Often at the start of the school year, bullying concerns surface. Here
are a few stories to open up a conversation with your child about bullies. Below
are a few suggestions from http://www.stopbullying.gov/ to keep in mind as you and your family
prepare for a new year of school.
Parents, school staff, and other caring adults such as family members
and friends have a role to play in preventing bullying. We can:
Help kids understand bullying. You can talk with your child/ren about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely: suggest the use of humor and saying “Stop” directly and confidently. Walk away, if other actions don’t work. Tell kids bullying is unacceptable. Make sure kids know how to get help, especially by talking to a trusted adult, who can give comfort, support, and advice, even if they can’t solve the problem directly.
2.
Keep the lines of
communication open. Check in with kids often. Listen to them. Know their friends, ask about
school, and understand their concerns. Start conversations about daily life and
feelings with questions like these:
· What was one good thing that happened today?
Any bad things?
· What is lunchtime like at your school? Who do
you sit with? What do you talk about?
· What are you good at? What do you like best
about yourself?
3.
Encourage kids to do what
they love.
Special activities, interests, and hobbies can boost confidence, help kids make friends, and protect them from
bullying behavior.
4.
Model how to treat others
with kindness and respect. Kids learn from adults’ actions. By treating others with kindness and
respect, adults show the kids in their lives that there is no place for
bullying. Even if it seems like they are not paying attention, kids are
watching how adults manage stress and conflict, as well as how they treat their
friends, colleagues, and families.
Take some time to enjoy a good book with your
child/ren – these books provide an easy lead-in to a conversation about safety.
Stories can help to create safe connections between caring adults and children.
Be safe and have a great year!
Red
by Jan De
Kinder
Published
originally in Belgium, this quiet book is nevertheless a powerful story. A
little girl, the narrator, points to a classmate’s red cheeks, and soon “It’s
like magic” and the other children urge him to “Do it again!”
“Leave
me alone!” Tommy says and repeats. But another classmate, Paul, pushes. And the
narrator realizes she wants it to stop. But she’s scared of Paul. “His tongue
is as sharp as a knife.”
Neutral
colors make the reds pop, especially on the double page spread where a wolf
image in red and black dominates the two small child figures. When a teacher
asks, “Who saw what happened?” the narrator wants to speak. But it takes a
second request from the teacher before the narrator raises her hand. Relief is
clear in the brief words of the red text, “I’m not all on my own,” she thinks
as others raise their hands and speak up.
Some
of the other children come to stand with the narrator who is later confronted
by Paul’s predictable reaction. His face turns green like “a sour apple.” Pair
this with the conclusion – the narrator and Tommy play soccer together - and
the reader can imagine the teacher’s response. The expressive faces and body
language of the pictures support the understated language of this story.
Eerdmans, $16
Interest Level:
Kindergarten – Grade 2
(This book may be
purchased from local and online booksellers.)
Bullies Never Win
by Margery Cuyler
illustrated by Arthur Howard
Award-winning
author Cuyler once again connects with children in this story about “worrier” Jessica’s
experience with “perfect” Brenda’s belittling. Whenever Jessica excels, Brenda
teases her -- about homework, kickball, her “toothpick” legs -- and won’t even
include her at the lunch table. Alas, one day Jessica’s mom mistakenly packs
Jessica’s lunch in her brother’s boy
lunchbox. Brenda makes fun in front of the other kids. This humiliation is too
much for Jessica.
Comical
pen and ink watercolors clearly display individuals’ feelings. White space is
used skillfully to integrate text seamlessly with animated illustrations.
At
lunch, Jessica sits with Anita and her friends, who sympathize with her about
Brenda, “You should stand up to her.” Jessica’s mom listens and makes
suggestions: “Have you told her how you feel?” “Why don’t you talk to Mr.
Martin?” (the teacher). Jessica worries all night, imagining several
possibilities of what to say, such as, “Your freckles look like pimples.” At school, ignoring doesn’t work. Of
course, when Jessica threatens to talk with the teacher, this brings the
expected accusation of tattletale from Brenda.
Body language and text raise the
tension as Jessica’s “heart begins to pound.” The image of Brenda sticking out
her tongue looms large.
Ultimately, Jessica decides, “Enough
was enough!” And stands up for herself.
Readers see Brenda’s face
redden. And Jessica, who on
earlier pages seemed to shrink, walks with new confidence, out of the
lunchroom.
Simon & Schuster,
$17.99
Interest Level: Junior
Kindergarten – Grade 2
(This book is
available to purchase from local and online booksellers.)
Lucy and the Bully by
Claire Alexander
Lucy
the lamb’s classmates like her drawings -- except Tommy, the bull. He knocks
over her paints, stomps on her clay blackbird, breaks her pencils, and threatens
her, “Don’t tell . . . or else!”
Lucy
doesn’t. But her mother notices Lucy looks sadder each day. Eventually after
mom insists, Lucy explains. She’s terrified to hear her mother call the
teacher.
Sunlit
colors identify a pleasant classroom and playground. Although, dark colors in
the large double spread showing Lucy’ sleepless night, contrast with the active
daytime school experiences. Faces and bodies of the animal characters give
readers a good sense of their feelings.
The
next day, it’s Tommy who is sad. When Lucy notices his drawing of a hedgehog, and
comments that she likes it, this makes it possible for him to apologize. It
also subtly suggests that jealousy may have prompted him to torment her.
A
beginning Note to Parents and Teachers from a therapist at Northwestern
University’s Family Institute briefly shares information. It offers tips for introducing
difficult issues such as bullying, to help strengthen children’s feelings of
safety.
Albert Whitman &
Company, $16.99
Interest Level: Junior
Kindergarten – Grade 2
(This book may be
purchased from local and online booksellers.)
Here are a few more
titles:
Henry and the Bully
by Nancy Carlson
Viking, $15.99
(hardcover) $6.99 (paperback)
Interest Level:
Kindergarten – Grade 3
(This book is
available to purchase from local and online booksellers.)
The Three Bully Goats
by Leslie Kimmelman
illustrated by Will Terry
Albert Whitman &
Company, $16.99
Interest Level:
Kindergarten – Grade 3
(This book may be
purchased from local and online booksellers.)
Thomas the TOADilly
Terrible Bully
by Janice Levy,
illustrated by Bill Slavin and Esperanca Melo
Eerdmans, $17
Interest Level: Kindergarten
– Grade 2
(This book may be
purchased from local and online booksellers.)
No comments:
Post a Comment