To much bullying in schools---teen suicides everyday
358524
I personally know the boy the book is about and where he lives.  He is a very nice young man and even knowing him so well did not realize until i read the book how bad his struggle was.
55807
This book made me think... about all the shootings going on in some of our schools... that maybe it isn't the students that are putting these shootings in their minds,but maybe it could be some of their "secret" societies that are doing it to this nation.
  Then , once again, i thought, that maybe this is just a story that could put such ideas into teachers minds.  But why blame any one for these thoughts when we know that they come from the evil one.
  Between the books, magazines and t.v. programs we get a lot of nasty things getting into our minds, even the evening news can cause us to start thinking bad thoughts .

this book was a  well written book, that starts out slowly and builds up to a creshendo near the ending and gets better and just when you think your not going to find out it really ends, there are two more pages to read and things go back to "normal" again.
  .
439197
This movie could not be more accurate on how any high school is. I see this kind of stuff in school everyday, people bullying other people. The schools do not do absolutely anything about this. All schools care about is getting kids in and out of there in a certain amount of time. They do not take time to help kids in need who are being bullied. Someone has to kill their self or attempt to kill their self before anybody in the school listens. I think any parent, high school student, teacher, and school staff needs to see this movie. This movie is about as truthful as it gets with how High school is and how constantly bullying someone can cause them to end it all.
4382735
This book starts with 8th graders bullying Tristan, a "weird" kid that needs special academic accommodations who, in an effort to connect to his peers and make friends, writes a love note to one of the popular girls at school.  The girl gives it to her boyfriend and then he and his friends and classmates begin cyber bullying Tristan on Facebook.  This eventually leads to Tristan jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.  The rest of the book focuses on the aftermath of Tristan's suicide on his classmates and teachers in their junior and senior years of high school.  It was troubling to see how much social sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter is involved in the making and breaking of people in the social hierarchy of high school.  Parts of it were heartbreaking like teachers being encouraged not to care/ get emotionally invested in students, that their main focus should be to educate them.  Or learning after life tragedy that popular party girl has no real friends.  Obviously the most dangerous place on Earth for the young, vulnerable, and unafraid is junior high and high school according to this book and the story can make you glad you are not in high school any more.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

I received a free advanced copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
2186764
I was very disappointed with this book. The characters were beleivable to an extent with their higher than mighty attitudes, bullying, & manipulation. However, what teacher, coach, etc, have sex IN SCHOOL? Let a brat like Beth rule the school? High School is not easy & this book just seems to capitalize on that fact. Yes, kids/teenagers, people in general, can be & are mean. Some are downright manipulative & vindictive. In our current climate, teachers indiscretions, well downright stupidity, are splattered all over the news as well as victims of bullying. This book is a dose of harsh reality mixed with fiction.
595626
And we wonder why children are being bullied, couples no longer feel the need to honor commitment and demonstrate "give and take" .. and  thus create another generation of emotionally damaged citizens... There is enough garbage in everyday life in today's world... we don't need more of it on the screen.  The bar is set low enough as it is for young generations.  Hope they deep six this one.
2584713
Bullying has been around probably have long as there have been more than two people on the planet the strong pick on the weak, because they are feeling insecure about themselves and they must prove physically, that they are in charge, and no matter how hard we try to avoid it at some time or another, everyone will have to deal with a bully, and it used to be that these problems were mostly confined to the schoolyard, some verbal assaults and occasional fistfight but at the end of the day. You got to go home and get away from your tormentors and then their negativity. Home is supposed to feel safe and warm and secure. However, children these days don't even have the opportunity to get away from their bullies after school, because although the Internet does allow people to share information and stay connected at a more rapid rate than humanity has ever known. It also allows the police to keep bullying, long after the school day is over by posting demeaning comments in e-mails and on social media websites. So it is more important than ever that we teach children how to deal with bullies and the negative reactions that they create.

This book will do just that it will explain all of the various types of bullying tactics. The difference between boys and girls when it comes to bullying, effective ways to counteract the negativity of bullies, such as using humor to diffuse the situation and even how to spot the difference between friendly heating (which happens to most children) and outright bullying. There's also advice on how to talk to your child if they are being bullied, and even what to do if your child is the one doing the bullying and last but not least there is even a section on what adults can do, should they find themselves being bullied in the workplace or other daily environment. Cyber bullying has become an epidemic, and we need to teach children how to negotiate to its minefields, and this book is a good place to start.
3133806
In this book, the behavior of 12 teens and 1 adult interconnect and result in a suicide.  Hannah Baker moves to a new area and knows no one in her high school.  During the summer, she encounters  a boy who kisses her but who exaggerates the encounter tarnishing her reputation.  As the year progresses, more people interact with her, and with each encounter, she becomes more and more despairing.  Kindness and decency are in short supply in her school, and the readers will wish she could meet a few strong, observant, kind people.
329977
Bullying is a national epidemic and adults don't always understand or see the signs that bullying is a problem for their children. No one wants to believe that their child is not "accepted" at school or they figure they went through the same thing and turned out okay so its no big deal. Unfortunately, kids who are bullied frequently keep the extent of the bullying hidden from the adults in their lives.

Books like By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead are a giant wake up call.

Daelyn Rice has never felt safe at school. For as long as she can remember kids have picked on her for being overweight. The older she got the worse things seemed to get and soon suicide seemed her only way out.

Through out the book we travel with Daelyn as she counts down the 23 days until her Day of Determination...the day she'll kill herself. Along the way she meets Santana a home-schooled boy about her age that lives near her school. She also meets Emily, a new girl who is chubby and teased...just like her. Both of them reach out to Daelyn just as shes shutting down emotionally.

This is such a good book and really, a story we should all read. Julie Anne Peters is a wonderful writer who has written a variety incredible books that deal with hot-topic issues that teens and young adults are dealing with.

Visit her website: [...].

Best suited for 8th grade and up
155642
I am bothered that these books are such a hit with adults and children. As a bookseller we sell them, but I'm concerned enough about the subject matter that we sell them with an alert to the parent.
These books may depict middle school in all its glory and yes, looking back on it, there were parts at that age that were funny, if you weren't the kid getting bullied or being ignored or laughed at. Remember that the kids reading these books are in the middle of this growing up process and they are sopping up information like little sponges on how to act and behave in school. Eight and ten year olds are forming patterns for life. Greg's depiction of people goes something like this: parents as clueless, principles as morons, and wedgies and bullies as the best thing in the world to do to others.
So let's read this book to find out how to deceive your mom into signing school permission slips. We can learn a great lesson on how to bully the new kid in school or start a class project on how to completely ignore another classmate or humiliate your best friend. If this is a true reflection on middle school, remember how it felt to be on the outside of the group. Hilariously funny?
Why would teachers want to fan the flames of middle school discipline with these books? Their job is a ragged plunge into adolescence every day trying to just get these kids to read and write, let alone deal with hormones and behavior problems. These books just feed the fire.
The Parent Education groups approve these books because there is little sex or nudity in them. Are they condoning bullying and hazing against students as being appropriate behavior?
Greg comes with a self centered attitude, little or no remorse for what he does, and other than a slight rebuff from his parents, pays nothing and learns nothing from his actions. This kid has no conscience.
I know these kids will read these books. Years ago, Stephen King spoke to a group of librarians who wanted to ban his books. He told them to go ahead and ban them and he would guarantee that his books would be read.
I urge parents and teachers to talk to these kids and help them to learn positive behavior lessons.  These books are teaching the wrong lessons to the next generation.
899860
I am taking a class and signed up for Cyber Bullying. This book is fantastic!  It tells you all about the traditonal forms of bullying and then compares it to cyber bullying. The research was an eye opener. Perfect book for parents and how they can intervene should cyber bullying take place against a child of theirs. Also what educators can do. The school is a mighty force in protection and education regarding bullying.

I am always anxious to start reading. I would recommend this book to anyone. Cyber bullying is getting out of control.
3530911
At Truman Middle School there are the jocks, the queen's, and everyone else. Everyone else includes Zebby, who wants to write for the school newspaper but finds herself blocked when she wants to cover the serious issues around the school instead of just simple fluff pieces. To fight back, Zebby and her best friend Amr start a web page devoted to "the truth" about the school. To combat the censorship Zebby feels she suffered, the two make the decision that anyone can post anything - no restrictions, no editing. Big mistake. Before you can blink an eye the web page is being used to insult, threaten, and bully one of the most popular girls in school. Faster than the kids could imagine, the popular girls' "friends" turn on her, the student body piles on, and things go from bad to worse.

Quote: "But Mrs. Jonstone still said no. She actually looked Amr in the eye and said, "We don't have a problem with bullying here at Truman, and an article like that would just get the administration all riled up."

The issue of bullying is certainly one that is a problem with students, and cyberbullying a problem that is getting a growing amount of attention. However, I hesitate to leave this book in my classroom library because to me it doesn't give enough of a warning - I could see it providing way more ideas than cautions to young teens. The writing was fine except for the awkward, painful texting of an adult replicating the way a preteen emails or texts.
1808165
This story shows the powerful opportunity that parents, students, teachers, and administrators have to influence the school bullying environment. Innovatively classifying two types of bullying, Ms. Bernard uses her extensive knowledge of adolescents to present new, practical ideas for schools. This candid and knowledge of realistic perspective is refreshing; a must-read for students, parents, teachers, and administrators alike.

--Caitlin, MS, MPH
4136746
Read through the chapters off this book and I see good tips and ideas on how to deal with bullying. This is one of those scenarios that a counselor needs to look into more. There were some thoughts that I will use to help kids counter bullying!
3710950
Every child entering High School should be required to read this book, it would open their eyes to the reality of bullying and how that can ultimately impact an individual and their actions!!
1692864
Beware parents! This book looks at the most horrific scenarios of bullying. It goes beyond one kid simply pushing another in the school yard. The best way to protect your kids is be involved!
618356
A tale all too chillingly real in current school environments.

Two young men, Brendan and Gary are victims of teasing and physical bullying by members of the 'in' group (the jocks on the football team). Unable and unwilling to endure any more abuse they approach teachers and others to get some help to end the harassment. Unfortunately, they are told 'it's in their genes' and 'boys will be boys'.

The boys decide to take matters into their own hands and develop a plan of retribution to gain their revenge on the assailants and others who just refuse to get involved. Eerily similar to the incidents at Columbine, this story reads as a wake up call to what happens in school environments. Teachers and administrators, parents and police share responsibility and a share of the blame of the tragedy.

The book also contains many statistics about guns and gun control and also resources for help or information to those seeking it.

I'm so grateful that this happened only in a book. Let's make this required reading in middle and high school environments and try to abort any possibility of similar events ever happening again.