In case you are new to the magic of Patricia Polacco let me give you a recap of my favorites- THE KEEPING QUILT is a family chronology that shows how important our ancestors are to our future. THANK YOU, MR. FALKER chronicles Polacco’s childhood struggles with learning disabilities and the one teacher who helped her feel worthy and that she could succeed. As an offshoot, of the latter book, Polacco now has penned BULLY, a story set in contemporary times, but one that could resonate with any person of any age who recalls the sting of being bullied.
The main character of BULLY is Lyla, who could easily be the kid next door, your daughter or your friend. She is a person who has recently moved to a new community and simply wants to “fit in”. She has good parents and has been raised to be a loyal friend, but her temptation to be part of the “in group” sets her up to be bullied. As an educator, I could appreciate the genuine scenario that Polacco has demonstrated so eloquently. She has done her homework on writing for her young audience – it shows on every page!
Bullying is a serious problem in the United States. It is so pandemic that now we offer October as the Anti-Bullying month! It only seems fitting that counselors and educators will want to add BULLY to their school shelves as part of an anti-bullying curriculum. Parents also should find this book any easy start for talking points that are so necessary to have in today’s world- cyber bullying.
These resources are on my Anti-Bullying recommendations list. I hope you find them helpful.
TEACHING KIDS TO BE GOOD PEOPLE by ANNIE FOX
NEWS ANCHOR JENNIFER LIVINGSTON TALKS ABOUT BEING THE SUBJECT OF CYBER BULLYING
