Q: One school night this month I walked quietly up to Alexander, my 15-year-old son, and touched his cheek gently in a manner I hoped would seem casual.A year ago he would have ignored this disturbance but now he reacted impatiently and leaned back to his computer screen.

I made a mistake: breaking into my teenager's personal space. "The average teenager has pretty strong feelings about his privacy," Lara Fox and her friend Hilary Frankel told me. Mr.Frankel and Mr.Fox, both 17, are the authors of Breaking the Code, a new book that seeks to bridge the generational divide between parents and adolescents.It is being promoted by its publisher as the first self-help guide by teenagers for their parents, a kind of "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus" that explains the language and actions of teenagers.The girls dealt with issues including hanging out late, money, school pressures, smoking etc.

Personally, I welcome their opinions.The most common missteps in interacting with teenagers arise from the war between parents exercising their rights to know what goes on under their roof and teenagers firmly guarding their privacy.Teenagers can be quick to interpret their parents' remarks and respond with anger that masks their vulnerability . Ms Fox said, "What we want above all is your approval.Don't forget, no matter how much we act as if we don't care what you say, we believe the things you say about us."

Nancy, a New York child-raising expert said she didn't agree with everything the authors suggested but found their arguments reasonable."When your kids are saying, ' _ ' there are lots of ways to respond so that they will listen and that is what the writers point out."

" My parents helped me see that, " Mr.Fox told me, " even though they used to stay out late and ride their bicycles to school, times have changed and the way parents educate children is different.These days there is a major fear factor in bringing up kids.Parents worry about their child crossing the street." The writers said they hoped simply to throw light on teenage thinking.

1. Alexander.
2. 15.
3. Yes.
4. Impatiently.
5. Yes.
6. Lara Fox.
7. Hilary Frankel.
8. Authors.
9. Breaking the Code.
10. No.
11. Seventeen.
12. "Kids Are From Mars, Parents Are From Venus
13. Self-help guide.
14. Parents.
15. Yes.
16. Explains teenagers.
17. Yes.
18. Smoking.
19. Yes.
20. New York.

Numbered questions:
1. What's the son's name?
2. How old is he?
3. Did he respond to his face being touched?
4. How did he react?
5. Do teens care much about their privacy?
6. According to who?
7. And who else?
8. Who are they?
9. What did they write?
10. Are they older ladies?
11. How old are they?
12. What's the book like?
13. What's it about?
14. For who?
15. Is it helpful for them?
16. How so?
17. Does it tackle tough things?
18. Like what?
19. Do teens get mad at their mom and dad's words?
20. Where's Nancy from?

Q: Melissa Harris-Lacewell is associate professor of politics and African-American studies at Princeton University. She is the author of the award-winning book "Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought" and writes a daily blog titled The Kitchen Table.

Melissa Harris-Lacewell says African-Americans remain skeptical about racial progress in the U.S.

PRINCETON, New Jersey (CNN) -- America was proud of itself for electing Barack Obama. The pride was not just partisan and ideological; it was also specifically and clearly racial.

The morning after Obama's win, The New York Times declared "Racial Barrier Falls in Decisive Victory." The Los Angeles Times asserted that "for the first time in human history, a largely white nation has elected a black man to be its paramount leader."

Some black commentators openly wept on election night, thrilled with witnessing the election of our first black president. Even Sen. John McCain, conceding defeat, pointed to the greatness of the American promise fulfilled in the election of his opponent. Obama's victory offered the possibility that the scars of America's racial legacy were healed or, at least, that they were less raw.

For many African-American citizens, the election of the first black U.S. president was cause for celebration and open-mouthed wonder about an outcome that seemed so unlikely just two years earlier, when Obama announced his bid.

Despite this joy, many black citizens were dubious that his victory represented the destruction of any particular racial barrier.

African-Americans were both proud of and excited about Obama, but in the 45 years since the passage of the Civil Rights Act, black Americans had seen doors to power, influence and wealth open just enough to admit just a few without fundamentally altering opportunities for the majority.

1. Some black commentators
2. thrilled with witnessing the election of our first black president
3. Obama
4. Sen. John McCain
5. racial progress
6. 45 years
7. "for the first time in human history, a largely white nation has elected a black man to be its paramount leader."
8. possibility that the scars of America's racial legacy were healed or, at least, that they were less raw
9. many black citizens
10. victory represented the destruction of any particular racial barrier.
11. unknown

Numbered questions:
1. Who wept on election night?
2. Why?
3. Who was elected?
4. Who lost?
5. Why were some people skeptical?
6. How long had it been since the Civil Rights Act was passed?
7. What did the newspaper declare?
8. What did Obama's victory offer?
9. Who was dubious?
10. Why?
11. Who wrote the article?

Q: CHAPTER XXI

A FIGHT WITH POLAR BEARS

"Look out, he's coming for you!" shouted Barwell Dawson.

Both Chet and Andy heard the words, but paid no attention. Their guns were raised, and each was aiming at the bear nearest to him. Crack! went Andy's firearm, and the polar bear was halted by a wound in the forepaw.

Chet was not so fortunate, as his gun failed to go off. The next instant the polar bear leaped on him and bore him to the ice. As boy and beast went down, Barwell Dawson opened fire, and the bear was hit in the side, a wound that made him more savage than ever.

Although Chet was sent sprawling, he did not lose his presence of mind. As quick as a flash he rolled over, from under the very forepaws of the polar bear, and continued to roll, down a slight hill to one side.

By this time Andy and Mr. Dawson were firing again, and Olalola, coming up, used several spears with telling effect. At the increase in noise,--the Esquimau adding his yells to the cracks of the weapons,--one after another of the bears turned and commenced to run away.

"Don't go after them!" sang out Barwell Dawson. "They may turn again, if you do. Shoot them from a distance."

Once more he discharged his gun, and Andy did likewise. Then Chet scrambled up and used his firearm, the piece this time responding to the touch on the trigger.

Another of the bears was now killed outright, while the largest of the group was badly wounded in the hind quarters. This bear dropped behind the others and, drawing closer, Chet let him have a shot in the ear that finished him. The other beasts disappeared behind a hummock of ice, and that was the last seen of them.

1. Yes
2. No
3. polar bear
4. no
5. Fighting them
6. guns
7. Yes
8. no
9. Barwell Dawson.
10. Chet and Andy
11. Shooting the bear
12. Andy
13. no
14. the polar bear leaped on him and bore him to the ice.
15. Yes
16. Olalola
17. spears
18. No
19. Far away
20. behind a hummock of ice

Numbered questions:
1. Are they playing with animals?
2. Are they having fun?
3. What kind of animals are there?
4. Only one?
5. What are they doing with them?
6. With what?
7. Did they kill any?
8. All of them?
9. Who yelled a warning?
10. Who ignored him?
11. What were they busy doing?
12. Which one was more successful?
13. Did the other one die?
14. Then what happened?
15. Did someone use a different weapon?
16. Who?
17. What kind of weapon?
18. Did someone yell for them to chase the animals?
19. Was it recommended that they shoot from close or far away?
20. Where did the animals scamper off to?