Author: Rex Ogle
Published: 2021 Rex Ogle continues his story from Free Lunch in his newest memoir Punching Bag. Ogle writes about his abusive childhood and some of the horrible things he had to go through. He writes about how his baby sister was never even able to be born and how his mom blamed him for her death. He writes about how his mom and his stepfather, Sam, would physically fight each other so hard and how Rex himself was hit too. This story is absolutely heartbreaking. It is a tough read at some times due to the subject matter but I think middle schoolers would be able to handle it. I predict this will be a very popular read at our library.
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Author: Paul Langan
Published: 2002 Darrell has to move all the way from Philadelphia to California. He has to leave behind his best friend and go to a new school where he knows no one. The thing he is most nervous about is making friends. Darrell is very small for his age, and he is worried about people making fun of him. When he gets to California, one of his first interactions with the kids at school is terrible. A boy named Tyray and his friends immediately start to make fun of him. When school starts, Darrell feels invisible--no one will sit with him at lunch, no one will talk to him in classes. The only time he is noticed is when Tyray and his friends humiliate him. Soon they are demanding that Darrell give him money every week. If he pays, they promise to leave him alone. Feeling like he has no one to turn to, Darrell dreads going to school. Will he ever make friends and escape the bullies at school? The Bully, a book in the Bluford High series, is a great story for readers who like reading about real issues young people face but are intimidated by longer books. Author: Barbara Dee
Published: 2019 Mila is in seventh grade. One day, she and her friends are having a little birthday celebration for one of them after lunch at school. They do a group hug, and then a few boys in their grade who were playing basketball join in without asking. Mila feels a little weird about it, but her friends kind of laugh it off. Then Mila notices that these boys are starting to make weird comments about her and touching her even though she doesn't want them to. They claim that she is their good luck charm because after they had the group hug, they won their basketball game. One day, one boy even says that it's his birthday so he wants a hug. She gives in (even though she doesn't really want to) but then she later finds out that it wasn't even his birthday. Even though Mila tells the boys to knock it off, they don't listen to her and everything gets worse and worse. She doesn't know who to turn to. Her mom is having her own problems at work, and her friends think she is just overreacting. She feels very overwhelmed and uncomfortable in her own skin. Mila doesn't even know what to call what is happening to her. It's more than bullying, but she doesn't know how to even explain it. When the boys go too far, Mila needs to figure out how to get help. Maybe He Just Likes You is an extremely relevant book that all young people should read. It talks about important things like consent and sexual harassment. Author: Leslie Connor
Published: 2018 Mason has lost a lot of people in his life--his mom, his grandpa, and his best friend, Benny. Ever since Benny died in a freak accident in Mason's family's orchard, Mason has been a loner at school. It doesn't help that Mason is a very big kid, is always sweating, and can't read or write. Some neighbor boys use these things against him and terrorize him any chance they get. Then Mason meets Calvin, a small boy with white hair. Calvin is different from many others at school, and the two become fast friends. Finally, Mason isn't alone anymore. The bullies now pick on the two of them together. Then Mason and Calvin discover an old root cellar on Mason's family's land, and the two make that their secret hideout, free from bullies. Mason is happy for the first time in a long time. But some people think that the way Benny died was no accident, and when Calvin goes missing, suspicion falls on Mason. The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle is a fantastic story about Mason, a boy you can't help but love. Fans of Freak The Mighty will enjoy this beautiful story about friendship. Author: Ami Polonsky
Published: 2014 Ever since she was little, Grayson has known the truth: she is a girl. Everyone else sees her as a boy. She holds on to this secret of hers and lives her days as a boy. Grayson lives with her aunt, uncle, and two cousins because her parents died when she was younger. She wonders if she could be more open with her secret to her parents if they were still alive. Grayson spends all her time by herself. She used to have a good friend to eat lunch with, but then she moved away. Whenever partners are chosen in class, Grayson freezes and waits until the teacher pairs her up with someone. At lunch, she goes and eats in the library alone. This year there is a new girl at school named Amelia, and Amelia wants to befriend Grayson. For the first time in a long time, Grayson has someone. When the middle school play auditions start, Grayson decides she wants to audition. But she doesn't want to play a boy character, she wants to be the lead female character. This causes all kinds of problems for her--the principal gets involved, bullies start bothering her all the time, and her aunt is furious that the school is even considering letting her play a female character. Gracefully Grayson is a great middle-grade read for lovers of George by Alex Gino. This book is such a great window for readers who don't know much about trans people and also a mirror for readers who are dealing with the same things Grayson is dealing with. Fantastic book! Author: Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Published: 2019 Delsie has lived with her grandmother every since she can remember. Her mom left her, and she never knew her father. This summer, more than ever, Delsie is curious about her mom, but her grandma doesn't ever want to talk about her because it is too painful. Delsie and her grandma live on Cape Cod year round, a place many people visit in the summertime. Her best friend Brandy is back for the summer. These two have been close forever, but this summer a new girl is on the island, a girl who laughs at Delsie and leaves her out. Suddenly, Delsie finds herself alone. Ronan just moved in with his dad on Cape Cod. He is different from other kids. Maybe this summer won't be so terrible after all. Shouting at the Rain is a great story about friendship and what it means to be a family. The characters in this book are beautiful. Great read for anyone who has ever felt abandoned or has been bullied. Author: Erin Entrada Kelly
Published: 2017 Virgil has always been really quiet; although, he hates it when people point it out to him. His parents call him "Turtle" because he won't come out of his shell, and he can't stand the nickname. Virgil doesn't have a ton of friends, but he does have his pet guinea pig, Gulliver, to keep him company. Kaori is psychic. She is starting her own business to give psychic readings to kids. Valencia is deaf. With the help of her hearing aids and reading lips, she can understand people as long as they follow the "how-tos:" face her, don't cover your mouth, speak clearly. When Virgil runs into the biggest bully in school, he finds himself in an extremely dangerous situation. Kaori and Valencia are soon pulled into his story. Coincidence? Or fate? Hello, Universe is a great middle grade read about bullying and being who you are. Author: Sarah Weeks & Gita Varadarajan
Published: 2016 Ravi just moved to the United States from India. Back in India he used to be the smartest in his class and very popular. When he starts his new school he thinks that he will be at the top of his class and have lots of friends. However, the teacher starts out by pronouncing his name wrong and tells him he needs to slow down when he talks because they can't understand his accent. Then she suggests that maybe he would benefit from getting a little extra help. Ravi is mortified, but he thinks that he at least will make friends with the only other Indian student in class, Dillon. Joe is on his own ever since his best friends moved away. He sits alone at lunch now, and he tries to avoid the biggest bully in school Dillon. What makes this year even worse is that his mom just started a new job as a lunch helper. This is fuel for Dillon's jokes this year. When Ravi discovers that Dillon is actually a bully, he finds himself sitting alone at the table with Joe at lunch. Save Me Seat is a fantastic book about the people who don't fit in and how sometimes all it takes is an act of kindness to change that. Author: James Preller
Published: 2009 Eric is the new kid in school. His very first interaction with the kids in his new seventh grade class is when a boy named David runs by Eric, dripping in ketchup and looking terrified. Soon after, a small group of kids come through and ask Eric if he saw someone run by before them. Eric soon comes to find out that David is bullied by Griffin and his friends. Soon Griffin starts including Eric in the friend group. Eric soon finds out the kind of person Griffin is, and he needs to decide if he is going to stand up for the people Eric bullies or not because if he does, he may become the next victim. This is a great book about what bullying looks like from the point-of-view of the bystanders. |
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