Dear Bullyby Megan Kelley Hall & Carrie Jones
reviewed by Nina Keshishian
Dear Bully has by far been one of the most interesting books I have ever read. Unlike the normal fiction books I read, the stories in this book were all true. As one of the lines reads “As a seventh grader I was supposed to know my place. And my place was way below you. For no reason other than that you didn’t like me. Not that you actually knew me. But I knew you” This shows that you never know what another person is feeling, no matter how well you think you know them. It’s easy to think that everyone is happy with their social status at school and that they love going to school every day, but this isn’t always the case. Social status is one of the main causes of bullying. Being above another person in social status makes them feel as though they have power, even though in reality they don’t. “I turn slightly startled to see Seth Walker and a friend approaching. Seth ,who laughed and pointed at my blonde hairy legs when I was just starting sixth grade. Seth, who had pulled my slip down to my ankles in the middle of the crowded cafeteria. Seth, who cornered me one day between classes, alone in the hall, his breath on the side of my neck, and asked if I liked girls” This is one of the clear examples of harassment and can be one of the more real and serious cases of bullying. Stories like this make me feel grateful and privileged that I go to such an amazing and caring school. At most public schools bullying is brushed or aside or not given much thought, most like to say “kids will be kids”. But these people are wrong. I’ve come to realize and understand more that bullying affects children’s self esteem, confidence levels, and sometimes even mental stability. These forms of bullying and abuse have hurt children so much that it has driven them to hurt themselves or even commit suicide. From reading this book I understand more of what bullying is, why some people bully others, and how it affects the victims.
