Chicken Soup for the Kid's Soul, Volume 1

September 1, 1998
Gr. 4^-7. The authors of "Chicken Soup for the Soul" (1993) offer a compilation of heartwarming stories directed at children. Among the mix are stories by well-known names such as Shaquille O'Neal and Chuck Norris; however, most of the stories were sent in to the editors by children from all over the country. The offerings range from funny to inspiring to dull to, well, schmaltzy. Although it is doubtful that kids will ask for the book themselves (especially with a title like this), parents, librarians, and teachers will find much here to use as a jumping-off point for discussions on all sorts of questions and problems children face. ((Reviewed September 1, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)

January 1, 1999
This overlong collection of inspirational stories, personal-experience essays, and bad poetry is illustrated with newspaper comic strips. The topics include dealing with parental divorce, learning to accept death, and making choices about drinking, smoking, and drugs. Many of the entries are written by children. The inexpert anecdotes--by both children and adults--often address minor problems within a situation while ignoring more severe issues.

(Copyright 1999 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)