Charles County Public Library strives to meet our community at every level. We know that bullying is a long-standing issue, and we want to be a part of the solution. If you, your children, family members, or someone you know is experiencing bullying, please do not hesitate to reach out for help. We hope you find this information helpful in your search for common ground, understanding, empathy, and, most of all, resources that will help you in your search.
If you are looking online for specific library materials (books, movies, etc.), you can use COSMOS, our online database for library materials that are available to you from Charles, St. Mary’s, and Calvert counties. You can find the COSMOS search bar at the top of our website, ccplonline.org, to the right of our logo (look for the box that says, “search term…”). If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact any of our branches and ask for assistance locating library resources. We are happy and eager to help you find what you’re looking for.
For additional information or assistance, please contact the CCPL Cultural Equity Team at editaskforce[at]ccplonline[dot]org.
If you need immediate assistance in a life-threatening situation, please contact the local police department by dialing 911 on any mobile device or the suicide hotline by dialing 988 on any mobile device.
Recommended Books
All summaries are from the publishers. CCPL staff members choose staff picks, which are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We’d love to hear your ideas, too, so write to us and tell us what you’d recommend!
Bling Blaine: Throw Glitter, Not Shade by Rob Sanders
Blaine’s a boy who loves to shine . . . well actually, he loves to sparkle. Whether it’s his uniform, his book bag, or even his baseball cap, Blaine’s all about the bling. But when his bling rubs some people the wrong way, and the bullying begins, Blaine–along with the entire school–starts to lose his shine. Can Blaine’s friends bring back his glimmer and gleam by glittering up their own wardrobes? This delightful story proves that anyone can love bling, and that happiness comes when allies band together to throw glitter–not shade.
Get Up, Stand Up by Cedella Marley
Bob Marley’s music has inspired millions of listeners around the world with messages of peace, love, and truth. This third picture book adaptation of one of his beloved songs has a timely message for children: To counter injustice, lift others up with kindness and courage. As a young girl goes on with her day in school, she comes across several instances of teasing and intimidation. But with loving action and some help from her friends, she’s able to make things right for herself and others. With exuberant pictures by John Jay Cabuay accompanying Marley’s iconic lyrics, Get Up, Stand Up is a vibrant testament to the power we all have to make a difference.
I Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoët
An elementary school girl witnesses the bullying of another girl, but she is not sure how to help.
The Little Bully by Beth Bracken
When Fred makes fun of Billy at school, Billy has to learn how to deal with his friend’s bullying.
Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney
Following their teacher’s lead, Llama Llama speaks to Gilroy Goat and tells him he should not act like a bully on the playground.
The Pout-Pout Fish and the Bully-Bully Shark by Deborah Diesen
Mr. Fish finds the courage to speak up for his friends when a shark comes to the park and bullies them.
Macca the Alpaca by Matt Cosgrover
When Macca runs into a llama who tries to bully him, he uses his brains and his kindness to teach the llama some important lessons.
Garvey’s Choice by Nikki Grimes
Garvey’s father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading–anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey’s life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father–by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports.
Melissa by Alex Gino
When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl. Melissa thinks she’ll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte’s Web. Melissa really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can’t even try out for the part… because she’s a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte—but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (Bk.1) by James Patterson
James Patterson’s debut middle-grade novel addresses some of the middle schoolers’ biggest issues: bullies, first crushes, and finding out what makes each of us special, all with a hilarious main character and fantastic in-text illustrations that are sure to have young readers begging for more!
Thornhill by Pam Smy
1982: Mary is a lonely orphan at the Thornhill Institute For Children at the very moment that it’s shutting its doors. When her few friends are all adopted or re-homed and she’s left to face a volatile bully alone, her revenge will have a lasting effect on the bully, on Mary, and on Thornhill itself.
2017: Ella has just moved to a new town where she knows no one. From her room on the top floor of her new home, she has a perfect view of the dilapidated, abandoned Thornhill Institute across the way, where she glimpses a girl in the window. Determined to befriend the girl and solidify the link between them, Ella resolves to unravel Thornhill’s shadowy past.
Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein
Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. His science teacher finds out about the turtles he spent his summer collecting from the marsh behind school and orders him to release them back into the wild. And for his Bar Mitzvah community service project, he has to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease. Unfortunately, Will hates hospitals. At first, the boys don’t get along, but then RJ shares his bucket list with Will. Among the things he wants to do: ride a roller coaster, go to a concert and a school dance, swim in the ocean. To Will, happiness is hanging out in his room, alone, preferably with his turtles. But as RJ’s disease worsens, Will realizes he needs to tackle the bucket list on his new friend’s behalf before it’s too late. It seems like an impossible mission, way outside Will’s comfort zone. But as he completes each task with RJ’s guidance, Will learns that life is too short to live in a shell.
A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Dan’s always been a good kid. The kind of kid who listens to his teachers, helps his mom with grocery shopping, and stays out of trouble. But being a good kid doesn’t stop him from being bullied and feeling like he’s invisible, which is why Dan has low expectations when his parents send him on a class trip to Europe. At first, he’s right. He’s stuck with the same girls from his middle school who love to make fun of him, and he doesn’t know why his teacher insisted he come on this trip. But as he travels through France, Germany, Switzerland, and England, a series of first experiences begin to change him–first Fanta, first fondue, first time stealing a bike from German punk rockers… and first love.
Almost American Girl by Robin Ha
For as long as she can remember, it’s been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn’t always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together. So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation–following her mother’s announcement that she’s getting married–Robin is devastated. Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn’t understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is completely cut off from her friends in Seoul and has no access to her beloved comics. At home, she doesn’t fit in with her new stepfamily, and worst of all, she is furious with the one person she is closest to–her mother. Then one day, Robin’s mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class, which opens the window to a future Robin could never have imagined.
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable.
Awkward (Bk. 1) by Svetlana Chmakova
Cardinal rule #1 for surviving school: Don’t get noticed by the mean kids. Cardinal rule #2 for surviving school: Seek out groups with similar interests and join them. On her first day at her new school, Penelope–Peppi–Torres reminds herself of these basics. But when she trips into a quiet boy in the hall, Jaime Thompson, she’s already broken the first rule, and the mean kids start calling her the “nerder girlfriend.” How does she handle this crisis? By shoving poor Jaime and running away! Falling back on rule two and surrounding herself with new friends in the art club, Peppi still can’t help feeling ashamed about the way she treated Jaime. Things are already awkward enough between the two, but to make matters worse, he’s a member of her own club’s archrivals–the science club! And when the two clubs go to war, Peppi realizes that sometimes you have to break the rules to survive middle school!
Boys Run the Riot (Bk. 1) by Keito Gaku
High schooler Ryo knows he’s transgender, but he doesn’t have anyone to confide in about the confusion he feels. He can’t tell his best friend, who he’s secretly got a crush on, and he can’t tell his mom, who’s constantly asking why Ryo ‘dresses like a boy.’ He certainly can’t tell Jin, the new transfer student who looks like just another bully… The only time Ryo feels at ease is when he’s wearing his favorite clothes. Then, and only then, the world melts away, and he can be his true self. One day, while out shopping, Ryo sees someone he didn’t expect: Jin. The kid who looked so tough in class has the same taste in fashion as him! At last, Ryo has someone he can open up to–and the journey ahead might finally give him a way to express himself to the world.
Delicates (Bk. 2) by Brenna Thummler
Marjorie Glatt’s life hasn’t been the same ever since she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. Wendell, who died young and now must wander Earth as a ghost with nothing more than a sheet for a body, soon became one of Marjorie’s only friends. But when Marjorie finally gets accepted by the popular kids at school, she begins to worry that if anyone learns about her secret ghost friends, she’ll be labeled as “a freak who sees dead people.” With Marjorie’s insistence on keeping Wendell’s ghost identity a secret from her new friends, Wendell begins to feel even more invisible than he already is. Eliza Duncan feels invisible too. She’s an avid photographer, and her zealous interest in finding and photographing ghosts gets her labeled as “different” by all the other kids in school. Constantly feeling on the outside, Eliza begins to feel like a ghost herself. Marjorie must soon come to terms with the price she pays to be accepted by the popular kids. Is it worth losing her best friend, Wendell? Is she partially to blame for the bullying Eliza endures?
Four Eyes by Rex Ogle
When Rex finds out he needs glasses, he’s beyond miserable. Dealing with the bullies at school, his family being broke, and an embarrassing lack of friends, he has way too much on his plate already.
Garvey’s Choice: The Graphic Novel by Nikki Grimes
Award-winning author Nikki Grimes’s beloved novel in verse Garvey’s Choice is now a graphic novel, imaginatively and dramatically illustrated by Little Shaq artist Theodore Taylor III.
Invisible Emmie (Bk. 1) by Terri Libenson
This is the story of two totally different girls— quiet, shy, artistic Emmie, popular, outgoing, athletic Katie —and how their lives unexpectedly intersect one day, when an embarrassing note falls into the wrong hands. . . . All the crushes, humiliations, boredom, and drama of middle school are compressed into one surprising day in this extraordinary novel.
Just Jaime (Bk. 3) by Terri Libenson
Friends. Frenemies. Middle school… The last day of seventh grade has Jaime and Maya wondering who their real friends are. Jaime knows something is off with her friend group. They’ve started to exclude her and make fun of the way she dresses and the things she likes. At least she can count on her BFF, Maya, to have her back . . . right? Maya feels more and more annoyed with Jaime, who seems babyish compared to the other girls in their popular group. It’s like she has nothing in common with Jai anymore. Are their days as BFFs numbered . . . ?
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
After their two-week family tour of Los Angeles, ten-year-old Feng Li Lin and her older brother and sister learn they will remain in California while their parents return to Taiwan, forcing them to navigate a new school, a new language, bullies, racism, and the pressures of running a household.
Shakti by S. J. Sindu
When the three meanest girls in school start casting spells, 12-year-old Shakti draws on ancient Indian magic to stop them but instead curses the entire town and must harness her own strength, power and empathy to save those she loves and end the hate.
Akata Witch (Bk. 1) by Nnedi Okafor
Sunny Nwazue lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City. Her features are West African, but she’s albino. She’s a terrific athlete, but can’t go out into the sun to play soccer. There seems to be no place where she fits in. And then she discovers something amazing—she is a “free agent” with latent magical power. And she has a lot of catching up to do.
Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers
Regina, a high school senior in the popular–and feared–crowd, suddenly falls out of favor and becomes the object of the same sort of vicious bullying that she used to inflict on others, until she finds solace with one of her former victims.
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your A** by Meg Medina
One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her a**. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to p*** her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first, Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away?
Bullying by Martha E. H. Rustad (children’s)
Teasing. Spreading rumors. Leaving someone out on purpose. These are types of bullying, and bullying is never OK. You have the power to stop bullying by using respect and kindness, and it’s an important power to have.
Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories by Megan Kelly Hall (teens)
Presents top authors for teens as they share their stories about bullying–as silent observers on the sidelines of high school, as victims, and as perpetrators.
Free Lunch by Rex Ogle (middle grade)
Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex’s mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he’s on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex has to shout. Free Lunch is the story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade―who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who take one look at him and decide he’s trouble―all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. His mom and her boyfriend are out of work, and life at home is punctuated by outbursts of violence. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period every day until the buses have left, so no one will see where he lives.
It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living by Dan Savage (adult)
A collection of original essays and expanded testimonials written to teens from celebrities, political leaders, and everyday people. While many of these teens can’t see a positive future for themselves, we can. We can show LGBT youth the kind of happiness, potential, and satisfaction their lives hold if they can just get through these early years.
Vicious: True Stories by Teens About Bullying by Hope Vanderberg (teens)
Teens open up to tell personal stories that tackle difficult, real-life issues. Direct, revealing, and often raw, these voices will ring true for any teen reader who has faced bullying, anger, or stress. Each piece has been selected and edited to appeal to reluctant and emerging readers as young as seventh grade. Readers will be inspired by the writers’ courage and strength in working hard to overcome problems, both large and small.