Read About the Book

Read Aloud, Read Along

For Teachers and Librarians

Bullying is no laughing matter when it really happens. Often it is frightening and is not resolved easily.  Here are a few fiction books on the topic that would be good read-alouds and lead to discussion along with some professional reference books.

Boatwright, Becki Hinson. Getting equipped to stop bullying : a kid's survival kit for understanding and coping with violence in the schools. Educational Media, c1998. (371.7) Professional.  Presents a discussion of bullies and victims, contains activities that lead children to think of ways they can stop bullying and school violence, and offers advice to adults on how to provide help and support.

Howe, James. Pinky and Rex and the Bully. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1996. (-E-) RL 3.9 Pinky learns the importance of identity as he defends his favorite color, pink, and his friendship with a girl, Rex, from the neighborhood bully.

Keats, Ezra Jack. Goggles!  Puffin Books, 1998, c1969. (-E-) RL 3.1 Two boys must outsmart the neighborhood bullies before they can enjoy their new treasure, a pair of lensless motorcycle goggles.

Newman, Dawn A. Bully Busters : a Teacher's Manual for Helping Bullies, Victims and Bystanders. Research Press, c2000. (371.5) Professional. Describes a teacher-based intervention program for dealing with the problem of bullying in schools, featuring a series of classroom activities for increasing awareness of bullying, recognizing the bully, recognizing the victim, intervening, assisting victims, preventing bullying, and developing coping skills.

Author:

Helen Lester (Read a Biographical Sketch)

Photograph used with permission of Houghton Mifflin Trade and Reference Division.

Illustrator:

Lynn Munsinger (Read a Biographical Sketch)

Photograph used with permission of Houghton Mifflin Trade and Reference Division.

Read Alone

 For Students: Warding Off Bullies

Strategies for warding off bullies can come from books. Try a few of these and be entertained at the same time.

Bottner, Barbara. Bootsie Barker Bites.  G.P. Putnam's Sons, c1992. (-E-) RL 2.8  Bootsie Barker only wants to play games in which she bites, until one day her friend comes up with a better game.

Duffey, Betsy. How to Be Cool in the Third Grade. Viking, 1993. (-Fic-) RL 3.5 When Robbie York is marked as a target by a bully at school, he decides that the only way to survive the third grade is by being cool.

Lovell, Patty. Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon. G. P. Putnam's, c2001. (-E-) RL 2.8 Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her and she feels good about herself.

Meddaugh, Susan. Martha Walks the Dog. Houghton Mifflin, c1998. (-E-) RL 3.5 Martha the talking dog rescues the neighborhood from a bully dog with the help of a parrot.

Moss, Marissa. Amelia Takes Command.  Pleasant Co. Publications, 1999. (-Fic-) RL 4.2 After successfully commanding the Discovery shuttle mission at Space Camp, Amelia returns to fifth grade where she deals with the bully who has been making her life miserable.

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds. King of  the Playground.  Aladdin Paperbacks, 1994, c1991. (-E-) RL 3.1  With his dad's help, Kevin overcomes his fear of the "King of the Playground" who has threatened to tie him to the slide, put him in a deep hole, or put him in a cage with bears.

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Secret Identity.  Knopf , Distributed by Random House, c2004. (-Fic-) RL 3.1 Fifth-grader Nolan Byrd, tired of being called names by the class bully, has a secret identity--Shredderman!