To start off, thanks for the emails and texts. I appreciate your concern and support. It's been a dicey few weeks, but I am feeling better every day and hope to be back to 100% right soon. Energy/concentration allowing, we will return to Tip Tuesdays next week.Today, we are celebrating the release of the DEAR BULLY anthology. This book was the brainstorm of Megan Kelly Hall and Carie Jones, YA authors who wanted to do something to reverse the trend of bullying we had been seeing in our schools and on the news. The proceeds of the book will be donated to Stomp Out Bullying, an anti-bullying organization. I am honored to have contributed a piece for the anthology.
Here is the official description:
You are not alone
Discover how Lauren Kate transformed the feeling of that one mean girl getting under her skin into her first novel, how Lauren Oliver learned to celebrate ambiguity in her classmates and in herself, and how R.L. Stine turned being the “funny guy” into the best defense against the bullies in his class.
Today’s top authors for teens come together to share their stories about bullying—as silent observers on the sidelines of high school, as victims, and as perpetrators—in a collection at turns moving and self-effacing, but always deeply personal.
Reviews, background, and additional essays can be found at dearbully.com
FREEBIE: I happen to have one extra copy of DEAR BULLY to give away. If you'd like to be entered to win, leave a comment below, telling us about your experience with/thoughts about bullying. This drawing ends 9/13/2011. Winner to be announced on next week's Tip Tuesday post.
16 comments:
Would love a copy! I was bullied at a private school called Meridian. Teachers and parents turned a blind eye. I am a certified radKIDS instructor mow, rad stands for resisting aggression defensively. It is a program that teaches kids safety and empowerment skills
When I hear about bullying, I feel like a cat being rubbed backwards. I was bullied my childhood days and I do what I can to teach my kids on how to avoid/deal with bullies.
I'm going to post this on facebook, thanks for bringing it to light! :)
♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
Can Alex save Winter from the darkness that hunts her?
YA Paranormal Romance, Darkspell coming fall of 2011!
I was verbally bullied in school and found out that the girls got a kick out of my reaction. So when I stopped reacting, they got tired of it and left me alone.
I moved around a bunch so I didn't have a close knit social group nor did I know who to steer clear of when starting a new school. I was bullied so much in middle school that I was afraid to go to school or to the bathroom when I was in school for fear of being cornered with no one to help. Thankfully I sought help from the counselor with the encouragement of my family and got good advice about the tactics of bullies. I believe this book will be another helpful resource to help people who are being bullied not feel so alone.
I've been lucky, I don't think I've ever been bullied, but I know how wrong it is. It makes me sick to think that people would pick on other people just because of the way they look or who they are. It's like segregation all over again, only now we know how wrong it is.
peachandblue2(at)aol(dot)com
Everyone experiences bullying to some degree, and while it may have always been thought as a part of growing up, it shouldn't have to be. I would like to make a difference in this area through my writing
In seventh grade, I was supposed to work on a project with two people. Both of them refused to let me do anything, and would give me looks whenever I asked. I was ignored, and when I wasn't being ignored, I was treated like dirt. I dreaded going to PE as well, because those same two people were in that class, and I was always afraid that one of them might physically hurt me, which one of them did a few times.
I know that what I dealt with is nothing compared to what else happens at other schools and in real life. Even so, I always try to stand up for people who are targets for bullies and I never say things that could hurt people. And if I do, I apologize to them. I support anti-bully groups, and I try to be the best person I can be.
I was bullied in elementary school. Just little kid antics, but obviously something I remember to this day. Bullying is terrible and needs to be stopped.
Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
Ick. Bullies. I remember events from kindergarten (Chip spit in my hair and stole my toys) to later in high school where it was more subtle in a way. More "mean girlish" with comments, sneers, and whispers along with rude remarks in the hallway. Sigh.
So proud to know you and know that you shared your story in Dear Bully! Way to go, Linda, my friend.
I would love a copy!
Being the only girl in an all-guys engineering class was tough. Being called a (pardon my language) bitch and slut and being told to go kill myself was tougher. I never thought people could be so cruel! I always thought it was made up because I was always taught to accept and respect everyone. Apparently, not everyone got that memo, eh? But living though it has made me stronger and given me (much) thicker skin. :)
Cinnamongirl, we need more people like you who take the initiative to stop the bullying cycle. I'd love to learn about rad - could you email me gerb (@) lindagerber (.) com?
Elizabeth, that's a good analogy. And again, brave for teaching your kids to deal with bullying.
Llehn, sometimes that works. Bullies are really cowards who make themselves feel powerful by bringing others down. You take away the power and they have nothing.
Betsy, what a terrible thing for a kid to have to go through. Good for your counselor for taking it seriously. Too many adults brush it off as "teasing". And about the book, yes, that's one of the best things about it... we can see we are *not* alone. And it does get better.
Anna, I hope your trend continues and you will never be bullied!
Starr, that's fantastic that you want to help make a difference. As for bullying being part of growing up, it's a shame people use that as a justification to brush it off when it happens. Certainly some teasing is normal. But when the teasing becomes systematic, pointed, and cruel, it is no longer something all kids do or should have to deal with.
Aurora, you are an excellent example. If everyone could be more aware of others' feelings and go out of their way not to hurt another person, what a happier place our world would be!
Vivien, the sad thing is that those who bullied you probably don't remember what they did, but it will always stick with you. I wrote about that in my essay - bullies often don't consider themselves to be bullies. Their actions are no big deal to them, but to the person being bullied, the effects can be irreversible.
Karen! We need to do lunch. No bullies allowed.
EBoyd, I know! It is always surprising to me when people are purposefully ugly to others because it's not something that computes in my head. I don't get how someone can decide that type of behavior is okay. Hooray for you that you were able to use the experience to make you stronger.
I would love a copy! My friend was being bullied by this 'mean' girl. This mean girl verbally harrassed her all day, and i couldn't help my friend since she was in the other homeroom. So one day my friend ran to the restroom and cried. and cried. and cried. I decided that that was enough. So that same day i went up to the mean girl and told her off. She tried to do the same thing to me that she was doing to my friend, but i knew better than to stay around and listen. This book would be great for my friend who STILL is going through all of this
I was bullied, beat up and picked on. Being small I was a target and could not fight back. This was many years ago and we were never taught how to retaliate. I still shudder from it and I never divulged this to anyone.
Being ignored, and taunted was a daily endurance test for me. It was hell and during lunch i wandered off to be on my own. I finally met another girl who I befriended and we stick together.
Stephanie, I hope the mean girl backed off of your friend once you stood up to her. I believe most bullies are cowards in reality and they don't do well with people talking back to them.
Traveler, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. It's terrible how being bullied can leave such an impression that it still haunts us years later. Thanks for sharing.
Petite, aw, I'm so sorry! You, too, huh? Thank heavens for friends who can relate and help you through it, but still. No kid should have to deal with that day in and day out. : (
A few of my friends have been bullied for being gay. It's such an awful thing to experience and I really don't understand what makes people be so cruel to each other :( I wish more was done about it because when I reported it to a teacher she really didn't do much.
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