Dear Bully edited by Hall and Jones

Dear Bully.  70 Authors Tell Their Stories edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones

"Dear Bully,
I'm not sure if you remember me.  But I definitely remember you." Pg.9
If you have ever been bullied, it is an experience you will never forget.  It changes who you are and how you go about your daily existence. Some victims commit suicide as we frequently see in the news or lash out at their tormentors by bringing guns to school or getting in fights. Bullying is a no win situation and must be stopped, not tolerated.

Dear Bully is a compilation of 70 teen authors who share their thoughts and experiences on bullying.  Bullying affects a whopping 75% of our kids today and thousands of kids miss school everyday because they fear they will be bullied if they attend.  Popular teen authors like Ellen Hopkins, Mo Willems, Alyson Noel and R.L.Stine tell what is was like to be on the sidelines, to be the victim or the perpetrator.

One would think that a book about bullying would be sad and depressing and some of the stories are really sad but mainly Dear Bully is empowering.  These stories offer the reader hope and guidance on a deeply personal level.  There are actual relevant resources in the back of the book for young adults and their parents who are in need of help.

Initially I resisted reading Dear Bully but I ended up really liking it because it was so empowering.  I read it slowly, over a month, a few stories at a time.  I loved the variety of stories, writing styles, poems, authors and multiple points of view.  As an educator and a parent who has seen kids suffer under the effects of bullying, Dear Bully reaffirmed my belief that we are a village and we need to stand up for kids everywhere and prevent bullying.

Take a stand to prevent bullying!