Recommended Reads from the Children's Collection @ the Education Library

Ben rides his new bicycle the very, very long way to school but Adrian Underbite, perhaps the world's largest third-grader, takes the bike anyway and later, when Ben finds Adrian in trouble, he must decide whether or not to help the larcenous bully.

Bruce, a bear bully, never picks on anyone his own size until he is diminished in more ways than one by a small but very independent witch.

Piggie is upset because a whale took the ball she found, but Gerald finds a solution that pleases all of them.

Bootsie Barker only wants to play games in which she bites, until one day her friend comes up with a better game.

Lazlo, who has just moved to the United States from Hungary, is ostracized at school until two girls have the courage to befriend him.

Bully doesn't have a kind word for any of his friends. When the other animals ask him to play, he responds in the way he's been taught: Chicken! Slow poke! You stink!

With appealing animal characters, this realistic story shows how a bully can hurt others and provides suggestions about how younger children can handle the situation.

A very shy girl who longs for a friend falls in love with a lost puppy at the shelter where her father works.

When her older sisters tease her into believing that she is actually a chicken, Henrietta runs off to a farm to be among her own kind.

While riding his new bicycle Desmond is hurt by the mean word yelled at him by a group of boys, but he soon learns that hurting back will not make him feel any better.

When Ms. Albert teaches a lesson on kindness, Chloe realizes that she and her friends have been wrong in making fun of new student Maya's shabby clothes and refusing to play with her.

Freckleface Strawberry is just like everyone else, except that she has red hair and freckles but when she tries to hide who she is, she learns about true friendship and accepting yourself just as you are.

In a dangerous alley in a township in South Africa, the strength and unity which a group of young friends feel while playing soccer keep them safe when a gang of bullies arrives to cause trouble.

This simple yet powerful picture book tells the story of an elementary school girl named Vanessa who is bullied and a fellow student who witnesses the act and is at first unsure of how to help.

When Jake goes to kindergarten, a bully teases him about sucking his thumb, but Jake discovers that everyone--even bullies--needs some help being brave.

Lion is mean to everyone. When the other animals can't take his bullying anymore, they hire Rabbit to outsmart him.

Even though Little Wolf's mom, dad, sister, and brothers all have their own special song, he can only manage a poor, pitiful squeak.

LJ the Little Knight is back stepping into a new adventure on the playground of Spencer Elementary. Although school is back in full swing, his recess is interrupted by the likes of ... Billy the Bully.

When Mr. Lincoln, "the coolest principal in the whole world," discovers that Eugene, the school bully, knows a lot about birds, he uses this interest to help Eugene overcome his intolerance.

A funny, finger-wagging rhyme with some very good advice: never tease a weasel, because teasing isn't nice! Rather, kids should do nice things for animals, such as bake a drake a cake, or give a mule a pool, and much more.

Just because you're really small doesn't mean you can't have a big heart. When the diminutive Dot stands up to a bully on behalf of an even smaller friend, she proves how big she can truly be.

When Mama got a new baby, Phoebe got a new digger. And before long, everyone needs a trip to the park ... But then a big girl with grabby hands snatches Digger away from Phoebe. Phoebe tries to use her words, but they don't work. What can she do? Will she ever get Digger back?

Mean Jean is the biggest bully on the school playground until a new girl arrives and challenges Jean's status as the Recess Queen.

Best friends Lily and Salma disagree over their preferred foods, but after trading sandwiches to see how they taste, the girls change their minds.

Even when the class bully at her new school makes fun of her, Molly remembers what her grandmother told her and she feels good about herself.

Stella is unnerved by a bullying group of weasels who say mean things about her humble home until her mother offers words of comfort and her father drives the trailer to a new location where kind friends are found.

After feeling ignored in his new town, a young toad tries to act like a bully but learns the value of being a good friend instead.

Hippopotamus and Elephant bully Hare for being small in size and possessing a twitchy nose, until Hare demonstrates his wit when he challenges the large animals to a tug-of-war competition and claims he can win.

When supervillain Doctor X-Ray swoops in threatening to vanquish an innocent crowd, the only one brave enough not to run away is a little girl, who asks him simply, "Why?"

An uplifting tale of three inseparable friends who pursue their talents and stop at nothing to achieve their dreams.

Benny and Penny hide every toy and tell Cousin Bo he can't play with them. Will the three mice find a way to play without something getting torn, ripped, or snatched away?

Squish, a meek amoeba who loves the comic book exploits of his favorite hero, "Super Amoeba," tries to emulate him when his best friend is threatened by a bully.

When Julian's parents make the heartbreaking decision to send him and his two brothers away from Cuba to Miami via the Pedro Pan operation, the boys are thrust into a new world where bullies run rampant and it's not always clear how best to protect themselves.

When her grandmother visits, Alina is inspired to help her cook the delicious Afro-Indian meals she's always loved, but a cruel note from a mysterious lunchtime bully leaves a bitter taste that even Nani's excellent cooking can't erase. With an audition for Junior Chef fast approaching and Nani's wise lessons helping her, can Alina embrace her heritage and convince her classmates that being different is a good thing?

Immersing himself in his love for opera in order to cope with a difficult life, shy and bullied Bart embraces an optimistic outlook and bonds with an outgoing girl who encourages him to perform in a school talent show.

A new and enigmatic student named Shayne appears at high school one day, befriends the smallest boy in the school, and takes on a notorious drug dealer before turning himself in to the police for killing someone.

New in the neighborhood and hounded by fort-wrecking bullies, Rusty is looking glum. And to top it all off, his grandfather has just died. Guided by his grandfather's ghost, two cans of paint, and a little help from his friends, Brown can do anything! Just as long as nobody's parents find out.

Sixth-grade friends Lyla and Jamie, both new to their school, stand up for each other when a clique of popular girls bullies them online.

Thirteen-year-old Eric discovers there are consequences to not standing by and watching as the bully at his new school hurts people, but although school officials are aware of the problem, Eric may be the one with a solution.

When dirty laundry under his bed gives life to a tiny civilization that worships him, twelve-year-old Todd must protect the Toddlians from a school bully.

High school student Daelyn Rice, who's been bullied throughout her school career and has more than once attempted suicide, again makes plans to kill herself, in spite of the persistent attempts of an unusual boy to draw her out.

After participating in a cruel prank on a classmate, fourteen-year-old Robin and her mother move to Oklahoma, where Robin is mistaken for the substitute principal and receives a new perspective on bullying.

After Katie gets caught teasing a schoolmate, she's told to meet with Mrs. Petrowski, the school counselor, so she can make right her wrong and learn to be a better friend. Bothered at first, it doesn't take long before Katie realizes that bullying has hurt not only the people around her, but her, too.

Ricky Smootz is very afraid of everything, especially Keanu Dungston, the bully who terrorizes their middle school, but with advice from his grandmother Ricky transforms himself into Cowboy Boy and stands up to Keanu and his henchmen.

Eighth-grader Bertie Hooks has to keep his dream of becoming a world-class chef a secret, especially from his mortal enemy, Nick Dekker, and when they both get "flour-sack babies" to take care of for a week, things become even more complicated for Bertie.

In a small Florida mining town in 1966, twelve-year-old Dewey faces one worst-day-ever after another, but comes to know that the issues he faces about bullies, girls, race, and identity are part of the adult world, as well.

Eight-year-old EllRay Jakes decides to "borrow" his father's crystals to impress his classmates, but his plan to return the crystals before his father notices goes awry.

Fifteen-year-old Gray Wilton, bullied at school and ridiculed by an unfeeling father for preferring drums to hunting, goes on a shooting rampage at his high school.

Quinn's journal is where she writes down everything -- in list format -- that she doesn't want to admit out loud, or even face; once they're written, she can release them and feel a little bit more at peace. When the journal goes missing and her list of biggest fears is posted online with a challenge to face each of them or else have the entire journal go public, it's time for Quinn to move out of the realm of her mind and into real life. She's not going quietly, however, and finds herself working to track down the blackmailer before time runs out.

Joshua is devastated to learn that he must repeat third grade. But he manages to survive the taunts of former classmates, learn something important about himself, and make it through the year with the help of a sympathetic teacher.

Freddie Ramos uses his super powers to give himself courage to learn how to swim and to deal with a new neighbor who is a bully.

An enthralling account of a young boy's struggle to help freedom triumph over fear in the 1940s American South.

In the wake of his parents' separation, ten-year-old Billy seems to have continual conflicts with his father, who is also his basketball coach, but his quiet, younger brother Ben, a piano prodigy, is having even more trouble adjusting, and only Billy seems to notice.

Indigo, having just recovered from a bout of mononucleosis, must return to school after missing an entire semester. As it turns out, the school bullies are eagerly awaiting Indigo's return so that they can pick up where they left off -- flushing his head in the toilet. But Indigo hasn't counted on meeting Tom, an American student who is staying with his grandmother in England for the year.

Elliot, a victim of bullying, invents a calmer, cooler self when he changes schools in the middle of freshman year, but soon attracts the wrong kind of attention from the Guardians who "maintain order" at the new school.

Moving to a new city and joining an evangelical church despite his own reluctance, artistic Mike is bullied by a father who wants him to play sports and toughen up, a situation that is complicated by Mike's growing feelings for another newcomer.

High school sophomore Danny excels at gymnastics but is bullied, like the rest of the gymnasts, by members of the football team, until an emotionally and physically scarred new student joins the football team and forms an unlikely friendship with Danny.

When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she's not a boy. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. George really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

15-year-old Ben's being bullied by a thug named Claude, who's found out about Ben's ballet classes. Then Great-Aunt Frieda comes to visit and Ben learns about how she dealt with the Men of Stone -- Stalin's agents who terrorized her community and family. As Frieda tells her powerful story, Ben begins to understand who he is and what kind of person he wants to be.

Dani's been trying her best to stay happy ever since her best friend Ella moved away. But when some girls in Dani's class start being cruel to her, it starts a chain of rather unhappy events . . . It would all be okay if only Ella would move back.

A girl confides to her mother that her best friend is treating her badly, and together they figure out what to do about it. Includes a note to parents and teachers, as well as related resources.

Thirteen-year old Charley Callaghan moves to Vancouver from Ireland and copes with bullies. When the bullies turn on Benny Mason and the situation turns tragic, Charley must deal with questions about his part in the events.

Pinky learns the importance of identity as he defends his favorite color, pink, and his friendship with a girl, Rex, from the neighborhood bully.

When cell phones are banned at Branton Middle School, Frost and his friends Deedee, Wolf, and Bench come up with a new way to communicate: leaving sticky notes for each other all around the school. It catches on, and soon all the kids in school are leaving notes -- though for every kind and friendly one, there is a cutting and cruel one as well.

While making a documentary to get himself into film school, Greg accidentally captures footage of brutal and bloody hazing by the lacrosse team, and he must decide whether to release the film or keep the secret.

A girl finds it funny when her classmate starts blushing on the school playground. Her friends laugh along with her, but one student takes the teasing too far. Torn between her sympathy for her classmate and her fear of the bully, the girl must make a difficult choice.

Joe's lived in the same town all his life, and was doing just fine until his best friends moved away and left him on his own. Ravi's family just moved to America from India, and he's finding it pretty hard to figure out where he fits in.Joe and Ravi don't think they have anything in common -- but soon enough they have a common enemy (the biggest bully in their class) and a common mission: to take control of their lives over the course of a single crazy week.

A child who never says anything when other children are being teased or bullied finds herself in their position one day when jokes are made at her expense and no one speaks up.

Homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie, but when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a guidance counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school.

Meet Maximus Todd! He's the kid who can't sit still. Max gets a case of the Super Fidgets on a school trip to the art gallery. He decides to focus on the colour green to distract himself. It's not easy but he's determined to win the challenge he has set. Max finds that while it's not always easy being a kid -- especially if you're a bit different -- inspiration sometimes strikes at the most unexpected times.

When eighth-grade school bully Tod and his friends get caught committing a crime on school property, his penalty--staying after school and writing in a journal under the eye of the school guidance counselor--reveals aspects of himself that he prefers to keep hidden.

Regina, a high school senior in the popular--and feared--crowd, suddenly falls out of favor and becomes the object of the same sort of vicious bullying that she used to inflict on others, until she finds solace with one of her former victims.

After her behavior causes her to lose her popular friends and results in one person being hospitalized, Chelsea takes a vow of silence.

In 1944, when her brother is overseas fighting in World War II, eleven-year-old Margaret changes her mind about the school bully, Gordy, after she discovers he is hiding his own brother, a deserter.

Pa Lia has never liked Stinky Stern. But when he is hit by a car and killed, Pa Lia and the students in her class face a difficult challenge: How should they remember him?

A boy's aspirations to become a puppeteer make him a target for the school bully.

A gender-fluid teenager who struggles with identity creates a blog on the topic that goes viral, and faces ridicule at the hands of fellow students.

A teenage girl faces criminal charges for bullying after a classmate commits suicide.

Coming of age in the shadow of northern England's shipyards, young Dominic is torn between the extremes of his shipbuilder family's lifestyle, a complex bully to whom he finds himself irresistibly drawn, and the tightrope-walking girl he loves.

Nine-year-old Calvin catches the attention of the school bully on the day before he starts fourth grade, while at home, the unfriendly, fifteen-year-old daughter of his mother's best friend has taken over his room.

As he grieves his best friend Benny's death, Mason and his friend Calvin, who are targeted by the neighborhood bullies, create an underground haven for themselves, but when Calvin goes missing Mason finds himself in trouble.

Aninku and Pepicek find their mother sick one morning, they need to buy her milk to make her better. The brother and sister go to town to make money by singing. But a hurdy-gurdy grinder, Brundibar, chases them away. They are helped by three talking animals and three hundred schoolchildren, to defeat the bully. Brundibar is based on a Czech opera for children that was performed fifty-five times by the children of Terezin, a Nazi concentration camp in 1943.

Dyson loves pink, sparkly things. Sometimes he wears dresses. Sometimes he wears jeans. He likes to wear his princess tiara, even when climbing trees. He's a Princess Boy.

Three billy goats must outwit the big, ugly troll that lives under the bridge they have to cross on their way up the mountain.

Retells the familiar tale in which one of three brother pigs survives a wolf's attacks by using his head and planning well.