Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul

BOOK: Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
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What People Are Saying About

Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
. . .

“Kids are lucky to have a
Chicken Soup
book just for them. As a son of a preacher I was expected to know the right choices to make. I could have used examples of how other kids were dealing with the pressure of growing up.”

Sinbad
actor, comedian


Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
is filled with stories that restore your faith in humanity and open your eyes to the meaningful moments in life.”

Larisa Oleynik
star,
The Secret World of Alex Mack

“A great book for kids!
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
covers many tough subjects so well that every kid who reads it will be able to relate to some of the stories, and hopefully learn from the rest so that their souls—not just their bodies—will grow up big and strong.”

Lori Beth Denberg
actress, star on Nickelodeon’s
All That

“The
Chicken Soup for the Soul
series has provided stories that enlighten, encourage and inspire. I believe wholeheartedly that
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
will continue to reach out and provide our youth with an important motivational tool that will no doubt stimulate positive thinking.”

Malcolm-Jamal Warner
actor,
Malcolm and Eddie

“As soon as I read the book, I wanted to rush home and give it to my kids to read. The messages are so inspiring and encouraging that I’m looking forward to a second helping of
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul.”

Adrienne Lopez
vice president, talent development and casting, Nickelodeon

“Reading
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
with a child will help build and strengthen the love you share. And, since the love of children is the ultimate ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul,’ you may even want to read it again!”

Ann Pleshette Murphy
editor-in-chief,
PARENTS Magazine

“Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
shows our children that life is an amazing journey filled with accomplishment, failure, happiness and tears, but that within us all lies the ability to beat life’s challenges and to strive to achieve our dreams.”

Roxanne Spillett
president, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

“As a child, I was a member of a book club. My favorite stories were those that inspired me to dream.
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
is just such a book—these stories will inspire young readers not only to dream, but also to give their hearts, minds and souls to the creation of new possibilities.”

Larry Jones
president, Feed the Children

“The most delicious thing about
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
is kids talking to kids, sharing and relating both their joys and sorrows. Their stories will help other kids know that they are not alone in their feelings and experiences.”

Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson
founders, Childhelp

“When confronted with difficult issues, it is comforting for children to know that others have been there and survived.
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
does just that for readers: its stories relate to kids that they, too, can overcome hardships in their own lives.”

David S. Liederman
executive director, Child Welfare League of America

CHICKEN SOUP
FOR THE
KID’S SOUL

101 Stories of
Courage, Hope
and Laughter

Jack Canfield
Mark Victor Hansen
Patty Hansen
Irene Dunlap

Health Communications, Inc.
Deerfield Beach, Florida
www.hcibooks.com
www.chickensoup.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chicken soup for the kid’s soul : 101 stories of courage, hope and laughter
[compiled by] Jack Canfield . . . [et al.].

    p. cm.

Summary: A collection of short stories, anecdotes, poems, and cartoons
  which present a positive outlook on life.

eISBN-13: 978-0-7573-9710-3 (ebook) eISBN-10: 0-7573-9710-7 (ebook)

1. Children—Conduct of life. [1. Conduct of life. 2. Children’s writings.]
I. Canfield, Jack, date.

BJ1631.C46 1998                                                                                                            98-16871

158.1'28—dc21                                                                                                                         CIP

                                                                                                                                                     AC

© 1998 John T. Canfield and Hansen and Hansen LLC

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher.

HCI, its logos and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190

R-10-07

Cover illustration by Larissa Hise Henoch

Book

Oh, look, it’s a book!
I’m sure it must be
A path of adventures waiting for me,
A yellow brick road to the Wizard of Oz,
A frivolous poem without any cause.
Should I open it and peek to see what’s inside?
What if it’s scary I might need to hide.
I’ll never know unless I dare.
I need a good laugh, a cry or a scare.
I’m sure it can wait—well, then I’ll never know
Maybe it’s someplace that I’ll never go.
But today is the day that’s been waiting for me
I’ll open this book, and I will see.

Jessica McCain, age 14

T
o the kids of the world who
need these stories, we dedicate this book.
We want to bring you hope, laughter, inspiration
and courage—and to let you know
that you are not alone.
Especially to our own kids—
Christopher; Elisabeth and Melanie;
Marleigh and Weston.
You are our heroes.

“My teacher says I can grow up to be whatever
I want to be. I want to be a kid.”

Reprinted by permission of Randy Glasbergen.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Share with Us

1. ON LOVE

Kelly, the Flying Angel
Louise R. Hamm

The Tower
Robert J. Fern

Uncle Charlie
Patty Hathaway-Breed

The Game of Love
Lou Kassem

“Where’s My Kiss, Then?”
M. A. Urquhart

The Visit
Debbie Herman

The Fire Truck
Lori Moore

Merry Christmas, My Friend
Christa Holder Ocker

2. ON FRIENDSHIP

There’s an Alien on the Internet
Joanne Peterson

Seeing, Really Seeing
Marie P. McDougal

Kim Li, the Great
Berniece Rabe

Edna Mae: First Lesson in Prejudice
Sandra Warren

The Connection
Joel Walker

The Favorite Vase
Belladonna Richuitti

A Friend . . .
Danielle Fishel and friends

Best Friends
Mary Beth Olson

All I Would Ever Need
Kerri Warren

My Friend Anthony
Katie Short

3. ON FAMILY

No Dad?!
Jason Damazo

Terror on Route 83
Mary Ellyn Sandford

Watching for the Miracle
Korina L. Moss

Daddy’s Girl . . . At Long Last
Candace Goldapper

From the Heart
Marcia Byalick

A Brother’s Love
Diana L. James

Secrets That Made Paul Special
Judy M. Garty

Goat’s Tobacco
Roald Dahl

My Grandfather’s Gift
Rider Strong

Silent Night, Crystal Night
Lillian Belinfante Herzberg

Green Salami
Patty Hansen

Going, Going, Gone
Martha Bolton

Your Name in Gold
A. F. Bauman

Father’s Day
Taylor Martini

Mom’s Duck
Page McBrier

4. ON ATTITUDE AND PERSPECTIVE

The Bobsledder’s Jacket
Tim Myers

Things Are Not Always Black or White
Judie Paxton

What’s Wrong with a B+?
Donna M. Russell

Just Ben
Adrian Wagner

The Green Boots
Linda Rosenberg

Showing Up
Julie J. Vaughn with Tyler Vaughn Marsden

The Pest
Judy Fuerst

A
Good
Reason to Look Up
Shaquille O’Neal

Close Call
Diana Parker

The Flood
Adam Edelman

The Man Who Had Plenty
Reverend Mark Tidd as told by Jerry Ullman

The Perfect Dog
Jan Peck

To Be Enormously Gorgeous
Carla O’Brien

5. ON DEATH AND DYING

The Purple Belt
Chuck Norris

B. J.
Nate Barker

The Perfect Angel
Stacie Christina Smith

Someone to Hold Onto
Ann McCoole Rigby

Rebecca’s Rainbow
Tara M. Nickerson

One Rainbow Wasn’t Enough
Matt Sharpe

A Nightmare Come True
Damien Liermann

Lessons from God
Jennifer Rhea Cross

6. ACHIEVING DREAMS

Believe in Yourself
Jillian K. Hunt

The Little Girl Who Dared to Wish
Alan D. Shultz

The Playground
Audilee Boyd Taylor

Dreams of the Children
Jody Suzanne Waitzman

Batgirl
Dandi Dailey Mackall

G-o-o-o-a-a-a-a-l-l-l-l!
Heather Thomsen

With Every Footstep
Shannon Miller

The Rock Club
Vanessa Clayton

Socks for Kerry
Barbara McCutcheon Crawford

Just Ask
David Levitt

7. OVERCOMING OBSTACLES

Grandfather Learns to Read
Karen Beth Luckett

School—Moving Up
Ben Carson, M.D.

In Control
John D. Troxler

The Sandbox
Lucas Parker

What a Year
Robert Diehl

Dear God, This Is Charles
Charles Inglehart

Missy and Me
Glenda Palmer

The Miracle of Life
Lacy Richardson

8. ON CHOICES

Goodwill
Cynthia M. Hamond

Putting My Best Foot Forward
Kathy Ireland

Understanding
Jessica Stroup

Nine Gold Medals
David Roth

Without a Nightlight
Jessica Harper

Nobody Knows the Difference
Deborah J. Rasmussen

The New House and the Snake
Christine Lavin

I Found a Tiny Starfish
Dayle Ann Dodds

9. TOUGH STUFF

Get Help Now!
Tia Thompson

The Big Director
Kel Mitchell

I Love Her More Than Ever
Amber Foy

Dear Momma
Darnell Hill

My Dad
Aljon B. Farin

Smoking Is Cool. . . . Not!
Valeria Soto

DARE Rap
Shelly Merkes

I’m Not Dana
Sabrina Anne Tyler

No Home
Elizabeth A. Gilbert-Bono

10. ECLECTIC WISDOM

Baby’s Ears
Valerie Allen

Kindness Is Contagious
Kristin Seuntjens

Do You Have Your Wallet?
Laksman Frank

Small Talk
Multiple Authors

The Day I Figured Out That No One Is Perfect
Ellie Logan

The Little Notice
Kenan Thompson

Teenagers
Melissa Mercedes

My Guardian Angel
Travis Ebel

Grandpa’s Bees
Barbara Allman

The Flying Fish
Megan Niedermeyer with Killeen Anderson

Mother Says . . .
Martha Bolton

What I’ve Learned So Far
Multiple Authors

Afterword

Reading Stories: An Act of Co-Creation
James Elwood Conner, Ed.D.

More Chicken Soup?

Supporting Kids

Who Is Jack Canfield?

Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?

Who Is Patty Hansen?

Who Is Irene Dunlap?

Contributors

Permissions

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