Weird! by Erin Frankel

Author:Erin Frankel [Erin Frankel and Paula Heaphy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
Published: 2014-02-22T00:00:00+00:00

A Note to Parents, Teachers, and Other Caring Adults

Every day, millions of children are subjected to

bullying in the form of name-calling, threats,

insults, belittling, taunting, rumors, and racist

slurs—and still more are witnesses to it. Verbal

bullying, which can begin as early as preschool,

accounts for 70 percent of reported bullying

and is often a stepping stone to other types of

aggression, including physical, relational, and

online bullying. Hurtful words, both spoken

and written, chip away at a child’s budding sense

of self, leaving fear, shame, and self-doubt in

its place. As caring adults, how can we help

children feel safe, respected, and confident in

who they are?

We can start by holding children who bully

others accountable for their behavior, while

modeling and encouraging positive choices. We

can help bystanders explore safe and effective

ways to stand up for those who are being bullied.

And through books such as Weird!, we can

help kids like Luisa, who are targets of bullying,

understand how to ask for help and how the

words they say to themselves—their “self-talk”—

can counteract hurtful words from others. Simple

changes in the way kids think and act can have

a positive impact on their self-confidence and

influence bullying outcomes.

Reflection Questions for Weird!

The story told in Weird! illustrates a fictional

situation, but it is one that many kids will likely

relate to even if their experiences have been

different. Following are some questions and

activities to encourage reflection and dialogue as

you read Weird! Referring to the main characters

by name will help children make connections:

Luisa is the target of the bullying, Jayla is a

bystander to the bullying, and Sam initiates the

bullying.

Important: Online bullying (called cyberbullying) is a real threat among elementary-age

children, given the increased use of smartphones and computers in school and at home.

It’s also the most difficult type of bullying to stop, because it’s less apparent to onlookers.

Be sure to include cyberbullying in all of your discussions about bullying with kids.

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