Weird!

Book 1

by Erin Frankel

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Pub Date Sep 01 2013 | Archive Date Feb 15 2015

Free Spirit Publishing

Children's Fiction | Parenting & Families

Description

Luisa is repeatedly teased and called "weird" by her classmate Sam, even though she is simply being herself—laughing with her friends, answering questions in class, greeting her father in Spanish, and wearing her favorite polka-dot boots. Luisa initially reacts to the bullying by withdrawing and hiding her colorful nature. But with the support of her teachers, parents, classmates, and one special friend named Jayla, she is able to reclaim her color and resist Sam’s put-downs.

ABOUT THE SERIES:
These three books tell the story of an ongoing case of bullying from three third graders’ perspectives. Luisa describes being targeted by bullying in Weird! Jayla shares her experience as a bystander to bullying in Dare! And in Tough!, Sam speaks from the point of view of someone initiating bullying. Kids will easily relate to Luisa, Jayla, and Sam, as each girl has her own unique experience, eventually learning how to face her challenges with the help of friends, peers, and caring adults.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR:
Erin Frankel has an M.A. in English education and is passionate about teaching and writing. She taught ESL in Alabama before moving to Madrid, Spain, with her husband and three daughters. Erin knows firsthand what it feels like to be bullied, and she hopes her stories will help bring smiles back to children who have been involved in bullying. In her free time, Erin loves hiking in the Spanish mountains and kayaking in her hometown of Mays Landing, New Jersey.

Paula Heaphy is a print and pattern designer in the fashion industry. She’s an explorer of all artistic mediums from glassblowing to shoemaking, but her biggest love is drawing. She jumped at the chance to illustrate her friend Erin’s story, having been bullied herself as a child. As the character of Luisa came to life on paper, Paula felt her path in life suddenly shift into focus. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she hopes to use her creativity to light up the hearts of children for years to come.

Advance Praise

“The Weird series encourages children that are being bullied to stand up for themselves . . . bystanders to act when they see something bad happening . . . [and] children who are bullying others to reassess their actions and motivations.”—The Children’s Book Review

“Each title shows readers, through the texts and the expressive ink illustrations, what each child feels . . . [and suggests] simple group activities that model positive behaviors.”—School Library Journal

“A valuable contribution to anti-bullying literature.”—3rdGradeReading.net

“An excellent tool for teaching school-age children good mental health techniques to survive and grow beyond bullying.”—Midwest Book Review

“A good discussion starter.”—Booklist

“My kids and I loved the Weird series . . . the books were incredibly insightful and provoked good discussion. Well written by Erin Frankel, beautifully illustrated by Paula Heaphy, and published by the always inspiring Free Spirit Publishing, [this series] is a must-own for educators, if not parents.”—Melissa Taylor, Imagination Soup

“A much-needed tool in dealing with the growing problem of bullying in our schools and country.”—CJ Bott, author of The Bully in the Book and in the Classroom and More Bullies in More Books

“[T]he well-drawn characters have real problems with . . . credible resolutions.”—Kirkus

“The wonderful books in the Weird series are great resources to help build young children’s social skills to address and prevent bullying.”—Trudy Ludwig, children’s advocate and best-selling author of Confessions of a Former Bully

“The Weird series is a delightful three-part story that explores the roles of the bully, the bullied, and the bystander and how children can break out of those roles and be their unique, caring selves. Not only for kids, this series is a must for parents, educators, and caregivers who want to help children end the cycle of cruelty.”—Barbara Coloroso, author of The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander

“I love this series. Kids are sure to empathize with the characters and recognize their own power to stop bullying.”—Dr. Michele Borba, internationally recognized child expert and author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions