Books About Bullying

Last updated: September 23, 2025

Kids grappling with bullying can check out our list of relatable books for various ages, from picture books to tween and teen novels to memoirs. Some books deal with cyberbullying, while others portray the old-fashioned face-to-face kind. In some cases, bullying stems from racial bias or simply perceiving the other person as "different." In others, it's driven by petty jealousies and power dynamics. These stories show positive ways to stand up to bullying, and many zero in on the deep wounds that can lead a kid to engage in bullying -- and how a person can grow beyond them. For more stories about kids' interactions, see our Books That Support Diversity and Inclusion and Coming-of-Age Books.

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Bully Poster Image

BOOK

Bully

age 3+

Simple animal tale of bullying, empathy, and forgiveness.

Laura Vaccaro Seeger Picture Book (2013)

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Llama Llama and the Bully Goat Poster Image

BOOK

Llama Llama and the Bully Goat

age 3+

School bully tale great for showing kids how to respond.

Anna Dewdney Picture Book (2013)

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Myrtle Poster Image

BOOK

Myrtle

age 4+

Affirming story of a little rat standing up to a bully.

Tracey Campbell Pearson Emotions (2004)

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Perla the Mighty Dog book cover: Brown-haired boy with big, round, red-framed glasses and blue sweatshirt hugs small gray dog

BOOK

Perla The Mighty Dog

age 4+

Charming Perla the dog teaches boy to roar back at bullies.

Isabel Allende Picture Book (2024)

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Stick and Stone Poster Image

BOOK

Stick and Stone

age 4+

Charming art distinguishes story about friends and bullies.

Beth Ferry Picture Book (2015)

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Coat of Many Colors Poster Image

BOOK

Coat of Many Colors

age 5+

Lyrics of inspirational Dolly Parton song address bullying.

Dolly Parton Picture Book (2016)

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Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully Poster Image

BOOK

Freckleface Strawberry and the Dodgeball Bully

age 5+

Imaginative girl tackles bully in upbeat playground story.

Julianne Moore Picture Book (2009)

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Super Fly: The World's Smallest Superhero!: Super Fly, Book 1 Poster Image

BOOK

Super Fly: The World's Smallest Superhero!: Super Fly, Book 1

age 5+

Underdog takes on bully in light, fun chapter book.

Todd H. Doodler Adventure (2015)

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Bluebird Poster Image

BOOK

Bluebird

age 6+

Striking, vibrant tale of friendship, bullying, and loss.

Bob Staake Picture Book (2013)

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EllRay Jakes the Dragon Slayer! Poster Image

BOOK

EllRay Jakes the Dragon Slayer!

age 7+

Kids stand up to bullies in warm family story.

Sally Warner Friendship (2013)

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Justin Case: Rules, Tools, and Maybe a Bully Poster Image

BOOK

Justin Case: Rules, Tools, and Maybe a Bully

age 7+

Giggles, wisdom as worrywart Justin starts fourth grade.

Rachel Vail Humor (2014)

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Black Brother, Black Brother Poster Image

BOOK

Black Brother, Black Brother

age 8+

Boy challenges school bully in exciting sports story.

Jewell Parker Rhodes Sports (2020)

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Kareem Between Book Cover: Boy in jersey and jacket with Syrian and USA flag pins stands in front of lockers with football

BOOK

Kareem Between

age 8+

Touching verse novel about xenophobia, identity, friendship.

Shifa Saltagi Safadi Contemporary Fiction (2024)

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Me and Marvin Gardens Poster Image

BOOK

Me and Marvin Gardens

age 8+

Sensitive boy vs. subdivision, bullies in coming-of-age gem.

Amy Sarig King Contemporary Fiction (2017)

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Pottymouth and Stoopid Poster Image

BOOK

Pottymouth and Stoopid

age 8+

Underdogs overcome labels in sensitive, funny story.

James Patterson , Chris Grabenstein School (2017)

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Real Friends Poster Image

BOOK

Real Friends: Best Friends, Book 1

age 8+

Painfully honest, hopeful memoir of coping with frenemies.

Shannon Hale Friendship (2017)

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Save Me a Seat Book Cover-a lunch tray with American food across from one with South Indian food

BOOK

Save Me a Seat

age 8+

Fifth-grade boys face prejudice, bullying in hearting tale.

Gita Varadarajan , Sarah Weeks Coming of Age (2016)

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The Queen Bee and Me Poster Image

BOOK

The Queen Bee and Me

age 8+

Relatable story about conformity has strong science content.

Gillian McDunn Coming of Age (2020)

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Blubber Poster Image

BOOK

Blubber

age 9+

Honest novel shows brutality of grade school bullying.

Judy Blume School (1974)

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Smiling Black boy in blue shirt holds large magnifying glass

BOOK

Chester Keene Cracks the Code

age 9+

Boy finds family, friendship in heartwarming adventure.

Kekla Magoon Contemporary Fiction (2022)

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