Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories

I heard about this book through a couple of Facebook connections, and I immediately knew I had to get my hands on this book as soon as it came out. I am VERY glad that I did. I am a middle school teacher, and I see behavior that is clearly bullying, but most of what I see is "friendly fire" between students. It is sometimes difficult to see the line between playful banter among friends and hurtful remarks that really sting. This book helps us see some of those blurred lines more clearly. This book shows bullying in its various stages and in its various disguises. I have shared many of the stories in this book with my students as a read aloud, and it has sparked some good conversation. I think it has been helpful for them to see themselves in these stories, because sometimes they're the victim, sometimes they're the bystander, and sometimes they're the perpetrator. Bullying has gotten so out of control, and sadly, is part of the culture of our schools. It's time we stand up and speak up to end bullying, and this book can help.

Bullying was once considered a normal part of growing up. Children who were bullied were told to ignore the bully, fight back, or walk away. Conflicting advice to be sure, but it was no big deal because eventually you grow up, move on, and the bullying stops. But bullying IS a big deal and today we, as a society, are much more aware of the problems that fester around it. With cyber bullying and the deaths of bullied teens reaching national newscasts, bullying has gained much more attention. Now, a wonderful new book for teens has just been published, a book "co-authored" by 70 different authors who share their stories. Dear Bully takes the experiences of various people, from around the country, and various walks of life, and brings their stories together in one excellent book. The authors openly discuss their torments, and tormentors, for all to see. The first story, "Dear Bully," written by Laurie Faria Stolarz, a bestselling author and victim of bullying, grabs the reader on the first page. Stolarz writes about her time in middle school, when a bully, one year her senior, made riding the school bus sheer hell. We see the stupidity of bullying, and how adults, who promised to "take care" of the problem, promised much but did little. This is just the first of 70 stories that will grab you, make you cringe along with the victims of bullying, and wonder at the anger behind the vacant faces of the bullies. The authors of these stories include not just the victims, but also parents and friends, the accomplices of bullies as well as bullies themselves. Hearing from the bullies is eye-opening as we get a look at what made them pick on other children, from those who admit "I don't know why I did it," to "she was different/fat/new to our school." As adults, we can look back on these reasons and realize how foolish they are but for pre-teens/teens, being different is all it takes. The essays, all fairly brief, were engaging and interesting. "The Eulogy of Ivy O'Connor" by Sophie Jordan, with negative words crossed out of the speech - creepy, strange, different, etc. - and replaced with positive words -guilt to fondness, crap to stuff - really resonated. So too did the many stories of adults admitting to the wrongs of their teen years. Dear Bully would be an excellent tool to aid in classroom discussions on bullying. Given the relatively brief essays, one or two could be discussed per day or each student could read one and present their findings to the class. Most importantly, teens reading this book, particularly those who are the victims of bullies, will see that they are not alone. Dear Bully does not attempt to offer solutions to bullying but rather, to let bullied children know they are not alone. There are resources listed at the back of the book for more information, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Dear Bully are being donated to the anti-bullying organizaiton "Stomp Out Bullying." Quill says: While Dear Bully will not solve the serious problem of bullying, it will definitely aid teens in dealing with the fallout from being bullied.

Very sad book

Sad but inspiring

THERE IS NO IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE WORD ITSELF SAYS I'M POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!

Being bullied takes a toll on a person weather its a so called friend a stranger your boyfriend/ girlfriend or even a family member it hurts and it leads you to depression, or even worse take your own life or take anothers i know its all happened to me but you know something who cares what other people think of youvive over come all those obstacles im still here i was suicidal and i was only fourteen and it was a boyfriend who made me feel like i wasnt good enough for the world but a whole year later i feel sorry for him because if his self esteem is so low that he would lower anothers to feel good then hes the one that needs help not me but here i am 15 and care free im a normal teen going out with friends and being a child while i still can so please take it from me dont listen to bullies they dont know the real you

“YOU ARE NOT ALONE.” Between the two covers, a group of 70 young adult authors who observed, experienced, and even perpetrated bullying in their youth share some of their darkest moments which are conveyed to readers through a collection of stories, poems, and letters. With the hope of enlightening and inspiring victims of bullying, this heart-wrenching book that can be humorous at times providing not only comfort, but also encouragement to break the silence which all too often prevails. Dear Bully is the nonfiction equivalent of a page-turner, but is better read in smaller doses due to the nature of the book. Popular contributors include: Heather Brewer, Carolyn Mackler, Lauren Oliver, Carrie Ryan, R. L. Stine, and Laurie Faria Stolarz. The contributors quickly bring readers into their confidence and bare the secrets of the vulnerable times in their lives. The book is broken into several sections or themes: Dear Bully; Just Kidding; Survival; Regret; Thank You, Friends; Insight; Speak; Write It; and, It Gets Better. Included at the back of the book, there’s even a section of resources for teens as well as educators and parents. School Library Journal recommended this book for grade 9 and up; however, based on many of the stories shared middle school students could definitely relate to this book. Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories would make a phenomenal addition to any public library and school media center; parents, guardians, teachers, and anyone else who works with youth could benefit from reading this book. 5/5 stars.

As the subtitle states, seventy authors provided their story of either being bullied or bullying someone. There is a common theme that it will get better once you are an adult so hang in there, but also admit that is not easy for a middle school student to wait a decade to be free. Other themes include finding an adult who will listen and act though once again that is not easy to achieve. The target audience of teenagers will struggle to read more than a few entries as most are too short and never quite drill down deep. The exceptions to prose are the comic strips; Cecil Castellucci and Mo Willems provide insightful looks at bullying that the younger teens especially will appreciate. Few of the contributions provide insight into the motives of why they were bullies though some of the victims offer their opinions. Bottom line is this anthology is a terrific tool for the counselor who can customize the entries to the needs of the victimized student. Harriet Klausner

My name is sarah mcfalls and im a sophmore this year and my freashmen year was horriable and so was 1st grade all the way to now. Im 15 turnning 16 in jan. And i have ADHD ADD ODD and FAS. So im different but in a good way im on the swim team at school. And people have been saying to me that i should kill myself. And in 8th grade someone posted stuff on google images saying go f...ing kill urself and no one likes u so go take pills. And thats not all of it theres alot more that happend to me from then and now Sarahbear

When i waz in 6th me, my friends, and our boyfriends were bullys and we hurt peoples fellings all the time. Until one day me and my boyfriend were holding hands and going to class and my boyfriend got picked on becouse he was shorter than me an from then on we havent bullied anyone. YET

I wont bully you. You seem pretty cool. Sorry about all the other people who do.

Lets just say weve all been bullied one time or the other and its not fun at all. Trust me. Ive been bullied for 3 years cause i acted weird. I have ADHD ADD RAD PTSD OCD AND DYSLEXIA. Let me tell u something its not fun at all. But now im the cool kid in school. Everyone wants to be my friend but sometimes i say no. It will get better. It always does Livewild Hotish

Stay strong

For any one who has been bullied like me . I know how it can be.

I found this book to be very eye opening. It's spoken from all points of view. As a parent i learned to see signs.. As a person who works in the school system i realized that maybe if we step in when certain things happen, some children may be alittle bit happier. I enjoyed this book very much. It may seem heavy at first but go to the end...

A must read with the family.

I purchased multiple copies for the library in a facility for troubled teens. I am happy to report that I can't keep the books on the shelf. They are checked out all the time, and the kids who have been either bullies or victims of bullies respond enthusiastically ("Wow--glad I read this"). The readers' eyes say even more as they return the books. A benefit of this book over some others on the same subject is that the entries are brief, and even if a reader doesn't finish the book, they get a specific message from each chapter. Appropriate for middle and high school students, I think this book can do a great deal of good in quelling the alarming tide of school bullying.

Hey ppl i only read the samplpf the book but i still loved it you MUST read this book. Isuggest you read

Everyone who has a child or deals with children needs to read this and share it with your child. The common theme over and over is that adults (parents, teachers, administrators) did not do their job. You can't just expect kids to end bullying themselves. Adults have GOT to step in. Only then will some progress be made.

Today is my BIRTHDAY!!! I finna get $$$$$$ Ps good book