I love book releases. There is something special about all of the efforts the author made finally coming together and having them share their inspiration with the world. And the release of a debut novel is even more special. Knowing the writer is finally seeing the end product and is sharing something so intimate with the world for the first time. Because the book writing process is an intimate one and I know from personal experience, the blood, sweat, and tears that go into the process.
Stop the Insanity – Part II
This is a continuation of Stop the Insanity – Part I so if you haven’t read it yet, you might want to click the link #justsayin. Back to the insanity of banning Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut and Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler.
Stop the Insanity – Part I
The world is an insane place. That is the only explanation I can come up with. Back in September 2010, a man by the name of Wesley Scroggins stirred up the people of Republic, MO by asking that Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler be banned from the schools.
Cecil FTW
One of my goals is to share real world experiences along with thoughts and articles about the issues which crop up in my writing. And to do that, my plan was to contact people and ask them to share some of their experiences…
Happy 2nd Birthday #Amwriting – It’s a Party
The #Amwriting hashtag on Twitter turns three today. It’s been an amazing time. I came to be a member of #amwriting through an offshoot group, #amwritingparty. New to twitter, looking for friends…
A Year Detention – Seriously?
The Children’s Court president judge said the only option for the offences committed was a year of detention. I’m a little underwhelmed by the decision, if in fact detention is the same thing in Australia as it is here. Here’s the thing… a 16-year-old boy decided to “impersonate” a bully…
Interview with Rose Gardner
I’m very excited… for two reasons. First, my friend and fellow author, Denise Grover Swank, has released her debut novel, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes — (whispers go ahead, click the link and buy copy… I know you want to. I’ll wait right here for you to get back…)
The Intolerance Factor
My post When 0.27 Percent Isn’t That Small made it into the internet newspaper Beyond Bullies for July 11, 2011 and one of the other articles caught my eye: Teaching Children Tolerance on Reality Check by Dr. Michele Borba.
When 0.27 Percent Isn’t That Small
Wow! I knew that bullying was prevalent in the United States, and I had my suspicions that it was not isolated to the United States, but I found an article today which caused my eyebrows to rise.
Bullying: A Real World Experience
Bullying has been around for as long as I can remember… and long before that. It has seemingly been on the rise in recent years, but it may be that our tolerance for bullies is waning, or we are better defining what bullying is. So, what is bullying? Dan Olweus gives us a commonly accepted definition for bullying in his book, Bullying at School: What We Know and What We Can Do:
A person is bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself.
Social Exclusion
If social exclusion isn’t blatant bullying, it is its first cousin. The reason I say that it may not be bullying is that no one has to hang out with you. You don’t have to be a member of a particular group… but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. It does. But, as Izzy Kalman of Bullies 2 Buddies points out, there are different ways to deal with the situation…and some are definitely more effective than others.
It Gets Better — Authors and Illustrators Unite
One common theme that runs through the stories I write is that of bullying. Every story idea comes equipped with a bully and I think the reason is that bullying happens every day. I’ve never understood the mentality of a bully…why do they see the need to tear down others?