Bullies Are a Pain in the Brain »

When Trevor Romain was 12, his teacher told him he wasn't talented enough to do art. By accident, he found out 20 years later that he could draw. Since that lucky day, he has written and illustrated 20 books for children. In addition to writing, illustrating, and speaking at schools, Trevor is a board member of the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation and can often be found on the cancer ward at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, Texas, doing his rounds as "Doctor of Mischief."

Bullies are mean. Bullies are scary. Bullies are a pain in the brain—and every child needs to know what to do when confronted by one.

This book blends humor with serious, practical suggestions for coping with bullies.

Trevor Romain reassures kids that they're not alone and it's not their fault if a bully decides to pick on them. He explains some people are bullies and describes realistic ways to become "Bully-Proof," stop bullies from hurting others, and get help in dangerous situations.

And if bullies happen to read this book, they'll find ideas they can use to get along with others and feel good about themselves—without making other people miserable.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-7A deceptively simple approach to dealing with a difficult issue faced by millions of children every day. The advice throughout is clear, unequivocal, and helpful: "Tell your friends if you're being bullied. A bully is less likely to approach you if you're surrounded by your buddies." The advice for dealing with life-threatening situations is brief: "Run!" Fictional books abound on the topicone of the most well-known being Mary Stolz's The Bully of Barkham Street (HarperCollins, 1985). Eda LeShan's nonfiction title When Kids Drive Kids Crazy (Dial, 1990; o.p.) deals extensively with the subject and provides excellent coping skills both for the victims of intimidation and abuse and for parents trying to help. However, bullied children are much more likely to pick up Romain's book on their initial foray into self-help, due to the attractive format with cartoon characters and lots of white space on the page. Resources for additional help include books, organizations, and Web sites. This useful, slim volume will have heavy usage.Susan R. Farber, Ardsley Public Library, NY