"Good-Bye Bully Machine will engage a new spectrum of students because of its rarity, boldness, and creativity." -Sarah Paoletta, K-5 educator, Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, MA
“Why It’s on My Bookshelf: Good-Bye Bully Machine is a recent discovery. I just cannot say enough good things about what it has done on the playground, hallways, cafeteria, and classrooms in my school. Over the years, I’ve used dry and boring bullying curriculums which are now sitting idle on my shelf. I’ve lost students in a flash when I’m just standing at the white board writing the definition of bullying. As a counselor, it means everything to me for students to have better insight to bully behavior. The minute I introduce the metaphor of the “bully machine,” I have a captive group of students. Good-Bye Bully Machine is one of the few books out there that really goes there with students and requires critical thinking. The first time I read this to a fourth-grade class, one of the students went out to recess and reported a problem to an adult stating, ‘I do not want to be part of the bully machine!’ Love that. So why do kids like this machine plugged in? How can schools unplug it? What makes it grow and become strong? Like I said, the metaphor of the “bully machine” creates higher level thinking and questioning. Those that are participating in bullying behavior have an opportunity to try and understand themselves better. A lot of those students are in personal pain; take the time to explore this with them. It’s such a worthwhile read. The “bully machine” causes a lot of hurt in schools across America. If you are a teacher or a counselor looking for a creative approach to STOP bullying, add this book to your resource shelf. (Be sure to use the leader’s guide—it’s an awesome supplementary resource).”—Books That Heal Kids Blog
“Indispensable. . . . A constructive resource for empowering kids to end bullying.”—Jacqueline Golding, Ph.D., author of Healing Stories
“A must-read for parents, educators, and anyone else who cares deeply about creating a bully-free environment for children—and most importantly, a great book for children of all ages to see how they can help stop bullying in its tracks. This book fills a void.” —Barbara Coloroso, author of The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander
“Good-Bye Bully Machine is a top pick for parents of children who face bully problems in school.”—The Midwest Book Review, Reviewer’s Choice
“Kid-friendly text . . . Fox’s enticing, edgy, collage artwork will draw readers in . . . [and] send a strong visual message. This offering will be a great discussion springboard for teachers and counselors.”—School Library Journal
“Of all the books on bullies that I have reviewed or purchased, this one has been a favorite.”—Misfit Momma blog
“Good-Bye Bully Machine encourages discussion on how to stop this hurtful, degrading behavior. Fox’s scrapbook-style illustrations and metaphor to a machine make it easy for students to understand and react to the powerful message. The book encourages higher-order thinking skills and questioning, leaving a meaningful impact on all who read it. Educate your children. Unplug the monster machine!”—Better with a Book blog
Bullies can only be bullies if you let them be. Good-Bye Bully Machine is a guide for young readers who want to stand up to their schoolyard tormentors and establish the confidence they need to rise up through life. Comparing bullies to cold unfeeling machines, Debbie Fox and Allan Beane give many effective tips to help young readers get through the machine and unplug it. Good-Bye Bully Machine is a top pick for parents of children who face bully problems in school. Reviewer's Choice
K-Gr 5—This book equates living with bullying to being around a scary machine that is "loud and powerful, with spinning wheels and whirling blades. It's cold and mean and looks kind of dangerous." The kid-friendly text explains that bullies are not always bad people and gives possible reasons for their actions. Different types of behavior are explained, including "mean words," "cruel actions," hurtful teasing, and picking on others in "quiet or sneaky ways." The authors provide tips for dealing with negative behaviors and encourage readers to take a stand against bullying and unplug the bully machine. Fox's enticing, edgy, collage artwork will draw readers in. Small photos of children interacting in social situations blend with cut-out words, machine parts and gears, and other images to send a strong visual message. "Bully-Busting Activities" are appended. Easier than Joanne Mattern's Bullying (Heinemann, 2008) and for a slightly older audience than Sally Hewitt's Bullying (Smart Apple, 2008), this offering will be a great discussion springboard for teachers and counselors.—Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI
