Bullies Never Win [Hardcover]

Margery Cuyler (Author), Arthur Howard (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: June 23, 2009 | Age Range: 5 and up | Lexile Measure: 450L (What's this?)

When the class bully, Brenda Bailey, makes fun of Jessica’s skinny legs and her boyish lunch box, Jessica doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t want to be a tattletale, but she also wants the bullying to stop. Can Jessica find the courage to stand up for herself? From the team behind the first three books about Jessica and her worries, Bullies Never Win is immediately relatable, relevant, and a must-have for every school and library.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Margery Cuyler is the award-winning author of numerous books for young readers. She lives with her husband and son in Princeton, New Jersey. Arthur Howard is the illustrator of Cynthia Rylant’s Mr. Putter and Tabby series as well as his own picture books. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689861877
• ISBN-13: 978-0689861871
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #660,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Margery Cuyler resides with her husband and two sons in Princeton, New Jersey. Besides writing children's books, she has held executive positions in a variety of publishing houses. She loves to hike, bike, and cook, and is happiest when she entertains the guests who visit the Revolutionary War house in which she and her family live.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2* Just Say No... July 26, 2009

By M. Allen Greenbaum HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The author, Margery Cuyler, inserts all the right narrative elements in this story of grade school bullying--except a satisfying resolution. In its hopeful, "feel good" response to a classmates's constant verbal bullying, the author offers a fairly simplistic, unidimensional solution on dealing with bullies. Moreover, the transformation of victim Joyce from "shrinking violet" to assertive young girl soothes but ultimately, lacks the persuasive force of plausibility.

Still, one can help but admire Ms. Cuyler's narrative and characterizations. The fact that Joyce is a worrier reinforces her tepid, fearful reaction to near-perfect Brenda's teasing. It also explains Joyce's sometimes extreme reactions: When Brenda says Joyce's kickball homerun was just lucky, Joyce gives up kickball. When Brenda tells Joyce that her legs look like toothpicks, she starts wearing long pants. Joyce's parents encourage her to inform her teacher, but when Joyce warns Brenda about this tactic (when perhaps she should have acted rather than warn), bratty Brenda (who has an entourage of similarly stuck-up, scornful friends) defeats Joyce with just one time-tested word--"Tattletale."

Ms. Cuyler keepz the humor to a minimum (there is one bedtime scene where Joyce's attempt to count jumping sheep turns into a visual of jumping Brenda), and I think that's appropriate to Jessica's apprehensive personality, and the serious subject of bullying. Arthur Howard's pen and ink and watercolor illustrations superbly capture boh Joyce's anxiety and Brenda's haughty verbal cruelty; he even draws Brenda's head bigger than Joyce's to communicare the former's position of superiority.... He also wisely leaves plenty of "white space" so that we can concentrate on the conflict betweeb Brenda and Joyce without competing images.

As others have commented, Joyce's final retort, "Toothpicks may be thin, but bullies never win!" inexplicably reduces Brenda to a cowering, red-faced, stymied ex-bully. She doesn't have a snappy retort nor an entourage to back her up. Even if we believe that Joyce's rhyming parry could possibly be this effective, we don't see the process that led to her newfound assertion. Characters such as Joyce's few friends, and her teacher or family might have been employed to explain at least part of Joyce's nascent courage. Since the story itself isn't all that compelling without the implicit "lesson," parallel processes that might have helped develop Joyce's new confidence would have been added problem-solving value.

Unfortunately, the author's solution doesn't match her very admirable and sensitive portrayal of the problem. Given the limitations of space and the age of her audience, some of this may be expected. However, one is left with a feeling of unfulfilled potential. The book is perhaps best as a starting point for follow-up discussion in the classroom or at home. Read more ›

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars good intentions, doesn't deliver July 22, 2009

By engk916 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

i read this book with great interest, as my 5yo son was encountering some bullying himself at school. this book spends the majority of its pages describing how sad Jessica is, so anxious that she feels sick to her stomach and stays home from school. in the end she tells the bully not to pick on her, and her mom says good job. a little much of a pat ending for my taste, and my son didn't get much out of it except that he could stay home from school if he said his stomach hurt. to give you an idea, the book is 32 pages long, and maybe 4 pages is devoted to telling the bullie to stop and mom saying 'good job'.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars a great book for dealing with bullies July 24, 2009

By Ladybug

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I think most people--kids and adults--have had to deal with bullies in their lifetimes, so this is a book that practically anyone can relate to.

Jessica is having problems with a mean girl at school who picks on her no matter what she does, wears, or says. Jessica feels conflicted about how to respond to this girl, and ultimately runs through a variety of common reactions: anger, sadness, fear. She tries hiding her feelings from her mom, and, when that doesn't work, she tries talking to her mom about what she should do. I like how her mom listens to Jessica, but doesn't overreact. She helps Jessica think about solutions to the problem, but leaves the final decision of how to respond up to Jessica. In the end, Jessica has to try multiple tactics to get the bully to leave her alone, but finally succeeds in standing up for herself and putting the bully in her place.

Overall, a great story with interesting illustrations. Highly recommended for children dealing with "bullying" situations or who just want to read a good picture book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for First Graders August 27, 2009

By M. Haddad VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This story is about Jessica who is a worrier. She was especially worried because of Brenda, her classmates, Who was a bully. She was always teasing her about her homework and her skinny legs.

My daughter who is 6 years old really enjoyed this story. Thankfully, for the first time she learned what the word bully means and that it is not nice to be one of them. Also, the sentences and expressions were easily read by her.

She was so into the story and become so emotional because of Brenda's behavior. Jessica was thinking of solutions to respond of Brenda's teasing. At the end she stood up for herself by putting the bully in her place.

I liked how Jessica's mom was communicating with her daughter. She was really a good listener.
This story is as good as another story of the author which is: Hooray for reading Day!" . She really knows how to get the kids' attention.

I highly recommend this story to 5 -7 years old children.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book on bullying for young kids August 23, 2009

By Christy VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Length: 2:49 Mins

Flip through each page and a synopsis of Bullies Never Win.

2.0 out of 5 stars Well Meaning But Doesn't Deliver December 3, 2012

By ThreePeas VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I was excited about this book being a mom who's kid had experienced bullying. That said, I always read these things prior to reading w/my son to assess the content. Glad I did because this is not the message I want to pass on to my child. Like I said the author is well meaning but doesn't give any real concrete advice on how to deal with this very common issue. Too much is said about how sad she was and how the bullying made her feel but not enough on realistic ways to stop the bully. I think this book may get my kid a little more stressed rather than help. I'd pass.

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-written and pleasingly illustrated August 14, 2012

By Books for Children

Format:Hardcover

A well-written and pleasingly illustrated book about a girl who is dejected about verbal bullying at school until she finally stands up to her harasser.

As recommended on my children's book recommendation site Books for Children ([...]