Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain (Laugh And Learn) [Paperback]

Trevor Romain (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Laugh And Learn

Bullies are mean. Bullies are scary. Bullies are a pain in the brain—and every child needs to know what to do when confronted by one.

This book blends humor with serious, practical suggestions for coping with bullies.

Trevor Romain reassures kids that they're not alone and it's not their fault if a bully decides to pick on them. He explains some people are bullies and describes realistic ways to become "Bully-Proof," stop bullies from hurting others, and get help in dangerous situations.

And if bullies happen to read this book, they'll find ideas they can use to get along with others and feel good about themselves—without making other people miserable.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-7?A deceptively simple approach to dealing with a difficult issue faced by millions of children every day. The advice throughout is clear, unequivocal, and helpful: "Tell your friends if you're being bullied. A bully is less likely to approach you if you're surrounded by your buddies." The advice for dealing with life-threatening situations is brief: "Run!" Fictional books abound on the topic?one of the most well-known being Mary Stolz's The Bully of Barkham Street (HarperCollins, 1985). Eda LeShan's nonfiction title When Kids Drive Kids Crazy (Dial, 1990; o.p.) deals extensively with the subject and provides excellent coping skills both for the victims of intimidation and abuse and for parents trying to help. However, bullied children are much more likely to pick up Romain's book on their initial foray into self-help, due to the attractive format with cartoon characters and lots of white space on the page. Resources for additional help include books, organizations, and Web sites. This useful, slim volume will have heavy usage.?Susan R. Farber, Ardsley Public Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“A deceptively simple approach to dealing with a difficult issue faced by millions of children every day.”—School Library Journal 

“This self-help guide is packed with mind-easing information.”  —Carolina Parent

“Attractive format . . . especially accessible to children.”—School Library Journal

Read, America! Selection

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing; 1 edition (August 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575420236
• ISBN-13: 978-1575420233
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,396 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #3 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Violence in Society
  • #29 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Bullies
  • #59 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > School & Education

More About the Author

When South African-born Trevor Romain was 12, his teacher told him he wasn't talented enough to do art, but 20 years later he discovered that he could draw. He has since written and illustrated more than 30 children's books, and he has an animated video series for kids based on his best-selling, award-winning books. Trevor also visits schools to speak to children, and he spends his free time with kids who have cancer at the Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bullies are more than a pain in the brain!, September 13, 2000

By 

Quaker Annie "reader" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain (Laugh And Learn) (Paperback)

Recent events in our schools have shown that bullies -- aside from being a pain in the brain -- can bring out reactions from their victims that are dangerous. Teaching our children how to deal with bullies is important for parents, just as not being bullied is important to kids.

I bought this book three years ago, and read it to my then 6-year-old. The writing, and the cartoon-like pictures, made it enjoyable for him. We discussed the topic at hand -- bullies. At that age he was riding the bus to school, and was on the playground sometimes with older kids -- bullying was a concern he'd brought up often. I was concerned -- certainly I didn't want him to just turn the other cheek. I'd also noticed that sometimes his reaction to bullies was to 'out bully' them.

This book gave him some ideas on how to cope. It is a great conversation starter for parents and kids. Why do bullies bully? What else could they do? What can YOU do if bullied? What ELSE could you do? Does bullying the bully work? Why not?

A couple of weeks ago, before school began, I noticed that he'd pulled the book out and was reading up on it again.

A good book to read with your kids, and evidently one they can also read to themselves as a refresher course!

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for both kids and parents., July 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain (Laugh And Learn) (Paperback)

Concise, yet comprehensive. Entertaining paperback with cartoon-like illustrations. Captured my son's attention and taught me a few new things about bullies and safe strategies for dealing with them. A must read for concerned parents and kids who are tired of being pushed around.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars GREAT BOOK FOR YOUNGER KIDS, February 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain (Laugh And Learn) (Paperback)

I liked the cartoon explanations in this book, and the way the author explains that bullies are "self-esteem vampires" He goes into gang violence and what you should do about it as a child. He also goes into name-calling and general nastiness. I just wished that he would not have said that most children who are picked on, are shy children. In my experience, it is the children who are different in someway (race, religion, opinions, dress, hair color, braces etc..) that brings on the teasing. This book does not address that issue very well.