Take a stand

This morning while browsing Facebook I saw one of my friends liked a photo from the Dave Ryan in the Morning Show.  Dave Ryan is a popular Radio show on 101.3 KDWB out of the Twin Cities.

Here is the caption on the photo - "Arizona's Queen Creek High School has an undefeated football team this season . . . and the team's quarterback, Carson Jones, is taking a stand against bullying. Chy Johnson is a 16-year-old special-needs student at the school who was being bullied . . . because she has a brain disorder called microcephaly, which makes her head smaller than normal. Earlier this year, some girls threw garbage on Chy during lunch. So Chy's mother emailed Carson and asked him if he could find out who was picking on her daughter. Instead, Carson took matters into his own hands. He invited Chy to sit with the team at lunch the next day. She's had lunch with them every day since. They also keep an eye on her in the hall, to make sure there's no trouble between classes."

This story gave me goosebumps from head to toe.  What an amazing teenager!  Bullying is such a problem.  All it takes is one person to stand up for someone being bullied and it can change things.  What can you do?  Follow Carson's example and reach out to someone.  Be a friend to someone in need. 

Usborne has a new title about bullying.  I haven't had a chance to read it yet but the reviews have been wonderful about it.

Introducing: I am Jack by Susanne Gervay

Jack likes going to school until George Hamel calls him “Butt Head,” and all the other kids start to do it too. He’s in trouble. Will someone help?

Here are some reviews: 

What an amazing book! As the mom of a daughter who was bullied in middle school (I'm just know learning the extent of it, some 7 years later), I was moved by the powerful description of a boy desperately trying to maintain a normal face at home, while facing such indescribable abuse at school. This book will definitely have a powerful impact on its readers.

From: iheartbooks3@gmail.com | Date: 7/3/2012 8:36 AM

Every parent, teacher and student should read this book. It should be read together and discussed. It is so simple and yet so common. Being bullied is so very horrible for a young person and their emerging self esteem. Bullying is real. Read this book! Maybe, just maybe it will help a to be bully not say the joke that really is not funny. Or maybe it will give the friend the courage to tell someone that can help. Or what if the victim found the courage to look the bully in the face and say no.

From: Nicole.UsborneBooks@gmail.com | Date: 7/6/2012 11:57 PM

Touching, True Story! This is such a powerful, true story... anyone can relate to, no matter if you've been bullied, were a bully or simply have been around this type of situation. It's told from the point of view of this sweet boy who is being taunted at school and simply cannot take it anymore. A very timely tale that should be read by everyone!

From: heyjadebooks@gmail.com | Date: 7/14/2012 9:41 PM

WOW. My 7 yr old daughter and I just got done reading this book tonight. It is about Jack, a boy who is being bullied in school. Author Susanne Gervay brilliantly combined fun humor and brave truth to create a book that MUST be put into all kids' hands!! Over the last few nights of reading this book, we laughed out loud (HARD at times!!), we talked about bullying in an understandable way, and I fought back the tears through half the book.

Books are SO powerful...the journey they take us on can change our lives. I am not exaggerating the effect of this book...if you have school-age kids in your life, you will not only want THEM to read it, YOU will also want to! This will be an excellent tool for any school/organization that wants to bring awareness to bullying!

From: troachbooks@gmail.com | Date: 7/18/2012 1:38 AM