Tackling bullying: non-fiction titles
Bullying can be frightening and isolating, so we hope that these titles help young people who are being bullied to feel less alone, and seek help.
Even if they're not being bullied, it's important for children to understand how it feels to be in such a situation and learn what to do if they experience or witness bullying.
Friendship Survival Guide, by Caroline Young and Fitz Hammond
Friendships are of vital importance for all age-groups and good friendships go hand-in-hand with good mental health. But what is a friend, and why do we need them so much? This insightful guide explores how we can make friends, how we can keep them, what makes a good friend and whether we need best friends. It provides advice on recognising fake and toxic friendships, surviving fall-outs and break-ups, and building resilience while successfully navigating the choppy waters around tribes, cliques, groups and gangs. There's also help for those coping with bullying and unkind behaviour, both on and offline.
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Stop Picking On Me: a First Look at Bullying, by Pat Thomas and Lesley Harker
'Stop Picking on Me' looks at the causes and effects of both physical and verbal bullying and encourages communication of fears and worries to those that can help.
Anti-Bullying, by Louise Spilsbury and Scott Garrett
You might want to read this book because you are being bullied. Or maybe you know a person who is being bullied and you want to help them. Or perhaps you're worried that you're a bully and you want to understand why and how to stop. There are things you can do and there are things that other people can do to help you. This book will help you to get through this. Topics covered include frenemies, physical bullying, name-calling, teasing, being left out, cyberbullying and how to get help.
Turn Away From Teasing, by Gill Hasson and Sarah Jennings
Whether it's what children can do or what they can't do, the way they look or the way they speak, what they like or dislike, teasing can be over just about everything and anything. When someone's teasing, they might say 'I'm only joking!' or 'It's just a bit of fun!'. But teasing can be terribly upsetting and frustrating. As well as suggesting ways for children to deal with being teased, this book examines how easily teasing can turn into meanness and even bullying, and how to tell when the teasing needs to stop. It suggests what a child can do if they're being teased, it suggests what children can do if they see someone else being teased, and it talks to the child who might be teasing others.
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Bullying, by Louise Spilsbury
Bullying is never okay. Using child-friendly text and practical examples, this picture book from the Questions and Feelings About... series helps children recognize bullying and teaches them what to do about it. It includes a helpful section with advice, practical tips, and activities for caregivers and teachers.
Friendships and Bullying, by Honor Head
Kids can find the world we live in daunting and a bit scary. There's just so much going on with climate change, social media and pressures to work out what it is you want to do in life - even at this young age! This book will help young readers explore some common areas of anxiety and conflict on the topic of friendships and bullying in a fun and gentle way.
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12 Hacks to Beat Bullying, by Honor Head
This short but essential book will quickly and clearly advise children on how to deal with bullies, including cyberbullies, being left out, frenemies, and peer pressure. Know how to stay safe online, recognise when you need to ask for help and learn how to improve your self-esteem and believe in yourself again.
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Talking About Bullying by Louise Spilsbury and Ximena Jeria
There's two sides to every story. In this book, you will read two sides to the dilemmas, sticky situations or issues that children sometimes have to face when dealing with others. Encouraging you to put yourself in someone else's shoes to see why they have reacted in a certain way or said certain things will help you to understand why different point of view arise in the first place and why your perspective might cloud your judgement or stop other seeing your point of view.
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Dealing with Bullying, by Jane Lacey and Venitia Dean
Sometimes you can sort out a problem on your own. But sometimes you need to ask for help. This book helps young children to make this decision and find out about and understand bullying. It features seven case studies from children who have a range of bullying problems from a girl who is being left out by her friends to a boy bullied for the way he speaks. It features both verbal and physical bullying.
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The Same Inside: Poems About Empathy and Friendship, by Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow and Roger Stevens
A sweet and thoughtful collection of poems about friendship, diversity, empathy and respect. These poems deal sensitively with tolerance for differences (including race, religion and gender identity), feelings, empathy, respect, courtesy, bullying, disability and responsibility. They are the perfect springboard to start conversations.
Autism, Bullying and Me: the Really Useful Stuff You Need to Know About Coping Brilliantly With Bullying (for kids and teens), by Emily Lovegrove
This accessible guide for autistic children and teens is full of advice for coping successfully with bullying. It helps the reader understand what bullying is and debunks myths such as 'bullying makes you stronger'. It also lays out self-empowering strategies and practical tips on how to deal with situations where they are being bullied.
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The following titles are about cyberbullying. You can find more advice and titles related to this on our list of staying safe online and on our teachers and home educators page.
Social Media Survival Guide, by Holly Baithe and Richard Merritt
This friendly and comprehensive guide is filled with information on everything from privacy settings, direct messaging and cyberbullying, to appearance-enhancing filters, influencers and fake news. An essential book for equipping young people with the important skills they need to manage their social media safely and confidently. Includes links to websites with more advice and support.
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Find more information, resources and suggested reading on tackling bullying →