i reolised how precious something like that really really is. i started crying and i wasnt catchng my breath dylan was scared because he didnt really know how to calm me down! I mean my house did get burnt.

we eventually went back and all my stuff as there because my bedroom door was shut. but the living room dinning room kitchen laundry room and even parents room was wrecked! the down stairs didnt get hit, thank god!

We found out what caused the fire which is a power strip so the insurance company will be fileing some case and for now on ima unplug everything!!! you never know what can or will happen! So,for the mean time my grandma and grandpa thankfully took me and my family in and id going to help us get on our feet! lets just hope it doesnt take us until i graduate!!!! hahaha

Lit Circle. . . .

Somebody Should Have Taught Him

"I went to a birthday partybut I remember what you said.You told me not to drink at all,so I had a Sprite instead.I felt proud of myself,the way you said I would,that i didn't chose to drink and drive,though some friends said I should.I knew I made a healthy choice andyour advice to me was rightas the party finally endedand the kids drove out of sight.I got into my own car,sure to get home in one piece,never knowing what was coming,something I expected least.Now I'm lying on the pavement.I can hear the policeman say,"The kid that caused this wreck was drunk."His voice seems far away.My own blood is all around me,as I try hard not to cry.I can hear the paramedic say,"This girl is going to die."I'm sure the guy had no idea,while he was flying high,because he chose to drink and drivethat I would have to die.So why do people do it,knowing that it ruins lives?But now the pain is cutting melike a hundred stabbing knives.Tell my sister not to be afraid,Tell Daddy to be brave,and when I go to heaven to put "Daddy's Girl" on my grave.Someone should have taught himthat it's wrong to drink and drive.Maybe if his mom and dad had,I'd still be alive.My breath is getting shorter,I'm getting really scared.These are my final moments,and I'm so unprepared.I wish that you could hold me, Mom,as I lie here and die.I wish that I could sayI love you and good-bye."

Retold by Jane Watkins

I chose this porem because out of the whole intire book this poem stood out to me. As i was reading i just wanted to cry. the words are so touching and just catch your eye. just as i was reading it i just thought about how the girl tried to do something good but then something bad happened to her. usually when people go to parties and there are already ppl drinking and stuff, friends always want you to have a good time just as they are and they pressure you to drink not even thinking about the consequinces.

" the kid that caused this wreck was drunk."

I personally think that when someone drinks and drives, that it suppper selfish. Just imagine that your driving with your family and all of a sudden a car just runs the red light not knowing. . .and they kill every single one of you. . . . . SELFISH , SELFISH, SELFISH! what huirts the most is is that when people drink they are a completly total different person and they dont reolize what they can or shouldn't do.

As i read the poem i couldnt stop thinking about how sad the family is and how proud of that girl they are of her. All she did was pay attention to what her parents said and did the right thing.