I agreed to look at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062060988/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mothisblisort-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=0062060988">Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0062060988&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />because<a href="http://frogandsnail.com/2011/03/bullying-vs-boys-will-be-boys/"> I want to do something</a>, anything, about bullying and a portion of the proceeds is going to <a href="http://stompoutbullying.org">Stomp Out Bullying</a>.

So that's good.

But as I flipped through the book I realized I couldn't put it down. The stories are short, relatable and unputdownable. I think I just made up a word, but I mean it. It's a great book, even for someone way out of middle school.

This book runs the gamut -- from regrets (both from bullies and those who just let bullying happen), to funny stories of outsmarting bullies, and the expected "it gets better" type stories.

Yes, I saw myself in more than a few of the stories. What really broke my heart is that there are kids out there right now who will see themselves here.

My kids are too young for this book so I'm going to donate my copy of the book to the middle school library. And you can bet that as soon as my sons are in middle school I will buy them their own copy.

Here are some statistics from the publisher:
<blockquote>1 out of 4 kids is bullied

77% of students say they have been bullied.

160,000 kids stay home from school <em>every day</em> because of fear of bullying. (This one blows my mind and breaks my heart all at once.)

Nearly 300,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.

Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention? 7% Peer intervention? 11% No intervention? 85%</blockquote>
I know it's hard to talk to kids about bullying. I think this book will help them, at the very least, to know that they are not alone, that it gets better, and that they should ask for help.

FIND IT: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0062060988/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=mothisblisort-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373&amp;creativeASIN=0062060988">Amazon</a><img style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&amp;l=as2&amp;o=1&amp;a=0062060988&amp;camp=217145&amp;creative=399373" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" />