9781422288382

Chapter One

Real-Life Stories

R aul grew up in a big city. He knew only a few of the many people living and working in the city by name. This means that most of the people around him every day were strangers, people he didn’t know. Most strangers aren’t dangerous. Most of them are people just like you and deserve your kindness and respect. But a few strangers can be dangerous. They may want to harm or kidnap young people. And it can be hard to tell the difference between someone who means well and someone who doesn’t. This is no reason to be afraid of every stranger you see. But as Raul would learn, danger is a good reason to put your safety first! LEARNING STREET SMARTS When you grow up in a city, there are a lot of people to see, many places to visit, and lots of ways to get around. When Raul was young, he wasn’t allowed to leave his apartment without one of his parents. His parents knew strangers can be dangerous. And even if there were no dangerous people out there, city streets would still be very dangerous places for a young child. When Raul was twelve, his parents started letting him leave the house by himself. They let him walk to school, walk around his neighborhood, and sometimes visit friends if they lived nearby. But he always needed his parents’ permission to leave the house. They always needed to know

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