Tough!

48 Pages/Paperback
Reading Level: Grade 2
Ages 5-9

Sam is concerned about keeping things orderly and “cool” at school. She thinks people need to have a tough skin in order to fit in and withstand others’ meanness and lack of cooperation. Sam teases her free-spirited classmate Luisa and enlists a friend, Jayla, to help. But when Sam is confronted by a concerned teacher about her bullying, and Jayla turns on Sam and befriends Luisa, Sam begins to show some heart and rethink her treatment of others.

The three books in the Weird series tell the story of an ongoing case of kids bullying from three third graders’ perspectives. The books may be read separately or as a set; readers will enjoy tracking small details that carry over from one book to another. These books on bullying each conclude with “activity club” pages for kids, as well as information to help parents, teachers, counselors, and other adults reinforce the books’ messages and foster dialogue with children.