BY ADULTS

“This book has beautiful illustrations that are very appealing to children. ”  George Bodley

“Bullying is a very real and damaging behavior among young people. It is a topic of much concern and this story addresses it in a way to which children can relate.”  Alene Carlson

“Good book to read with younger children as it promotes lots of important discussion.”   Sheila Wright

BY STUDENTS

Book Review by Eoin Smyrnios, Age 10

Buster is a kid who moved to a new school.  The school was great until Buster came and started to yell orders and be mean.  He lied to his teachers, he threw trash and gum.

One day a huge tornado came rushing toward the school building.  The principal gave an emergency warning that all students must stay in their room for safety.  Buster did not listen to the principal and ran down the hall, knocking over a teacher.  She caught him and made him go back to the room and sit by the wall.

Buster did not know about tornados but was very scared when he looked outside and saw the big twister coming.  A bright young boy sitting next to him told him all about tornados and what terrible damage they can do.

The tornado made Buster so afraid that he life changed his life after the storm.  He started to be good and do all of his homework.  He was nice to the students and was never ever mean again.

The author is trying to say that you should not be a bully and bad.  I believe that the author wrote this book because she did not want to tolerate bullies being mean to other students and not paying attention to the teachers and the principal.

One time at school, a bully like Buster punched me in the face.  I told on him to the teacher.  Then, ten days later, my friends and I punched him back.  He was never heard from again.  Maybe he read this book and moved to another school to start over as a better kid.

I think seven to eight-year-olds should read this book to learn about bullies and tornados.

Book Review by Aiden Smyrnios, Age 12

The setting of this book takes places in a great neighborhood, where there was a great school.  The students were happy until Buster the Bully arrived on the scene.

Buster was mean to his classmates, lied to his teachers, swore and made rude gestures.

One day when a tornado was headed toward the school, the principal gave an emergency announcement that all students must stay in their classrooms.  Buster disobeyed the principal’s orders, walked out of class, and ran into a teacher.

The teacher made Buster go back to class as the tornado came closer to the school.  Buster got really scared while sitting in a classroom corner near a good, smart kid who tells him that a tornado is definitely something to be afraid of and that he absolutely must follow safety directions.

This big scare was enough to make Buster change his ways, to decide that bullying is wrong, and to know that anyone can decide to be a better person.

I know someone who is mean to kids, swears and uses improper body language. He beat up a kid and that kid got really hurt and mad at him.  That bully got suspended for four days and he could only be at school for half the day.  Maybe he could have changed his ways if he had had the opportunity to read and study BUSTER THE BULLY.

This is a good book for kids 7-10 years of age who are bullies or who might be bullied someday.  I would like to meet the author of BUSTER THE BULLY because it would be interesting to talk about the book and how she thought of the idea.