Rooster Joe and the Bully/El gallo Joe y el abusón

Gr 4–8—Joe Lopez loves to draw, and when his new art teacher notices his sketchbook full of rooster drawings, she suggests he enter a painting in the county fair. As he is thinking about the possibility of becoming as great an artist as his grandfather, he notices the bully Martin Corona trying to force classmate Luis to give him five dollars. When Joe intervenes, Martin transfers his bullying to Joe, picking on him in the bathroom and shoving him and his friend Kiki at a football game. As events begin to escalate, Joe receives good advice from his grandfather, who tells him that one person can make a difference. Joe's classmates join him in standing up to Martin once and for all. Black-and-white illustrations accompany this short flip book, which contains the complete text in English and Spanish. The author adeptly depicts the feelings students sometimes have when trying to decide whether to tell on a bully. While the plot at times seems disconnected, the ending resolves all the issues presented.