What do you think?
Rate this book
Bully
If a bully was making your life a misery and you suddenly had the chance to get him back, would you take it? Kerry does. And for a while, she is the powerful one. But things don’t quite work out the way Kerry planned. Soon she is more scared than ever…
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
5 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 8, 2014
I actually enjoyed this book more a lot more than the cover had suggested. Looking for resources for a teacher who wanted to focus on anti-bullying with her grade fives, I thought that a novel titled 'Bully' might be suitable. And it is. One downside is that it is British and quite dated. A combination of those two facts means that some of the references made won't make sense to young Aussie students.
Kerry is a girl who is bullied by a couple of boys at her school because she has a 'crippled leg'. The books gives examples of verbal, emotional and physical abuse. There are a couple of harsh words, 'bitch' and 'arse' which students will enjoy hearing a teacher read aloud. In the end, Kerry regains her confidence and beats up the boys who has been bullying her. Although this isn't a 'PC' message nowadays, it may initiate a good discussion with kids.
As one would expect, a book called 'Bully' is less than subtle in it's theme. At times the anti-bullying message in the story can get a bit preachy. June, Kerry's friend, is the voice of reason and these parts read like a public announcement. But it does have a good message and although written 23 years ago it is still relevant today.
Kerry is a girl who is bullied by a couple of boys at her school because she has a 'crippled leg'. The books gives examples of verbal, emotional and physical abuse. There are a couple of harsh words, 'bitch' and 'arse' which students will enjoy hearing a teacher read aloud. In the end, Kerry regains her confidence and beats up the boys who has been bullying her. Although this isn't a 'PC' message nowadays, it may initiate a good discussion with kids.
As one would expect, a book called 'Bully' is less than subtle in it's theme. At times the anti-bullying message in the story can get a bit preachy. June, Kerry's friend, is the voice of reason and these parts read like a public announcement. But it does have a good message and although written 23 years ago it is still relevant today.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2022
I read this book because I’m auditioning for a musical based on it and I wanted to know the story beforehand.
However, the morals are skewed, especially if it’s meant to be a children’s book. First of all, we learn of the bully, Billy Taggart’s, sad life and the main character Kerry uses this information to blackmail him into “protecting her” aka making him into her own personal slave. Although Kerry realises this is wrong, she admits to being slightly glad at his suffering, even later on in the book when she visits his home.
Kerry as a character is pretty irritating, because despite all the help she is given, she keeps refusing to pull herself out of the situation she is in when the people and resources are right in front of her. She never tells anyone about the bullying, except her best friend June, who advises her to tell a teacher or her parents, but Kerry continually refuses to. You should always tell a trusted adult if you’re being bullied because it will stop the situation from escalating.
The ending is not so much underwhelming as it is pointless, because it defeats the purpose of the entire story. Kerry becomes the bully she was trying to escape the entire story, and quite brutally and violently beats up Wayne. The book somehow ends up teaching its young, impressionable readers that revenge is the answer, when in reality, Kerry should have just asked for help from a trusted adult.
Despite this, it was a quick and easy read, as it’s aimed at probably 11-13 year olds.
However, the morals are skewed, especially if it’s meant to be a children’s book. First of all, we learn of the bully, Billy Taggart’s, sad life and the main character Kerry uses this information to blackmail him into “protecting her” aka making him into her own personal slave. Although Kerry realises this is wrong, she admits to being slightly glad at his suffering, even later on in the book when she visits his home.
Kerry as a character is pretty irritating, because despite all the help she is given, she keeps refusing to pull herself out of the situation she is in when the people and resources are right in front of her. She never tells anyone about the bullying, except her best friend June, who advises her to tell a teacher or her parents, but Kerry continually refuses to. You should always tell a trusted adult if you’re being bullied because it will stop the situation from escalating.
The ending is not so much underwhelming as it is pointless, because it defeats the purpose of the entire story. Kerry becomes the bully she was trying to escape the entire story, and quite brutally and violently beats up Wayne. The book somehow ends up teaching its young, impressionable readers that revenge is the answer, when in reality, Kerry should have just asked for help from a trusted adult.
Despite this, it was a quick and easy read, as it’s aimed at probably 11-13 year olds.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2016
This was supposed to be an educational book?!
Sure, the story reads fine and the characters are detailed and logic, the story line is engaging and the outcome of it is satisfying...
...but the message this book gives to young readers is just wrong!
For starters, it seems that bullying only happens to those who are weak. However, that's not true, bullying can happen to anyone and being confident does not solve it. Being a strong boy or girl doesn't mean you aren't susceptible to being hated and bullied.
Then there the part in which Kerry is not telling her superiors, which results in them not helping her and not consulting the bullies (who normally can be resolved with some heart-to-heart talking). She does not tell her superiors because she feels ashamed and thinks they will only have more fun of her being insecure and going to the teachers. This only reinforces the false idea that the bully's victims are weak and that being bullied is something shameful.
And lastly there is the revenge. Revenge is not ever the answer! It may help getting a bully off your back, but it doesn't stop the bully from bullying someone else. It also makes you have to hurt someone. The revenge in this story is maybe satisfactory to read, but it sends the wrong message. It says that you have to be strong to ward off your bully. And by overpowering your bully with confidence you 'win'. It also says that when you have not the confidence, you are a coward and will stay bullied forever.
This book sends the wrong message that bullying is solved by violence of the bully victim, that telling your superiors is useless once the bullying has already lasted some time, that bullies can't change, that confidence is a medicine against being bullied and that being bullied means you're weak.
Sure, the story reads fine and the characters are detailed and logic, the story line is engaging and the outcome of it is satisfying...
...but the message this book gives to young readers is just wrong!
For starters, it seems that bullying only happens to those who are weak. However, that's not true, bullying can happen to anyone and being confident does not solve it. Being a strong boy or girl doesn't mean you aren't susceptible to being hated and bullied.
Then there the part in which Kerry is not telling her superiors, which results in them not helping her and not consulting the bullies (who normally can be resolved with some heart-to-heart talking). She does not tell her superiors because she feels ashamed and thinks they will only have more fun of her being insecure and going to the teachers. This only reinforces the false idea that the bully's victims are weak and that being bullied is something shameful.
And lastly there is the revenge. Revenge is not ever the answer! It may help getting a bully off your back, but it doesn't stop the bully from bullying someone else. It also makes you have to hurt someone. The revenge in this story is maybe satisfactory to read, but it sends the wrong message. It says that you have to be strong to ward off your bully. And by overpowering your bully with confidence you 'win'. It also says that when you have not the confidence, you are a coward and will stay bullied forever.
This book sends the wrong message that bullying is solved by violence of the bully victim, that telling your superiors is useless once the bullying has already lasted some time, that bullies can't change, that confidence is a medicine against being bullied and that being bullied means you're weak.
September 24, 2012
I don't forget the day I read this book.
Our literature teacher was teaching us this book chapter by chapter. One day I came home from school. But I was deep inside the story coming back home! I was thinking what will happen next...!!! why teacher is going So slow in this book... I want to know more...
I went home and I slept in my bed. I started from chapter 5 and chapter 6 and chapter 7 .... 8..... 9... 10... finished!!!
It made me cry in chapter 7 I guess... when her friend went to Kerry's room which is in the second floor and find the newspapers below her bed and reads about kerry... when she was not crippled. when she was the star... the nice figures she made. when kerry was not being bullied by school friends.
Our literature teacher was teaching us this book chapter by chapter. One day I came home from school. But I was deep inside the story coming back home! I was thinking what will happen next...!!! why teacher is going So slow in this book... I want to know more...
I went home and I slept in my bed. I started from chapter 5 and chapter 6 and chapter 7 .... 8..... 9... 10... finished!!!
It made me cry in chapter 7 I guess... when her friend went to Kerry's room which is in the second floor and find the newspapers below her bed and reads about kerry... when she was not crippled. when she was the star... the nice figures she made. when kerry was not being bullied by school friends.
April 9, 2016
Read this book to help my son to prepare for a test, this is one of the better teen scholar books I have read. I liked the open ending for once and felt the characters were real teens.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews