Lucy and the Bully by Claire Alexander

I chose Lucy and the Bully by Claire Alexander (http://www.clairealexander.com/) to share with my students the following week. It is a very well written book that shows through two animals a sweet little lamb (Lucy) and a bull (Tommy) the importance of children reporting to their parent(s) or another adult when they have been bullied.

My students loved this story ... especially since I brought both characters ALIVE.

I discussed bullying with the students before hand and asked for their definitions and what they should do if someone else bullies them. The students in kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade all gave several definitions including: when someone pushes you, someone punches you, spits on you, is mean to you, hits you, talks mean about you, steals your toys, breaks your toys, lies on you, and talks about your mom.

Two of my kindergartners pointed to one of their classmates and said that he had been bullied earlier that morning in the playground. I asked him to explain what had happened and how he handled it. He told me that an older student had pushed him for no reason and he didn't like it and that he hold his homeroom teacher and she had told both the principal and vice principal and they had called the other student's mother.

He told me that the other student apologized and said he would never bully him again.

I then re-enforced the importance of telling an adult right away and we then started the story.

They LOVED the story and were quite animated. Tommy bullied Lucy by destroying several of things and he finally stuck his hoof in her cake that she baked and left a hoof print. After denying that anyone was bullying her at school, she finally tells the truth and tells her mother that Tommy had been bullying her all along. Her mother called the teacher who contacted Tommy's mother. Tommy's mother confronts him and he is quite humbled.

Tommy draws a porcupine and Lucy feels sorry for Tommy and tells him how much she liked it and he gives it to her.

They become friends.

I discussed bullying and cyberbullying with my kindergarten, first and second graders. I asked them why I shared this story with them and told them how I had written a great deal on Internet Safety for Children and have even developed most of the content for the Internet Safety for Kids section of the Carnegie Library web site including their slogan: Be Safe... Be Smart... Have Fun Online!" Here is the link in case you would like to visit:
http://www.clpgh.org/kids/bigkids/netsafety.cfm

I told the children that I often speak at Parent Teacher Organization meetings on Internet Safety for Children and have developed a web site also.

I ended the class by asking if anyone else had been bullied and how did they handle the situation and finally if someone bullies them what should they do. We all shouted at the same time: "we tell an adult!" The adults can be our parents, grandparents, teacher, principal, minister... an adult who can help!

If anyone makes us feel uncomfortable in any way... WE TELL AN ADULT!

I asked them if they could feel sorry for and become friends with a person who has bullied them? Most answered yes. However, there were a couple who yelled, "NO, WAY!"

I found this book very well written, easy to read, colorful, and a great story that all of the students could understand, identify with, and comment on.


REMEMBER: A children's book a day, keeps the scary monster away!

More to come tomorrow!

CIAO for now!

- Ida