Forty-eight states in the United States have passed school anti-bullying legislation according to the Bully Police USA, a watch-dog organization advocating for bullied children. School bullying is a serious matter that requires utmost vigilance. The ineffable effects can lead to life-damaging results such as the suicides of Tyler Clementi, Ryan Halligan and Megan Meier.
How Eric Stopped Being A Bully
, written by authors Robert Thompson and Shoshana Moscovitz, is a creative picture book that alarms parents and school officials about school bullying and teaches children to speak up and stand up against a school bully.
Readers will be introduced to a mean kid in school named Eric. Due to his size and arrogant behaviour, many kids are afraid of him. He mordantly calls everyone with embarrassing names and threatens to hurt those who told on him. One day he picked on a young girl named Nathalie, which pushed her friend Billy to tell his parents. With the help of effective teamwork and communication, Billy's parents got a hold of Nathalie's dad who in turn called the principal. Hence Eric was warned. Nonetheless, this was not yet the final gist - for experience is always a better teacher and so Eric was taught a lesson he wouldn't forget. One fateful incident in the library reformed the bully once and for all. Readers will definitely be delighted to find out how all the children worked hand in hand in putting a stop to Eric's ways.
With colorful material and a myriad of insights, this children's book is a powerful symbolism of the simple things that people can do to change the atmosphere of school classrooms, cafeterias and hallways. Through subtle and diplomatic means,
is a statement in itself that, indeed, in belligerent and hostile situations, pen is mightier than sword.