those selections. The cartoons in the book were voted on by the students at Torrey Pines High and La Costa Canyon High, both in San Diego, California.
We are very grateful to all the students who helped us because it was their feedback that made this book what it is. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
John and Shannon Tullius, Sam Horn, John Saul, Mike Sacks, Bud Gardner, Dan Poynter, Bryce Courtney, Terry Brooks and all our other friends at the Maui Writer's Conference and Retreat who inspire and encourage us every year.
All of the Chicken Soup for the Soul coauthors, who make it a joy to be part of this Chicken Soup family: Patty Aubery, Marty Becker, Ron Camacho, Tim Clauss, Irene Dunlap, Patty Hansen, Jennifer Read Hawthorne, Carol Kline, Hanoch McCarty, Meladee McCarty, Nancy Mitchell, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte, Marci Shimoff, Barry Spilchuk and Diana von Welanetz Wentworth.
Thanks to the over twenty-five thousand people who submitted stories, poems and other pieces for our consideration. You all know who you are. While most of the pieces you submitted weren't used in the book, each and every one inspired and moved us.
Because so much goes into a project like this, we probably forgot to thank some very deserving people and for that we apologize. Please know in your hearts that we are grateful and very aware that a project like this is the result of lots of hard work and, without a doubt, the blessing of God.
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INTRODUCTION
Dear Teenager,
Shortly after the release of Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul , we began to receive hundreds of letters a day. Those letters contained submissions of stories and poetry, wonderful thank-yous, and, last but not least, a request for a second book "as soon as possible." We heard you and we have responded!
We are, of course, proud of the success of the first book. In fact, it made a Chicken Soup record for being the first book to reach sales of 3 million copies in its first year. But our real happiness lies in our admiration and appreciation of you, the teenagers, who bought the book. You were the ones who showed the world that if a book is written that honors and respects you, you will respond in a positive way. We think that says a lot about who you are.
As was the case in the first book, we have included stories that deal with issues that concern you. Even though we couldn't use all the stories that were sent to us, we did pay attention to the issues that were contained in them. You wrote to us about losing a boyfriend or girlfriend and the recovery that followed; you wrote about how painful it is when a friendship ends or friends move in different directions. You wrote about the death of loved ones and
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the painful process of learning about and dealing with a friend being diagnosed with cancer.
You wrote about performing acts of kindness and how wonderful you felt afterwards and about how others' acts of kindness toward you touched you deeply. And, of course, you wrote about growing upyou are growing and learning so fast that it takes writing it down, or reading someone else's account of it, to see who you are and where you are going.
These are the stories you will find in this book. They are your storiesyour triumphs and your tragedies, your heartaches and your breakthroughs, your insights and your discoveries, and your awareness that being a teenager is a journey. It is a journey of becoming your best self.
It is our hope that you will love this book as much, if not more, than the first. It is your book, there for you to read when you need some cheering up or when you simply need to be reminded that you are by no means alone on the journey.
How to Read This Book
Read this book however you want to, from beginning to end or jump around. If there is a particular chapter that speaks to your concerns or that you have a special interest insuch as On Relationships or On Familyfeel free to go there first.
We encourage you to return to this book again and again, much
Ann Voss Peterson, J.A. Konrath