On the surface, this story by Nancy Jean Northcutt for Highlights Magazine is a simple tale about a young boy who doesn’t like being kissed. Like most good stories, it also raises some interesting questions. First, how much of James’s problem with being kissed is because of the hurtful teasing by best friend Ben? Additionally, although James is happy to see the extra attention being given to his new brother now, will he feel the same about this continuing into the future? Finally, how will he handle the extra responsibilities normally expected of the oldest child in a family?
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