Books To Help You And Your Children Deal With Bullying

Bullying seemed to reach a tipping point in 2010. National media coverage of children committing suicide because of bullying was everywhere we looked. It’s good that the media is paying attention and getting the word out because bullying has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen – unless we educate ourselves and our children. We can stop it, but it’s going to take mindful parents raising mindful children.

There is a tremendous amount of media available from Anderson Cooper’s special report, “Bullying, It Stops Here” to the ongoing It Gets Better Project as well as numerous web sites and other information. These sources can be very helpful to educate you and your older children but bullying doesn’t just spring up suddenly when kids hit adolescence. The behaviors that can lead to bullying start as early as preschool. Fortunately there’s an easy way to start a conversation with your younger children about bullying and the emotions associated with both bullies and their victims.

Read to them.

Here are some excellent books to get you started.

For younger children:

Most of these authors have written several books that teach empathy, respect, talk forthrightly about elements of bullying, or depict what it is like to be bullied. In some cases these books deal with emotions that can result from, or lead to, bullying and they provide an excellent opportunity to talk to your children about how to deal with those emotions.

Amanda Pig on Her Own by Jean Van Leeuwen

Dora’s Box by Ann-Jeanette Campbell

Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart

A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue by Julia Cook

The Brand New Kid by Katie Couric

Surviving Brick Johnson By Laurie Myers

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes

Rosie’s Story by Martine Gogoll

Oliver Button is a Sissy by Tomie de Paola

How To Lose All Your Friends by Nancy Carlson

The Meanest Thing to Say by Bill Cosby

Enemy Pie by Derek Munson

The Hundred Dresses by Elinor Estes

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst

Angel Child, Dragon Child by Michele Maria Surat

The Ant Bully by John Nickle

The Honest-to-Goodness Truth by Patricia C. McKissack

I Speak English for My Mom by Muriel Stanek

The Magic Fan by Keith Baker

Believing Sophie by Hazel Hutchins

Crickwing by Janell Cannon

How to Fight a Girl by Thomas Rockwell

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

Judy Moody by Megan McDonald

The Summer My Father Was Ten by Pat Brisson

Children grades 2 and up:

As far as I am concerned buy anything that Northwest native Trudy Ludwig writes – her  books are realistic and they break down a complex subject for kids without being condescending.

Sorry, Just Kidding

My Secret Bully

Trouble Talk

As your child gets older – Confessions of a Former Bully.