Who Moved My Cheese? (for teens)

By: Spencer Johnson, MD
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons 2002
Reading Level: 7th grade and up
94 Pages
Genre: Non-Fiction through fiction

Summary:
This book is fairly interesting. We find a group of kids sitting around the lunch table after they have just found out their school schedules are being changed. As the kids sit around and display different emotions about the situation, Chris begins to laugh. Chris tells them a story about a maze. In the maze we find two little people and two rats. The rats are simpled minded and go until they find the cheese that gives them nourishment. The story moves forward as this is a daily ritual everything is fine. Until the four of them find a large stash of cheese where they stay comfortable for a long time. One day the return and all the cheese is gone. The rats move on quickly but the little people stay and analyze for days until they are so weak they can hardly continue on to find new cheese. Each of the four react differently when the cheese disappears. The point of the story is the cheese is things we care about and strive for and when the cheese is moved, how do we deal with it so that it is better for us and those related to our cheese. After the analogy the kids find themselves analyzing their lives and looking at what their cheese is and how they should react.

Reaction:
I found this book interesting. It had some really great analogies for kids who are struggling with changes in their lives. It wasn't one I would read again because once you read it, it's kind of stuck in your head. But I think it was well written to reach kids in different ways.

Potential Problems:
None

Recommendations:
I think any teen who is having a hard time with change would benefit from this book. Whether they are dealing with divorce, a new school, or a break up, anything can relate to this metaphor.