Confessions of a Former Bully Review

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(More customer reviews)Loved it.
Confessions of a Former Bully, honestly, should be read by every kid, and every teacher in grade school, and discussed at length. I am a former teacher and this is the most insightful book you will ever read on this topic. This is a book written by Katie, a former bully, about what she used to do/say to other kids to bully them. Her character arc from the beginning of the book until the end, what she learns about herself, what she learns about bullying and the impact it has on her and other kids, and how she changes her attitude and behaviors are perfect for class discussions. So many kids will see themselves, in different places, all over this book. Some might see themselves as bullies, others might see themselves as being bullied - or both, but it gives the kids insight, this incredible insight, as to who they are, and how their actions, positive and negative, impact others. Plus, Ludwig has put in Quick Facts about bullying, quotes from famous people, "what to do" types of advice, "tool belts" for dealing with bullies, and what good friends and bad friends look like. It's a story - but then there's all the practical stuff in there, too, about bullying. Can I say it this way? It's an awesome - excellent book.


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Give a Boy a Gun Review

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(More customer reviews)Good fiction encourages the reader to think hard about the issues that affect our lives. The very best fiction does that and more - it encourages us to act on those issues. In this powerful, honest, and disturbing novel about guns and school violence, Todd Strasser gives voice to the victims, classmates, neighbors, parents, and students who held the guns - both fictional and real - and asks the reader what he can do to make a difference. Strasser goes beyond just the issue of gun control by presenting a compelling look at the intolerance that pervades our schools. He implores our educators and children to celebrate the differences that make us human, to value accomplishments beyond those on the athletic fields, and to recognize that marching to a different drummer is not cause for ridicule. I applaud Strasser, a fiction author, who uses his craft and his gift to encourage readers to be part of the solution to violence that is unnecessarily costing young lives.

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No Easy Answers: The Truth Behind Death at Columbine Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm a 46-year-old former high school teacher with no ties to Colorado or Columbine. I'm not a Columbine junkie--haven't read any other books on the subject and didn't know any more about it than any other American who watches and reads the news.
I read this book in three sittings in less than 24 hours. It's a compelling story written in plain, raw prose that makes no pretense to literary merit. I'm perfectly willing to believe that this isn't "the last word" on the subject, that it looks at things from only one perspective, and may even be somewhat self-serving.
But so what? What we need to reach understanding is direct, honest accounts from _different_ perspectives, and that's what I found here. Obviously, the author (who was involved in, and scarred by, the event) has been trying to work out his culpability, his feelings, and tell his story--genuinely searching for explanations and meaning--and this book is the fruit of his effort. The person he describes himself to have been will be familiar to most teachers, a part angry, part goofy punk who is both rebellious and thoughtful and bright.
He describes the toxic atmosphere of the school. Large high schools can be awful places--he compares it socially to a prison yard, something I have no trouble believing. The main interest of this book to readers, however, is Brooks's gradual discovery of what might be called the realities of adult politics--the inept, self-justifying Sheriff, the injustices perpetuated by a shocked community attempting to assign blame, the understandable desire of the authorities to make it all go away, the efforts of many interest groups to appropriate the event for their own purposes, and, eventually, the kids' rejection by hardened politicians who see it only as a small facet of a larger issue they've already made up their minds about. This is the disillusion we all face entering adulthood, but made brutally sudden and shocking for the author by the murders. He seems to have done a good job of handling it all in the aftermath--although the book describes a teenager, it's written from the perspective of an adult. In fact I hope Brown becomes a politician someday...it's clear that his values have been formed in the crucible of this experience.
I picked up this book on impulse, and it's a very quick read, but I'm glad I read it. I may even seek out other books on the subject now.

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