Anti-Bullying Week: A booklist for children and young people

We have compiled a range of fiction books that explore themes and topics such as bullying, anxiety, friendship and acceptance to aid discussion and help celebrate kindness throughout the week. There are also some non-fiction books, links to resources and helpline numbers if you need someone to talk to.

Picture books

Willy the Wimp, by Anthony Browne

Willy wouldn’t hurt a fly — he even apologises when someone hits him. The suburban gorillas call him Willy the Wimp. Then, one day, Willy answers a bodybuilding advertisement — with hilarious results!

Borrow Willy the Wimp →

Rex wrecks it!, by Ben Clanton

Gizmo, Sprinkles and Wild are fed up. Every time they build something with their blocks, Rex wrecks it! Whether it’s an out-of-this-world rocket, a magical heart or the biggest, strongest, most awesomerific castle ever, Rex sends it crashing down with a ‘rawr!’ (and sometimes a sheepish ‘rawry!’). Isn’t there any way to make playtime fun for everyone?

Borrow Rex wrecks it! →

Tyrannosaurus Drip, by Julia Donaldson

Everyone knows that tyrannosauruses are big and scary, so when a placid duckbill dinosaur’s egg ends up in the wrong nest confusion is sure to ensue. When the baby dinosaur hatches out, he’s so out of place that his grisly big sisters call him Tyrannosaurus Drip.

Borrow Tyrannosaurus Drip →

Junior novels

Bad Girls, by Jacqueline Wilson

Mandy White is being bullied at school. Life is miserable until she meets Tanya. Four years older and ten times cooler, orange-haired Tanya is an unlikely friend.

Borrow Bad Girls →

Monster Eyeballs, by Jacqueline Wilson

When Kate is bullied by a boy named Mark, it gets so bad she doesn’t want to go to school. She can’t believe it when Mark is invited to her brother’s party. As Mark keeps picking on her, Kate sees her chance to get her own back.

Borrow Monster Eyeballs →

How to fly with broken wings, by Jane Elson

Set in World War Two and dealing with bullying and Asperger’s, it’s by Jane Elson, who wrote the brilliant A room full of chocolate. A heart-warming tale about a boy who just wants to make friends, and the girl who shows him how.

Borrow How to fly with broken wings →

The Boy in the Dress, by David Walliams

David Walliams’s beautiful first novel will touch the hearts (and funny bones) of children and adults alike. As one Amazon reviewer puts it, “this story helps to remind us all that we are not all the same, and we must show tolerance for others.”

Borrow The Boy in the Dress →

Young adult titles

We are all made of molecules, by Susin Nielsen-Fernlund

Ashley and Stewart have nothing in common except their newly blended family. Times are tough for both of them until genius Stewart rescues fashion icon Ashley from her heel of a boyfriend, and in so doing, cements a bond between them. The book deals with issues such as bullying, sexuality and bereavement in a sensitive manner. It’s a heart-warming read and deserves to do well.

Borrow We are all made of molecules →

We're all wonders, by R.J. Palacio

The funny, sweet and incredibly moving story of Auggie Pullman. Born with a terrible facial abnormality, this shy, bright ten-year-old has been home-schooled by his parents for his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the stares and cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, Auggie is being sent to a real school — and he’s dreading it. The thing is, Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, underneath it all? Wonder is a book you’ll read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

Borrow We're all wonders →

Hollow Pike, by Juno Dawson

Lis London is hoping for a fresh start when she arrives in the sleepy village of Hollow Pike — but nothing here is as it seems. Lis has a recurring nightmare where someone is trying to kill her. Exploring themes of bullying, and obsession this thriller is a real page-turner.

Borrow Hollow Pike →

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

In this, his first novel, William Golding gave the traditional adventure story an ironic, devastating twist. A plane crashes on an uninhabited island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. Before long the well-behaved party of schoolboys has turned into a tribe of faceless, murderous savages.

Borrow Lord of the Flies →

Non-fiction

Bullies, Cyberbullies and Frenemies, by Michele Elliott

Are there practical things you can do to stop being bullied — at home, at school and online? What are frenemies and how can you deal with them? How can you learn to make friends and respect yourself? This guide will tell you what bullying is, where it happens, and what you can do about it.

Borrow Bullies, Cyberbullies and Frenemies 7rarr;