How to Deal with an Adult Bully

November 1, 2014

Gr 2-4-Each book begins with a broad definition of bullying, then zooms in on a particular type or scenario. Unfortunately, most titles take too long to get to the point. Students will be impatient wading through general information. When they finally do get to the main issue, they will be disappointed by the lack of specificity ("Bystanders have power, too. They can tell a bully to stop."). The author makes it sound as though bullying has a simple solution but doesn't address complex social dynamics or reasons why kids don't always do the right thing. Some suggestions make sense, such as capturing screenshots of cyberbullying, but there are very limited takeaways. Those who read the entire series will be discouraged by the repetition of basic information. Children featured in overly bright photo spreads are model perfect but poor actors: they seem to be smiling and joking in photos that supposedly portray disturbing incidences of bullying. Well-intentioned but weak offerings.

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2015
Grades K-3 How can books help children deal with serious, complicated issues that younger elementary-school-age children may face in their daily lives? Author Ferguson makes a noble, if occasionally awkward, attempt to help with the Stand Up: Bullying Prevention series. The subject matter is heavy, the tone sometimes didactic, and the text quite dense for younger readers. How to Deal with an Adult Bully oddly applies the bullying buzzword to situations generally treated as abuse; this ambiguity might, in some adults' eyes, minimize dangerous situations. It may be hard to imagine some children picking up these books. At the same time, the books could be a good resource for adults to share with children who might potentially be affected by issues related to bullying.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)