"School Bullies"
 
With the new school year just underway, many children are faced with difficult issues like having a new teacher, making new friends, and unfortunately, dealing with a bully.

We all have encountered bullies from time to time. These encounters can occur for a variety of reasons and last anywhere from just a moment to many years. Being bullied used to be viewed as a fact of life and was something you learned to deal with on your own. Nowadays, teachers and school administrators are taking the bullying of their students seriously and are taking steps to prevent it.

“Nobody Knew What To Do: A Story About Bullying” by Becky Ray McCain is about a little boy named Ray who is new in school and is being bullied by three boys in his class. The narrator of the story is one of Ray’s classmates who, like the rest of his peers, believes the treatment of Ray is not “okay”. However, because of the fear he has of the bullies, he keeps silent.

Ray’s treatment by the bullies becomes so bad that one day he does not go to school. While Ray is absent, the bullies come up with a plan for what they are going to do to him when he returns. The plan is overheard by the classmate, who tells his teacher “because she listens.” The teacher commends the boy for breaking his silence and talking to her about Ray’s situation. When Ray returns to school and the boys start to bully him, the boys are confronted by the teacher and her principal. The parents of the bullying boys are summoned and appraised of their sons’ bad behavior. The bullying stops. “Together [the parents and their children] know what to do and say to make sure bullying is never okay.”

“Nobody Knew What To Do: A Story About Bullying” is a powerful book that cuts through all racial barriers and makes bullying an issue for every parent and child. It also deals with the fear of bullying—by those being bullied as well as by those who witness it. Teachers and administrators who read “Nobody Knew What To Do…” will learn how they can stop bullying in their schools. Parents who read this book will come away with an understanding of what a child, who is being bullied or who knows of a classmate who is being bullied, feels. More importantly, “Nobody Knew What To Do…” gives the victims of bullying hope that their situation can be remedied. The book also lets those children who practice bullying know that it is not “okay” or acceptable by teachers or peers.

Other children’s books that tackle the tough issue of bullying are “Jake Drake, Bully Buster” by Andrew Clements, “Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon” by Patty Lovell, “Trouble in Barker’s Class” by Tomie De Paola, “The Recess Queen” by Alexis O’Neill, and “The Berenstain Bears and The Bully” by Stan Berenstain. All of these books are sure to help parents and children deal with the issue of bullies and being bullied in a way the child will understand. If you have any questions regarding this issue or any other books that will make the transition easier for children going back to school, please feel free to contact me at 564-7116.