Recommendations

We all have some experience of bullying - either being on the receiving end, or seeing someone being bullied or perhaps even being part of a group that bullies. It's a tough subject and the more we read about it, the better prepared we are to deal with it, to stop it happening or to stop becoming involved in it. There are plenty of books out there that cover the topic of bullying within an interesting and fun story. Here are some books that handle the subject in a sensitive way whilst also providing the reader with an interesting story to read:

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan  - coping in a new school and a new country is hard and girls can be cruel

My Sister Lives on the Mantlepiece by Annabel Pitcher - bullying (and learning to cope with it and overcome it) is just one of the difficult issues this book covers

Cloudbusting by Malorie Blackman - a thought provoking and sad book written in verse

Freaks Like Us by Susan Vaught - it's easy to make fun of people who are different - this book makes you think about your perceptions

Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace - sometimes bullying is born of ignorance and fear

The Fall by Anthony McGowan - sometimes you do something stupid and you regret it, but it can haunt you for a long time afterwards

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K Larsen by Susin Nielson - sometimes bullying has tragic consequences, but perhaps there are other ways to face up to bullies

Wonder by R J Palacio - being kind and understanding is much nicer than being a bully

There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar - laugh your way through the book because it is funny, but also get a chance to see the world from the bully's point of view

The Outsiders by S E Hinton - bullying is an easy way of dealing with people you don't understand, which is a shame because at the end of the day we're all pretty much the same