We Want You to Know

Starred review from September 1, 2010

Gr 4-9-As part of her work with an anti-bullying campaign in her local Canadian community, Ellis interviewed young people between the ages of 9 and 19 about their experiences. In honest, straightforward prose, she shares their stories, many as targets and some as perpetrators or bystanders. The essays are loosely organized around a few themes, such as bullying based on some form of difference, whether real or perceived, and being targeted "just because." The final chapter, "Redemption," highlights those kids who have managed to rise above bullying and find strength. The selections in which students talk about experiencing repeated psychological and/or physical abuse and educators who turn a blind eye to the problems or subversively encourage or participate in the behavior are particularly distressing. Each story is written from the first-person point of view, some with real names and photos, providing an intimacy and immediacy that are critical with these kinds of issues. Readers will find at least one or two stories they can relate to, and educators should be able to use many of the narratives to jumpstart conversation. A good choice for schools stepping up their efforts to address bullying.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Grades 6-10 In more than 30 hard-hitting profiles, teens talk about bullying: as victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. Accompanying each entry, there is a small portrait or sometimes just a glimpse of a kid huddling in a bathroom cubicle or alone on a school bus. Adam is beat up all the time. Amanda hides in back hallways during most of the school day to avoid the kids who punch her and call her fat and stupid. Katie stays home, unable to face the tormenting she experiences in junior high. Included are anonymous boasts: Were the tough girls, the ones the other kids are afraid of. And one teen speaks about starting a hate Web site. In some stories, the victim becomes the bully. And bystanders speak out: Chelsea cannot forget doing nothing to stop bullies teasing a classmate with a speech impediment, but a few others are proud to redeem themselves and stop the cruelty. Ellis raises crucial questions: Why do many parents and teachers do nothing? What factors turn a kid into a bully? What makes a school a safe place? Shocking but never sensationalized, this is a great title for group discussion.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2011
Canadian children between the ages of nine and nineteen tell of being bullied, with a common thread of ineffective school response. Taken as a whole, the thirty-nine accounts tend to run together; individually, though, the stories are engaging and end with the author's follow-up questions that may serve as thought-provoking discussion points. Black-and-white photos of the children add interest. Reading list, websites. Ind.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)