The Survival Guide to Bullying: Written by a Teen

Gr 4–7—In this revised edition of a self-published title, Mayrock, a college freshman, draws on her own experiences as a victim of bullying in middle and high school in order to help other teens. Her first-person voice is conversational and encouraging, and she offers practical survival tips (verified by experts), such as the importance of asking for adult help. Only occasionally does the advice veer into platitudes (for instance, "a war isn't won overnight"). The format and design are occasionally distracting, but on the whole, each chapter is useful as a guide to stand-alone topics, such as coping with cyberbullying and handling fear, making this a good title for young adults to consult in a moment of need. Some of the practical advice includes letter writing (penning a letter to loved ones about bullying situations), accepting oneself, and embracing creativity. Mayrock clearly relied on these steps herself; her creativity can be seen through the poems interspersed throughout. Each relates to the topic of the given chapter and conveys the raw emotions and reality of bullying.