Please Don't Pick On Me
Courtney Lynn
Paperback
(CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Jan. 25, 2014)
22 colorful illustrations designed to capture the attention of it's reader. (Ages 4-9). Simple, yet engaging activities at the end of the book to make the child think, express themselves, and it gives an opportunity for adults and children to talk about the child's feelings. Bullying is an issue that seems be discussed so much, but it just keeps getting worse. I see people roll their eyes when "bullying" is mentioned. I hear people say, "There are so many books on bullying, Please Don't Pick On Me is not going to sell." True, there are hundreds of books out there on the topic of bullying, but none are like Please Don't Pick On Me. This book is designed for children ages 4-9, but it also has a message in there for the adults. This books opens the dialogue between kids and adults. It forces a conversation to happen and requires adults to look at things through a child's eyes. It also makes adults really question how they approach the situation of bullying with both the victim and the bully themselves. I see all these studies done by Phd psychologists and people who read all kinds of text books on bullying, but it is not helping matters. They are not talking about it in the right way. Yes, they tell kids "it gets better", but you know what a kid says to that, "I have to wait until I get older?!" I am not a licensed psychologist and I have not done studies across the country or the world watching how children interact. However, I am a mom and I was a victim of bullying myself. I lived it. I still have memories of what kids called me in 3rd grade and how I felt. As a mom, I saw how my son was treated in school and I see how his friends are treated as well. I do not need to sit and observe a classroom to know what bullying is and how it effects kids. It was my life. Please Don't Pick On Me gets to the root of bullying; name calling. It also points out that adults need to start looking at talking to kids about the names they are called. Telling kids to "ignore it" is not the answer or the solution to bullying. Ignoring the name calling only condones the bully's behavior and makes the victim feel as though their feelings do not matter. So, why should you buy Please Don't Pick On Me? Because it can help. If it prevents one child from being bullied or helps one adult change their dialogue, it is worth it. Plus, $1 from every sale of Please Don't Pick On Me goes to Random Acts. Random Acts is a charity that promotes kindness through even the simplest acts. We can all afford to be a little kinder to one another. Help me spread kindness!
E