Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Harsh realism makes novel about bullying painful to read.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 11+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In Eric Kahn Gale's novel THE BULLY BOOK, sixth grader Eric Haskins becomes the victim of an ongoing conspiracy outlined in a kid-created manual, also called "The Bully Book." Each fall, a selected group of sixth graders receives the book and uses it to choose a "grunt," a victim to be teased, humiliated, alienated, and tortured. They then follow the book's instructions to encourage other classmates to avoid the grunt and separate him from his friends. Eric begins a quest to find out everything he can about the book and its creator(s), and work out how he can change others' perception of him as the grunt.
Is It Any Good?
Some aspects of The Bully Book are extremely effective, particularly the painful realism of Eric's situation as the "grunt." His fear and the cruelty he suffers are so believable, the book becomes pretty difficult to stomach. The mystery of the "Book" is also engaging and suspenseful. However, the adults in this novel --granted, seen through the eyes of the young narrator -- are clueless, wounded, and immature to an almost absurd degree. Eric's realization at the end of the story seems like the kind of platitude one of those clueless adults might offer to a kid who's being bullied mercilessly: They can't change who you are if you know who you are.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about bullying. Have you ever been bullied or known someone who was? What's the best way to handle a situation like Eric's?
Does this situation seem realistic to you? How is this book different from other novels you've read in which a character is bullied?
How do you feel about the conclusion of the novel? Is Eric's problem solved?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : HarperCollins Publishers
- Publication date : December 26, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 240
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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