Bully

by Patricia Polacco, Patricia Polacco (Illustrator)

Overview

Patricia Polacco takes on cliques and online bullying

Lyla finds a great friend in Jamie on her first day of school, but when Lyla makes the cheerleading squad and a clique of popular girls invites her to join them, Jamie is left behind. Lyla knows bullying when she sees it, though, and when she sees the girls viciously teasing classmates on Facebook, including Jamie, she is smart enough to get out. But no one dumps these girls, and now they're out for revenge.

Patricia Polacco has taken up the cause against bullies ever since Thank You, Mr. Falker, and her passion shines through in this powerful story of a girl who stands up for a friend.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399257049
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/13/2012
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	203,791
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Patricia Polacco is the prolific author and illustrator of over fifty picture books, and has received over 75 awards and honors for her work. She is also an energetic and enthusiastic public speaker—she visits over 100 classrooms every year. She lives in Union City, Michigan.

Editorial Reviews

Polacco’s middle-school variation on Mean Girls is an overwrought but compelling literary hybrid: it reads like a novella with pictures. Sixth-grader Lyla and her brother, Jack, are new kids at a Bay Area school with a cutthroat social scene. Lyla is accepted into the popular girls’ clique, but grapples with the fact that the very same kids are bullying Jack and a boy named Jamie on Facebook, as well as in the hallways and lunchroom. That would be plenty to digest, but Polacco raises the stakes to a lurid level with a stolen achievement test and a tragic back story for the clique’s leader, turning potentially empathetic readers into rubberneckers. While the story’s emphasis on cyber-bullying is important and timely, Polacco’s message is delivered with a heavy hand. Visually, though, it’s striking. As always, Polacco (The Art of Miss Chew) is an exuberantly expansive stylist, and a master of emotional immediacy: her pencil and marker spreads explode with color and expressiveness. Few artists are better equipped to capture the hothouse that is early adolescent school life, complete with its all-important fashion parade. Ages 7–up. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Powerful . . . dramatizes how online abuse has intensified the cruelty of bullying. . . . Dramatic line-and-watercolor artwork. . . . Kids will recognize the charged scenarios of anger and hurt and the seething contemporary middle-school social scene. Great for group discussion.” — Booklist

"The artwork realistically portrays—through their body language and wonderfully expressive hands—what these youngsters are feeling. Polacco captures the insidiousness of cyberbullying. . . . Will spark intense and much-needed discussions." — School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Gr 3–5—Lyla begins sixth grade at a new school in the San Francisco Bay area and makes friends with Jamie, a short, overweight boy with a big smile. She gets good grades, becomes a cheerleader, and attracts the attention of a clique of popular girls. For a while she successfully balances her friendship with Jamie and her time with Gage, Kenyon, and Maeve-until she sees them writing hurtful things on the Facebook walls of their classmates. When she breaks with the clique, Gage warns her that no one dumps them. Their revenge comes in February, when Lyla is accused of stealing one of the state tests. Horrible messages ("EVERYBODY HATES YOU," "OMG WHAT A CHEAT," and "DROP DEAD" among them) appear on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and her cell phone. Helpless to clear her name, she turns to Jamie, whose computer skills trace the messages back to Gage, who stole the missing test. Gage must take responsibility to avoid suspension, but Lyla and Jamie wonder how much will change. Will they hope for the best or transfer to another school? Rendered in pencils and markers, the artwork realistically portrays-through their body language and wonderfully expressive hands-what these youngsters are feeling. Polacco captures the insidiousness of cyberbullying and, in a letter to her readers, warns again of its dangers. Paired with the author's Thank You, Mr. Falker (Philomel, 1998), this picture book will spark intense and much-needed discussions.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

School Library Journal

Despite good intentions, Polacco's current take on this particular hot topic falls short. First and foremost, it seems unlikely that the message will ever reach its intended audience. Extensive text and challenging vocabulary make it clear that although the story is told in Polacco's typical picture-book format, it's really aimed at older children. Lyla and her friends (and enemies) appear to be in middle school, but the simplistic plot won't keep kids that age engaged. New at school, Lyla first finds a good friend in fellow newcomer Jamie. When her cheerleading talents are revealed, Lyla is adopted by the in crowd. Savvy readers won't be surprised when she struggles to balance her friendships or by her eventual decision to stand up for Jamie. That decision leads to an accusation of cheating and an all-out campaign of cyberbullying. While Polacco gets quite a few things just right--the three mean girls' body language perfectly expresses their snotty attitude, and Lyla's pleasure in being part of the popular group is entirely believable--overall, the plot is predictable. Ending with a question for readers emphasizes the bibliotherapeutic goal and further weakens the potential impact. Unlike Polacco's Thank You, Mr. Falker (1998)--an affecting, personal look at the pain cruel kids can inflict on those they perceive as different--this contemporary effort won't move readers to better understand themselves or others. (Picture book. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews