How Do We Address Bullying Behaviors? A Bibliography
Prepared for CEASE by Karen Kosko, Cambridge, MA
and Alice Wadden, Watertown, MA
For young children: Preschool – Grade 3
Baillie, Allan, Rebel; Ticknor & Fields , 1994
A story set in Rangoon, Burma, when a small village is bullied by a general and his troops until a symbolic gesture of defiance by a child and a resulting show of unity of all the people stops the action.
Bottner, Barbara, Bootsie Barker Bites; Putnam, 1992
A little girl finds her life made miserable by the torments devised by the nasty, mischievous Bootsie Barker, until the terrible Bootsie receives her just punishment.
Boyd, Lizi, Bailey, The Big Bully; Puffin Books, 1991
Bailey the bully is accustomed to getting his own way. A new boy named Max moves into town and begins to upset the balance of power.
Cole, Joanna, Bully Trouble (Step into Reading, Step 2); Random, 1989
Bothered by a bully named Eddie who takes their treats, Arlo and Robbie show him that disagreements can be settled peaceably when we have self-confidence.
Cosby, Bill, The Meanest Thing To Say (A Little Bill Book); Scholastic, 1997
To win the game Little Bill must say mean things. Is there a choice? Can he say nice things and win the game?
Howe, James, Pinky and Rex and the Bully (Ready to Read Level 3); Alladin, 1996
Pinky, a boy, must deal with a bully who calls him names and creates a situation where Pinky must develop more confidence in himself.
Lester, Helen, Hooway for Wodney Wat; Houghton Mifflin, 1999
A timid rat who can’t pronounce his r’s is a role model for any child who has been bullied or teased and outwits his tormentor with a very light touch. He will encourage children to have the spirit to stand up for themselves.
Lovell, P., Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon; Putnam, 2001
Molly Lou Melon, a girl who doesn’t let anything – or anyone – shake her belief in herself even when she encounters the school bully, Ronald Durkin.
Merriam, Eve, Fighting Words; William Morrow, 1992
When best friends Dale and Leda decide they really hate each other, they roll up their sleeves and engage in a whimsical battle of fighting words.
Millman, Dan, Secret of the Peaceful Warrior: A story of courage and Love; Kramer, 1991
In a new neighborhood, he is confronted by a frightening bully. In a dream, Danny meets an old man with shining white hair – a man who will soon appear in real life and share a wonderful secret.
Nickle, John, Ant Bully; Scholastic, 1999
Shifting perspectives to accentuate height, creating giants out of children and mountains out of ant hills; these shifts help convey Lucas’s own changing attitudes.
O’Neill, Alexis, The Recess Queen; Scholastic, 2002
Mean Jean meets little Katie Sue, a new girl, who is oblivious to the fact that Jean is a bully, and just asks her to jump rope with her. The atmosphere on the playground changes for everyone.
Otoshi, Kathryn, One; KO Kids Books, 2008
This deceptively simple color and counting book uses round splashes of color as persona’s. It offers a clever way for the very young to think about finding solutions to teasing and bullying.
Polacco, Patricia, Mr. Lincoln’s Way; Philomel Books, 2001
Mr. Lincoln is the principal and everyone loves him . . . except for “Mean Gene” who hates everyone who’s different. He’s a bully. Can the principal find a way to get through to “Mean Gene” and show him that the differences between people are what make them special?
Surat, Michelle, Angel Child, Dragon Child; Scholastic, 1989
Ut, a Vietnamese child trying to adjust to life in the USA has trouble with children at school because she is different.
Thomas, Pat, Stop Picking on Me: A First Look At Series; Barrons, 2001
Explores the difficult issue of bullying among children and helps them accept the normal fears and worries that accompany bullying, and suggests ways to resolve this upsetting experience.
Yashima, Taro, Crow Boy; Penguin, 1976
Chibi is taunted by the others only because he is different. What responsibilities do other students have when one student is excluded? What is the teacher’s role? Story is set in Japan and shows how Chibi has an extraordinary understanding of nature – using all of his 5 senses.
All grown up? See Bullying Books for Adults.
