Thursday Tunes: Anti-Bullying Suggested Playlist

With special thanks to my amazing music buddy Andrew at The Emancipation of Pewter Wolf

Review: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Title: Speak
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Publisher: Hodder Childrens Books
Publication Date: 20 Mar 2008

Source: Own





Synopsis: From Amazon
From her first moment at Merryweather High, Melinda Sordino knows she's an outcast. She busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops - a major infraction in high-school society - so her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't know glare at her. No one knows why she called the police, and she can't get out the words to explain. So she retreats into her head, where the lies and hypocrisies of high school stand in stark relief to her own silence. But it's not so comfortable in her head, either - there's something banging around in there that she doesn't want to think about. But, try as she might, it just won't go away...

Review:
Phew, this was a really hard read for me. So emotional on a multitude of levels, taking into account the subject matter I found this particular scenario totally scary as I have 3 daughters and the oldest is only a few years younger than Melinda in this book.

Written in first person narrative from Melinda's point of view. The reader is dropped into the middle of something but is not made aware of exactly what has happened until later in the story. From the beginning we establish that Melinda is isolated due to an event that has occurred within the last few months.

I have to say I did not find Melinda particularly like-able at the beginning, before the story unfolded, due to her complete lack of enthusiasm for anything, I found her hard to relate to, which I guess is part of the point. The events leading up to this point and her current emotional state are revealed slowly..

The omnipresent cliques are portrayed in unnerving accuracy. These stereotypes dominate events throughout life not just in school. We are shown through the narrative that people will always believe what they want to, not necessarily the truth. There are always two sides to a story although it is rarely acknowledged. People always side with the popular clique and don't bother asking questions that would upset the status quo.

Plot teasers are placed throughout the narrative making the reader imagine the worst case scenario. I found the reference to book banning totally ironic in light of recent events.

The imagery was very powerful making the tension palpable from between the lines. The narrative contained terrific use of metaphor to convey the isolation and desolation that Melinda felt.

I was left speechless at the relationship that Melinda had with her parents. I just could not relate to that at all. Leaving her to fend for herself most of the time, so caught up in their own lives/work to fully understand their own child. This part was very difficult for me and made me self-analyze my relationship with my children. I could not understand how they did not know something was the matter and deal with it. Especially when it came to the falling grades and lack of enthusiasm, I would like to think I would pick up that there was a deeper problem if it was one of my children. It made me feel as if they did not really care for her at all.

When Melinda eventually admits the true problem, she is shunned at first. Adding to her feeling of anguish. It is only following another frightening event that the truth is revealed; lifting the burden from Melinda. I would have liked to have seen how the truth was dealt with; the reactions of her family and friends etc.

The message behind this story is quite simple: SPEAK out. If nothing is ever said about being bullying and worse then how are we as a population supposed to stop it. You have to think, would you want other people to suffer the same as you have. SPEAK!!!!!!

Don't forget to check out Fluttering Butterflies giveaway to win a copy of Speak for yourself.

USA - It Gets Better Project

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Anti-Bullying Week Random Discussion/Rant

This is probably going to be a rather big rant but I wanted to get it off my chest, so to speak, as I can feel it eating away at me, making my blood boil.

For those that follow me on twitter, you will have seen me become quite incensed last Tuesday 9th November. Why was this you ask yourself. I shall get on my soapbox and tell you.

Some bright, obviously of superior intelligence, person decided that 9th November should be decreed as, wait for it, Slap a Ginger person day.

You may well gasp in shock.

One of my lovely Assistant Librarians has beautiful bright red hair. His day was spent being slapped by all and sundry. I even got asked by 2 people if they could slap him. My reaction: to have a complete meltdown, screaming about bullying and discrimination to people with different colour hair. While banning the offending 2 pupils from the library.

There are a number of famous people with 'ginger' hair. Would they have been slapped in the same way as these poor pupils were???

Thinking this would be the end to the idiocy. What do you think???

Upon arriving at the library Wednesday 10th November, I was informed that via Facebook and other social networking sites, the problem had increased.

10th - Beat Up a Blond Day

11th - Bash a Brunette Day

12th - Rough up a Red Head Day

This was immediately reported to the Head Teachers. But someone/anyone please please please tell me what the world is coming to that teens are encouraged to participate in these idiotic schemes.

Why hasn't facebook done anything to prevent this kind of thing from occurring??

Why is this considered acceptable behaviour??

Surely, it cannot just be due to my age that I question this type of mentality.

What do you think??

How can we work together to stop things like this happening in the future???

Trailer Tuesday: Help for Bullying



MG Monday: Guest Review: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Title: Stargirl
Series: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Orchard
Publication Date: 4 Jan 2007

Source: Own

Thanks to Danni Year 12 for writing the review for me.


Synopsis: From GoodReads
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first.
Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal.
 
Review:
Some may say that Stargirl is a very complex book to read but it is just taking the personalities and stereotypes of young people to an extreme level, which I believe makes us more tolerant to society. Stargirl in herself is difficult to understand as a person but isn’t everyone like that?

 From when she first arrives at Mica Area High School, everyone is intrigued by her as she is so different from the norm. Catching the attention of Hilary Kimble, who loves having attention and despises Stargirl for taking the attention from her. However, her mysteries attract Leo Borlock, an average teenager. Leo just wants to be left alone, blending into the background but is thrust into the limelight after he begins dating Stargirl. However, he eventually decides that this relationship and repercussions from it are too much for him to handle.

Throughout the beginning of the book, Leo’s best friend, Kevin tries to knock Leo out of his stupor with Stargirl. Convincing him to encourage her to appear on their TV show, “Hot Seat”. Eventually this does take place with disastrous results.


The story of Stargirl is quite bizarre and confusing (I had to read the book several times before I understood her and the story!!) However, I think we can all relate to the hidden messages in this book. The different ways of coping with bullying, the feeling of falling in love for the first time and the heartbreak when it doesn’t work out.

The parts of the book where Leo visits Archie and Señor Saguaro, I find incredibly irrelevant to the story. Although they can give us a little insight into the character of Stargirl; her background and why she acts the way she does. Stargirl’s pet rat Cinnamon is ultimately the force that brings Stargirl and Leo together. However, I believe he is a way of Stargirl expressing her individuality. I believe by reading this book, we become more tolerant to others in society, help us to become better people and understand young people in a better way.

For more great MG books dealing with bullying check here

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Introduction to Advice regarding Bullying

This post is taken from Bullying UK but I thought it would be a great way to start Anti-Bullying Week #ABW

Bullies are very cunning and are expert at getting away with it.

We all know that bullying goes on in every school but it's the way it's dealt with which makes the difference between life being tolerable or a misery.

How to solve the problem

If you are being bullied, tell a friend, tell a teacher and tell your parents. It won't stop unless you do. It can be hard to do this so if you don't feel you can do it in person it might be easier to write a note to your parents explaining how you feel, or perhaps confide in someone outside the immediate family, like a grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin and ask them to help you tell your parents what's going on.

Your form tutor needs to know what is going on so try to find a time to tell him/her when it won't be noticeable. You could stay behind on the pretext of needing help with some work. If you don't feel you can do that, then go to the medical room and speak to the school nurse.

The best idea is if a teacher can catch the bullies red-handed. That way, you won't get into bother from anyone for telling tales. It will be clear to everyone what has been going on. Don't be tempted to hit back because you could get hurt or get into trouble.

Bullying includes:

People calling you names

Making things up to get you into trouble

Hitting, pinching, biting, pushing and shoving

Taking things away from you

Damaging your belongings

Stealing your money

Taking your friends away from you

Posting insulting messages on the internet or by IM (cyberbullying)

Spreading rumours

Threats and intimidation

Making silent or abusive phone calls

Sending you offensive phone texts

Bullies can also frighten you so that you don't want to go to school, so that you pretend to be ill to avoid them

Hitting someone is an assault.

Try to stay in safe areas of the school at break and lunchtime where there are plenty of other people. Bullies don't like witnesses. If you are hurt at school, tell a teacher immediately and ask for it to be written down. Make sure you tell your parents.

Bullying is upsetting

Bullying is very upsetting and if you feel you can't cope, tell your parents and go to see your doctor. Many doctors are very sympathetic about the effects of bullying and yours may be able to write a note for the school explaining the effect that bullying is having on your health.

You could think about judo or martial arts classes so that you are confident you can look after yourself if necessary.

If people are making nasty remarks about you then it may be because they are jealous. Perhaps you're better looking than they are or work harder or perhaps the teachers like you better. One way of dealing with remarks is simply to say ...yeah, whatever, .... each time so that you show them that it isn't having the effect of upsetting you in the way they think.

The bullies will have worked out what buttons to push to make you upset.

They may make remarks about:

Your weight

Your looks

The colour of your hair

Your family

Your schoolwork

If you are popular

If you work hard

If you have a disability

If you are a different religion, colour or culture

If you wear spectacles or a hearing aid

If you have dyslexia or dyspraxia

If you've been off school due to illness

Bullying UK gets emails from pupils who have stopped eating because they've been called fat, or stupid because they have dyslexia. One girl tried to burn her freckles off because of cruel remarks.

The thing all these pupils had in common is that they were perfectly ordinary, nice people who had the misfortune to come up against a very nasty person

JUST REMEMBER THERE IS HELP OUT THERE. DO NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE.

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