BOOK MARKED
20 Books
About Bullying
October is National Bullying Prevention Month,
so we asked our friends at DCPL for inspiring
reads about standing up to bullies.

COMPILED BY DC PUBLIC LIBRARY CHILDREN’S AND YOUNG ADULT LIBRARIANS
ARYSSA DAMRON, ERIKA KERR, TAMMY MCKINNEY, EBONI NJOKU AND CRAIG RANALLO
PICTURE BOOKS
DEVELOPING READERS BOOKS
'Llama Llama and the Bully Goat'
By Anna Dewdney
Following their teacher’s lead, Llama Llama
speaks to Gilroy Goat and tells him he should
not act like a bully on the playground.

'Pedro: The Big Stink'
By Fran Manushkin
When the class bully decides a funny smell must
be coming from the new kid, Pedro steps up to
defend his friend — and to find the true source
of the smell.

'Chrysanthemum' By Kevin Henkes
Chrysanthemum loves her name, until she
starts going to school and the other children
make fun of it.

'Get Up, Stand Up'
Adapted by Cedella Marley, illustrated by
John Jay Cabuay
In this adaptation of Bob Marley’s popular song,
children are encouraged to resist bullying and
stand up for their rights.

'Stick and Stone'
By Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom
Lichtenheld Stick and Stone are both lonely until Pinecone’s
teasing causes one to stick up for the other, and a
solid friendship is formed.

'The Little Blue Bridge'
By Brenda Maier
Ruby learns how to work around a bully and
build better bridges in this adaptation of “The
Three Billy Goats Gruff.”
'Weird!: A Story About Dealing with
Bullying in Schools' (The Weird! Series)
By Erin Frankel
When Luisa becomes the target of a school bully,
she changes everything about herself to avoid
being bullied.

28 Washington FAMILY OCTOBER 2021
'Zoom! Boom! Bully!'
By Jon Sciescka
The trucks can’t build something big if Big Rig
keeps knocking it down. Can they learn to stand
up to him and make him stop?
MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS
'Clash' By Kayla Miller
A new girl in school spells trouble for Olive’s
happy friend group, as Natasha seemingly goes
out of her way to make Olive feel left out.

'Save Me a Seat'
By Sarah Weeks
Joe and Ravi come from different backgrounds
but find common ground in standing up to the
school bully.

'Real Friends'
By Shannon Hale
In this graphic memoir, Shannon and Adrienne’s
friendship is put to the test when “The Group”
starts encouraging girls to put each other down
to rise to the top.

'Genesis Begins Again'
By Alicia D. Williams
Often mocked for her family and her skin,
Genesis must learn to like herself if she’s going
to make positive changes in her life.




'Maybe He Just Likes You'
By Barbara Dee
Mila learns to stand up for herself and against boys
who get away with bullying as “flirting” in this
middle grade novel with a karate kick.

'One Kid’s Trash'
By Jamie Sumner
Hugo’s penchant for decoding trash helps him fit in
at his new school, despite being small for his age,
but being cool isn’t everything he dreamed of.

'Starfish' By Lisa Fipps
Ellie is tired of being bullied about her weight
by everyone — including her own family — and
decides to work to become her most authentic
self with the help of her dad, her therapist and
a new friend.

'Planet Omar: Accidental
Trouble Magnet'
By Zanib Mian
Omar uses his imagination and goofy humor to
overcome challenges, like a new school and a bully
who teases him for being Muslim.

'Farah Rocks Fifth Grade'
By Susan Muaddi Darraj
Farah is working hard to get into a magnet program
but worries she won’t be there to protect her
younger brother, who is being bullied by a classmate
for being Muslim. Can she achieve her goals and
keep her brother safe at the same time?
YOUNG ADULT BOOKS
'Patina' By Jason Reynolds
Patty is like lightning on the track. But can she
outrun all her problems, like the kids who taunt her
about her home situation, or will she have to face
them head on with the help of her friends?
'Just Jaimie'
By Terri Libenson
It’s the last day of seventh grade, and Jaimie can
tell her friends are making fun of her. But surely
her best friend Maya won’t stand for it? Meanwhile,
Maya has to decide if getting in with the popular
kids is worth hurting her best friend.

'Be Prepared'
By Vera Brosgol
Vera is sure going to camp is her way to finally fit in
with the other girls, but soon she has to deal with
drama, mean older kids and outhouses straight out
of her nightmares! T
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