Tweens are often characterized as trying to establish their identity in terms of others, whether it be in regards to school, their family, their peer group, or any other social setting. Bullying, it seems, is considered by many to be a common extension of identity formation. Bullies use malicious behavior in order to secure social status and establish themselves as superior in some way or another. Victims are often victimized because they lack concrete identity. As The Bully Book pointed out, the best victims are the ones who don't know who they are, so they accept and believe the identities assigned to them by others. This is one of the main reasons bullying has such long-term harmful effects - the experience becomes part of the victim's identity much more than it does for the perpetrator.
Not all bullies are aware of their behavior. Because of the brain development tweens undergo, most are ridiculously self-centered and oblivious to the feelings of those around them. In such cases, bullies are unaware of the negative consequences of their behaviors. However, because successful communication skills are not yet developed at this age, conflicts often escalate because the individuals involved are unable to address grievances directly. The result is backstabbing, gossiping, and shunning.
According to tween research and the books reviewed, one of the best things tweens can do to alleviate the ill effects of bullying is to find allies, such as new friends or adult mentors. Even if tweens don't discuss the bullying with these individuals, the new and positive perspectives of supportive individuals can help break the negative feedback loop caused by bullying.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
I, Emma Freke by Elizabeth Atkinson
Bibliographic Information
Atkinson, E. (2010). I, Emma Freke. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books. ISBN: 9780761356042.
Plot Summary
Emma sticks out like a sore thumb in her hometown of Homeport, MA. She's too tall, too smart, and too shy. On top of it all, her name is Emma Freke (as in "am a freak") and she has a completely unengaged mother and a father she's never met. When Emma is invited to a Freke family reunion, she feels like she's finally found the place where she belongs. However, not all is what it seems at the Freke family gathering. Outsider Emma must find the courage to stand up for the people her own family have ostracized.
Review
Aunt Pat is a controlling bully, using the threat of disinheritance to coerce the rest of the family into obeying her every whim, even if it means blackballing members of the family. This book is unique in that it talks about adult to adult bullying and the role of money in adult power dynamics. Like many other tween bullying books, it also points out the need to change one's environment in order to regain self-esteem and personal power.
Atkinson, E. (2010). I, Emma Freke. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books. ISBN: 9780761356042.
Plot Summary
Emma sticks out like a sore thumb in her hometown of Homeport, MA. She's too tall, too smart, and too shy. On top of it all, her name is Emma Freke (as in "am a freak") and she has a completely unengaged mother and a father she's never met. When Emma is invited to a Freke family reunion, she feels like she's finally found the place where she belongs. However, not all is what it seems at the Freke family gathering. Outsider Emma must find the courage to stand up for the people her own family have ostracized.
Review
Aunt Pat is a controlling bully, using the threat of disinheritance to coerce the rest of the family into obeying her every whim, even if it means blackballing members of the family. This book is unique in that it talks about adult to adult bullying and the role of money in adult power dynamics. Like many other tween bullying books, it also points out the need to change one's environment in order to regain self-esteem and personal power.
Monday, May 5, 2014
The Princess Diaries (Feature Film)
Bibliographic Information
Marshall, G. (Director), & Houston, W. (Producer). (2001). The Princess Diaries. USA: Walt Disney Pictures
Plot Summary
Awkward nobody Mia Thermopolis gets the shock of her life when she discovers that she's the heir to the throne of Genovia. Under the tutelage of her grandmother, she alters her appearance and demeanor to become the princess she needs to be. Her new role garners the jealousy of other girls in the school, including her own best friend.
Review
Like many tweens and teens, the bullying Mia experiences is a result of jealousy. It's particularly obvious coming from her best friend, who harps on Mia's transformation and calls her a sell-out. The exclusion and mockery Mia faces at the beginning of the film is due to her shyness and inability to speak in public. Often tweens and teens are bullied because of reclusive personalities or the inability to perform a task that gives them status, like sports. The film shows that aspect of bullying with how Mia is treated.
Marshall, G. (Director), & Houston, W. (Producer). (2001). The Princess Diaries. USA: Walt Disney Pictures
Plot Summary
Awkward nobody Mia Thermopolis gets the shock of her life when she discovers that she's the heir to the throne of Genovia. Under the tutelage of her grandmother, she alters her appearance and demeanor to become the princess she needs to be. Her new role garners the jealousy of other girls in the school, including her own best friend.
Review
Like many tweens and teens, the bullying Mia experiences is a result of jealousy. It's particularly obvious coming from her best friend, who harps on Mia's transformation and calls her a sell-out. The exclusion and mockery Mia faces at the beginning of the film is due to her shyness and inability to speak in public. Often tweens and teens are bullied because of reclusive personalities or the inability to perform a task that gives them status, like sports. The film shows that aspect of bullying with how Mia is treated.
Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change by Bonnie Burton
Bibliographic Information
Burton, B. (2009). Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change. San Francisco, CA: Zest Books. ISBN: 097901736.
Summary
This nonfiction book discusses popular scientific theories for why girls are mean to one another, ranging from the need to compete for limited resources to being bullied by someone at home. The next section discusses various tactics used for girl to girl bullying, such as gossiping, excluding, and boyfriend stealing, why they occur, and what victims can do about it. The book also goes into depth about situations where reinforcements are needed, such as parents, administrators, or police in order to curtail the harassing behavior.
Review
Too often girl to girl harassment is considered a normal part of fitting in and establishing a social hierarchy at school. This book points out that bullying behaviors stem from a variety of reasons, but ultimately, it comes down to personal choice. Bullies choose to treat other girls meanly. The author, as well as famous female musicians and other public figures, encourage readers to make the choice to be kind and stop dividing into cliques.
Burton, B. (2009). Girls Against Girls: Why We Are Mean to Each Other and How We Can Change. San Francisco, CA: Zest Books. ISBN: 097901736.
Summary
This nonfiction book discusses popular scientific theories for why girls are mean to one another, ranging from the need to compete for limited resources to being bullied by someone at home. The next section discusses various tactics used for girl to girl bullying, such as gossiping, excluding, and boyfriend stealing, why they occur, and what victims can do about it. The book also goes into depth about situations where reinforcements are needed, such as parents, administrators, or police in order to curtail the harassing behavior.
Review
Too often girl to girl harassment is considered a normal part of fitting in and establishing a social hierarchy at school. This book points out that bullying behaviors stem from a variety of reasons, but ultimately, it comes down to personal choice. Bullies choose to treat other girls meanly. The author, as well as famous female musicians and other public figures, encourage readers to make the choice to be kind and stop dividing into cliques.
Saturday, May 3, 2014
The Bully Book: A Novel by Eric Kahn Gale
Bibliographic Information
Gale, E.K. (2013). The Bully Book. New York, NY: Harper. ISBN:
Plot Summary
Eric Haskins just started 6th grade, unaware that his life will soon become a living hell. He's been chosen to be this year's Grunt. This means he is the target of all the kids in the class. They will make fun of him, exclude him, blame him for things he hasn't done, and generally make him a pariah. Why will they do this? Because the book told them to. The Bully Book, as Eric calls it, is a secret manual for popularity. The possessor of the book becomes the coolest kid in school by uniting everyone else against the Grunt. Eric is determined to find the book and understand what it is that makes him the perfect grunt candidate so that he can change it. His quest leads him to understand that he's part of something much larger and more dangerous than he originally thought.
Review
The excerpts of the Bully Book included in the text are amazingly accurate. If Machiavelli had attended middle school, this is the book he would've written. It teaches the reader how to manipulate others, particularly teachers and peers. And the sad thing is, the techniques work. It explains how bullies manage to evade punishment and victims remain victimized. Bullied kids and bullies alike will recognize themselves in these pages. It depicts upper elementary and middle school as a hostile environment where alliances can change and friendships and loyalties are ephemeral.
Gale, E.K. (2013). The Bully Book. New York, NY: Harper. ISBN:
Plot Summary
Eric Haskins just started 6th grade, unaware that his life will soon become a living hell. He's been chosen to be this year's Grunt. This means he is the target of all the kids in the class. They will make fun of him, exclude him, blame him for things he hasn't done, and generally make him a pariah. Why will they do this? Because the book told them to. The Bully Book, as Eric calls it, is a secret manual for popularity. The possessor of the book becomes the coolest kid in school by uniting everyone else against the Grunt. Eric is determined to find the book and understand what it is that makes him the perfect grunt candidate so that he can change it. His quest leads him to understand that he's part of something much larger and more dangerous than he originally thought.
Review
The excerpts of the Bully Book included in the text are amazingly accurate. If Machiavelli had attended middle school, this is the book he would've written. It teaches the reader how to manipulate others, particularly teachers and peers. And the sad thing is, the techniques work. It explains how bullies manage to evade punishment and victims remain victimized. Bullied kids and bullies alike will recognize themselves in these pages. It depicts upper elementary and middle school as a hostile environment where alliances can change and friendships and loyalties are ephemeral.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Bibliography
Van Draanen, W. (2003). Flipped. New York, NY: Ember. ISBN: 0375825444
Plot Summary
Julianna Baker is a bit of an iconoclast. She loves sycamore trees to the point of camping in one when developers threaten to cut it down. She raises chickens and sings to them. And she's in love with a boy that actively avoids her. Bryce Loski, the object of her affection, is everything that Juli isn't. He's popular, obsessed with his image, and a bit of a bully. When Bryce's grandfather Chet moves in, he makes Bryce question his assumptions about the neighbor girl and his treatment of her all these years.
Review
Bryce Loski is a subtle bully in the way that he quietly gossips about and undercuts Juli's confidence. He says his mean actions are to get her to leave him alone, but really he's trying to get her to conform to convention, something that she's unwilling to do. Bryce's father is also a bully, openly mocking Juli's family when they come to dinner. This reinforces the common idea that many tween behavior problems are a result of bad parental example. Chet's influence causes Bryce to see things different, particularly his own behavior.
Van Draanen, W. (2003). Flipped. New York, NY: Ember. ISBN: 0375825444
Plot Summary
Julianna Baker is a bit of an iconoclast. She loves sycamore trees to the point of camping in one when developers threaten to cut it down. She raises chickens and sings to them. And she's in love with a boy that actively avoids her. Bryce Loski, the object of her affection, is everything that Juli isn't. He's popular, obsessed with his image, and a bit of a bully. When Bryce's grandfather Chet moves in, he makes Bryce question his assumptions about the neighbor girl and his treatment of her all these years.
Review
Bryce Loski is a subtle bully in the way that he quietly gossips about and undercuts Juli's confidence. He says his mean actions are to get her to leave him alone, but really he's trying to get her to conform to convention, something that she's unwilling to do. Bryce's father is also a bully, openly mocking Juli's family when they come to dinner. This reinforces the common idea that many tween behavior problems are a result of bad parental example. Chet's influence causes Bryce to see things different, particularly his own behavior.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Runt by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Bibliographic Information
Baskin, N.R. (2013). Runt. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781442458079
Plot Summary
The lives of a handful of middle school students who share a homeroom class are explored in this intriguing look at middle school social hierarchy. Maggie is the queen bee who secretly yearns to renew her friendship with Freida, an artistic iconoclast who intentionally seeks to be different and spurns popular opinion. Stewart is a bully basketball star who feels his physical prowess must somehow make up for his older sister's handicap. Matthew, Stewart's long-time victim, is the fall-guy when he snaps under one abuse too many and breaks Stewart's nose. Elizabeth, a sensitive but intelligent girl who's good with the dogs that board at her house but not with the things necessary to be popular, is Maggie's target. Finally, there's Zoe, Maggie's sidekick, and Ethan, an artistic nobody who's drawn into Maggie's schemes.
Review
Unlike most other books on the subject of bullying, there is no happy ending to this one. Stewart gets a bit of comeuppance, but doesn't actually change. Elizabeth decides to turn the other cheek, only to be publicly mocked once again. The message for tweens seems to be that people are jerks, there's an order to things, and there's not much you can do to overcome harassment besides ride it out and wait for graduation. While the book is not terribly encouraging, it is rather realistic.
Baskin, N.R. (2013). Runt. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9781442458079
Plot Summary
The lives of a handful of middle school students who share a homeroom class are explored in this intriguing look at middle school social hierarchy. Maggie is the queen bee who secretly yearns to renew her friendship with Freida, an artistic iconoclast who intentionally seeks to be different and spurns popular opinion. Stewart is a bully basketball star who feels his physical prowess must somehow make up for his older sister's handicap. Matthew, Stewart's long-time victim, is the fall-guy when he snaps under one abuse too many and breaks Stewart's nose. Elizabeth, a sensitive but intelligent girl who's good with the dogs that board at her house but not with the things necessary to be popular, is Maggie's target. Finally, there's Zoe, Maggie's sidekick, and Ethan, an artistic nobody who's drawn into Maggie's schemes.
Review
Unlike most other books on the subject of bullying, there is no happy ending to this one. Stewart gets a bit of comeuppance, but doesn't actually change. Elizabeth decides to turn the other cheek, only to be publicly mocked once again. The message for tweens seems to be that people are jerks, there's an order to things, and there's not much you can do to overcome harassment besides ride it out and wait for graduation. While the book is not terribly encouraging, it is rather realistic.
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