Sandra Humphrey addresses a decades old problem; one that has affected every child, parent, teacher or school counselor and administrator in some way. If only this had been recognized as the problem it is sooner maybe society would not have been so effected by long-term negative effects.
The 26 brief stories of students at Emerson Elementary give you a glimpse of both sides of bullying and peer pressure. Each situation that has been described by a fictitious student is then followed by a group of questions for discussion.
(See the book trailer http://bit.ly/qYvk1N)
Ms. Humphrey has shared a list of reference websites, a list of recommended website resources, citations of bullying statistics and a list of “cool” things you can do to help someone being bullied at the end of the book.
I worked within the school system and youth sporting activities both as a parent volunteer and as a classroom instructional aide for many years and saw first hand how damning this problem can be. I wish I’d had access to such simple information and suggestions as this then. A little guidance would have been helpful to both the child and myself.
The book ends with a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King, “The time is always right to do what is right”. This simple thought repeated often enough might make a world of difference.
About The Author: Sandra McLeod Humphrey is a retired clinical psychologist with over 40 years experience working with young people. She's a writer and consultant for the Heroes & Dreams Foundation which provides character education materials to schools K-8 throughout the United States and Canada and the author of seven middle-grade and young adult books. She was "Author of the Month" for MyShelf.com 12/03 and she's the recipient of the National Character Education Center's Award for "Exemplary Leadership in Ethics Education" (2000), the 2005 Helen Keating Ott Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children's Literature, a 2008 Mom's Choice Gold Award, a 2008 American Authors Association Silver Quill Award, and a 2009 Young Voices Foundation Silver Award.
Lynnette Phillips
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