EducatingParents.org rating: Approved
Discussed tough topic of bullying.

A book about teasing and bullying. D.J.'s friend Vince has a habit of teasing D.J. and then saying, Just kidding!" as if it will make everything okay. It doesn't, but D.J. is afraid that if he protests, his friends will think he can't take a joke. With the help of his father, brother, and an understanding teacher, D.J. progresses from feeling helpless to taking positive action, undermining the power of two seemingly harmless words. Trudy Ludwig takes another look at relational aggression, the use of relationships to manipulate and hurt others, this time from the boy's point of view.

DJ is constantly being emotionally bullied at school by Vince. Through talking to his dad and notifying the teacher, DJ gets the help he needs to stop the bullying once and for all. This would be a great book to introduce in the classroom to explain to young children that words, even if you're just kidding can hurt. ( )

Important subject.

D.J. moves to a new school, and befriends Vince. After a month goes by, Vince starts picking on DJ. DJ turns to his father for advice. The teacher gets involved. DJ makes new friends with other boys in his class, and Vince eventually leaves him alone. There is very good information about talking to children about bullying in the book, but I didn't find that it was incorporated into the story line like I expected it would be. ( )