A Bundle of Sticks [Paperback]

Pat Mauser McCord (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Ben Tyler hates to fight and Boyd Bradshaw knows it. When Boyd makes Ben eat mud at the bus stop, Ben's father decides that it's time for him to learn to defend himself. The thought of learning to fight makes Ben's stomach hurt, but he's willing to try anything to stop Boyd's bullying. When Ben discovers that he won't have to smash boards or throw people across the room, he decides that his Kajukenbo lessons might not be so bad. But even with his new self-defense skills, Ben doesn't believe he can stand up to Boyd until the day the bully kicks Ben's dog. Not only does Ben overcome his fears, he discovers a new kind of strength, one that was inside him all along. Written for children ages 9 and up, A Bundle of Sticks is an honest, funny and sometimes painful look at how one boy overcomes his fears and stands up to the schoolyard bully. Winner of The Mark Twain Award, The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award and The Washington State Governor's Award

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mauser's "boy vs. bully" theme is familiar but enhanced by the Eastern philosophies that offer interesting perspectives -- Booklist, 1982

Pat Mauser has concocted a credible story around kajukenbo as Ben progresses. Readers will be pulling for Ben -- School Library Journal, 1982

the emphasis is placed on Ben's newly acquired inner strength rather than his ability to defeat Boyd. -- The Horn Book Magazine, 1982

About the Author

Pat Mauser McCord

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: Turtle Press (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880336863
• ISBN-13: 978-1880336861
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #909,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An antidote to bullying, October 15, 2004

By 

Reader of a certain age - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Bundle of Sticks (Paperback)

Reprinting Pat Mauser McCord's "Bundle of Sticks" is appropriate for at least two reasons: First, it is a book that never should have been permitted to go out of print, and second, it is being reprinted at a time when its major theme-bullying in schools-has become an epidemic across the country. As this review was being written an 11-year-old boy was so tired of being bullied that he drove the family car almost all the way across Missouri, running from a stressful situation. It is a very serious problem that all schools and parents should investigate and take measures to stop. Reading and believing a book like this is a good start.
When "Bundle" was first published nearly 20 years ago it won numerous prestigious awards-the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the Mark Twain Award not to mention the Washington State Governor's Award. It deserved them and more because of the gentle, often-humorous way it gave kids a way to stand up to bullies. On the surface, learning martial arts sounds as though violence is being advocated. Not true. As "Bundle" explains and shows through believable plotting, martial arts properly taught can give kids the self-confidence to deflect bullying without resorting to violence. This is emphasized throughout and shown convincingly in the novel's final scene.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, February 23, 2010

By 

JD "JD" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Bundle of Sticks (Paperback)

This is a great book. My favorite book in 4th grade. It was so good that I still remember the book as an adult and bought it for my 2 boys that are now in the 4th grade. They both loved it and finished the book in record time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My son enjoyed reading this story., February 7, 2009

By 

S. Plemmons - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Bundle of Sticks (Paperback)

This story really held my 8 year old son's attention. He loved the story.