The Skinny on Bullying

Gr 3—6—With stick-figure characters and a comic-booklike format, a story is laid out about fifth graders and their various experiences with bullying. Beth and Billy lead the cast of characters as the book examines verbal, indirect, physical, and cyberbullying. Interspersed throughout are informational descriptions, definitions, and steps to take to handle the different kinds of bullying. The advice is mostly predictable and pedantic: talk to a trusted adult, avoid areas where bullies hang out, treat people the way you want to be treated, etc. The story itself is fairly pat and most readers won't necessarily buy into the dilemmas that these kids are facing. The one surprise is when Beth and Billy learn that their own behavior of telling stories about another student could be considered bullying. Readers may find real-life stories, such as those in Deborah Ellis's We Want You to Know (Coteau, 2010), are more helpful and informative.—Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA