In recognition of No Name-Calling Week, we’re highlighting useful stories about bullying. No Name-Calling Week was created by K-12 teachers and students to end name calling and bullying in schools.
Children experience bullying in a variety of ways and in different places. It happens online and in person. There can be full blown name-calling and physical threats. Even more subtle, but still hurtful, slights and microagressions can cause kids some unease.
Here are a few middle-grade nonfiction and picture books that can help with bullying. You can see all Magination Press bullying titles here.
Stand Up!: Be an Upstander and Make a Difference by Wendy L. Moss PhD
Do you want to be an Upstander who makes the world a better place by standing up to bullying and injustice in your school, home, or community? If so, this book is for you! You may doubt that one kid can make a difference. You can’t fly like Wonder Woman or scale walls like Spiderman, but you could be a hero to someone else by speaking up. Small changes can lead to bigger and bigger changes!
Chock full of quizzes, examples, practical advice, and small steps you can take in your real life, Stand Up!: Be an Upstander and Make a Difference takes readers through the ways to be an Upstander, including being kind to yourself, having empathy for others, spreading kindness, and dealing with conflicts.
Read an adapted chapter from Stand Up!
The Hero Handbook by Matt Langdon 
Heroes take chances, do hard things, and sometimes even change the world. To become a hero, kids can surround themselves with supportive people, boost their self-esteem and self-awareness, find their passion, and have the courage to make things happen.
This book shows them how to be the hero of their own story and discover their own hero journey. What makes a hero? Activists, advocates, allies, and friends. Sometimes heroes are our parents, teachers, or siblings. The truth is, heroes are inside everyone, and kids can and discover their inner hero, too!
Baxter and Danny Stand Up to Bullying by James M. Foley, DEd
Baxter the Bunny is the fastest animal in the forest. Danny the Bear is the best dancer. Baxter and Danny like to run and dance together in the forest…until Buford Blue Jay comes along. Buford makes up mean names for all the animals in the forest. With the help of Queen Beth of the Bees, Baxter and Danny learn how to start feeling better, and help the other animals in the forest feel better too. Together, they are able to stand up to Buford’s bullying! Includes a Note to Parents and Other Caregivers with more information about bullying and strategies for building self-esteem and resilience in children.
Read an excerpt from Baxter and Danny Stand Up to Bullying’s Note to Parents and Other Caregivers.
Ouch Moments: When Words Are Used in Hurtful Ways by Michael Genhart, PhD
When a bee stings, Ouch! That hurts! When your finger gets caught in a closing door, that hurts a lot. Hearing a mean or hurtful word hurts a lot, too. When other kids say something mean or hurtful, it is hard to know what to do. Ouch Moments: When Words Are Used in Hurtful Ways explains these “ouch moments” in kid-friendly terms, offers practical strategies for what kids can do to help, and empowers kids to stand up to mean and hurtful language. A Note to Parents and Caregivers by Kevin L. Nadal, PhD, provides more information about microaggressions, and strategies for talking to children abo ut hurtful language, discrimination, and bias.
Read an excerpt from Ouch Moments’ Note to Parents and Caregivers.
Whether your child has been the target of bullying, has witnessed it, or has bullied someone else, reading books about the subject is a great way to start a conversation about this important and sensitive subject. Check out our entire collection of books about bullying. It may also be helpful to look at our collection of books about friendship, race & ethnicity, and LBGTQ+ issues when talking about bullying with your child.
