The last Wednesday in February is
Anti-Bullying Day.

 

Aruego, Jose and Ariane Dewey. The Last Laugh. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2006.

 Avi. Nothing But the Truth. Orchard Books, 1991.

Philip loves running but he might not get to stay on his high school track team because he is failing ninth grade English. He is sure his teacher is at fault. Is she? What happens when everyone claims to know the problem and the solution? [Bullying; Honesty; Running; Schools; Newbery Medal; Young adult fiction]

 

Bloor, Edward. Tangerine. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, Inc., 1997.

Paul wants to play soccer even though he is nearly blind, even though his father seems to have time only for his football-playing older brother, even though everything seems to be against him in his new school in Florida. He is tough, but is he strong enough to face the slowly-returning memories of what happened to damage his eyes? [Bullying; Brothers; Fathers and sons; Soccer; Football; Florida; Secrets; Schools; Fear; Physically handicapped; Diaries; Moving, Household]

Byars, Betsy. Cracker Jackson. Puffin Books, 1986, c1985.

Cracker discovers his former babysitter is being abused by her husband. What can he do to save her? [Abuse; Babysitters; Violence; Family life]

Carlson, Nancy L. Henry and the Bully. Viking, 2010.

Child, Lauren. Clarice Bean, Don’t Look Now.  Candlewick Press, 2006.

Clarice lies asleep at night, worrying. So she makes lists. [Bullying; Family life; Friendship; Worry]

Codell, Esme Raji. Vive la Paris. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2006.

Paris learns about the Holocaust and how to stop bullies when she tries to stop a classmate from beating up her brother. [Bullying; African Americans; Music; Faith; Brothers and sisters; Chicago (Ill.); Holocaust; Humorous stories]

Ellis, Deborah. We Want You To Know: Kids Talk About Bullying. Coteau Books, 2010.

Holubitsky, Katherine. Alone at Ninety Foot. Orca Books, 1999.

Fourteen-year-old Pamela struggles to cope with high school, friendships and her father’s new girlfriend while still grieving over her mother’s death. Winner of numerous awards including Young Adult Canadian Book Award; Best Book for Young Adults – American Library Association. On ERAC recommended list for grade eight.  [Bullying; Grief; Suicide; Peer pressure; Mothers and daughters; Vancouver (B.C.); Dating (Social customs); Alcohol] 

Javaherbin, Mina. Goal! Candlewick Press, 2010. (Illustrated by A.G. Ford)

A group of soccer playing buddies fend off bullies who try to spoil their game of soccer in this picture book set in a South African township. [Bullying; South Africa; Soccer; Friendship]

Langan, Paul. The Bully. Scholastic, 2002.

Darrel Mercer moves from Philadelphia to California where a new bully becomes part of his life at his new school. The fifth novel in the Bluford series. [Bullying; Mothers and sons; California; Moving, Household; Schools; Young adult fiction]

 

Langan, Paul. Payback. Scholastic, 2007, c2002.

Darrell humiliated him, and now Tyray wants revenge to regain his reputation but his options are limited.  Originally published as The Gun, this is the sixth novel in the Bluford series. (Bullying; Schools; Violence; African Americans; Young adult fiction]

McClintock, Norah. Bang. Orca, 2007.

Quentin is left taking the blame when a robbery goes wrong. [Bullying; Theft; Murder; Teenagers; Honesty; Young adult fiction]

McClintock, Norah. Marked. Orca, 2008.

Colin is happy to have a job for the summer. He hadn’t planned on becoming a criminal. (Bullying; Summer; Juvenile delinquents; Theft; Mystery and detective stories]

 

Olsen, Sylvia. Yellow Line. Orca, 2005.

Teenaged Vince faces racism and violence when he falls in love with a First Nations girl in their small town. Best suited for mature readers in grade 8 and up. [Bullying; Racism; Schools; First Nations; Canada; Violence; Dating (Social customs); Love; Peer pressure; Young adult fiction]

Otoshi, Kathryn. One. KO Kids Books, 2008.

Pearson, Kit. Perfect Gentle Knight. Puffin Canada, 2007.

After their mother dies and their father becomes absorbed in his work, the six lonely Bell children –  the oldest ones still teenagers – struggle to cope with their grief, each in their own way. On ERAC recommended novel list for grades 7 and 8. [Bullying; Grief; Vancouver (B.C.); Brothers and sisters; Family life]

Pinkwater, Daniel Manus. Yo-Yo Man. HarperCollins, 2007.

Preller, James. Bystander. Feiwel and Friends, 2009.

Thirteen-year-old Eric encounters a bully terrorizing students at his new school. It seems no one, not even adults, can stop the intimidation until Eric thinks of a solution. [Bullying; New York (State); Moving, Household; Divorce; Schools; Conduct of life; Young adult fiction]

Scrimger, Richard. The Nose from Jupiter. Tundra Books, 1998.

Alan doesn’t have any special talent except for the ability to  attract bullies. But life changes when an alien comes to live in his nose. Winner of the Mr. Christie’s Book Award; on ERAC recommended novel list for grades 5 and 6. [Bullying; Soccer; Noses; Extraterrestrial beings; Humorous stories] 

Stevenson, Robin. Impossible Things. Orca, 2008.

Seventh-grader Cassie feels all alone. Her father is working in the Middle East, her mother is busy, her younger brother is being bullied at school, and her best friend has become friends with the mean girls at school. [Bullying; Loneliness; Friendship; Schools]

Walton, K.M. Cracked. Simon Pulse, 2012.

Two sixteen-year-olds, Bull and Victor, face their long-standing problems with bullying when they meet in a hospital’s psychiatric ward. [Bullying; Teenagers; Schools; Family life; Suicide; Alcoholism]

Wishinsky, Frieda. Queen of the Toilet Bowl. Orca, 2005.

Renata learns to be proud of herself even though she is bullied because her mother works as a housekeeper. [Bullying; Self acceptance; Schools]

Woodson, Jacqueline. Feathers. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2007.

Sixth-grade Frannie is reading a poem about hope in class. But there’s not much hope in her life. Her friend Samantha is becoming peculiar. The class bully is becoming more trouble. And the new boy, nicknamed ‘Jesus Boy’, says he’s not white but he sure looks white. What’s going to happen next? For 11 – 14 year-olds. [African Americans; Bullying; Deaf; Faith; Family; Friendship; Hope; Moving, Newbery Medal; Household; Racism; Schools; Vietnam Conflict; Winter]

Learn more about bullying.