October is Bullying Prevention Month. Magination Press has published several books about the experience of bullying and how to respond to it, as well as resources for being a leader, good citizen, and for being resilient.
This year, the LBGTQ+ community is experiencing increasing challenges, so we start off with books about allies and inclusion.
Books about LGBTQ+ Allies and Inclusion
The Mother of a Movement: Jeanne Manford–Ally, Activist, and Co-Founder of PFLAG by Rob Sanders tells the story of Jeanne Manford, the co-founder of PFLAG. While marching in the June 1972 Christopher Street Parade, she had the idea to form a group to help parents and families of LGBTQ+ people. Check out the book.
Hear Mother of a Movement read aloud.
They’re So Flamboyant! by Michael Genhart, PhD is a fun and funny bird’s-eye tome to individuality, community, and harmony that follows the reactions of a neighborhood full of birds when a “flamboyance” of flamingos moves in. Check out the book.
Hear They’re So Flamboyant! read aloud.
Read an excerpt from a note from the author here.
Eveyln Hooker and the Fairy Project by Gayle E. Pitman is an evocative biography that tells the story of Evelyn Hooker, the extraordinary woman behind the research, advocacy, and allyship that led to the removal of the “Homosexuality” diagnosis from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Check out the book.
Read an excerpt from the “How to Be an Ally” section here.
Books about bullying
Lulu the One and Only by Lynnette Mawhinney, PhD explores the experience of being multiracial, explains microaggression, and provides a resilient response. Check out the book.
Read a post about supporting your biracial child from the Author’s Note here.
Hear Lulu the One and Only read aloud here.
Baxter and Danny Stand Up to Bullying by James M. Foley, DEd follows a pair of friends, Baxter and Danny, as they encounter and learn how to stand up to bullies. Check out the book.
Read an excerpt from the Note to Parents and Other Caregivers here.
Books About Helping Make Your World a Better Place
Kid Confident #1: How to Manage Your SOCIAL POWER in Middle School by Bonnie Zucker, PsyD discusses the dynamic of social power, equal and unequal, in the context of friendships and with unfriendly peers. Readers learn how to be more assertive and how to create more self-confidence and balance the power in their friend groups. Check out the book.
The Hero Handbook by Mark Langdon shows kids how to be the hero of their own story and discover their own hero journey. 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. Check out the book.
Read an excerpt from The Hero Handbook here.
Stand Up!: Be an Upstander and Make a Difference by Wendy L. Moss, PhD, ABPP provides strategies to become a “positive bystander,” someone who stands up for themselves and others. Two of the ways to be an Upstander include having empathy for others and conflict resolution. Check out the book.
Read an excerpt from a chapter of Stand Up! here.
Resilient Reads
Brilliant Bea by Shaina Rudolph and Mary Vukadinovich is an endearing and empowering story that demonstrates that a learning difference like dyslexia doesn’t define who you are. Despite her struggles with reading and writing, Beatrice is a natural and brilliant storyteller. With the help of a kind-hearted teacher, Beatrice uses an old-fashioned tape recorder so she can speak her words and play them back, as a technique for learning in a whole new way. With her new approach, Beatrice is able to show her classmates who she really has been all along. This book is set in EasyReading, a dyslexia-friendly font. Check out the book.
Hear Brilliant Bea read aloud.
Read an excerpt from the Reader’s Note.
Band Together by Chloe Douglass demonstrates how sometimes peer pressure can be a positive force. Duck loves peace and quiet! When a rowdy band asks him to join the show, he agrees, but gets nervous to perform with them. Why would they want him to play with them? A charming tale about being with friends and making new ones. Check out the book and the sequel, Better Together.
Hear Band Together read aloud here.
Read an interview with the author and illustrator here.
Whether your child has been the target of bullying, has witnessed it, or has bullied someone else, reading books about bullying 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.
