Laurel D.

Johnson
LIS 701
May 30, 2013
Bullying-Related Resources for a Middle-School Library
After a string of incidents over the course of the past semester, and given recent bullyingrelated tragedies reported in the U.S. and Canada, parents and teachers of students at Edison
Middle School have recognized the need for a more broad and up-to-date collection of books and
media with a focus on various kinds of bullying. These resources will be available for student
checkout as well classroom use, and are intended to deepen the school communitys
understanding of the issue as part of a comprehensive anti-bullying effort.
Annotated Bibliography
Bazelon, E. (2013). Sticks and stones: Defeating the culture of bullying and rediscovering the
power of character and empathy. [audio recording]. Westminster, Maryland:
Random House Audio.
In this nonfiction work, the author digs into the psychology of bullying and the consequences of
its effects, speaks to newer legal considerations, and details prevention efforts, both effective and
useless. While the text is arguably too dense for many intermediate middle-school readers, the
audio is more easily digested, and would be especially effective in excerpts incorporated into
classroom lessons and school assemblies.
Publishers Weekly. (February 29, 2013).
Burton, B. Girls against girls: Why we are mean to each other and how we can change. (2009).
Orlando, Florida: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
This work of nonfiction focuses on the often cruel nature of teen girls, breaking down the factors
contributing to the issues and providing advice on breaking free of the rumor-driven bullying and
social alienation that girls inflict on one another. The author gives an understanding and realistic
portrayal of the social competition and insecurity that can create hostile relationships and lead to
bullying, and at a time when many middle-school aged girls are beginning to experience toxic
friendships and crushing social pressures, the books advice is particularly useful.
Kirkus Reviews. (January 15, 2009).
ebrary. (2010). Cyberbullying searchable information center. [Online repository]. Retrieved
from: http://site.ebrary.com/lib/cyberbullying/home.action
Launched in 2010, this open access digital repository is a collection of free materials related to
cyberbullying, including e-books as well as documents from reputable sources like the Pew
Internet & American Life Project and the U.S. Department of Justice. This resource could be

used effectively not only to provide useful facts on cyberbullying, but also to sharpen students
research skills and practices.
ResourceShelf
Ellis, D. (2009) We want you to know: Kids talk about bullying. Regina, Saskatchewan:
Coteau Books.
Comprised of the frank personal stories of youth spanning from pre-teens to young adults, this
emotionally charged nonfiction work covers a spectrum of experiences with bullying, including
disability discrimination, cyber bullying, and exclusion, and speaks to situations of school staff
trying to intervene. Being a collection of voices of young people, this book is relatable, allowing
middle-school readers to take it seriously and providing opportunities for starting an honest
dialogue between students and parents or teachers.
Booklist 107, (1). (September 1, 2010)
VOYA 33, (5). (December 2010)
Generation cyberbully: Bullying without borders. (2011). [DVD program]. Learning Seed.
This two-part program meant for students and educators respectively gives a true-to-life
portrayal of the issue of cyberbullying, explaining how and why it occurs and shattering the
misconception that bullying that takes place online doesnt count as bullying. Given that it is
divided into one part for students and the other for educators, this program is valuable in that it
provides for open lines of communication in dealing with cyberbullying, which is rampant in the
middle-school age group.
Video Librarian Plus, 27 (1). (2011).
Klass, D. Stuck on Earth (2010). Gordonsville, Virginia: Frances Foster Books.
A highly intelligent alien from outer space is tasked with determining whether the human race
should be wiped out, and inhabits the body of a bullied middle-school boy in order to gain
insight on the human experience to aid in his decision-making process.This work of fantasy
fiction contains clever humor and an element of magic, which relieves some of the weight of the
subject of bullying for middle-school students.
School Library Journal. (February 1, 2011).
Kraus, M. (Director). (2010). I was cyberbullied. [DVD program]. Mt. Kisco, New York: Human
Relations Media.
A short video offering hard facts on an evolving form of harassment, this DVD provides
interviews of three teens who experienced cyberbullying firsthand, and has an accompanying
resource book for educators. This DVD is short to-the-point, making it ideal for a middle-school
aged audience, and identifies Internet safety best practices and practical approaches to take if you
a victim of, or witness to, cyberbullying.

Educational Media Reviews Online. (December 2, 2012).

Palacio, R.J. (2012). Wonder. New York: Knopf.
This novel centers on a new kid in middle school, fresh out of homeschooling, who is alienated
and bullied for his unusual facial deformities. An accessible read, this book is appropriate for
lower reading levels, and the story raises issues of appearance-based judgment that
middle-school students encounter on a regular basis.
Booklist 108, (11). (February 1, 2012).
Preller, James. (2009). Bystander. Gordonsville, Virginia: Feiwel and Friends.
In this believable work of fiction, a seventh-grade boy realizes that his charming first new friend
at school regularly bullies their classmates, and finds himself wrestling with the moral
implications of seeing mistreatment without standing up for the teased. Nearly every middleschool student will find him or herself in the bystander role at some point, and this novel raises
important moral questions that will resonate with students of this age group as they develop their
own social values.
Publishers Weekly. (February 2, 2009).
School Library Journal. (January 1, 2010).
Schulman, Mark S. (2010). Scrawl. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Forced to write in a journal as a form of punishment in detention, an eighth-grade bully named
Tod demonstrates the intellect underneath his intentionally abrasive nature and the hidden factors
that motivate his thuggish behavior. This accessible novel reveals the pain and hardship that lead
to Tods bullying, allowing each reader, whether bully or victim, to learn from him.
Kirkus Reviews. (July 15, 2010).
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Stop bullying. [Website].
Retrieved May 29, 2013 from http://takeastand.stopbullying.gov/kids
A federal government website, this resource defines bullying and related behaviors, addresses
outcomes and consequences, and has educational video clips. Given that it is run by the U.S.
government, this website allows middle-school aged youth, who may be inclined to shrug off
anti-bullying messages, to see how seriously the matter is taken on a national level.
Common Sense Media.
Williams-Garcia, R. Jumped (2009). [E-book edition]. Boulder, Colorado: Netlibrary.

This novel traces the perspectives of three very different teenage girls as they navigate the
complicated social environment and building drama resulting from a perceived snub. With
African-American teens as the central characters, Jumped offers a unique perspective among the
other fiction additions to the Edison Middle School collection, and the novel honestly portrays
the hasty, reactive decision-making that can make mountains out of molehills in a volatile school
environment.
Booklist. (February 1, 2009).

Professional Resources
Academic Search Premiere
Book Index with Reviews (EBSCO)
Childrens Literature Comprehensive Database
Middle & Junior High Core Collection (EBSCO)
NoveList Plus (EBSCO/NoveList)
Common Sense Media
Public Library Core Collection (EBSCO)
Video Librarian Plus