The Bully Book by Eric Kahn Gale

Genre: Elementary and Middle Grade Realistic Fiction

Source: I own a copy.

 

This book is loosely based on bullying the author faced when he was in elementary school. His main character represents so many kids today. Erick Haskins was looking forward to his last year in elementary school. He hasn’t seen his best friend Donovan all summer. When his best friend walks past him and sits with the bullies he doesn’t know what to think. When the Jason calls him the “grunt” he isn’t sure why. He has always tried to stay out of trouble. He has managed to stay out of the way of the school bullies. This year they have decided he is low man on the totem pole, the grunt. As we go through the year with Erick we see his journal of thoughts and learn that there is a “Bully Book”. The book is about his hunt for it. If he can just find it and read it then maybe he will know why he was chosen as the grunt, how to stop being the grunt, and maybe, just maybe prevent this from happening to someone else. If there is one thing he has learned this year is that leaving elementary school as a grunt, can carry over into the next year.

I think this was a eye opener for me. I am a teacher so not necessarily the target audience for this book. However, some of the subtle things I saw happening in the book are things that often happen in today. I had a couple of students who were the target of bullies. I tried my best to stop it in the classroom. Once they left my room I was often unable to protect them. As a teacher this is very disturbing. At one point one of my students stood up for the weak child. She called out the bullies on an issue I had not seen. They work under the radar I have learned. She then looked at this kid and said, “You have got to start standing up for yourself.” He chose to take whatever they gave out and just live with it. Talking to admin. Doesn’t always help.  I now know why my students passed this book around and when they finally put it on my desk, told me I needed to read it. It has characters and situations they can identify with, which makes them feel like they are not alone

 

Student Saturday: What Waits in the Water by Kieran Scott

 

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Horror
Student Reviewer: Alyssa O.

The story What Waits in the Water written by Kieran Scott is a scary and breath-taking book. This book makes you want to keep reading. The setting of this book takes place at an older lake house. The main character Hannah is spending a weekend at the lake house. The lake next to the house starts to seem creepy. I relate to this story by being scared to go somewhere. Although the places I had to go are not actually scary this story is scary. I would read this story many more times again. I recommend this to middle schoolers or older. 

One Minute After You Die by Erwin W. Lutzer

 

Genre:  Christian Nonfiction

Source:  I purchased a copy

Fow me this was an inspirational book, a confirmation of what I have known since I was a child. Things I wondered about were made clear. I always wondered about people who said they spoke to their long dead loved ones. I remember asking my mother at such a young age about that, and she said that it was demons pretending to be their loved one.  This book spoke about people who have had near death experiences.  I have no doubt that in some cases they have had a glimpse of something God allowed them to see.  I remember reading an account when I was a teen of a man who said he had died and felt the flames of hell burning his feet. This happened twice and in the end he repented and lived for the Lord.  I have no proof that these things really happened. What I do know for sure, as my mother said for years, one minute after you die you will be in heaven or in hell.

I choose to live my life for the lord.  This is not popular today. I have gotten in trouble several times for answering questions asked of me at school and someone with a differing opinion, or someone who was mad at me said something to those above me. I’ve been in trouble before. If that is what I must endure for God then so be it.  This is a book full of scripture explaining Biblically what we can expect. It is one that I highly recommend.