My secret bully

Gr 2-5-This overtly bibliotherapeutic offering tackles the difficult topic of bullying. Monica and Katie have been friends since kindergarten, but lately Katie increasingly seeks to exclude and embarrass her pal in front of their classmates. Monica's despair and isolation are realistically portrayed and highlight the often-overlooked aggression between females. The child eventually shares her anguish with her mother, who effectively counsels her without presenting any pat solutions or easy answers. Lists of resources for adults and children and discussion points are appended. A muddy palette, uninspired renderings of the characters, and a small typeface detract substantially from the appeal of this picture book. Still, libraries may want to purchase it because of the scarcity of material on this very important issue.-Rosalyn Pierini, San Luis Obispo City-County Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Katie is my secret bully. A lot of people would be surprised to know this because they think she's my friend.  And she does act like my friend...sometimes. But lately, I'm not so sure. Katie and I have known each other since kindergarten. We've spent a lot of time together because we like doing the same kinds of things: making perfumes with flowers picked from my yard, playing soccer in the rain, sharing secrets, and spying on our bossy, know-it-all brothers. I love being around Katie when she's nice to me.  But there are times when she's not.  She can be just plain mean. And I don't know why. Excerpted from My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.