The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale

 At the end of school this year I was flipping through the scholastic book order to see what I needed to purchase for next school year and I came across 'The Bully Book' by Eric Kahn Gale. Our school district will be implementing a new Character Education program for the 2015-2016 school year so my first thought was, "hey, maybe this could be something I could use." but didn't really give it much thought after I placed the order.

 I have had this book sitting at my house since May and it was only today that I picked it up to see what it was about. Curiosity got the better of me when I was searching for the DRA level and discovered it is a DRA 50, which is what 5th graders need to be at by the end of the 5th grade year (score one for this purchase).

 Eric Kahn Gale does an amazing job of drawing you into the character, relating to the character and eventually routing for the character. I am now in search for his other book, 'The Zoo At the End of the World'

http://www.erickahngale.com

Eric Haskins, the new sixth-grade bully target, is searching for answers, and unexpectedly finds them in a chilling manual for bullies. "Gripping."—Publishers Weekly

Illinois Reads Selection 2014

"A compelling and unusual look at a complex and intractable problem that succeeds admirably as story as well."
- Kirkus Reviews

"A layered and attention grabbing mystery, Gale's accounts of bullying are subtle and chilling, but readers will finish the book believing that the humiliations Eric suffers can be conquered."
- Publisher's Weekly

Note: At the beginning of the book the characters have a couple of questionable comments that if using this as a read aloud I will skip over or rephrase so that I can avoid 5th graders comments and/or the use of that verbiage in my classroom the rest of the year. Questionable comments: 1. page 12 "He put his hand over his crotch and said, "Don't look at my nuts, man." 2. Throughout the book the term "gaywad" is used in reference to the main character by the bullies.