Review of My Bully My Friend

[MsH2k]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "My Bully My Friend" by Norman Alston.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Al is excited to start the sixth grade at a new school. He is looking forward to making friends, avoiding bullies, and keeping safe the secret he has at home. For the past three years, Al had been bullied by Jordan, who recruited other students to join him in tormenting our protagonist. Now is his chance to start anew, and maybe this time, he would even play his favorite sport, football. Can Al solve his problem with bullying by changing schools? Will he make friends at this new school? Will he finally relax and enjoy his life? Join Al in his quest by reading My Bully, My Friend.

Author Norman Alston is very familiar with the issue of bullying. He was bullied as a child, and he has used this experience to encourage and educate youth in his many ventures, including serving as a police officer, coaching youth sports leagues, and actively supporting the children in his community. The author’s experiences give Al a depth that is rare in books targeting readers ages 9 to 12. Through Al’s eyes, we understand why he acted and reacted the way he did.

For example, at his first football practice at his new school, Al knew he was a better player than the star player Rory. As fate would have it, Al was assigned to guard Rory, and he had the chance to intercept a pass intended for the star. Although Al could have easily picked off the pass, he did not, allowing Rory to score a touchdown. Al reasoned that, as a newcomer, he would make more friends if he didn’t embarrass the star player. These glimpses into his motivation in scenes throughout the book are a great opportunity for adults to encourage conversations about making choices in uncomfortable situations.

While the author gave depth to Al through his writing, the illustrator, Eric Leon Westray, gave visual depth to Al’s experiences. The brilliant 3D illustrations at the beginning of each chapter provided an emotional connection with the event that followed. One example was the picture introducing the chapter “The Day that Changed My Destiny.” Westray captured a confrontation on the football field: Al was standing tall in the face of an adversary, trying to keep his lips from quivering, fighting so hard to hold back the tears. This scene made my heart ache; it was as if Al were my child, and all I could do was watch. On a lighter note, the first illustration in the book, opening the chapter “My First Day,” ushered in a bright and beautiful beginning. Al was sitting at the side of his bed, dressed in a sharp, sporty outfit, with a sweet smile on his face. It was the combination of excitement and confidence, a smirk many parents would recognize on the face of an 11-year-old.

Besides bullying, other sensitive topics were covered, such as the death of a loved one and having a parent remarry. There were surprising developments and revelations in the story that will keep the reader’s attention. When I received this book, two things caught my eye: the amount of text on the pages of this 44-page read and the amazing illustrations. The text flowed smoothly, and after reading the first chapter, I no longer noticed how many words were on each page. A wider fore-edge margin may make this read initially less intimidating for the target age group, however.

I rate My Bully, My Friend 4 out of 4 stars. There were a few grammatical errors, but they were not distracting. I recommend this well-written book to readers 9 to 12 years old and adults who work with youth of all ages. This read can facilitate life-changing conversations about bullying.

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My Bully My Friend
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Damis Seres Rodriguez]

Now that looks like a quite useful book. Bullying has been a huge issue lately, and it is nice to find a book adressing it in such an easy-to-read way. Thanks for the review!

[Kirsi Cultrera]

This book is definitely useful as a peer support for bullied children and also as an eye-opener for adults who work with children. This difficult topic touches so many children and their parents. I wonder how the story developed for Al? Was he able to make friends in the new school?

Thanks for a lovely and informative review!

[Jabonete_123]

This book has a huge impact to all of us, though I have never had experience being bullied by someone but I’ve had encounter someone being bullied and I always asking myself what does it feels like, what would I do if I were the one who is being bully? I kind of relate to this books, I think if I were in the situation I would do just how like Al overcome this kind of situation. Such a great book I kinda love it.

[MsH2k]

Now that looks like a quite useful book. Bullying has been a huge issue lately, and it is nice to find a book adressing it in such an easy-to-read way. Thanks for the review!

It is a very useful book. It could really launch an anti-bullying program. In fact, the author and his wife are very involved in addressing this issue.
Thank you for your comment, damis!

[MsH2k]

This book is definitely useful as a peer support for bullied children and also as an eye-opener for adults who work with children. This difficult topic touches so many children and their parents. I wonder how the story developed for Al? Was he able to make friends in the new school?

Thanks for a lovely and informative review!

It addresses all the major parties affected by bullying: the person being bullied and their classmates and family as well as the bully and his cohorts. It is a very thoughtful read. Regarding how things turned out for Al, .

As always, I appreciate your visit and your comment, Kirsi_78!

[MsH2k]

This book has a huge impact to all of us, though I have never had experience being bullied by someone but I’ve had encounter someone being bullied and I always asking myself what does it feels like, what would I do if I were the one who is being bully? I kind of relate to this books, I think if I were in the situation I would do just how like Al overcome this kind of situation. Such a great book I kinda love it.

A big part of this book dealt with how those around the person being bullied reacted. It is very thought-provoking and serves as a great discussion point for adults who work with this age group. I kinda love this book too!
Thank you for your comment.

[addicted reader]

Bullies exist in most f the learning institutions in our society. Al has been used in the book to represent those challenges that victims of bullying go through. This sounds like a nice read that can be useful to teens who are 8 to 13 years old. Thanks for this wonderful review. It gives a glimpse of what the book is all about.

[Edit_or]

Very familiar with teenagers. I really wonder how Al would go about it and if he’ll be fine. Nice review.

[Unosthetic]

I loved how the author based this story in his chipdhood story. I wonder how Al be able to survive on his new school. Thanks for a wonderful review!

[Unosthetic]

I loved how the author based this story in his chipdhood story. I wonder how Al be able to survive on his new school. Thanks for a wonderful review!

[MsH2k]

Bullies exist in most f the learning institutions in our society. Al has been used in the book to represent those challenges that victims of bullying go through. This sounds like a nice read that can be useful to teens who are 8 to 13 years old. Thanks for this wonderful review. It gives a glimpse of what the book is all about.

Not only does Al represent the person being bullied, but there are a couple of examples of what a friend or teacher can do to help. Thank you for stopping by for a visit!

[MsH2k]

Very familiar with teenagers. I really wonder how Al would go about it and if he’ll be fine. Nice review.

There were some surprising developments at Al's new school that definitely kept the story interesting. It was a very engaging book. Thank you for your comment.

[MsH2k]

I loved how the author based this story in his chipdhood story. I wonder how Al be able to survive on his new school. Thanks for a wonderful review!

I think the author's experience being bullied definitely added depth to Al's character. It was a very interesting time at Al's new school. Thank you for your visit and your comment!

[Ruchi Raina]

The author has talked about bullying through this book. The kids would know bullying is bad after reading about Al's experience, and they will understand his dilemma with Rory at the new school after all he's been through in his previous school. Thanks for the great review.