Loser List

Author: H.N. Kowitt http://kowittbooks.com/
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Date of Publication: 2011
Illustrator: H.N. Kowitt http://kowittbooks.com/
Genre Designation: Fiction
Lexile: 480L

Loser List

Summary:

This book is about a boy named Danny Shine. Danny one day crosses path with a popular girl in school named Chantal. She asks him for a pen and tells him if he does not give it to her she will write him name on the "loser list". Danny is bullied without reprieve. He believes if he can get his name off the "loser list" this will stop. He hatches a plan to sneak into the girls bathroom and remove his name. He sneaks in and gets caught and ends up in detention. While in detention he meets the "bad boys" in the school. He needs a plan quick or he will get eaten alive. The boys see that he can draw and he become the  residential tattoo artists. While he is focused on fitting in and enjoying not being bullied he loses the friends that have been with him when he was not accepted. He finds himself in a sticky situation when his new friends steal from the comic book store he frequents. The book ends with him remembering his life prior to being removed from the loser list. He actually misses it and his old friends.

Target Audience:

This book would be good for ages 9-13.

Evaluation:

The book is meant to entertain. It is a series so you can follow him all the way through Middle School. It is considered a graphic novel but not in the sense you are used to. It has graphics and illustrations which are funny and add to the story. It is written similar in style to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. This would be a great book for a child that wants to break into longer books. 

Reader Response Activity:

The things that saves Danny from being bullied is his ability to draw. The thing draws for the "cool" kids are tattoos. I would have the students draw a tattoo that best describe Danny Shines character. Not the cool kid he pretends to be but who he really is.

Bus Ride Bully

Author: Lori Mortensen http://www.lorimortensen.com/
Publisher: Stone Arch Books
Date of Publication: 2011
Illustrator: Remy Simard https://remysimard.com/
Genre Designation: Fiction
Lexile: GN290L

Bus Ride Bully

Summary:

This book is about Gavin and Max. Gavin and Max both ride the bus, but Max bullies Gavin. Gavin notices one day that Max is not on the bus. Does he actually miss the bully? The first day it is nice because he is not there to pick on him. As time goes on he finds himself worried about Max and wondering what happened to him. Gavin finds out that Max had an accident and he decides to go visit him. Max discovers that Gavin is not such a bad person after all.

Target Audience:

This book would be good for ages 5-9.

Evaluation:

This book is considered a graphic novel. It is an introductory graphic novel and it uses thought bubbles and arrow to help you follow the story. The content is easy to understand which is good for a students first introduction to graphic novels. The story is about bullying but teaches forgiveness as well. 

Reader Response Activity:

I would have a discussion with the class. I would ask them to think about a person that when you first met them you felt one way and then after you got to know them you felt another. This is a great way to teach students how not to label people to quick and sometime you have to get to know them. I would ask if there were any stories they have read that have a similar story. This activity would be most beneficial for 2nd and 3rd graders.

You, Me and Empathy

Author: Jayneen Sanders https://e2epublishing.info/jay
Publisher: Educate2Empower Publishing
Date of Publications:
Illustrator: Sofia Cardosa http://www.sofiacardoso.com/
Genre Designation: Fiction
Lexile: n/a

You, Me and Empathy

Summary:

This book is about empathy and relating with people. There are many scenarios that occur in this book and each one ends with the words "I understand". Some of the things that happen are feelings get hurt, mom gets sick, brother hurts his knee and a little boy gets bullied. In this book it states the problem and then shows how you can relate to others pain by using your own experiences. 

Target Audience:

This is recommended for ages 3-9.

Evaluation:

Empathy is a hard work to teach. This book does a great job at showing what empathy is through example. The word empathy does not appear in the book, just examples of what showing empathy looks like. The books has rhyming words which always help with the flow when reading. The illustrations show the problem and then what it would look like if you helped that person.

Reader Response Activity:

The book has the reader response activities built in. At the end of each example of empathy there are questions. At the end of the book their are discussion questions as well. In addition, there are activities that help to promote kindness and empathy. There are so many teachable points in this book you could break this book up into couple of units.

Stick and Stone

Author: Beth Ferry https://www.bethferry.com/
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Date of Publication: 2015
Illustrator: Tom Lichtenheld https://www.tomlichtenheld.com/
Genre Designation: Fiction
Lexile: 250L

Stick and Stone

Summary: 

This is a book about an unlikely pair that become friends. One is a stick and the other is stone. Their friendship is first tested when pine cone makes fun of stone and stick comes to his rescue. There friendship continues until it is tested again by a bad storm. Stone loses stick and looks all over for him and eventually finds him in a puddle. Stone rescues him and they celebrate their friendship by going on adventures. 

Target Audience:

Stick and Stone is recommended for ages 5-8.

Evaluation:

The illustrations are very simple but are a good representation of their friendship. The book has some words that rhyme. The bully is a pine cone and he picks on stone. This book also shows how friends help each other out. In the end stick and stone form a perfect 10 because stick is shaped like a 1 and stone like a 0. The book is entertaining and teaches a valuable lesson at the same time.

Reader Response Activity:

After stone saves stick from the pond they go on adventures together. I would have the students think of an adventure stick and stone could go on and have them draw it. I would also use a writing prompt to describe the outing.

We Want You To Know: Kids Talk About Bullying

Author: Deborah Ellis http://deborahellis.com/
Publisher: Coteau Books
Date of Publication: 2010
Illustrator: n/a
Genre Designation: Non-fiction
Lexile: 770L

We Want You to Know: Kids Talk About Bullying

Summary:

This book is written from the views of the children that have been bullied. The refreshing insight this book has can serve schools, teachers and counselors with valuable information. In the interviews they talk about what happened to them and how they tried to get help. They talked about the way bullies are good at convincing people they are not doing what they are accused of.  They even talk about our role as parents, what to do with the information when you child comes to you and say they have been bullied. This book does not only cover bullying in the United States, she interviews children from other countries. You find out in this book while we are separated by continents and cultures we have common threads when it comes to bullying.

Target Audience:

The book said ages 11-14. I really think this book is good for ages 11 to adult.

Evaluation:

This book is intended to educate. We hear stories about children that have been bullied and we are immediately reflective. This book goes beyond the story and talks about what they wish would have been done. In other words, how they wish the people around them peers and others would have reacted. This book is different than most bullying books you read and that is apparent from page one.

Reader Response Activity:

The reader response activity is done for you with this book. At the end of each interview there are questions that will help begin discussions. I would have the students read an interview and then use the discussion questions to go deeper.

Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope

Authors: Olivia Gardner, Emily Buder, Sarah Buder https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Bullied-girl-alone-no-more-She-finds-comfort-in-2559074.php
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
Date of Publication: 2008
Illustrator: n/a
Genre Designation: Non-Fiction
Lexile: n/a

Letters To A Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope

Summary:

Olivia Gardner was bullied without reprieve for two years at the age of 14. She even switched school hoping things would change and they did not. She suffered from epilepsy and that was a source of the taunting at the hands of her bullies. In addition there were two girls, Emily and Sarah Buder who began collecting letters from people that were bullied as well as bullies. They have a couple stories of adults who bullied as adolescents and what they think of that now. Most could not explain why they bullied. This is a book of hope, they want people to read these stories and know you are not alone. 

Target Audience:

I would recommend this book for 4th grade-Adult.

Evaluation:

The subject matter in this book is hard to read at times. There is a message of hope through sharing stories. In addition, they hope people will not remain silent about bullying. The material is authentic and raw, but written purely with the intent to educate and prevent.

Reader Response Activity:

The material in this book is heavy. I would have students read it or pick certain stories for them to read. I would then have them write a question or comment and put them anonymously in a bowl. The teacher would then draw one out and discuss as a class. This way students would be more willing to share if their privacy is protected.

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Author: Patricia Polacco http://www.patriciapolacco.com/
Publisher: Philomel Books
Date of Publication: 2001
Illustrator: n/a/
Genre Designation: Fiction
Lexile: AD650L

Thank You, Mr. Falker

Summary: 

In this book there is a little girl named Tricia. She is looking forward to going to school to learn how to read. She is close with her grandmother and she shares with her a special saying about honey and knowledge. As she progresses through the grades she discovers that she struggles with reading. During her struggles her grandmother is her rock and makes her feel good about herself. Her grandmother dies and that is a big loss for her. Her mother is  a teacher and decides to take a new job across the country. Tricia is excited for a new start. She arrives at her new school to find that things have not changed.To make matters worse there is a classmate named Eric and he teases her and makes her feel "stupid." Everything changes when Mr. Falker comes to her school. Mr. Falker believes in her and finally in 5th grade after much ridicule her teaches her how to read.

Target Audience:

This book would be great for grades 1-5.

Evaluation:

At some time every student has felt inadequate in a subject. Unfortunately when you struggle some students can be cruel when they discover a weakness in a classmate. This book is an example of bullying, but also an example of overcoming an obstacle. 

Reader Response Activity:

A good activity for this book would be for your students to spend some time thinking about what they are good at and what they struggle with. Each student will be given a piece of construction paper. On one half things they are good at, on the other half things they struggle with. They can list, draw or do a combination of both for their illustration.