Bullying and Me: Schoolyard Stories
Boys and girls talk about their bullying experiences.
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Boys and girls talk about their bullying experiences.Publishers WeeklyThirteen individuals, including some adults, who have been bullied at school share their painful experiences. "The bullies hit me and spit on me and called me ‘seizure boy' and ‘mental,' " explains 13-year-old Jaevon. Katie confesses how she was bullied in middle school--"They went online and IMed each other about me"--but later became a mean girl herself, ignoring an embarrassing friend. Vote's full-color portraits sensitively depict the faces at the receiving end of abuse: "Kids bully me all the time. They say I'm ugly ‘cause my face was burned," reports a sixth-grader. An educational psychologist specifically addresses each individual's dilemma, but the book's strength lies in the honesty conveyed through the personal stories. Many readers will relate to the suffering and alienation expressed, and will feel empowered by the varying perspectives offered. And those who bully may learn to better understand the roots of their behavior. Ages 8 12. (Sept.)
\ Publishers WeeklyThirteen individuals, including some adults, who have been bullied at school share their painful experiences. "The bullies hit me and spit on me and called me ‘seizure boy' and ‘mental,' " explains 13-year-old Jaevon. Katie confesses how she was bullied in middle school--"They went online and IMed each other about me"--but later became a mean girl herself, ignoring an embarrassing friend. Vote's full-color portraits sensitively depict the faces at the receiving end of abuse: "Kids bully me all the time. They say I'm ugly ‘cause my face was burned," reports a sixth-grader. An educational psychologist specifically addresses each individual's dilemma, but the book's strength lies in the honesty conveyed through the personal stories. Many readers will relate to the suffering and alienation expressed, and will feel empowered by the varying perspectives offered. And those who bully may learn to better understand the roots of their behavior. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)\ \ \ \ \ Children's Literature\ - Carlee Hallman\ Youth and adults tell of their own or a friend's experiences of being bullied. One even tells of bullying others. One bullying experience led to suicide. Andrew says, "The bullies made my whole school year a nightmare." Donovan says, "Some kids who get bullied don't tell the teachers because they don't want to be called a snitch." Felicia lives in a neighborhood with gangs. She stays with an aunt in the summer. This book strongly recommends telling adults when bullying occurs. After each story an expert gives words of advice. "Dr. Dorothy says: Looking back, Doug wishes he'd acted differently when his friend was bullied....But if it's possible, kids shouldn't just stand by when someone is being bullied." At the back is a list of tips for dealing with bullies such as: "Ignore the bully," or "Don't fight back." The striking photos of the kids catch both their anxiety during times of bullying and relief when they have moved on. This is a helpful book for kids dealing with the problem. Reviewer: Carlee Hallman\ \ \ School Library JournalGr 3–8—Thirteen young people representing a variety of ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds tell about their experiences. Shapiro retells their stories of not only the act of bullying itself, but also the steps they took to deal with it and the effects it had on their lives. From Jean, who was picked on for facial burns, to Mariah, who was new to school and had a hard time making friends, these brief accounts all resonate with the same theme—the inner strength of the individuals and their response to the bullying. Each story is accompanied by a short commentary from a psychologist who offers advice or support about handling these situations, from ignoring perpetrators to telling a trusted adult. With very little background or context for the young people, it is difficult to muster up much of an emotional response to this litany. Photographs are included on each spread, and there are some tips for dealing with bullies at the back of the book. Teachers and librarians could find some nuggets of information to mine with students, but all in all, this is a fairly generic entry in the burgeoning field of bullying literature.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA\ \ \ \ \ Kirkus ReviewsMiddle school can be a difficult time for kids, especially those who become the targets of bullies. Girls often join cliques and practice the art of victimizing their peers. Boys seek out the weak and vulnerable to harass in the classroom, hallway or locker room. And technology ups the ante with online meanness, where cruelty can be anonymous and difficult to trace. In this lively presentation, victims of bullying tell their own stories, each account accompanied by a full-page color photograph of the narrator. Jean, burned as an infant, is taunted because of his appearance; Jaevon has seizures and is hit, spit upon and called "seizure boy" and "mental"; Emily, the new girl, tries to join a clique but is ever the outsider. Each of the 13 middle schoolers here experienced bullying and learned to deal with it. Advice from Dorothy Espelage, an expert on adolescent bullying, is offered on each page, and the volume concludes with "Tips on Dealing with Bullies." Given the topic, it's an upbeat approach offering realistic and down-to-earth advice, though the picture-book look may limit its reach. (Nonfiction. 8-12)\ \ \
