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ryandejonghe

Ryan DeJonghe - The Avid Reader

I didn't always read, but that changed in June of 2013. I dropped the unnecessary stuff and picked up the awesome stuff--like reading! I started posting my reviews on Amazon and within a few months rose to the top 0.1% of reviewers. My reviews then went to Goodreads, and now my blog (http://ryandejonghe.wordpress.com) and Twitter (@Ryan_Reads). If you are reading this, why not leave a comment or send me a note? I love talking to other folks about books and my reviews. Publishers and authors, feel free to drop me a note if you want me to review your book. I usually stick to mainstream publishing, but I'll consider anything. If I review your book, I’ll give you a fair and thorough review and let you know when the review goes live. You can reach me at dejonghes@gmail.com. Happy Reading!

Bullied: What Every Parent, Teacher, and Kid Needs to Know About Ending the Cycle of Fear

The Machu Picchu Guidebook: A Self-Guided Tour - Ruth M. Wright, Alfredo Valencia Zegarra Let’s start with this: (800) 421-3481. That’s the number to call if your kid is being bullied and your school is not effectively handling the situation. It’s the hotline to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. The author, Carrie Goldman, included this number somewhere in the middle of this book. People looking for this book may need that number sooner, rather than later, without having to dig around to find it.

And that’s my main recommendation about this book: that it could have been organized a bit more sharply to deal with information upfront that can resolve a serious situation. Instead, the other opts to speak about her own daughter liking Star Wars and the peer fallout, and then the following support she received. The author then gives a few case studies that end with sad and personal results of bullying. It’s an interesting read that flows well, but doesn’t have the bite a book of this nature should have.

Looking at the chapter titles at the second-half of this book, you would believe some real meat of the matter would be talked about. More personal stories. Within these stories, school programs were mentioned, including acronyms, but nothing in detail was discussed. What are these programs? What do these acronyms stand for? What is effective in the program and what are the lacking areas? Instead, there is a short appendix section in the back that briefly overviews (like a paragraph each) the previously mentioned programs. Really, each program could have its own chapter.

The author did a great job at researching and interviewing other sources—mostly interviewing. The author includes several conversations she’s had with other authors of this same topic. It helps make the whole book more personal and relatable.

If you want to revel in the audacity of bullying, along with the author, then this book is an interesting read. There are a lot of personal stories that will make your heart melt. There are several stories of triumph. There just isn’t enough “how to” on what programs work and what programs don’t work—there’s some, but so much more could be dived into.