Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV: More Stories of Life, Love and Learning (Canfield, Jack) (Bk. IV)
More inspiration and encouragement from the best-selling name in teen nonfiction. Chicken Soup knows what teenagers want, and teenagers flock to these books to hear the news, views, and attitudes of their fellow teens. From stories of friendship and romance to hilarious hijinks at school to the tough stuff of modern life (divorce, death, getting dumped by the love of your life),Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV covers the full gambit of the teen experience with the now often imitated but never emulated formula of teens talking directly to teens about what matter most to them.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars AMAZING BOOOOOK!!!!
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.
4 Stars No matter what, you’ll find a story that touches your heart
This book contains a bunch of short stories about teenagers lives. It’s both inspirational and creative. It really feels personal, because it’s written by people like you!
I would definitely read this book, because, no matter what, you’re sure to find a story that you’ll love, or that has a special meaning for you.
3 Stars Worse than the rest
if you have the three previous books, i don’t recommend this one. for me many stories were just boring, and those that weren’t were not worth the money. sorry, i love the rest of the series though.
4 Stars A Good Book for teens, but why such a long wait from the third one?
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.
5 Stars true feelings
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.
Filed under: Jack Canfield Book Reviews