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[CCBC-Net] Bullying in Books for Children and Teens
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From: James Elliott <libraryjim>
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:33:09 -0400 (EDT)
I question if any of these approaches will really work. I mean, can you really expect the bullies to read them? and if they do, to expect them to have a life-changing epiphany of "Oh, I need to treat people better"?
I was the victim of a bully and a gang of bullies when in elementary school, for three years. We had many (repeat: MANY) meetings with the principal, the parents, the police. Nothing helped nothing stopped the beatings. The few times I took the advice to 'stand up to them' or 'fight back' the worse the beating, and the more joined in. The only thing that stopped the bullying was moving out of the area.
Granted this was in the 60's/70's, but I see the behavior among kids today. Even when I was working as a substitute teacher (one reason I switched to Library Science!).
My daughter was the victim of 'girl bullies' who used words, gossip and innuendo rather than fists, in school, in Girl Scouts, etc., right up to college, when she joined a soriority, and found the 'mean girl' and 'queen bee' syndromes continued unchecked. In fact, the meaner the girl, the higher in the organization she rose. Bullying was REWARDED. A painful lesson to learn.
My son was more fortunate, but there were still bullies in the neighborhood whom we learned to avoid.
So, books to help? I don't think so. I frankly don't know WHAT will help this situation.
Books that address bullies:
"Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen. However, I found the bully to be rather a-typical as he was too easily provoked into stupidity. Granted some bullies may be stupid, but most are not, they enjoy the power they have over the weaker victims, but they are not always stupid.
Jim Elliott North Florida.
----- Original Message ----- From: Tessa Michaelson <tmichaelson at education.wisc.edu> To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Sent: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:57:22 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [CCBC-Net] Bullying in Books for Children and Teens
Schools and communities are looking for ways to address bullying and relational aggression among youth, while children, teens, and caring adults deal with the day-to-day fear and misery caused by such behavior. Books for children and teens about bullying, teasing, and other aggressive behavior range from purposeful and pointed to highly literary in style, while the offerings span the spectrum from lighthearted to grave. During the second half of March, we?ll look at the depiction of bullying (in many forms) in literature for youth, with an eye to how well individual books, and the body of youth literature as a whole, address this challenging reality of many children?s lives.
What titles come to mind that deal with these issues? Are books on this topic helpful to children and teens?
An older book that comes to my mind is /Daring to Be Abigail/ by Rachel Vail (Orchard Books, 1996). At summer camp, eleven-year-old Abigail tries to re-invent herself and eventually performs a cruel prank on a fellow camper as a way of fitting in with her bunkmates. To me, this book authentically captures a young girl's struggle with self-acceptance and peer approval. While the prank Abigail pulls is troubling, I feel that this climactic episode portrays the particular kinds of teasing and aggression experienced in female friendships.
Just as powerful, but with a more light-hearted and humorous take, is Jerry Spinelli's /Loser /(Joanna Cotler Books, 2002). Readers follow Donald Zinkoff through school from first grade through sixth grade and observe how his individuality is initially appreciated, but later rejected, by his peers. After sharing this book as a read-aloud in a third and fourth grade classroom, my students had an interesting discussion on the title of the book--did the name apply to Zinkoff or to his classmates?
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 11:33:09 -0400 (EDT)
I question if any of these approaches will really work. I mean, can you really expect the bullies to read them? and if they do, to expect them to have a life-changing epiphany of "Oh, I need to treat people better"?
I was the victim of a bully and a gang of bullies when in elementary school, for three years. We had many (repeat: MANY) meetings with the principal, the parents, the police. Nothing helped nothing stopped the beatings. The few times I took the advice to 'stand up to them' or 'fight back' the worse the beating, and the more joined in. The only thing that stopped the bullying was moving out of the area.
Granted this was in the 60's/70's, but I see the behavior among kids today. Even when I was working as a substitute teacher (one reason I switched to Library Science!).
My daughter was the victim of 'girl bullies' who used words, gossip and innuendo rather than fists, in school, in Girl Scouts, etc., right up to college, when she joined a soriority, and found the 'mean girl' and 'queen bee' syndromes continued unchecked. In fact, the meaner the girl, the higher in the organization she rose. Bullying was REWARDED. A painful lesson to learn.
My son was more fortunate, but there were still bullies in the neighborhood whom we learned to avoid.
So, books to help? I don't think so. I frankly don't know WHAT will help this situation.
Books that address bullies:
"Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen. However, I found the bully to be rather a-typical as he was too easily provoked into stupidity. Granted some bullies may be stupid, but most are not, they enjoy the power they have over the weaker victims, but they are not always stupid.
Jim Elliott North Florida.
----- Original Message ----- From: Tessa Michaelson <tmichaelson at education.wisc.edu> To: ccbc-net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Sent: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:57:22 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [CCBC-Net] Bullying in Books for Children and Teens
Schools and communities are looking for ways to address bullying and relational aggression among youth, while children, teens, and caring adults deal with the day-to-day fear and misery caused by such behavior. Books for children and teens about bullying, teasing, and other aggressive behavior range from purposeful and pointed to highly literary in style, while the offerings span the spectrum from lighthearted to grave. During the second half of March, we?ll look at the depiction of bullying (in many forms) in literature for youth, with an eye to how well individual books, and the body of youth literature as a whole, address this challenging reality of many children?s lives.
What titles come to mind that deal with these issues? Are books on this topic helpful to children and teens?
An older book that comes to my mind is /Daring to Be Abigail/ by Rachel Vail (Orchard Books, 1996). At summer camp, eleven-year-old Abigail tries to re-invent herself and eventually performs a cruel prank on a fellow camper as a way of fitting in with her bunkmates. To me, this book authentically captures a young girl's struggle with self-acceptance and peer approval. While the prank Abigail pulls is troubling, I feel that this climactic episode portrays the particular kinds of teasing and aggression experienced in female friendships.
Just as powerful, but with a more light-hearted and humorous take, is Jerry Spinelli's /Loser /(Joanna Cotler Books, 2002). Readers follow Donald Zinkoff through school from first grade through sixth grade and observe how his individuality is initially appreciated, but later rejected, by his peers. After sharing this book as a read-aloud in a third and fourth grade classroom, my students had an interesting discussion on the title of the book--did the name apply to Zinkoff or to his classmates?
-- Tessa Michaelson, Librarian Cooperative Children's Book Center School of Education University of Wisconsin-Madison 4290 Helen C. White Hall 600 N. Park St Madison, WI 53706 Phone: 608-890-1332 FAX: 608-262-4933 tmichaelson at education.wisc.edu http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ _______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-netReceived on Mon 17 Mar 2008 10:33:09 AM CDT
