My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig

Illustrated by Abigail Marble. 32 p., Free Spirit, 2004. Sometimes bullying isn't obvious, but at those times, it can still be extremely painful. Monica calls Katie her secret bully. The girls, who look as if they're in late elementary school, have been friends since kindergarten, and have many similar interests. But now, Katie is sometimes mean to Monica for no reason that Monica can detect. She talks to other girls and looks at Monica. She tells Monica that if she plays with Sarah, she won't play with her. She won't let Monica play with her and Sarah. When Monica asks Katie whether she's angry with her, Katie just accuses her of being "too sensitive." Monica worries that something is wrong with her, has trouble concentrating on her homework, and gets frequent stomach aches. Her mom keeps asking what's troubling her, and Monica finally tells her. Mom really listens, and talks with her about ways to assert herself. When Monica looks Katie in the eye and says, "'does it make you feel good to make me feel bad? Because friends don't do that to friends,'" she realizes that Katie can't hurt her any more. Although she's sad to lose her friendship with Katie, Monica wisely reflects that "real friends don't treat each other the way she treated me." She makes new friends and feels better about herself. An afterword for adults explains issues related to relational bullying and suggests ways to help. There are also a list of ways to cope, discussion questions, and a resource list. With its expressive, softly-colored, watercolor illustrations, this story helps empower children who experience emotional bullying. Ages 5-11