Way Past Mean

by Hallee Adelman, Karen Wall (Illustrator)

Overview

Ruby wants her friends to like her more than she wants to be nice to the new girl at school.

Once Ruby starts being mean to the new girl, Nelly, she can't stop. She likes being part of Yaz and Keya's group, so she also makes fun of Nelly and hurts her feelings. It's like Ruby's on an out-of-control roller coaster, but it's up to her to stop the ride.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807580219
Publisher:	Whitman, Albert & Company
Publication date:	04/04/2024
Series:	GREAT BIG FEELINGS®
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	627,618
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Hallee Adelman is the author of numerous books for children and works to better the lives of kids and families through education, story, and film. With a PhD in education, she has taught elementary through university students and was nominated twice for the Disney Teacher of the Year Award. Hallee lives outside Philadelphia with her family.

Karen Wall was born in Scotland, where she studied art and textile design, and now illustrates picture and chapter books for children. Karen dreams up her ideas in a studio above her local library in London, England.

Editorial Reviews

Ruby’s insight into Nelly’s feelings and her compassion are good lessons for youngsters as they hone their social behaviors.” —Booklist 

“Ruby’s insight into Nelly’s feelings and her compassion are good lessons for youn

2024-02-03
Why is everyone being so mean to the new girl?

Ruby is having fun with Nelly, the new girl at school, when Keya and Yaz invite Ruby to play. The note they slide over to Ruby reads, “Let’s play after school without Nelly.” Keya and Yaz are popular, so Ruby feels flattered. Still, Ruby’s uncomfortable when the other two start mocking Nelly’s shirt. Later, the three of them walk home, trading mean barbs about Nelly (“Do you think Nelly brushes her teeth?” “NO!” “Do you think Nelly has stinky feet?” “YES!”). It’s not until Nelly finds out what’s been going on that Ruby realizes they’ve gone too far and tries to make amends. This sweet but somewhat preachy tale has a clear message about the importance of kindness and comes to a happy if somewhat pedestrian ending; it turns out that Keya instigated the bullying because she thought that Nelly had rejected her at a party. Though these elements may make for a good teaching tool, they diminish the power of the story, which feels a bit reductive. Still, young children experiencing bullying may take solace in seeing the problem wrapped up so neatly and will relate to Ruby’s confusion and goodwill alike. In Wall’s brightly colored artwork, Ruby and Yaz are brown-skinned, while Keya and Nelly have paper-white skin.

A solid, if somewhat heavy-handed, lesson in friendship and staying true to oneself. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews