This is a book that grew from a gesture of teen solidarity.
If you are aware of a young person who needs encouragement, and to know that he or she is not the only one who has ever been picked on, then Letters to a Bullied Girl: Messages of Healing and Hope could help them realize it is not their fault.
Here is a synopsis (the link to buy this book is below):
- Olivia Gardner, a northern California teenager, was severely taunted and cyber-bullied by her classmates for more than two years. News of her bullying spread, eventually reaching two teenage girls from a neighboring town, sisters Emily and Sarah Buder. The girls were so moved by Olivia’s story that they initiated a letter-writing campaign to help lift her spirits. It was a tender gesture of solidarity that set off an overwhelming chain reaction of support, encouragement, and love. In Letters to a Bullied Girl, Olivia and the Buder sisters share an inspiring selection of messages that arrived from across America—the personal, often painful remembrances of former targets, remorseful bullies, and sympathetic bystanders. Letters to a Bullied Girl examines our national bullying epidemic from a variety of angles and perspectives, and includes practical guidance from bullying expert Barbara Coloroso, author of The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander. Though addressed to Olivia, the letters speak to all young people who have been bullied, offer advice and hope to those who suffer, and provide a wake-up call to all who have ever been involved in bullying.
I believe bullied children and teenagers would find it useful to read this collection of supportive, caring letters as well to learn that in later life, many bullies are regretful of their earlier bad behaviour.
This could be an important read for many disheartened young people who have been targeted.