Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell their Stories, edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones

It's always nice to know that you're not alone when you're being bullied. Everyone has his or her own story to tell--from both sides of the bullying problem.  In this collection of memoirs, poetry, and one comic, famous authors of teen books tell their own stories.  The introduction is by Ellen Hopkins (who came to PCHS--woot!) and cool authors like Kiernan Scott, R.L. Stine, Lisa Yee, Cecil Castellucci, Carrie Ryan, Lara Zeises, Alyson Noel, Lauren Kate, Megan McCafferty, and even children's book author Mo Willems! The list of authors is absolutely amazing--everyone has a story to tell about growing up bullied.

On the negative side, after reading about a quarter of the book, the stories all started to run together with a common theme.  Don't worry, things will get better. Yes, this makes you stronger, but it still sucks. There is comfort in numbers...and sometimes slightly in revenge. I'm just not sure if this will checked out much in my library, although I'll make sure my counselors know I have it.  I could see a teacher using selected sections in their class, too, but I'm just not sure if it's going to be a popular read. Gee, does carrying this library book make you a target for bullying? ;)