Bullying is a really hard part of being a kid. Most kids experience bullying in some form or have seen their classmates being bullied.
Books are a great tool for teaching kids empathy. Reading a story puts kids into the shoes of the characters and helps them understand tough topics from different perspectives. Learning about bullying can help kids learn how they want to be treated and how they treat others, and learn how to recognize bullying and how to stand up against bullying.
Below is a list of books about bullying for kids that will appeal to different age groups from kids to young adults.
Picture Books
My Friend Maggie by Hannah E. Harrison
Paula and Maggie have been friends forever. Paula thinks Maggie is the best—until mean girl Veronica says otherwise. Suddenly, Paula starts to notice that Maggie is big and clumsy, and her clothes are sort of snuggish. Rather than sticking up for Maggie, Paula ignores her old friend and plays with Veronica instead. Luckily, when Veronica turns on Paula, Maggie’s true colors shine through.
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Meet Brian, the invisible boy. Nobody in class ever seems to notice him or think to include him in their group, game, or birthday party . . . until, that is, a new kid comes to class.
When Justin, the new boy, arrives, Brian is the first to make him feel welcome. And when Brian and Justin team up to work on a class project together, Brian finds a way to shine.
Eddie the Bully by Henry Cole
Eddie the chicken is the meanest kid in class. He may be the smallest, but he is the biggest bully. He calls people names, hides people’s homework, and trips people. No one is safe from his bullying! And when the teachers give him a time out, that just gives him time to think of more mean things to do!
When a new student, Carla the pig, comes to class one day, everyone is prepared for the worst. But does she have a way to stop Eddie’s bullying? She compliments his clothes, invites him to lunch, and is extremely nice to him. Her kindness makes Eddie feel great at first. But then he starts to think about the way he’s treated his other classmates, and he feels bad. He realizes it feels good to be nice, so he tries to help her make friends and be a good friend to everyone, any way he could be, any time he could be.
Llama llama and the bully goat by Anna Dewdney
Llama Llama is learning lots of new things at school and making many friends. But when Gilroy Goat starts teasing him and some of their classmates, Llama Llama isn’t sure what to do. And then he remembers what his teacher told him—walk away and tell someone. It works! But then Llama Llama feels badly. Can he and Gilroy try to be friends again?
Super Manny Stands Up! By Kelly DiPucchio
Every day after school, Manny saves the world from formidable foes.
I AM FEARLESS!
I AM STRONG!
I AM BRAVE!
I AM POWERFUL!
I AM INVINCIBLE!
Zombie bears, evil cloud monsters, and alien robots with laser beam eyes are no match for Super Manny. But when Manny encounters a real-life nemesis in the school cafeteria, will he be able to summon his superhero strength to save the day?
Graphic Novels
Brave by Svetlana Chmakova
In his daydreams, Jensen is the biggest hero that ever was, saving the world and his friends on a daily basis. But his middle school reality is VERY different–math is hard, getting along with friends is hard…Even finding a partner for the class project is a huge problem when you always get picked last. And the pressure’s on even more once the school newspaper’s dynamic duo, Jenny and Akilah, draw Jensen into the whirlwind of school news, social-experiment projects, and behind-the-scenes club drama. Jensen has always played the middle school game one level at a time, but suddenly, someone’s cranked up the difficulty setting. Will those daring daydreams of his finally work in his favor, or will he have to find real solutions to his real-life problems?
Real Friends by Shannon Hayle and Leuyen Pham
Shannon and Adrienne have been best friends forever, but things start to change when Adrienne starts hanging out with Jen, the leader of the elementary school’s popular clique known as The Group. To be in The Group, you have to do everything Jen says — even if that means bullying others. Shannon will need to decide whether being part of The Group is worth it… and figure out how to stand up for herself if it’s not.
The Kate in Between by Clair Swinarski
Seventh grader Kate’s life is changing — and she’s changing too. Her mom has moved away, and she’s starting to feel like she’s outgrown her best friend, Haddie. When popular girl Taylor invites her to join a clique, Kate thinks it’s the key to a new social circle (and it also means she doesn’t have to talk about what’s going on with her family, like she does with Haddie.) She even joins in as the clique harasses Haddie… until it results in Haddie falling through the ice of a frozen pond. Kate jumps in, and a video of the rescue goes viral, with people calling her Kate the Great. But Kate knows what really happened; it’s only a matter of time until everyone else does too. Is she a bully, a bad friend, a hero, or what? And is it possible that one person can be all of the above?
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
American Born Chinese tells the story of three apparently unrelated characters: Jin Wang, who moves to a new neighborhood with his family only to discover that he’s the only Chinese-American student at his new school; the powerful Monkey King, subject of one of the oldest and greatest Chinese fables; and Chin-Kee, a personification of the ultimate negative Chinese stereotype, who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits. Their lives and stories come together with an unexpected twist in this action-packed modern fable. American Born Chinese is an amazing ride, all the way up to the astonishing climax.
Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol
In Be Prepared, all Vera wants to do is fit in―but that’s not easy for a Russian girl in the suburbs. Her friends live in fancy houses and their parents can afford to send them to the best summer camps. Vera’s single mother can’t afford that sort of luxury, but there’s one summer camp in her price range―Russian summer camp.
Vera is sure she’s found the one place she can fit in, but camp is far from what she imagined. And nothing could prepare her for all the “cool girl” drama, endless Russian history lessons, and outhouses straight out of nightmares!
Middle Grade Chapter Books
Restart by Gordon Korman
Chase’s memory just went out the window. Chase doesn’t remember falling off the roof. He doesn’t remember hitting his head. He doesn’t, in fact, remember anything. He wakes up in a hospital room and suddenly has to learn his whole life all over again… starting with his own name.
He knows he’s Chase. But who is Chase? When he gets back to school, he sees that different kids have very different reactions to his return. Some kids treat him like a hero. Some kids are clearly afraid of him. One girl in particular is so angry with him that she pours her frozen yogurt on his head the first chance she gets.
Pretty soon, it’s not only a question of who Chase is — it’s a question of who he was… and who he’s going to be.
Blubber by Jundy Blume
“Blubber is a good name for her,” the note from Caroline said about Linda. Jill crumpled it up and left it on the corner of her school desk. She didn’t want to think about Linda or her dumb report on whales just then. Jill wanted to think about Halloween.
But Robby grabbed the note and before Linda stopped talking it had gone halfway around the room. There was something about Linda that made a lot of kids in her fifth-grade class want to see how far they could go…but nobody, Jill least of all, expected the fun to end where it did.
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
12-year-old Ellie has been bullied for her weight since she was five — both by her peers and by members of her own family, including her mother, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s body will finally make her want to diet. She’s set rules for herself: don’t eat in public, don’t move in ways that make you jiggle, and don’t draw attention to yourself. But when a new neighbor, Catalina, moves in next door, she likes Ellie and doesn’t even seem to notice her weight. With support from her father and from an insightful therapist who pushes Ellie to explore her feelings, she begins to realize that she could spread out like a starfish and claim her place — just the way she is. This poignant novel-in-verse is sure to start important conversations about body-shaming, self-confidence, and the power of loving yourself.
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. When he starts fifth grade at Beecher Prep, he hopes to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his classmates can’t get past his extraordinary face. Auggie is an inspiring character who proves “you can’t fit in when you were born to stand out.”
The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale
Eric Haskins, the new sixth-grade bully target, is searching for answers. And unlike many of us who experienced something awful growing up, he finds them. Though they may not be what he expected.
Young Adult Chapter Books
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
The perplexing and unique Stargirl captivates everyone at Mica High when she arrives — including Leo, the story’s narrator. The adoration turns sour, however, and soon Stargirl realizes she either has to change herself to be “normal” enough to fit in, or remain true to herself and accept her classmates’ taunts. Leo pushes her to change, so that they can continue their relationship without him being isolated along with her. But when it comes time for the choice, Stargirl knows she has to choose what’s right for herself, not Leo or anyone else. It’s important that tweens and teens know that they shouldn’t change who they are for the sake of gaining popularity.
Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
Lucky Linderman didn’t ask for his life. He didn’t ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn’t ask for a father who never got over it. He didn’t ask for a mother who keeps pretending their dysfunctional family is fine. And he didn’t ask to be the target of Nader McMillan’s relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.
But Lucky has a secret–one that helps him wade through the mundane torture of his life. In his dreams, Lucky escapes to the war-ridden jungles of Laos–the prison his grandfather couldn’t escape–where Lucky can be a real man, an adventurer, and a hero. It’s dangerous and wild, and it’s a place where his life just might be worth living. But how long can Lucky keep hiding in his dreams before reality forces its way inside?
Does My Head Look Big in This by Randa Abdel-Fattah
When young Australian Muslim Amal decides to wear the hijab as an expression of her religious devotion, she discovers how much prejudice can be wrapped up in a piece of cloth. Suddenly , her head covering is all anyone wants to talk about, and classmates who used to have no problem with Amal now see her as a “towel-head” instead of a peer. And strangers in the street — and even prospective employers — seem to feel free to judge her on her choice as well. Teens interested in tolerance-related issues will be particularly intrigued to see how peoples’ opinions can change depending on how well someone blends into the majority culture.
Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories
Today’s top authors for teens and young people come together to share their stories about bullying—as bystanders, as victims, and as the bullies themselves—in this moving and deeply personal collection.
Lauren Oliver, R. L. Stine, Ellen Hopkins, Carolyn Mackler, Kiersten White, Mo Willems, Jon Scieszka, Lauren Kate, and many more contributed 70 heartfelt and empathetic stories from each corner of the schoolyard.
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker—his classmate and crush—who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.
Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah’s pain, and as he follows Hannah’s recorded words throughout his town, what he discovers changes his life forever.