Speak by Laurie H. Anderson

Bully Prevention should be a priority for both schools and parents. In order to prevent it, you need to pay attention to the warning signs for bullying, whether your child is being bullied or he is the bully. Only then can you help your child. Here are some great books (fiction & non-fiction) I have found for young adults and teens that might help you convey the message and stop the bullying.

Fiction

Fat Boy Swim by Catherine Forde

Jimmy, in spite of being a talented in cooking, is bullied at school for being obese. He keeps his special talent a secret until he meets a pushy coach that forces him to swim and changes his life.

Hangman by Julia Jarman

When Danny moves to Toby’s secondary school, Toby dreads being seen as his friend but doesn’t want to bully Danny either. When their class visit Normandy a harmless game goes dreadfully wrong and Toby has to learn a difficult lesson. This story forces young readers to think about consequences and outcomes before acting.

Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner

Elliot, a badly bullied kid at school, gets a chance and decides to re-invent himself so he will never be picked on again. However, it works too well. He becomes a member of the Guardians, who run the new school according to their own rules. With the membership, comes power and power can be an evil thing.

Malarkey by Keith Gray

John Malarkey has just joined High School. He is strong and determined character so when he finds he has made enemies of the Tailors, a gang who ‘run’ the school. he is willing to break a few rules to confront the bullying.

Playing it Cool by Jacqueline Roy

Grace goes to stay with her grandmother and finds her pretty different from the usual grandmoms. When Grace is bullied at school, the problem actually brings both of them closer together.

Skarrs by Catherine Forde

Danny’s teenage years have been dominated by Jakey, the school bully and a fascist rock group, Skarrs. He is on a downward spiral. Running along in parallel is his Grampa Dans story. After the death of his Grampa Dan, Danny slowly realizes what a mess his life is turning into. And now he is on a mission to set things straight.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda beings her freshman year as an outcast because everyone thought she called the police to stop a summer party. But, the truth was that she was abused and needed help. Luckily, she finds a means of expression through an art project, with the help of a rather eccentric art teacher.

The Bailey Game by Celia Rees

Alex Lewis is haunted by the memory of the terrifying incident that took place two years ago, and by the fact that she too played the vicious game which led to it – the Bailey Game. All it takes for the game to re-start is the arrival of a new girl, Lauren Price. Ultimately her friendship with Lauren and her memory of the unstoppable Bailey Game demand that this time she opts out of the game and faces the perils of being on the outsider.

Non-fiction

Bullying: A Practical Guide to Coping for Schools by Michele Elliott

Aimed at younger teenagers, it has a very easy and readable format with a lot of quotes from teenagers and famous people who were bullied when young.

How Do I Feel About Bullies and Gangs? by Julie Johnson

A good read of the subject for younger readers which includes the different types of bullying, both subtle and the more obvious types. “Tell someone” is the main message.

I Feel Bullied by Jen Green

A simple introduction to bullying for young children and advises that the best thing to do if you feel bullied is to tell a grown-up.

It’s Always Me They’re After by Rein Broere and Ann De Bode

Peter moves into a new house and almost immediately has trouble with a bully, who lives on the same street and is in his class at school. His teacher tries to deal with the school situation, but he needs his mother’s help to resolve the overall problem.

What Do We Think About Bullying? by Jillian Powell

This book is aimed at primary age children and includes advice for parents and teachers.

Dealing With Bullying by Yvette Solomon

A book for older children that includes brief sections on bullying in institutions and sexual harassment and abuse, as well as the usual aspects of the topic. It stresses the importance of friends and gives advice on making and keeping friends.

No More Bullying by Rosemary Stones

This book shows school bullying from a child’s perspective and how the victim can seem to be the one behaving badly. The problem is solved when the bullied girl plucks up the courage to tell her teacher what is going on.

Stop Picking On Me by Pat Thomas

A picture book which has a useful section about how bullies feel as well as good advice for the bullied.

The Skinny on Bullying by Mike Cassidy

It is in an easy-to-digest format, comic style writing introducing key information about bullies and bullying, avoiding cyberbullying and talking to an adult when you are being bullied.

We’re Talking About Bullying by Anne CharlishThis book contains case studies for the children to discuss and is intended to help both the bullies and the bullied.

Last, but not the least, I discovered a cool board on Pinterest that shows books for young adults on the topic of bullying. Check it out. The board was created by Stephanie @ Read in a Single Sitting.

Share any books or resources that might have helped you deal with bullying.