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.