Today I am sharing two new books about bullying, published by Magination Press. They both deal with different aspects of bullying and compliment each other well. They are both great classroom discussion books.
Big, Brave, Bold Sergio
Debbie Wagenbach, Author
Jamie Tablason, Illustrator
Magination Press, Fiction, Mar. 19, 2018
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes: Turtles, Animals, Bullying, Peer Pressure, Taking a stand, Kindness
Opening: Sergio liked swimming with the Snappers. He felt BIG when they scattered the minnows.
Synopsis: Sergio and The Snappers are the toughest turtles in the pond! Swimming with them makes Sergio feel Big, Brave and Bold! But soon he starts to notice how the other animals run and hide when the Snappers swim by; frogs flee, tadpoles tremble, and ducks depart the pond! Sergio doesn’t like it, and stands up to his friends, only to become the new target of the gang’s bullying, especially after he befriends some of the fish. But then something happens to one of the Snappers and Sergio has a choice to make.
Baxter and Danny Stand Up to Bullying
James M. Foley, Author
Shirley Ng-Benitez, Illustrator
Magination Press, Fiction, Mar. 15, 2018
Suitable for Ages: 4-8
Themes: Animals, Bullying, Taking a stand, Problem-solving, Friendship
Opening: Baxter the Bunny was the fastest animal in the forest. Danny the Bear was the best dancer.
Synopsis: When Baxter, Danny and the rest of the forest animals are picked on by Buford Blue Jay and his bird friends, they have to figure out what to do. The piercing “screech, screech” of the Blue Jays was loud and their name calling was hurtful. With the support of all the forest animals and Queen Beth of the Bees, they all learn to stand up to Buford’s bullying in a positive way.
Why I like these bullying books:
Each book approaches bullying from a different perspective — the bully and the victims. In the first book Sergio is a bully until his conscience begins to bother him. He deals with peer pressure from the other Snappers and soon becomes their target. In the second book the animals of the forest are the target of bullying by the Blue Jays. Working together helps empower the animals and gives them the confidence to take a stand.
Readers will identify with the name-calling, insults, threats, fear and anger. They will learn how to cope with peer pressure, assert themselves, build self-esteem, problem solve and find solutions that work. I also like the emphasis on learning to have compassion.
Children will be delighted with the large, bold and expressive artwork. There is so much detail to explore. Both illustrators ably capture the lively action in the stories and compliment the authors’ text.
Resources: Both books include “Note to Parents and Caregivers” about how to prevent bullying, cope with peer pressure, become resilient and develop an attitude of kindness towards others. Theses are great discussion books for home or classroom reading.
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books (PPB) with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s website.
*I received a review copies of Big, Brave, Bold Sergio and Baxter and Danny Stand Up to Bullying from the publisher. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.
Great idea to use the creatures to show a story about bullying.
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I think using animals allows children to talk more freely about bullying and any problems they may have.
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Interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a PB from the bully’s perspective.
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This is the second book I’ve run across from the bully’s perspective.
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What was the other one? Which do you prefer?
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It is called the Weird Series — 3 books — each book with the same characters — but told from the perspective of the victim, the bystander and the bully. Very contemporary. You’d like the books!
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That sound cool. Thanks.
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The author is Erin Frankel. Unique series. There is a fourth book focusing on boys, “Nobody.”
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What a great pairing – so beneficial to see something from varied points of view! Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks Beth. I thought long and hard about reviewing the books separately, but I thought they complimented each other so well that I had to share them together.
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Thanks for these recommendations. They both sounds great for teachers and parents. The pictures will definitely pull the readers in.
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I really loved the text and the illustrations and I know children will love how important they are to the story!
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I wish bullying was something that didn’t exist, but since it does, and since it needs to be discussed, these two books look like they provide the perfect opener for discussion in the classroom.
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That’s why I think it is important to engage kids at an early age. These stories both emphasize kindness and have a twist to them.
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Wow, I like Sergio’s perspective. Great pairing of books about bullying. It is important to see how to help others and prevent being a bully – just to belong. (I think our books go together). Great post Patricia.
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Thank you. I think you are right, our books go together. I loved Sergio’s journey the most. But, both books have some surprises that really emphasize kindness.
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There can never be too many books about bullying. Good to see both sides of it too.
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I enjoyed reading both perspective on bullying. When I think back, I was bullied as a kid. But I also did things that I’m not proud of — putting worms on a girl’s head. Even though I was really a very kind child.
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We all did things we are not proud of as kids. Perhaps it is all part of being a kid. I was bullied too because I would befriend the ones everyone picked on and prefered reading and learning instead of sports and fooling around. But I am glad I stood up for those less fortunate instead of trying to fit in with the in-crowd. It did upset me though and I sometimes didn´t want to go to school because of it. It´s hard to be a kid.
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That’s why we need to start teaching and talking kindness at a young age and carry it forward into the older grades. I think junior and senior high were the toughest times. Was never the popular girl and was ignored. But, I also had a solid group of friends who shared my interests. Bullying is tough, but I think it also teaches you something and makes you think about who you want to be. At least it did for me.
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Great to present these complimentary perspectives to a class.
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Yes, that’s why I decided to review these books together since they made a great pairing.
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I love how you paired these books to round out perspectives. Great choices!
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Could have run them separate, but they just felt like a very nice fit! Glad you liked the review.
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How fun to pair these two and run them together! It’d be fun for the students to do a compare/contrast using a double bubble graphic organizer, Venn diagram or H-map.
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You have great ideas as a teacher! I really enjoyed pairing them!
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I love children’s stories about turtles, and stories that teach children about bullying. Thanks for sharing!
I’m part of #DiverseKidLit blog hop. 🙂
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Hi, Elaine. Both books are very cleverly written and illustrated. So important to start having this conversation at a young age.
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Important topics! Thanks for sharing at the Diverse KidLit linky!
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I am glad you liked the bullying books. It felt appropriate to pair them to show the different POVs.
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