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. What are the answers to this following set of 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?
Answer: 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.

prefix = st1 /PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7 -- At 26, many people haven't even decided on a career. Luke Ravenstahl, cashing in on his family's political tradition, is already the mayor of Pittsburgh, the youngest mayor of any major city in the country. Although mayors elsewhere have been younger, Jeff Dunkel was 18 in 2001 when he was elected mayor of Mount Carbon, small towns inNew York, and elsewhere have also elected teenagers as mayors. But,Tallahassee, is the only other city with a population over 100,000 that has had a mayor as young as Mr. Ravenstahl. A supporter of Mr. Ravenstahl said concerns about Mr. Ravenstahl's age would _ once the city saw his work ethic. But now comes the hard part. As he strives to be taken seriously and take charge of a city only recently back from the brink of bankruptcy, the baby-faced mayor said that even the smallest decisions felt weighty, even what to wear in the Steelers game matters. And another pressing issue is to strengthen the city's economy. Pittsburghhas lost all its mills, nearly half its population and much of its downtown commercial district in the last several decades. "ButPittsburghhas 50,000 college students, and our challenge is to figure out how to retain them and to increase downtown development." He said. But one of the biggest uncertainties is how long he will remain in office. According to the city charter, Mayor Ravenstahl's term will not expire until November 2009. Some city lawyers, however, have argued that he must face the electorate next year. And residents in Pittsburghare still withholding judgment on him. Deli, Jimmy Cvetic, a sandwich shop owner, said "I call him Cool Hand Luke. He'll be all right, but he's going to need a cool hand to get through this." Mayor Ravenstahl said he was still coming to terms with the challenge he faced. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was the mayor of Pittsburgh?
2. How old was he?
3. Was he the youngest with that title?
4. Who was?
5. How young was he?
6. Did the 26 year old find the job easy?
7. How many university pupils in the city?
8. What was he trying to do with them?
9. Did the town lose any business?
10. What kind?
11. When does his job end?
12. Was he given a nick name?
13. What was he called?
14. Who gave it to him?
15. What was his name?
Answer:
1. cashing in on his family's political tradition, is already the mayor of Pittsburgh
2. 26
3. No
4. Jeff Dunkel
5. 18
6. No
7. 50,000
8. to increase downtown development.
9. Yes
10. Mills
11. November 2009
12. Yes
13. Cool Hand Luke
14. a sandwich shop owner
15. Jimmy Cvetic