Customer Reviews

Bystander

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I know I've found a good book when I hit the end of a chapter and just have to read on. Bystander is a real page turner. Whether you're a teen, a teacher, or a parent, reading this book will remind you how important it is to have a no-tolerance view of bullying. It is so easy to tell a teen to "ignore" the bully. But as Eric Hayes experienced, it's not that easy. Especially when you're trying to fit in.

Bystander is filled with suspense. From the first chapter, when Eric sees David Hallenback running scared across the basketball court, to the end it is hard to put the book down. Teens will connect with the situations and characters and this will surely open up conversations about what's right and what's wrong.

As educators, we are always looking for a sure thing; something you know will work. When we find it, we need to shout it from the roof tops! So, I shout, "Here it is! Find this, buy this, read it to your class, share it with your teacher friends. Read it with kids. Make sure kids read it!"

If the true job of literature is to help us understand the human condition, pick this up, read it and discuss it! Discuss it with any child availalble for learning. Work on reading comprehension, bullying prevention/intervention with this very real, very relevant, very important read on a very real, very relevant, very important topic. Educators everywhere will be applauding Mr. Preller's efforts efforts on this one!

Bystander is a great read for middle schoolers, their parents and their teachers. Boys and girls will find characters in it that they relate to, and the issues that are raised will give them a lot to talk about.

Eric Hayes, like any new kid in town, is worried about finding his place and fitting in. From the first page, you feel the tension of Eric's struggle to make new friends and avoid trouble. And the main source of tension comes from Griffin Connelly, a scheming, manipulative bully. Unlike the stereotypical dimwitted bully, Preller makes Griffin believable, and therefore, all the more frightening - he's a popular seventh grader at Bellport Central Middle School. The plot has plenty of twists and turns as it follows Eric through the difficult first few months at his new school. Young readers will love this book, placing themselves in it scene by scene, wondering what they'd do if they were Eric.

Preller has got kids down. He knows how they think, how they talk, how they maneuver through the challenges and confusions of middle school life. Kids will love the humor that runs through the realistic dialogue and school scenes, even as they feel the tension that comes along with being a target, a bystander, or a bully.

An important and timely topic - this book should hit a big public nerve.

This book captivated me, an adult, and I was just previewing it for my daughter age 13 who is being bullied. It explains it all!!! why these kids are being bullied and who is doing it. I think it is great to read it with your child.

We are using Bystander as one of our jr high reading group books. There is not one student who dislikes this book, in fact, they are SO excited about this book!! Since it deals with bullying, it not only keeps their interest, but it also has a great lesson. Highly recommend this one!! Especially for those reluctant readers!

Bullying is an issue that affects every school in this country. I couldn't be more impressed with this novel, which my son wanted to pick up. I will recommend it to his teachers; his school. Kids will relate; teachers will relate; this is a necessary purchase.

Bystander was an amazing book that I picked up from the library one day and I was amazed by how great the book actually was. After checking the other reviews I was confident that I had picked a good book. the book Bystander sends a message about hanging with the right friends and not bullying. I wish that it was a series and that that wasn't the only book. The point is ... Bystander is a wonderful book for middle schoolers, teachers, and anyone who loves to read!

I met James Preller. He is an excellent writer. This is by far the best book he has ever written.
-Shanaynay

As a middle schooler, I have read many young adult books and have learned to pick out a certain "formula" that occurs in many books, usually to less than stellar results. Bystander is no different. The book is complimented on its twist on the common bullying scenario, but bullying and simply middle school in YA books has been done so many times that is nearly impossible for any author (including James Preller) to make such a subject fresh and interesting. Preller does not help the scenario by adding common clichés such as: the protagonist, Eric, is the new kid in town, and he has a single mother who moved to the new town for a "fresh start". The book reads like an anti-bullying presentation given to a class of middle schoolers. I could almost see the heads of teachers and parents nodding in approval throughout the book. This book is obviously on the Sunshine State Reading Program because of the message of the book, but sadly, that is all that the book is: a message.

When it comes to bullying, if you aren't part of the solution you're often part of the problem. Bystander is a decent story about a group of teens influenced by a bright, manipulative kid, who judging from a outward appearances is a leader among his peers. The story explores the topic of what it feels like to be the "new kid" in school and how weighty the decisions one makes to fit in can be. Also examined is what being the victim of a bully looks and feels like. The descriptions from the victims point-of-view or about victims are hard to read at times because even the youngest readers will be able to identify with the anger,fear and desperation portrayed by these victims.

Although the story is well told in a straightforward fashion, (making it a good choice for many younger teens)at times I felt like I was reading a "lesson" about bullying, rather than a truly engaging story about teens caught up in bully situation which lessened my appreciation of the book. Additionally, I'm not sure how much the author's addition of a secondary storyline about Eric's father's mental illness and being an absentee parent added to the overall storyline.

All in all, a pretty fair read about an important topic, I just wish it had hooked me more emotionally.