by James Preller p. 226 Grades 5-8
Bully? Accomplice? Bystander? Victim? Upstander? Which will Eric be? As a new student at Central Middle School, he quickly sizes up the situation and recognizes immediately that pudgy David is a victim and that good looking, charming Griffin is at the top of the pecking order. At first, Eric is drawn in by Griffin’s charisma and attention but soon sees the creep beneath the smile. When ulitmately Eric refuses to do what Griffin demands, he becomes the target. Eric, however, is not a victim, and with the help of Griff’s ex-girlfriend, he devises a plan.
Connections: Other books with this theme are Shredderman: Secret Identity by Wendelin Van Draanen, Schooled by Gordon Korman, and Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn. Young adult titles for mature readers include The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, Don’t Call Me Ishmael by Michael Gerard Bauer, and Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner. For nonfiction, try Bullying : How to Deal with Taunting, Teasing, and Tormenting by Kathleen Winkler, Sticks and Stones by Karen L. Maudlin or Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain written and illustrated Trevor Romain.
Tags: boys, bullies, fiction, middle school, new kid, realistic fiction, schizophrenia
