Books About Bullying in Middle School

In this article in School Library Journal, librarian Joy Fleishhacker recommends the following books to spark discussion on the subject of bullying:

• Bully by Patricia Polacco, grades 4-6 (Putnam, 2012) – This illustrated middle-school drama deals with cyberbullying, pressure to dump a boyfriend, and exclusion.

• The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale, grades 5-7 (HarperCollins/Harper, 2013) – An entire sixth-grade class turns on a boy, revealing the mindset and methods of the bully.

• Bystander by James Preller, grades 6-9 (Feiwel & Friends, 2009) – A boy takes a stand against a bully, only to become the next victim. 

• Hokey Pokey by Jerry Spinelli, grades 5-7 (Knopf, 2013) – Jack lives in a day-dreamy world in which kids do as they please and adults are nowhere to be found, but it has to end…

• Slob by Ellen Potter, grades 6-8 (Philomel, 2009) – Owen is overweight and super-smart – the perfect magnet for bullies (including a sadistic P.E. teacher) in his progressive New York City school.

• The Truth About Truman School by Dori Hillestad Butler, grades 5-8 (Albert Whitman, 2008) – An underground website designed to let students discuss the truth about their school is invaded by anonymous posts harassing a popular girl.

• Warp Speed by Lisa Yee, grades 5-9 (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine, 2011) – A bullied student becomes a track star, revealing truths about him and his tormentors.

• Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change by Bonnie Burton, grades 6-10 (Zest, 2011) – A well-researched text written in a chatty style explores malicious gossiping, social shunning, and verbal abuse.

• Teen Cyberbullying Investigated: Where Do Your Rights End and Consequences Begin? by Tom Jacobs, grades 7 and up (Free Spirit, 2010) – Judge Jacobs introduces landmark court cases involving teens and tweens involved in cyberbullying. 

• We Want You to Know: Kids Talk About Bullying by Deborah Ellis, grades 5-9 (Coteau, 2010) – Kids 9 to 19 talk about their experiences as victims, bullies, and bystanders – eye-opening, intimate, shocking, and hope-filled, says Fleishhacker. 

“Bullied: Middle-Grade Books to Spark Discussion” by Joy Fleishhacker in School Library Journal, April 2013 (Vol. 59, #4, p. 36-38), www.slj.com. 

From the Marshall Memo #503