| Title | : | Chocolate for a Teens Soul: Life-Changing Stories For Young Women About Growing Wise and Growing Strong |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0684870819 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780684870816 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published August 8, 2000 |
I got my first cat when I was six years old. She was a stray; my mother found
her and brought her home to me. We spent 19 full years together. Always the perfect cat, she died in her sleep when she was growing too frail for fun. She must have known I would never have had the strength to put her to sleep myself.
I was (understandably) devastated when she died -- and my phone rang off the hook. Many of my friends had grown up with my cat, too, and were calling to express their grief. The weeks after her death are a weepy blur, but one conversation stands out in my mind. A woman I wasn't very close to called to tell me about the death of her dog. There was something overwhelmingly comforting about her story. Even though she didn't know me or my "kitten" well, her shared experience just made me feel less alone.
Shared stories are the idea of Chocolate for a Teen's Soul by Kay Allenbaugh. "Rich stories, like chocolate, not only make you feel good, they can also serve as comfort through confusing times," she writes in her introduction. (Allenbaugh is apparently a chocolate freak; she has also written Chocolate
for Woman's Soul, ...for a Lover's Heart, ...for a Woman's Heart, ...for a Mother's Heart, etc.) Her collected stories, written by women young and old and bundled by theme in chapters like "Onward and Upward," "Making Memories," and "What Is This Thing Called Love?", are not always uplifting -- and therein lies the strength of Chocolate for a Teen's Soul.
The emotional range of Allenbaugh's selected stories is impressive. One girl explains how the death of her great-grandfather gave her the strength to ask a popular boy to dance with her. Experiencing death taught her to "make each moment count." Which is also why she is capable of handling it when he turns her down. (Never fear, another cute boy comes along in a moment.) Another young woman writes of a teacher who doubts her poetry skills and forces her to stand up and defend herself for the first time in her life. Yet another girl writes about fear, roller coasters, and her father. There are, of course, the perennially interesting tales of first loves, as well as the now ubiquitous but unfortunately necessary essays on abuse (by a boyfriend) and eating disorders.
Allenbaugh wasn't satisfied to leave it at that. She smartly chose to vary the voices in her book. Hence the story written by a mother coming to terms with her daughter growing up. Or the wonderful story of a woman who fled Soviet-occupied Hungary. This "global" story demonstrates the universality of adolescent worries; she, too, thinks about clothes and friends.
Allenbaugh has bound together a delightful mix of stories. Her goal, as stated in her introduction, is to mentor teens with her stories, and surely she has succeeded. The bulk of her success lies in her somewhat quirky sensibility. In the middle of Allenbaugh's "Love" chapter is a delightful story, "Grooming Nisha." This is no first-kiss tale but rather the experience of a girl who raises seeing-eye dogs -- caring for them until they are old enough to perform their duties. She details the bittersweet pain of giving Nisha up. There is also a story on the death of a family dog.
Which leads me right back to my kitten. Sometimes, especially when you are 14, the word "love" means romantic love. Friends are surely sympathetic if you and your boyfriend break up. But what about if your kitty dies? Adults usually understand that kind of pain better. In Chocolate for a Teen's Soul, Allenbaugh opens up the definition of love and of other experiences. She teaches and offers
comfort in the form of shared experience...just like that acquaintance of mine did.
--Alexandra Zissu
Chocolate for a Teens Soul: Life-Changing Stories For Young Women About Growing Wise and Growing Strong Reviews
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This book is fantastic, especially the love stories; but there is one in specific that I adored. The story that I loved the most is called "An Angel in Disguise" by Shelly Clark. The eternal love that she felt for this guy shows that true love still exists, but the way the story ended brought me to tears...wonderful book for all of those teenagers out there (:
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The book just didn't speak to me.
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![!*[Bri]cia*!](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1223304586i/1537527._UY200_CR33,0,200,200_.jpg)
This book has short stories about what women has gone though in her teens years or what teens have been though at that time. The various stories have changed their lives and could help others make a better decision then what they did in that situation. That the only way i can describe this book because i can't give you a summery of every short story there is. I liked this book because it really interested me. I like reading actual stories because that way i can take advise from it and that way i have a chance to change the decision she made so it wont happen to me. I admire the girls that put up their story in that book because they are very helpful to the girls that read it.
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I really liked this book. I think with some books I dont get into reading a lot of it until I find quiet time to read it and with this book it meant for free quiet time to read about stories by women that were once in their teens. I As you can tell it took me forever to get through because I get so distracted with whats around me in my reading. Other than that I found the "Growing Pains" stories eye opening. I even found one story more eye opening than all the others and helped me know more as far as relationships in high school. Thank you Kay Allenbaugh you picked some really good stories that every girl like me should know in all of their teen years
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A book filled with short stories about teen life. It’s similar to the Chicken Soup series.
These stories help teens get through rather harsh times of teen-hood. It’s a good book to help teenagers realize that they’re not alone in all the things they feel threatened about and that eventually, they can get through it.
For more of my reviews, please visit my blog:
The Blair Book Project @
www.theblairbookproject.blogspot.com -
Belakangan aku baru tau kalau buku ini cocoknya dibaca sama remaja cewek. Tapi mau gimana lagi, buku ini kado ulang tahun dari teman. Mana mungkin aku bilang: kamu salah kasih buku. Karena aku yakin dia juga ga nyadar kalau buku itu untuk cewek.
Ya sudahlah, tetap saja aku baca sampai selesai.
Buku ini semacam Chicken Soup. Kumpulan kisah-kisah inspiratif. Hanya saja menurutku terlalu terbatas pada cewek aja. Jadi kurang cocok kalau remaja cowok mo maksain ikutan baca. -
Good book. Sure some other teens out there would love it as much as i did. a perfect sister-book for other growing sisters out there. Others stories,aside from those that are enclosed in the book, sure helps us as we grow.
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This was a really good book. If you like to read short stories about teenage love then this is the book for you.
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One of these stories actually made me cry. Just like the Chicken Soup books, this book as many stories of hardship, happiness, and friendship.
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I received this as a gift when I was confirmed in the church and it contained a lot of really good messages and stories about growing up. Perfect for what I was going through at the time.
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This book was basically a chicken soup knock-off, but I've always been a chicken soup fan so I loved it. The stories were humorous, touching and inspiring.
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this might be really good for working with youth? anyone?
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Amazing book!
Totally loved it especially the love stories. Made me cry, laugh and feel grateful for all I have. Totally recommend it!
