Braving Bullies
This comprehensive list of our best anti-bullying resources was created by our Children's Librarians, Mary Duffy and Yukiko Tosa, in consultation with Lisa Pedrini, Vancouver School Board, Co-ordinator of the Violence Prevention Program, Safe at School Resource Center; Alva Jenson, Vancouver School Board, Roots of Empathy Program; Jessica Higgs and Terry Clark, Vancouver Public Library; and Dr. Christianne Hayward-Kabani, Vancouver Kids Books. |
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Jones, Jac Alison Little hardly ever went out. For her, the outside world is full of bullies, but one day Alison surprises herself and everyone else when she stands up to the "Bully Monsters" on her street. |
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Moss, Marissa After a successful stint as commander at Space Camp, Amelia finds dealing with a fifth-grade bully much easier. Told in journal form with Amelia's hand-written comments. |
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Fine, Anne Celeste arrives seemingly out of the blue at Nitshill Road School and rescues and empowers three children who are being bullied. Celeste does a "round robin" and gets the children who witness acts of bullying to document it in her book of deeds. Anne Fine is an award-winning British writer. |
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Sullivan, Keith An essential resource for teachers, parents, administrators and counsellors or anyone interested in tackling the problem of bullying thoroughly and properly. This resource offers a blueprint for creating an anti-bullying initiative as well as outlining several successful international programs. |
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Brown, Marc Arthur is afraid that bully Binky Barnes will pulverize him while he is doing magic tricks for the April Fool's Day school assembly. Binky keeps threatening to punch Arthur out while he practices, but Arthur manages to get by with a little help from his friends and by pulling an extra funny trick or two from up his sleeve! |
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Manson, Ainslie The other kids in her class tell Ally that ballerinas don't have pigtails, they don't have missing teeth, and they don't wear glasses. Big Brother Ben comes to the rescue in this charming story of sibling loyalty and Allison shines as the most unusual swan of the ballet. |
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McKeon, Kathryn The Colby twins bully "Baseball Ballerina" until she tells her coach about the problem and they hatch a plan to teach the bullies a lesson. |
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Berenstain, Stan and Jan Tuffy beats Sister Bear up for no good reason. Sister strikes back inappropriately at first but stands up for herself and a baby bird being tormented by Tuffy. |
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Berenstain, Stan and Jan Bear likes to tease Sister, but learns empathy when he is teased himself at school. A good story to read aloud with a class or a family to promote understanding of how hurtful teasing can be. |
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Bunting, Eve A novel about having the courage to tell the truth. 13-year-old Brodie knows more than he is saying about two teenagers who drown in the Blackwater River. Brodie's troubled cousin Alex exerts a subtle yet powerful hold on him which keeps him from coming forward. |
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Blume, Judy Jill gives Linda, the fattest girl in class, the nickname "Blubber". Class ringleader Wendy then leads the class in viciously tormenting and teasing Linda but Jill begins to understand the pain she helped cause when Wendy makes a racist comment about her friend. |
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Bottner, Barbara Bootsie Barker terrorizes everyone in Madame Rustova's ballet class until Bernie and Lisa devise some clever choreography to outsmart oafish Bootsie. |
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Bottner, Barbara When Bootsie comes to play, LOOK OUT! Most of her games involve fighting or biting her playmates until finally her friend turns the tables by inventing a new game. "Bootsie" is a very believable preschool terror and this is a book with situations many preschoolers will relate to. |
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Kushner, Tony. Ill. by Maurice Sendak A brother and sister go to town and encounter a hurdy-gurdy grinder, a bully who chases them away. With the help of three talking animals and three hundred schoolchildren, they defeat the bully. This story is based on a Czech opera for children that was performed fifty-five times by the children of Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp in 1943. |
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N/A 55 min |
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Johnson, Julie How do I Feel About series |
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Fried, SuEllen Explores the issues surrounding child peer abuse including physical, verbal, emotional and sexual abuse. It offers practical strategies to empower children and teaches parents, teachers and counsellors to act effectively when children bully or are being bullied. |
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Romain, Trevor Defining bullies as "self-esteem vampires", this book combines practical advice with a touch of humour. This little handbook is big on empowering readers to find non-violent answers. |
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Caseley, Judith Jack and Mickey used to be friends. Now, Jack acts like "Jack the Rat". Jack's mother has just had a new baby and he has new braces so he takes his feelings out on Mickey. Mickey turns things around by making Jack laugh. |
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N/A 13 min |
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N/A 10 mins |
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Beane, Allan L. Over 100 prevention and intervention strategies to help you create a classroom where everyone feels valued and where the code of silence on bullying is broken. |
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Garrity, Carla and Mitchell, Boris A practical step-by-step guide for parents who want to teach their children protective social skills as well as to help them in healing a friend who has been bullied. |
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Olweus, Dan This definitive book gives practical advice to school principals, teachers and parents on how to implement a "whole school approach to bullying". Contains a valuable guide to help teachers and parents recognize if a child is being victimized or bullying others. The author is a Professor of Psychology in Norway and a leading world authority. |
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N/A 25 min |
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Powell, Jillian Beautiful colour photography models empathy, caring and friendships in multicultural settings. |
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Atwood, Margaret When Elaine returns to Toronto as a middle-aged woman, memories surface of an adolescence during which she was cruelly teased and excluded. This complex exploration of the relationship between bully and victim will increase awareness in older teenagers. |
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edited by Rosemary Stones A comprehensive, annotated and up-to-date bibliography of children's books on bullying. This guide contains books for children, teens, parents and educators as well as using books as part of an anti-bullying strategy. "Books for Keeps" is a major UK children's book review journal. |
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Cormier, Robert A classic novel of intimidation. |
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Henkes, Kevin Chrysanthemum is excited about starting school until she is teased about her name. Luckily, a sensitive and perceptive teacher is there to help. |
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Yep, Laurence Teddy and his little brother use insects in their strategy to defeat the school bully. |
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N/A 52 min |
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Spinelli, Jerry Narrator "Crash Coogan" is a seventh grade football star and a bully. He makes life miserable for Penn Webb, who is a vegetarian, a pacifist and a Quaker. When Crash's grandfather suffers a stroke, he begins to realize there is more to life than always being first. |
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Johnston, Marianne Describes what is meant by bullying, why bullies act as they do, how to deal with them and how to stop being one. Illustrated with beautiful full page photographs. |
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Stones, Rosemary Discusses why some people bully, why others are bullied, and what you can do about it. Fifty real-life stories show how others have dealt with bullying. Contains lots of sensible self-protection strategies. |
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Munson, Derek When Jeremy Rose moves into the neighbourhood, he becomes Enemy Number 1. Luckily Dad has a recipe for Enemy Pie which winds up turning two enemies into friends. |
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Marton, Jirina "I notice you are getting quite good at dealing with those big boys," Jirko's mother says when he arrives home to present her with a single wild rose - the only one remaining of a bunch he has gathered for her. This story shows a little boy persisting despite teasing and a mother who notices and acknowledges his struggle. |
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B.C. Ministry of Education A handbook of practical ideas, activities and strategies to actively engage students in discussions about bullying and in devising solutions to stop bullying when it occurs. This handbook will be especially valuable to teachers, administrators and counsellors but also offers parents an extensive booklist and resource list of local contacts. |
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Haddix, Margaret Janie's Mother loves her so much she starts a knitting business so that Janie can go to a "better" school. Janie is poorer than her classmates and gets teased but has the courage to risk embarrassment in order to stand up for herself and her family. A beautiful celebration of the strength of family: reminiscent of the classic The Hundred Dresses. |
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Koss, Amy Popular Candace is at the center of her middle school clique. Maya is crushed when her four best friends follow Candace's lead and start to exclude her. |
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Agassi, Martine A good straightforward book to read aloud to help initiate discussion about violence. Shows the many good things hands can do and many ways to handle strong feelings without hitting. Includes a special section for adults. An excellent resource to promote empathy. |
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Jarman, Julia Danny Lamb is "different" and Toby finds it difficult to stand by his friend when he is being bullied on a school trip to Normandy. What starts out as a game goes horribly wrong and Danny almost dies. |
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McLean, Janet Hector the bossy rooster and Maggie the new sheepdog take some time to learn how to coexist. |
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Huggins, Pat and Shakariah, Lorraine Parents or teachers can help primary and intermediate children practice verbal de-escalation. Children also learn how to deflect and get over the hurt of "put-downs". |
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Shipton, Jonathan Flora terrorizes her class with her biting until one day she does something she is sorry for and decides it's not so much fun being a "horrible crocodile". |
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Seddon, Cyndi and Alyson McLellan and Gesele Lajoie Practical and local. Cindi Seddon is a BC school principal. This book helps parents to understand bullying and offers concrete solutions. |
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Duffey, Betsy "What is cool in the third grade?" Robbie finally learns the answer to this question when he is assigned to be book buddies with the class bully. |
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Cohen-Posey, Kate This book offers strategies to reverse bullying behaviour, using example dialogues to illustrate techniques for "feeding back" to a bully as a strategy. There is useful practice experience for those "who have agreed to join the fight against meanness". |
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Simon, Francesca Hugo is a little frog with a little croak. Pop Eyes and his big bad Bull Frogs delight in making Hugo's life horrid until Hugo turns things around using the element of surprise. |
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Estes, Eleanor Wanda Petronski is teased and excluded because she says she has a hundred dresses but wears the same faded blue one every day. Wanda struggles with English and takes forever to read a paragraph, but teaches her classmates a valuable lesson in this beautiful and enduring classic. |
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Shreve, Susan Joshua is teased for not getting promoted from third to fourth grade until the middle of the year. While trying to prove to class bully Tommy that he is not a "nerd", Joshua makes some mistakes in trying to look tough. |
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N/A 35 min |
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Dadey, Debbie "King of the Kooties" is what Louisa, the class bully, calls the gentle new kid in class. Nate decides to help the new kid wage a war of wits instead of a war of fists and Louisa becomes the "Kootie Princess". By the author of the popular "Bailey Kids" series. |
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Almond, David When 13-year-old Kit moves to a small mining town in England to live with his grandfather, he is drawn into a sinister game by John Askew, son of the town alcoholic. John is a troubled young man who leads the kids in a game called "Death". Kit must use all his inner strength to save both himself and Askew from this mysterious game. |
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Moore, Miriam and Taylor, Penny Koi must kill a python to prove he is a man according to the rules of his Central African tribe. He must also overcome the village bully. This tale of courage celebrates the strength of the individual spirit. |
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Golding, William This classic survivor story is just as relevant today as when it was first published in 1954. A group of school boys survives a plane crash and must learn how to stay alive on a desert island. Jack takes over as leader and brutally ostracizes those who will not follow him. |
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Carlson, Nancy Harriet helps her friend George come up with a plan to foil a bully. |
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Meddaugh, Susan Bad Dog Bob, the new dog in the neighbourhood, is a "bully". When Bob escapes from his yard one day, Martha, Bob and Bob's equally ferocious owner learn a lot about the power of words to hurt or heal. A good book for discussing name calling and for understanding how kindness may help a bully modify his behaviour. |
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Sachar, Louis The rumour is going around that third-grader Marvin Redpost is the biggest nose-picker in school. It's unfair and untrue. Marvin uses his sense of humour and some help from his little sister to salvage his reputation. Gross humour! |
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Morgan, Allen and Martchenko, Michael Big Mike is a Big Bully but Matthew is an artist with an amazing imagination. One midnight he transforms into "Slap Dash the Masher" and takes on Big Mike "The Masked Marvel" in the wrestling ring and in a drawing competition! The next morning he and his mom decide he'll start taking judo classes right after his art class on Saturdays. |
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Cox, Judy With the help of a classmate's sense of humour, third-grader Lilly finds the courage she needs to stand up to school bully, Mean Maureen Green. Cartoon illustrations capture her emotions as she faces her fears. |
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Cosby, Bill The "Dozens" is a game where you get twelve chances to say something mean to a person and the meanest thing wins. Little Bill finds a way to win the game and a new friend without stooping to being "mean" himself. This "Oprah's Book Club" selection is introduced by a letter to parents and has some creative solutions to resolving conflict. |
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Friesen, Gayle A 15-year-old who likes to dance is teased by his peers, called "Ballerina Boy" and finally beaten up. His story parallels that of an elderly aunt who comes to visit. She was a Mennonite in Russia where she and her family were terrorized by Stalin's Men of Stone. A beautifully written, very funny novel in which the spirit triumphs. |
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Rosenberg, Liz "Strength is for the wise, not the reckless." Patrick Edwards' mama tames a bunch of obnoxious bullies. No matter how big the bully, mama will always be bigger. A reassuring message is contained in a humorous story accompanied by pictures of "Mama" in suitably shocking shades of dripping green sludge. |
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McNamee, Graham Ten-year-old Keath is the only white boy in his class. With the help of a three-legged dog called Leftovers, he learns to outwit the class bully. A gently humorous look at the serious topic of racist bullying by an award-winning Vancouver writer. |
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N/A 25 min |
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Aliki Marianthe's Story, 1-2 In Marianthe's story, Aliki tells of a child very much like herself who must start school in a new country not knowing the language. A classmate, Patrick, teases Mari, calling her "dummy" until the day Mari tells the class her own story using "Painted Words". |
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Voors, William Helpful advice for parents on both sides of the bullying fence. Offers practical support for parents of both "victims" and "bullies". |
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Borba, Michele Counteracts the myth that peer pressure is a stronger influence in child development than conscientious parenting. This is not specifically a bullying resource, however it will help parents in nurturing children with a strong sense of their own identity and compassion for others. |
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Bode, Ann de and Broere, Rien Robert worries about his best friend Philip when he discovers Philip is being forced to steal for "the gang". A good early book to discuss gangs. |
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Adams, Hetty Ideal for elementary classroom teachers. Hetty Adams, a teacher and certified mediator, has designed this peace education program which will help lay a foundation of peacemaking skills that children need in the classroom and beyond. |
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Howe, James Pinky gets teased by the neighbourhood bully because his best friend is a girl and his favourite colour is pink. Pinky chooses not to fight but to stand his ground as he defends both his identity and his friendship. |
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Hamilton, Virginia Do the kids in Buhlaire's class call her nicknames and avoid making friends with her because of her biracial skin colour or because of her fragmented family? In her thirteenth year Buhlaire discovers the truth about her missing father, embraces her identity and finally finds a true friend. |
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A dominant and bullying father takes his family to the Congo. Set in the 1960s, this story of a family falling apart is told from a daughter's point of view. |
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Gates, Susan Commended for the Carnegie Medal and shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Award. In this many-layered novel, Maddy and Flor uncover an age-old mystery of death while battling bullying on a day-to-day basis. |
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N/A 16 min |
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Roberts, Anita Designed to "give youths tools to identify their own voice of wisdom and to stand up for themselves and what they believe in, without verbal or physical violence." Includes anger management and assertiveness training for young women and discussion of gender stereotyping and violence prevention for young men. Vancouver author Anita Roberts is the creator of the violence prevention program "Safe Teen" which is currently being implemented in school districts in BC, Yukon, Nunavut, NWT, and the US. |
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Zarzour, Kim Practical ideas for parents and educators to help stop the bullying cycle. |
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Laird, Elizabeth The new girl at school, Rafaella, is biracial and her ears stick out. Lucy is the first to call her "Earwig" but secretly becomes her friend outside of school and is devastated when she loses Rafaella's friendship through a tragedy. A deeply moving book about friendship and loss. |
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Artz, Sibylle A study of girls aged 14-16 involved in school-based violence. Includes ideas for implementing programs and interventions that can help violent girls. Written by a University of Victoria professor. |
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Duncan, Neil Sexual bullying here refers to a wide range of behaviours from name-calling to physical sexual assault. This book focuses on secondary school situations and includes research on gender issues for boys and girls as well as important information on homophobia and how to deal with it. |
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N/A 17 min |
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Thomas, Pat This simple and straightforward book explores the difficult issue of bullying in concrete and simple terms. Fears, worries and questions surrounding bullying are explored in words and pictures very accessible to primary grades. |
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N/A 17 min |
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Lajoie, Gesele and Alyson McLellan and Cindi Seddon Written by local BC educators including Principal Cindi Seddon, this workbook will educate, mobilize and influence school communities to reduce bullying in schools. Most of the activities suggested are targeted at students in the upper grades. |
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Powell, Jillian Discusses the feelings of both bully and bullied, then gives tactics for ending the behaviour. Readers will respond to the photos clearly showing children's emotions and the damaging consequences of bullying. |
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Pike, Kathy 50 easy writing, discussion and art activities that help develop responsibility and respect for others, |
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N/A 20 min |
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Polacco, Patricia Fifth-grader Trisha can't read. Her shame is worsened by a bully who picks on her for this, but finally she gets the help she needs from her teacher, Mr. Falker. A true story from the author's childhood. |
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Coloroso, Barbara In a straightforward approach, backed by solid research, Colorso provides parents and teachers with practical strategies in combating this problem. She offers tips not only for the child being bullied but on how to handle kids who are the bullies. |
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Walters, Eric The "Shrimps" use teamwork to triumph in a basketball story by a popular Canadian author. |
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Cross, Gillian Ashley leads a double life as a daring graffiti artist, but when a local gang leader sees a way to use her and her fears of a stalker, she must realize her misplaced loyalties and discover her own strength. |
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Fine, Anne A complex tale of how abused Tulip's charisma leads Natalie into following her extreme anti-social behaviour until, when Natalie finally breaks free, the consequences are fearful indeed. Unforgettable. |
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Morimoto, Junko Translated from an original Japanese story by Isao Morimoto. Japan's biggest bully decides to meet China's top bully for a contest. Introduces children to bullying and power struggles on a global scale. |
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Karres, Erika A guidebook to assist parents, teachers and educators by providing practical solutions to help protect kids from violence. Combines telltale signs of a potentially violent child as well as providing strategies to keep your child safe. |
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Coleman, Michael Daniel is seen as a "weirdo" in school; his most treasured possession is a ring binder of calculations. His biggest tormentor is a thug called Tozer who is himself the target of a teacher. Both find they need to work together to survive school. |
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Taylor, Mildred Charlie Simms, a white teenager, bullies David Logan and his big brother Hammer, who are black. In this story, set in Mississippi in the early 1900s during a time of drought, the Logans generously share their well water and fight for their dignity amidst mean-spirited prejudice. |
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Shange, Ntozake A powerful story based on a true incident about a young African American girl who is traumatized when she and her brother are attacked by a gang on the way home and they paint her face white. Acclaimed poet Ntozake Shange portrays this terrible racial incident with sensitivity and dignity and ultimately celebrates the children's spirit. An excellent book to use in discussing racially motivated bullying. |
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Marano, Hara Estroff Research-based advice for parents to help nurture children's social skills, enabling them to be socially confident and assertive. Includes help for parents of children who are being bullied and parents of aggressive children. |
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Webster-Doyle, Terrence This book contains stories and activities designed to help resolve conflicts non-violently. Designed to raise awareness of bullying and teach non-violent coping skills. |
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Webster-Doyle, Terrence A book for young people, parents, educators and counsellors filled with advice, creative stories and activities which offer insights into understanding prejudice and methods to peacefully cope with prejudice. A companion to "Why is Everybody Always Picking on Me?" |
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Browne, Anthony Willy does not excel at soccer, bike racing or sports, but he does manage to be good at outdoing the local bully. |
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Browne, Anthony Everyone picks on him but then Willy decides to fight back and he saves the day by rescuing Millie from the suburban gorilla gang. ECE Circle Time theme terms: |
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Myers, Christopher Ikarus Jackson is tormented at school because of his wings but Ikarus is strong enough to be different, strong enough to be proud of what makes him unique. In this book by the illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book "Harlem", Ikarus soars! |
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Oberman, Sheldon "You taught me that it is better to break a promise than to do something that is wrong", says King Solomon to Queen Sheba after he breaks his promise to build a palace of bird beaks. The tiny hoopoe bird asks King Solomon riddles to teach him the wisdom of not hurting any creature just to show his power. |
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Spinelli, Jerry As Palmer approaches his tenth birthday, he must choose between accepting his job of being a "wringer" - someone who wrings the necks of wounded pigeons during his town's annual pigeon shoot - or standing up to his peers and the whole town to oppose what he believes is wrong. |
