Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories

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Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories

by Megan Kelley Hall (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Carrie Jones (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Claudia Gabel (Contributor), Courtney Sheinmel (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Crissa-Jean Chappell (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Cyn Balog (Contributor), Cynthia Leitich Smith (Contributor), Daniel Waters (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) , more…

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 1,025 ratings · 266 reviews

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Discover how Lauren Kate transformed the feeling of that one mean girl getting under her skin into her first novel, how Lauren Oliver learned to celebrate ambiguity in her classmates and in herself, and how R.L. Stine turned being the "funny guy" into the best defense against the bullies in his class.

Today's top authors for teens come together to share th...more

Paperback, First Edition, 369 pages

Published September 6th 2011 by HarperTeen

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Sep 12, 2011 Tamora Pierce rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

79 writers describe their bully experiences--as victims or as bullies--in essay, poem, or graphic form in this book. Everything is brief, so some of the pieces seem a bit pat, but the experiences are varied, and what one person says doesn't work, such as "ignore them" does work for someone else. There's plenty of food for thought here, for teenagers and adults. A couple of writers even point out that bullying doesn't stop at college and adulthood.

The main points that aren't stressed, but that co...more

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Nov 09, 2011 Ashleigh Paige rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: the-great-shelf-of-awesome, wow-it-s-nonfiction

Also appears on The YA Kitten.

Bullying has always been a serious issue, but it has become even more serious in the past few years. The suicides of gay teens that led to the It Gets Better campaign gained an unearthly amount of publicity, and teen suicide cases gain attention anyway because of the tragedy. In the Dear Bully anthology, seventy authors--some readers will know, be familiar with the same with, or may not know at all--tell their own stories of being bullied.

As the book points out, sev...more Also appears on The YA Kitten.

Bullying has always been a serious issue, but it has become even more serious in the past few years. The suicides of gay teens that led to the It Gets Better campaign gained an unearthly amount of publicity, and teen suicide cases gain attention anyway because of the tragedy. In the Dear Bully anthology, seventy authors--some readers will know, be familiar with the same with, or may not know at all--tell their own stories of being bullied.

As the book points out, seventy-five percent of students are subjected to various types of harassment by others, be physical, emotional, online, or one of many other ways. Each story has great emotional resonance, especially to someone like me--I've been bully, been bullied, and stood by while someone else was bullied. No one story is greater than the others, but Michelle Zink's story of frenemies and Sophie Jordan's "The Eulogy of Ivy O'Conner" are very familiar to me and have stuck with me. It's been only a few days since I finished the novel, but I'm sure they will continue to stick with me, as will many others.

My main problem with the book is that it is perhaps too ambitious. The message that bullying needs to stop rings true, but it loses its potency because of how many stories there are in the book that hammer this message in. Methinks seventy was a few too many stories for one book. There was one particular story in the anthology that bothered me for reasons it shouldn't have. One story in particular felt almost... fake, and I feel terrible for admitting I feel that way about it.

Dear Bully was a truly affecting anthology. The pages of resources in the back point the curious to anti-bullying programs, programs such as the Trevor Project and Reach Out, and numbers teens can call if they are feeling suicidal or are overwhelmed with problems. The novel itself is a great resource for anyone wondering just how badly bullying can affect a person, and I'm certain this novel will help someone out there.(less)

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Dec 03, 2011 C rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-recommend, favorite-self-help, favorite-young-adult

I recommend this book to everyone. It is not just for children, teens, parents or teachers. Bullying does not always stop at childhood or college, it can continue on into adulthood and exist in any social situation: family, personal relationships, work, groups/clubs, doctor to patient, neighborhoods...anywhere people may interact, and it is worthwhile to recognize it for what it is, and understand both how to deal with it, how not to respond, and that it is not a reflection of *you.*

What people...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Brenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Though this book is targeted for teen readers, as the mom of two young children, one on the cusp of middle-school-dom, I was very interested to check out this book for myself. A compilation of letters written by many well-known authors for teens, I urge everyone to pick up a copy of this book! Dear Bully not only gives us the perspective of those that were bullied but also the side of the bully. And what it shows us is that everyone has been a part of bullying whether they know it or not.

Even g...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Annabel ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: those who struggle/have struggled with bullying.

Recommended to Annabel ♥ by: No one.

Shelves: love-the-writing, idea-is-genius

In this book, 70 authors tell their stories about bullying, being bullied, and witnessing bulling. It's a really strong book that I think everyone who struggles/has struggled with bullying should read. Some really big authors like Lauren Oliver, Alyson Noel, and Carrie Jones contribute to it, so it was really cool to hear their stories. My favorite story was probably the one by Sophie Jordan (I'm not remembering what the title of it was). Basically it told a story, but the truth was crossed out....more

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Mar 04, 2012 Kyle added it

Shelves: boring, massive-dissapointment, overhyped, really-excited, will-never-finish, anthology, 2012

There's nothing WRONG with this book. It's not a bad book. However, with 70 stories about the exact same thing happening over and over and over again, the reader will get A) Restless B) Bored or C) Love it. Now, if you're like me, you'll get a mix of all three. I was bored (a lot of the time), I wanted it to end, and yet in the beginning I loved it! I actually didn't even finish it. You know why? I READ THE SAME THING 44 TIMES! Three of the stories spoke to me, but the rest were the exact same t...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Claire added it

Shelves: reviewed-fourth, my-non-fiction

Dear Bully
By 70 authors
Non Fiction
365 pages

Dear Bully is a collection of personal experiences with bullies. Each contribution is made by an author that wanted to put forth their unique story for teenagers to relate to. Some of these stories are poetic, some are graphic novels but they all are very strong and touching stories of hope and optimism. Some stories are from the point of view of the victim, some of he bully, and some of bystanders, even some in which there is a parent whose child is bu...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Riki H. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dear Bully
Megan Kelley Hall (and many others)
autobiography
369 pages

This book was short stories bundled up together into one book. Seventy authors together put their personal stories into one book. The authors who were bullied one point at their lives, express their feelings when they got bullied and what happened. Many stories were sad and very touching.

While reading this book, I really started to think about bullying. Those stories by the bullied authors are very touching and they make you thin...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Christina rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this book because the subject matter hits particularly close to home. Not only was I bullied all through middle school and high school, but my youngest cousin committed suicide a little less than three years ago after an embarrassing photo of her was circulated among her classmates online. She had just turned 15, a high school freshman.

It was a shock to our family, and the amount of damage that was inflicted on those she left behind is irreparable.

This particular book was a compilation of...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Teresa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dear bully is a book about 70 authors telling their stories whether is on a letter or a poem they describe how they felt as a victim of bullying.And how it affected their lives in positive and negative ways.Dear bully is a good book specially for people that can relate to it because it shows them how is not good to let people step over you and to stand up for youself, the authors teach us how to be stronger and take it as a lesson and something that is going to prepare is on the future.The autho...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Book Angel Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review by Beth

When Dear Bully arrived from Emma, I was really excited. I’ve previously reviewed bullying related books here and found them really refreshing with an important message to tell. This was no different, Dear Bully tells the story of being bullied, being involved in bullying or even in some instances being the bully from the point of view of some very famous YA authors including Lauren Oliver and R L Stine. It’s a fantastic concept for showing everyone out there that even their bigges...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bullies, families, friendship, school, self-esteem

Sometimes seeing ourselves is the first step in changing. Whether you've been bullied, been the one who bullies others or even been the one who stood by helplessly and did nothing while someone else was being bullied, this is a book that just might change your life--or your perspective.

I'm so glad that this book exists, and I recommend that everyone read it, whether they are students or teachers in elementary, middle school, high school, college, or even beyond. It's the kind of book in which a...more Sometimes seeing ourselves is the first step in changing. Whether you've been bullied, been the one who bullies others or even been the one who stood by helplessly and did nothing while someone else was being bullied, this is a book that just might change your life--or your perspective.

I'm so glad that this book exists, and I recommend that everyone read it, whether they are students or teachers in elementary, middle school, high school, college, or even beyond. It's the kind of book in which all of us will find our own experiences mirrored in at least one of the stories written by the 70 authors, many of whom will be familiar to young readers. (One of the things I loved about the book was the different length of the stories as well as the varied writing styles used around one common theme. Another bonus was having the authors' websites included in their bios in the back. Additionally, readers can log on to http://www/dearbully.com for even more stories, videos, and information on how to get help if you are being bullied.)Since the stories revolve around the same topic, readers might want to savor this one in sips rather than reading the whole book in one session. Still, it's clear that bullying remains a problem in our world, especially in our schools, and some of the authors share their own coping mechanisms--humor, confrontation, for instance--for surviving bullying. Others look back at bullying from the distance of a decade or two and are surprised to find that it still hurts to have been singled out or ostracized or even replaced for one reason or the other. Still others are surprised to find that, oddly, the bullies of their childhood may not even remember events that were so life-changing for them. Megan McCafferty ponders where those who are considered to be popular get their power and asks, "Who Gives the Popular People Power? Who??" in her provocative piece. Not surprisingly, some of the authors describe the grudges they still hold and how sometimes they, too, became bullies.

One of the stories was particularly poignant for me since it described an experience similar to my own seventh grade year when my best friend replaced me with a sophisticated new girl, letting me know that I no longer had a place in her life or at my usual lunchroom table. This book is highly recommended. (less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Jessica Day rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anthologies are difficult to pull off. I’ve read plenty of really awful ones and few have actually pleased me, one example is Chicken Soup (LOVE IT!). While I went into Dear Bully with apprehension, it’s now on my “Favorite’s” shelf. As always, when it comes to anthologies, there were some stories that bored me and others that were slow. Nevertheless, Dear Bully had a good ratio of good to bad stories in it. I frequently found myself captivated by a short story that reminded me of an experience...more

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Jan 11, 2012 Tania Maradiaga rated it 2 of 5 stars

Dear Bully is a story written by over 70 authors such as R.L. Stine, Alyson Noel, Ellen Hopkins, Lisa Yee, and more. In some of the stories, the author is either the bully herself, victim, or a mere bystander who regrets not helping the poor victim while being bullied. I would recommend this book to a victim of bullying to help show them that there is still hope, and even though these people, who are just like you and I have suffered years and years of bullying and cruel tormenting, they became...more Dear Bully is a story written by over 70 authors such as R.L. Stine, Alyson Noel, Ellen Hopkins, Lisa Yee, and more. In some of the stories, the author is either the bully herself, victim, or a mere bystander who regrets not helping the poor victim while being bullied. I would recommend this book to a victim of bullying to help show them that there is still hope, and even though these people, who are just like you and I have suffered years and years of bullying and cruel tormenting, they became successful, wealthy, and most importantly - happy. Not to mention they also followed their dream and became authors and had children of their own and have great marriages. In addition, I would also recommend this book to a bystander that has seen bullying in the act to help give them a better feel of what it is truly like trying to be prey; an easy target, and to act like nothing is wrong, when really, everything is. I think if bystanders read this, it would give them a real motive to actually do something and stand up for someone; even if they are mere acquaintances. Everyone needs help once in awhile, and what goes around comes around. The last person I would recommend this to is the bully herself because having a bully; otherwise known as a tormentor, read this book; all of these true, written-from-the-heart stories could really change their life. If a bully read this book, he or she would at least be able to somewhat fathom what it truly means to be scared, unsure, and alone. By portraying these various emotions, a bully might stop his cruel acts and try being a little more nice once in awhile by seeing what he really does to people, and all the pain; whether it be mental or physical that he brings upon people, whether it be for a great reason, or no reason whatsoever.My rating for this book is two out of five stars. I give it this rating, not just because 99% of the stories in this book weren’t very detailed as to how the victim, perpetrator, or bystander was truly feeling at the given moment, and most of the stories were very bland and I didn’t feel like they were very interesting or meaningful. Also, at the end of just about every story, the author mentions how “things will get better” and how “in the end it will all work out,” but honestly...If a person were telling me this it would mean nothing to me and I’d still be sad and lonely. I feel this book wasn’t quality work and that the authors really need to show readers that hope and faith are important, and that life isn’t always perfect, and there will ALWAYS be obstacles along the way; but it’s OUR job to push past them and fight till’ the end, because....that’s just the game of life.(less)

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Dec 09, 2011 Emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Book Title: Dear Bully

Author: Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones

Published By: HarperCollins Publishers

Genre: Non fiction

Recommended Age: Any Age

Reviewed By: Emily Tuley / AngelsCryHavoc

Blog Reviewed For: Great Minds Think Aloud Literary Community

Rating: 5 Ravens

After dealing with some bullying issues with my daughter at her school and remembering things from my old days reading more about it in the news and Online problems we are all facing or once faced in our lives I saw this book and just had...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Jeni Bell rated it 5 of 5 stars

'Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Story’ was written by young adult and children’s authors who were bullied, watched as classmates were picked on or humiliated, or were the bullies themselves. It’s a book that teens can relate to and learn from, no matter their social status—and a book that educators could use as a resource, as a writing prompt in English classes, and more.

The idea for ‘Dear Bully’ came about when young adult author Carrie Jones (‘Need,’ ‘Girl, Hero,’ ‘Love (and Other Uses for...more 'Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Story’ was written by young adult and children’s authors who were bullied, watched as classmates were picked on or humiliated, or were the bullies themselves. It’s a book that teens can relate to and learn from, no matter their social status—and a book that educators could use as a resource, as a writing prompt in English classes, and more.

The idea for ‘Dear Bully’ came about when young adult author Carrie Jones (‘Need,’ ‘Girl, Hero,’ ‘Love (and Other Uses for Duct Tape’), who was bullied as a child, learned what Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old Massachusetts girl who killed herself in 2010 after being tormented by girls in her high school, had gone through in the weeks before her death. Jones used her blog to encourage other young adult authors to take a stand against bullying. She and young adult author Megan Kelley Hall started a Facebook group, “Young Adult Authors Against Bullying.” Soon, the group came up with the idea for an anthology—and hundreds of authors submitted essays. ‘Dear Bully’ was published in September 2011; the essays that were not included in the book will be featured online.

“There are truths in every single story that resonate,” Jones writes on her blog about ‘Dear Bully.' “Those truths are that pain is real, that actions and words can shatter us, that it's hard to remember how awesome you are when people are telling you that you aren't.”

The book has generated national buzz. Interviews with authors for the book recently were featured on NPR (listen to the interviews), and stories about the anthology have been featured in Glamour, USA Today, PBS Kids, and more.

What makes ‘Dear Bully’ such an important book for teens, parents, and educators are the deeply personal and painful accounts its authors share about what it’s like to be bullied, to be the bully, or to be witness to the cruel attacks—verbal and physical—suffered by their classmates.

Hall recalls the girls in high school—her friends among them—who “could cut you down so fast, you didn’t even see it coming,” and fears for her daughter in a world where rumors and mean remarks spread even more quickly through social media and texting. Hall thought she’d left the world of “backstabbing among friends” behind when she graduated from high school and entered college. Instead, her college roommate turned against her.

Amy Goldman Koss remembers the power she wielded in sixth grade and how she used it to torment a girl named Carol: “If I got right up in her face and accused her of terrible things, and said mean, horrible things about her, every part of her froze, except for her eyes,” Koss writes. She knew that what she was doing to Carol was wrong—and that was part of the thrill. “After a few minutes of tormenting Carol, I felt a sort of peace as my heart calmed back down and the sweat on my hands tickled and evaporated.”

Aprilynne Pike, best-selling author of the YA series ‘Wings,' writes that she sees a boldness in her daughter that Pike never had as a child, when she was picked on for the clothes her mother made her, for her Coke-bottle glasses and long, thick braids, for all the times she would rather have spent curled up with a book or talking with a teacher than socializing with her classmates. “I wanat to teach her to care and be tolerant. Because if you don’t learn that as a kid, you have a whole lifetime for that bullying streak to come to the surface,” she writes.

And in “Objects in Mirror Are More Complex Than They Appear,” Lauren Oliver (‘Before I Fall’) writes that in high school, there were two Laurens: “There was the me as it was created by others, the me who could be comprehended in, and thus reduced to, a sum of facts and stories (Lauren: smart, slutty, mean). Then there was the me as I understood—or, more accurately, didn’t understand—myself. And that me was far blurrier, far less easy to categorize.”

(less)

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Oct 24, 2011 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was heartbreaking and inspiring.
There were short accounts, little poems, and drawings by 70 authors we know and love that made me cry and gasp because I would have never thought they were treated so terribly in their youth. This book is something you should read if you were bullied, were the bully, or even if you've never had this kind of experience.
Each story had their own unique voice and it was like a cold bucket of water was dumped on my head. I've heard stories about bullying, b...more

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Oct 13, 2011 Lily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Dear Bully
Reviewed by Moirae the fates book reviews.

You are not alone
Discover how Lauren Kate transformed the feeling of that one mean girl getting under her skin into her first novel, how Lauren Oliver learned to celebrate ambiguity in her classmates and in herself, and how R.L. Stine turned being the “funny guy” into the best defense against the bullies in his class.
Today’s top authors for teens come together to share their stories about bullying—as silent observers on the sidelines of high sc...more

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Oct 08, 2011 April (CSI:Librarian) rated it 4 of 5 stars

(Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)

I'll admit that I had to read this in very small doses because it definitely stirred up a lot of bad, painful memories for me. I'm glad I read it, of course, but high school was one of the worst experiences of my life thus far.

A lot of contributions go into how life goes on after bullying and after high school, which is terrific since all of these authors can relate to what tweens and teens are currently going through. Not all of the authors in the anthology c...more (Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)

I'll admit that I had to read this in very small doses because it definitely stirred up a lot of bad, painful memories for me. I'm glad I read it, of course, but high school was one of the worst experiences of my life thus far.

A lot of contributions go into how life goes on after bullying and after high school, which is terrific since all of these authors can relate to what tweens and teens are currently going through. Not all of the authors in the anthology cited their own personal experiences, which I think was incredibly important too, because what many wrote about instead was what happened to others without networks of support or being a teen who stands up for someone else who is being bulled. Not all of these contributions offered up happy endings or messages of hope, but a lot of what they do offer will resonate with teens and certainly can offer up some suggestions for parents, teachers, counselors, therapists, etc. Some submissions definitely worked better than others, of course. My favorites were from Heather Brewer, Mo Willems, Eric Luper, A. S. King, R. L. Stine, and Cyn Balog.

As is the case with a lot of anthologies, there is something in here for everyone and there's no real need to read anything in order. Or to read every section because I don't know that there really is a need for tweens and teens to read this cover to cover. What I do know is that adults in position to do some good if not the most good need to take it upon themselves to keep a copy on hand and be prepared to give students the pages they need if not the book as a whole. Because Dear Bully does tell tweens and teens aren't alone, but it is absolutely up to the people in their lives to show them that they aren't. And to place books like this in places where teens can find them.

In conclusion, a very powerful and much needed book. I really applaud the efforts of editors Megan Keally Hall and Carrie Jones. And I am still quite impressed by how many authors were willing to revisit their past and, in most cases, explore painful truths.(less)

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Sep 26, 2011 Mimi Valentine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star, reviewed

If there's one thing in the world I feel strongly against, it's bullying. I hate that there are wars and hunger and conflicts and stereotypes, yet I know that some of those things are inevitable. But bullying? I really, truly, honestly believe that there isn't ANY reason why bullying should happen!

Dear Bully is a collection of stories from 70 authors who have either been bullied, a bully, or a bystander. And they're all so powerful in their own way — it blows my mind away how much these authors...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-100-book-challenge, 2011-release, arcs-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews

If you have ever been bullied, pick this book up!

If you've ever been a bully and wondered if your words and actions really effected the person you bullied, pick this book up!

If you've ever thought bullying doesn't really effect anyone, than you REALLY need to pick this book up

If you're dealing with a bully or know someone who is, GO PICK THIS BOOK UP, because you will realize you are not alone! In fact, you're far from it. There's a whole slew of authors who know what you're going through and b...more If you have ever been bullied, pick this book up!

If you've ever been a bully and wondered if your words and actions really effected the person you bullied, pick this book up!

If you've ever thought bullying doesn't really effect anyone, than you REALLY need to pick this book up

If you're dealing with a bully or know someone who is, GO PICK THIS BOOK UP, because you will realize you are not alone! In fact, you're far from it. There's a whole slew of authors who know what you're going through and believe me, their stories will effect you one way or another.
They'll do more than make you realize you do have a friend in all this, they'll inspire and empower you to rise above the crap you're having to deal with, and help you to realize you are far better than those who are or are trying to bring you down.

Normally when I read a book like this I like to talk a little about each author's story, but this book is different. There are so many stories that one, there's no way I could fit it all in one post, or even two, and two, this entire book is one that at times made me cry, made me smile, made me think, made re-count my middle grade years, and more. Dear Bully made me think of my bullying experiences and made me think of the things I've done to others that may have effected them in ways I was effected by a bully, not that I was a bully, but this book makes you realize that all the things we do and say no matter how big or how little effect someone.

You know the old saying, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but your words will never hurt me!" Well many of us know that words are far more powerful than that saying indicates and have a longer, lasting effect than a broken bone. The stories included in this book are real experiences these authors have had, and each of them made me reflect, but the two more powerful stories came from Ellen Hopkins, who's story is the first in the book and than Heather Brewer's story. If I could send Heather's message to every person I know who's been effected by bullying I would, but instead I'm going to close my review with a quote from her story that made me cry, and I'm not a crier:

"Bullying is a horrible thing. It sticks with you forever. It poisons you. But only if you let it. See, there's a secret that no one ever tells you when they're filling your head that this "will build character" or just completely go away when you're an adult. You have the power to decide what hurts you and what doesn't, what sticks with you, and what you use as fuel to pull yourself out of the muck. You can make the needed change in your life and give yourself happiness and joy, despite what the bullies have tried to instill in you. You can succeed at anything, at everything. But you can't let them see you cry. Instead, when they want to see those tears, when they're doing everything possible to break you down, I want you to smile and remember that they're just picking on you because they wish they were just like you, but they don't have the guts.

Remember that minion, because everyone deserves a happy ending"- pages 69 & 70

GO PICK THIS BOOK UP! Every tween, teen, teacher, parent and so forth NEEDS TO READ THIS! Bullying IS A PROBLEM and it's one that's not going away. It's at every grade level, in every school, in every town across the US (and through out the world) and it's time to change that. Thank you to each of 70 authors who not only shared their own experiences with bullying, but have now connected with their fans on a whole new level. This is a book that everyone needs to read. (less)

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Sep 21, 2011 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book blew my mind as I knew it would. I'm not familiar with even half of the authors that contributed, but it was still incredible knowing that so many authors suffered from the similar issues growing up. My favorite story might be Luz by Melodye Shore or Frenemies are not Friends by Michelle Zink. Those stories stuck out for me. It was nice to read so many different perspectives. Some authors were bullied, some authors were the bullies, and some authors just stood there in the background...more

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Sep 08, 2011 Kelly Hager rated it 5 of 5 stars

Like many teens I was bullied. It happened in middle school and they were two of the worst years of my life. Fortunately, it was before the internet, so at least home was safe. I don't know how kids today deal with it, when they also have to contend with text messages and Facebook and everything.

This book will help, too. It's isolating and makes you feel like everyone hates you and you're a freak and nobody ever has felt like that before. But here are 70 authors saying, well, yeah, but I felt th...more

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Aug 28, 2011 Jackie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-star, books-i-think-i-should-read, ya, work-review-related-reading

70 authors came together to tell their stories. Most are about being bullied. Some are
about being the bully. Some are about not stopping a bully or helping the bullied.
These are painful memories to be sure, but they all come to the conclusion--it get's
better and you do survive and can thrive. In the wake of so many child/teen suicides
that have their roots in bullying, these authors chose to make their stand. Here are
some of the statistics that the book starts out with:

--Every 7 minutes a child...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I keep thinking about Dear Bully. Unfortunately, I wasn't surprised at the statistics about bullying and how prevalent it is. Of course it's been around since the beginning of time, but bullying in the present is the absolute worst.

There were several reasons for bullying that came up, but the most common was: the person being picked on was somehow different. It could've been any sort of difference, and it was often random. Of course another common factor in the process was peer pressure. So many...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-reads

The tagline for this might as well read Seventy Authors Tell The Same Story. This well-intentioned collection calls more for a dipping into than a straight read-through, lest you lose interest and find yourself mentally constructing alternative bullying tales of greater variety and scope ("...and then dread Cthulhu woke from where he slumbered at his desk and in his presence the angles of the room suddenly seemed wrong, and I knew that should I fail to give him my lunch money posthaste I would s...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Bobbie rated it 3 of 5 stars

I used to think I was bullied in middle school.

In sixth grade, an eighth-grade boy on my bus used to threaten to rape me, and the bus driver would just laugh and shake his head. But that boy never touched me. Was it funny? No. Was it bullying? No. It was intimidation and stupid and harassment and even criminal today. But it wasn’t bullying. It wasn’t so persistent and relentless that I couldn’t eat or sleep or function or get through my day without biting my nails to nothing, imagining ways I c...more

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Nov 03, 2011 Tina (yAdultReview) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-books, non-fiction, anthology

You are not alone. God, I would have loved to hear those words as an outcast seventh grader whose best friend just ditched her for the popular crowd. I sure as hell felt alone. Sure, the teachers knew what was happening: a boy in band would blow his spit through his trumpet and into my hair, a boy in gym class constantly called me gendered insults before I really even knew what those words meant, a certain gym teacher loved to call on me to demonstrate because I had no athletic ability. He would...more You are not alone. God, I would have loved to hear those words as an outcast seventh grader whose best friend just ditched her for the popular crowd. I sure as hell felt alone. Sure, the teachers knew what was happening: a boy in band would blow his spit through his trumpet and into my hair, a boy in gym class constantly called me gendered insults before I really even knew what those words meant, a certain gym teacher loved to call on me to demonstrate because I had no athletic ability. He would laugh when I failed. He also called me weird nearly every day. And that was a teacher. The fact that the teachers knew did nothing to help. In high school, girls who knew nothing about me called me a slut and a whore and wrote things about me on the wall in the second floor girls’ bathroom. People started rumors that I was pregnant, that I’d gotten an abortion, that I slept with two-thirds of the swim team. My friends did not defend me, and to this day I don’t know why. So, this book hit a lot of my buttons. It evoked intense emotion, which can be embarrassing when you’re reading a book at your desk at work.

Some of the stories stuck out for me more than others, like Lisa McMann’s, Courtney Sheinmel’s, Melissa Schorr’s, Holly Cupala’s. Their stories led me to checking out their books, even adding a few to my wishlist. I’m not sure how to be funny about this, you know? I can’t imagine what it would be like to be bullied in the era of Facebook, where everything you’ve ever done or said can be put on permanent display. Remember, once something is on the internet, you’ll never get rid of it. The internet is forever. What would I have done if, instead of using the bathroom wall, those girls used their keyboards, hid behind computer screens? What would I have done? Would I kill myself like Phoebe Prince? I don’t know, honestly. I may very well have.

And then comes the part where the former bullies apologize or try to rationalize why they were the way they were. I found I did not care about these now-contrite former bullies*. It’s not that I think they’re bad people on the inside, but I was that victim. They did those things to me. How can I want to buy your book when I relived those years through your story? I can’t, not really. They talk about feeling a rush of power; I never once knew what that was like, so I resent that. What I took away from this, though, was a question. What if I did have that power? What if, after a lifetime of teasing in elementary and middle schools, I was popular in high school? Would I have stepped on all the “little people,” the people I didn’t think were worthy? You know I want to say no, but do I really have any idea? No. I don’t, and it’s highly possible that I would have used that power to abuse, because I was abused. To take out my anger at being a victim on victims of my own. That makes me sick and scared. Could I have been like them? I feel like I have to thank those girls and boys–Marjorie, Cheryl, Kristen, Kelly, Samantha, Brandon, Matt, Kyle–for making me what I am today, and that’s a fighter. I like to fight for the underdog, because I was one. I like to try and help those girls who sit alone at lunch, because I was that girl once, too.

So thanks, you jerks. You did a world of good for me when all you ever wanted to do was make me feel bad.

*Have you ever noticed that those who were bullied never forget that abuse and many times, carry it around with them for years, but bullies never seem to remember what they did?(less)

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Oct 15, 2011 Allison R rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: short-stories, bullying

I LOVED this book. I'm not a big fan of analogies/short stories but this book made me mad and angry at the people that have hurt these authors but on the other end, it moved and touched me. I hope tweens/teens that read this will help them to stand up to people that are picking on them or if they see it happening to their friends.

This quite a large book but the stories kept me reading and wanting more.

Bullying has always been a big issue and now that Facebook has become more popular, cyber-bull...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Kelsey rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, 2011

Dear Bully was a fantastic and heartbreaking anthology that needs to be read by teens everywhere. Bullying is a serious issue and these stories were so personal and intense. The authors who wrote these stories have all had some experience with bullying- either as the victim or the culprit. Each and every one of these short stories touched me in some way and I had a hard time setting this down. Dear Bully sucked me in and didn't let me go until the last page. I cannot begin to explain how importa...more

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About Megan Kelley Hall

Megan Kelley Hall's first YA novels SISTERS OF MISERY and THE LOST SISTER were published by Kensington in August 2008 and 2009. Both books were recently re-released into mass market and optioned for film by Hollywood director, Allison Anders.

Hall is co-editor of an anthology about bullying for HarperCollins Publishers entitled DEAR BULLY: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen, Sept. 2011).

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Sisters of Misery (Sisters of Misery, #1)

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