Book Reviews
Nobody Knew What to Do: A Story About Bullying by Becky Ray McCain
Reading Level: Ages 4–8
This picture book tells the story of Ray, a new child at school who is bullied. The story is simply narrated by a bystander who sensitively captures the dilemmas children face when they are confronted with bullying: "I could not find a way to tell them to stop, so I squeezed my eyes shut…" When Ray does not come to school, our narrator finds the courage to tell a teacher. When Ray returns to school, both his classmates and the adults "make sure bullying is never okay."
I was surprised by how familiar my own first graders were with this type of situation. While reading the book, I used the STEPS TO RESPECT primary-grades lesson* to guide a discussion. This discussion helped my kids put themselves in the narrator's and Ray's shoes: "He feels bad for Ray." "I don't like it, he's getting hurt—all those guys are shoving Ray around." Following the story, they practiced reporting bullying to an adult and rehearsed ways to include a new student at recess: "Maybe you can play with my friends and me today."
This storybook's satisfactory resolution and gentle, uplifting watercolor illustrations are an effective introduction to bullying prevention.
*Note: The primary-grades lesson mentioned above is included in the updated STEPS TO RESPECT program. For more information about this lesson, call our Program Implementation Specialists at 800-634-4449, ext. 6219.
Reviewed by Tessa Keating, Parent
With Paul and Mia, First Graders
