ERICA'S STORY

Why I Created My Bibliographies
Erica Bryant, age 13

Last fall, the beginning of 8th grade, kids started teasing me and calling me horrible names. All of my girlfriends began to drop me. They ignored me, gossiped about me, and excluded me. If I sat down at the same table as them in class or at lunch, they would get up and leave. I tried ignoring the teasing and harassment, but things got out of hand. It got to the point where I couldn’t go through the halls without a laugh, a cough disguising a mean name, a whisper, a trip, or an obscene gesture. Some kids would even throw volleyballs at me at recess.

My classmates needed a scapegoat, I suppose, and they chose me. Things became so unbearable that I became depressed and begged my parents to let me stay home from school. My parents had tried for three months to work with the principal and social worker, but nothing was improving. My parents finally decided to take me out of school and home school me for the remainder of 8th grade.

I decided I wanted to make a bibliography of fiction books about bullying and teasing because I believe that reading fiction about kids who are teased or bullied would give kids reassurance that they aren’t alone and that many children have experienced similar situations. I went to the public library and tried to find as many books as I could about bullying, teasing, name-calling, cliques, etc. I started making lists of these books and writing summaries of them. I hope that kids who have been victims of teasing will enjoy reading these books and find ways to stand up for themselves.

Download Erica's bibliographies:

Erica's Bibliography of Fiction about Bullying and Teasing for Children

Erica's Bibliography of Fiction about Bullying and Teasing for Young Adults

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