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So Not Okay

An Honest Look at Bullying from the Bystander

#1 in series

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

There is no such thing as neutral.

According to the Ambassadors 4 Kids Club, one out of every four students is bullied—and 85% of these situations never receive intervention. Parents, students, and teachers alike have amped up the discussion of how to solve the bullying problem for a networked generation of kids.

Written by bestselling author, Nancy Rue, each book in the Mean Girl Makeover trilogy focuses on a different character's point of view: the bully, the victim, and the bystander. Each girl has a different personality so that every reader can find a character she relates to. The books, based on Scripture, show solid biblical solutions to the bullying problem set in a story for kids.

So Not Okay, the first book in the series, tells the story of Tori Taylor, a quiet sixth grader at Gold Country Middle School in Grass Valley, California. Tori knows to stay out of the way of Kylie, the queen bee of GCMS. When an awkward new student named Ginger becomes Kylie's new target, Tori whispers a prayer of thanks that it's not her. But as Kylie's bullying of Ginger continues to build, Tori feels guilty and tries to be kind to Ginger. Pretty soon, the bullying line of fire directed toward Ginger starts deflecting onto Tori, who must decide if she and her friends can befriend Ginger and withstand Kylie's taunts, or do nothing and resume their status quo. Tori's decision dramatically changes her trajectory for the rest of the school year.

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 21, 2014
      The prolific Rue follows her Lily, Lucy, and Sophie series for middle-graders with this first book in the Mean Girl Makeover series. Sixth-grader Tori Taylor’s close-knit group of friends has avoided being bullied by mean girl Kylie and her minions, the Pack. Until now. When Kylie picks on new student Ginger, Tori can’t remain a bystander, even if Tori’s best friend Ophelia begs her to avoid trouble. Teachers appear clueless about the subtleties of girl-on-girl bullying. Predictably, Kylie turns on Tori, too, but Tori and her friends have an advocate outside of school. Lydia, who works for Tori’s father and is a little person, helps them develop practical methods—and use prayer—to remain true to who they are while facing persecution. The writing can be clunky and sometimes tries too hard to sound like the voice of a 12-year-old girl (“So I was starting the day with a bad ’tude”), and the story reads like a case study in a tween psychology book, demonstrating strategies for real life. Still, the unfolding drama ought to engage readers. Ages 8–12. Agency: Alive Communications.

    • Kirkus

      April 15, 2014
      Sixth-grader Tori Taylor knows firsthand what it feels like to be the target of bullying, but when the class bully sets her sights on the awkward new girl, Tori must decide whether to intervene or to lie low and save herself. Ginger Hollingberry talks loud, dresses strangely and smells funny. But her biggest fault, cluelessness, makes her the perfect target for Kylie Steppe and the Pack. At first, Tori and her friends, Ophelia and Winnie, reason that Ginger brings the bullying on herself, but as the teasing escalates, it becomes impossible for Tori to stay silent. However, her school problems are quickly overshadowed by her grandmother's sudden hospitalization. Life suddenly feels too big and too scary. The one place Tori thinks she might find help is God, but she has no idea where to start. Biblical teaching and Christian values offer a different perspective on a familiar topic. Uneven pacing and occasionally inauthentic dialogue are not enough to rob this story of its true heart. Integrity and reconciliation are emphasized over punishment and revenge, but real-world pragmatism is never sacrificed for lofty ideals. Spiritually centered and practically minded; it's the first in a trilogy, so look for other perspectives in subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 9-13)

      COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:4.5
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3

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