Quick Look
Siobhan is unhappy at school, tormented by some classmates. Then she finds a strange brooch which seems to help her…
Description
Siobhan is unhappy at school. Tormented by some classmates, she feels unable to confide in her teacher or her mum. She has no one to talk to, no one to play with.
One day she finds a strange brooch and it seems to help her -- it makes her stronger. But then Siobhan realises that to take revenge means that she might herself become a bully. Will she be able to find the courage to speak out against the bullies?
Includes extra material on bullying, including how to be bullyproof and where to turn for help, with up-to-date contact details.
Reviews
'What I've never understood before I read this book is how easy it is for a victim of bullying to become a bully. Want to know how Siobhan finds the power? You'll have to read the book!'
-- Reading Matters (www.readingmatters.co.uk)
'Very real and sympathetic characters set in a convincing background.'
-- Ann Turnbull, Armadillo magazine, summer 2004
'Both useful and good, Bullies at School is a realistic story with notes and advice at the end.'
-- School Librarian, Summer 2004
'This is a vivid, sensitive account of the powerlessness of children and of how understanding can help them gain control.'
-- Frances Perkins, Bournemouth Daily Echo, 13 March 2004
'A realistic school story which shows how important it is for the victim to let someone know what is going on. Includes a poem by the author, facts about bullying, what to do if you are victimised, and a list of helpful contacts. A useful story to support class discussion.'
-- Junior Education
'A good solid read -- Siobhan's discovery (a mysterious plaid pin in the form of a coiled snake) gives her the power to face down her persecutors -- and you learn a lot about the Celts as well.'
-- Books for Keeps
Author
Theresa Breslin is a Carnegie medal-winning children's author. She worked for nearly 20 years as a librarian and was awarded honorary membership of the Scottish Library Association for distinguished services to children's literature and librarianship. Simon's Challenge won the Fidler Award for new writers, and her work has been filmed for television and dramatized on radio. Her books are used extensively in schools and are translated and distributed worldwide.
You can also visit the author's own website at http://www.theresabreslin.co.uk
Media
Download or print a free Teacher's Guide for this book:
Bullies at School Teacher's Guide
More information is available about Bullies at School, and on the subject of bullying, on Theresa Breslin's own website:
www.theresabreslin.co.uk/bulliesbn.htm
Don't miss the Discover Kelpies website for children with exclusive author interviews, fun stuff and latest gossip on your favourite Scottish stories.
Links
Also by Theresa Breslin:
An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales
New School Blues
Simon's Challenge
