A New Book to Help Kids Who Are Bullied

I just learned about a newly-released anthology, "Dear Bully," by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones, a compilation of real stories from seventy authors who were bullied, or did some bullying themselves. It sounds like a must-read for kids, parents, and teachers.  I'm looking forward to reading it soon!

Here's a review of "Dear Bully" that appeared in School Library Journal:

This is a powerful addition to the growing collection of materials that deal with this pervasive issue. Young adult and children’s authors have stepped up and shared their own experiences. The stories, poems, letters, and comics are as different as they are alike; feelings of powerlessness, lack of support, and the sheer invisibility that they felt are themes that run throughout the selections, and yet each one is unique and moving. Many contributors talk about how writing became an escape from their pain and provided fuel for their creativity. Loners and misfits, popular kids, artsy types, you name it, they are here in these pages. Some are still raw from their experiences, many tell how they have moved on, and most writers assure readers that life does get better, that there is always something to look forward to. All of these stories feel authentic and honest, and readers will find a story or a person to identify with, to look to for comfort or guidance. As educators, parents, physicians, politicians, and children themselves struggle to address the issue of bullying in schools, in cyberspace, on playgrounds, or wherever, the power of real people telling real happenings about real issues is a valuable tool to wield. With some profanity and frank mentions of drinking, drugs, etc., this anthology is best for high school collections, though many of the individual stories would be excellent for middle schoolers.— by Jody Kopple

By the way, if you'd like to be inspired by a real-life "upstander" who took a firm stand against bullying, click here to read "She Said 'No' to Cyberbullying." There's a lesson in it for all of us!

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