Bullying is the act of picking on someone, making offensive comments, using physical force on someone, psychological torture by way of harsh words or other means. The bullier doesn’t realise the damage he/she causes to the person being bullied. The bullied not just loses confidence but in certain cases loses his interest to live and may be pushed to his/her limits to take his/her own life. Bullying can be attributed the credit for the committal of most juvenile crimes. Though bullying is majorly seen to happen with children and young adolescents, at a higher level i.e. in terms of age, it can be termed as torture-physical or psychological. As the damage caused by bullying is very grave, people have written books on the subjects for small childre, adolescents as well as adults. These books lay down certain strategies which can help one to cope with bullying and face it bravely without becoming a victim. Below are Top 10 books about bullying and how to face it and solve the issue.

10.The strange case of the Origami Yoda

This book is written by John Angleberger. It is mainly for the younger children. It is a 4 book series. It is about a boy named, Dwight who prepares an origami fold of a Yoda. Through disguised voices, he gives sound advice to the children of the school under the name of the Origami Yoda. He faces opposition from a boy named Harvey who is the antagonist of the book. Harvey not just bullies Dwight but tries to discourage students with respect to the concept of Origami Yoda. Dwight’s friend, Tommy decides to prepare a report on the other children’s viewpoint about the Origami Yoda and a lot of children agree to give their views and write them down for Tommy’s report. It is a story which portrays Dwight fighting against the bullying and opposition that Harvey brings his way.

9.The 100 dresses

Written by Eleanor Estes, this book is about a young polish girl named Wanda who goes to an American school. The children at the school mock her for her polish ways and make fun of her by saying that she is very different. One day tired of all the mockery she blurts out that she has 100 dresses in a wardrobe which is actually a lie. The children now get a new topic to laugh on and make fun of her. Wanda tells her dad about the torment she faces at school and decides to move her to a different school and decides to change base altogether. Before Wanda leaves for the new place, her teacher holds a drawing competition and asks each student to submit their entries. Wanda submits 100 entries each of a different design of a dress. The children now understand how wrong they had been and feel sorry for Wanda. But, it was too late by then and Wanda leaves the school and goes away to the new place with her father. The children of the school write a letter to Wanda and post it on her old address hoping that the postmaster would forward it to the place she shifted at. Does the letter reach Wanda? You’ll have to read the book for that. Moreover, the book shows how far bullying can affect lives of people

8.I am Jack

I am Jack is written by Susanne Gervay. It is the story of a 11 year old boy Jack who is continuously bullied at school by a boy called George Hamel. George keeps calling Jack names and orders the other kids not to play with him. Anna is the only friend who sticks to him in his tough times. Jack’s mother is oblivious to all the trouble that Jack is going through as she is occupied with her own life. But, when Anna brings the problems that Jack faces at school to the forefront, the necessary action is taken and along with it certain decisions need to be made too. Read the book to figure out, how bad can bullying get.

7.Blue Cheese Breath and Stinky Feet

A tale of two boys Gus and Steve, this book is written by Catherine DePino. The story is about Gus bullying Steve. Gus is afraid to break this out to any of his elders i.e. his parents and teachers. One fine day he confides in his parents and tells them the truth about Steve’s bullying. His parents chalk out a strategy to help him get out of it. Gus, finally finds a way to fight Steve. How? Get hold of the book, you’ll know.

6.The Liberation of Gabriel King

K.L.Going tells a story of two friends Gabriel King and Frita Wilson, who are best friends. Gabriel is afraid of almost all the things from height, water, cows, spiders, corpses etc. His best friend Frita, helps him make a list of all his fears and plans on making him face them so that he can finally get rid of it. Frita Wilson is the only black girl in the whole school and she herself is slave to a few fears which come up during the process of making Gabriel face his fears. What are the fears that Frita holds in herself and why is she avoiding confrontation with those fears? A book of revealations. Go grab it.

5.Just Kidding

Just Kidding is a book written by Trudy Ludwig. It is about two friends wherein one friend gets away with saying anything that is hurtful and offensive about any one under the pretext that he really doesn’t mean it but he was just kidding. When his jokes start crossing the lines, the other friend reports to the teacher and seeks help. This book very clearly states the lines and limits beyond which you can’t step while having fun.

4.Trouble Talk

This one by Trudy Ludwig is again abut two friends, Maya and Bailey. Bailey is often seen to give hurtful advice, spread rumours, gossip about people, leak out secrets, which is noticed by Maya. Maya doesn’t find Bailey’s behaviour right. What happens beyond this point, you would have to read the book for that? Suspense leaked always spoils the fun. This book states that we should choose our friends and company very carefully. We should make sure we don’t break anyone’s trust or end up trusting the wrong person.

3.Call Me Hope

Hope is a 11 year old girl who lives with her mother. Living with an abusive mother, she faces a lot of psychological torture. She tries to motivate herself by taking the example of Anne Frank. She builds up her strength to face her and confront her mother. The book brings forth the survival strategies adopted by Hope while she was being verbally abused by her mother and was under immense stress due to such bullying.

2.Confessions of a Former Bully

This one again a book by Trudy Ludwig. This book is unconventional in one main fashion because it is not told from the point of view of the bullied but the bullier. The bullier, Katie is seen by her teacher when she was teasing her classmate. And she was guided to Mrs. Petrowski, the school counselor. The counselor tries to drill into her the difference between right and wrong behaviour. It brings to light that the bullier along with causing harm to the bullied ends up harming oneself too. It is a book that helps in stopping and detecting aggression.

1.Stick up for yourself

This book is not just for the kids but it is also prescribed for young adults, parents, teachers and counselors. There are many instances where people get picked on, bossed around, treated unfairly etc. It leads to a host of negative emotions like anger, frustration, helplessness and restlessness rising in a person. This book helps one overcome and cope and rise over such taxing situations. It is written in very lucid and understandable language.