Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts - May 9

Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. This is a chance for book bloggers to dabble in areas besides books (but those are welcome too). Share your plans for the weekend, a rant on people not using their turn signals in parking lots, or your love of Sunday morning mimosas.

Started a new devotional and I love it. It is long overdue. Even the first few pages made me feel better and refocused.

I am so tired of working all the time. Thought I might get the weekend off and then realized there is no way I can take Saturday off. I hope Sunday will be dedicated to my garden, but it's not looking likely.

Do you ever wonder why bullies exist? Well, we know they exist because we live in a fallen world and Lucifer is the master bully. But other than that, don't you just wonder how kids can be so mean to other kids and how it's possible some people are always pushing others around? Why can't we all play nice?

Missed writing group this week. I'm bummed. I'll plan to go next month if I can.

Have you ever taken a bet for what age your kid will be before she starts listening to you?

Mailbox Monday - May 7

Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.

Welcome back to Monday. It is going to be a busy one, so I might not leave comments until later on tonight or tomorrow.

Last week was the library book sale. I was thrilled to donate 45 books to the cause, but I also knew I would go and support them with buying a few too. I'm very selective these days in what I bring home because we really are out of space. I've been cleaning for a few days trying to get the house ready for my mother-in-law to come live with us as soon as her room is ready; an exhausting task, but I'll be glad when she's here where I can watch out for her.

I'll share my book sale books next week--they are still sitting in a box in my truck--but here are a few things I borrowed from the library last week.

The mother of a bullied first grader, popular blogger Carrie Goldman's inspiring true story triggered an outpouring of support from online communities around the world. In Bullied, she gives us a guide to the crucial lessons and actionable guidance she's learned about how to stop bullying before it starts. It is a book born from Goldman's post about the ridicule her daughter suffered for bringing a Star Wars thermos to school--a story that went viral on Facebook and Twitter before exploding everywhere, from CNN.com and Yahoo.com to sites all around the world. Written in Goldman's warm, engaging style, Bullied is an important and very necessary read for parents, educators, self-professed "Girl Geeks," or anyone who has ever felt victimized by a bully, online or in person.

In 2014, Chessy Prout was a freshman at St. Paul’s school, a prestigious boarding school in New Hampshire when a senior boy sexually assaulted her as part of a ritualized game of conquest. Chessy bravely reported her assault to the police and testified against her attacker in court. Then, in the face of unfathomable backlash from her once trusted school community, she shed her anonymity to help other survivors find their voice.

This memoir is more than an account of a horrific event; it takes a magnifying glass to the institutions that turn a blind eye to such behavior and a society that blames victims rather than attackers, while offering real, powerful solutions to upending rape culture as we know it today.

Prepare to be inspired by this remarkable young woman and her story of survival, advocacy, and hope in the face of unspeakable trauma.

In this astonishing memoir, Paige tells a story that is both deeply personal and completely universal—one that will resonate deeply with the thousands of children and adults whose lives have been touched by bullying.

Paige Rawl has been HIV positive since birth…but growing up, she never felt like her illness defined her. It never prevented her from entering beauty pageants or playing soccer or making the honor role.

On an unremarkable day in middle school, while attempting to console a friend, Paige disclosed her HIV-positive status—and within hours the bullying began. She was called "PAIDS," first in whispers, then out in the open. Her soccer coach joked that she was an asset because opposing team members would be too afraid to touch her. Her guidance counselor told her to stop all the “drama,” and her principal said she couldn’t protect her. One night, desperate for escape, Paige swallowed fifteen sleeping pills—one for each year of her life to date. That could have been the end of her story. Instead, it was only the beginning.

The gripping first-person account of Paige’s life will pull in even the most reluctant readers of nonfiction, and her call to action to choose compassion over cruelty will stay with them long after they turn the last page.

That's it from me this week. What was in your mailbox?

As A Busy Mom Thinks - How Bullies Changed My Daughter

One of my daughters will graduate from middle school next week. It can't come soon enough. You hear how difficult these years can be on children--maybe even recall your own challenges at that age--but until your child is the victim of bullies, I'm not sure one can appreciate how much change happens at the middle school level. 

For years, my daughter held her head high. She believed in herself and her abilities. Her side of the refrigerator was covered in artwork she was proud of and notes stating, "I am awesome!" and "I rock!" 

A mere three years later, she's a totally different person. She believes she's ugly, overweight--though she's not, will never have a boyfriend, and is untalented. This is all thanks to the bullies who have convinced her their words, not mine, are true.

I long for those days when she confidently strolled through the house as if she owned it. I miss those days when I believed her opinion of herself was high enough to weather the storms of middle school with their mean girls and popular boys who don't talk to you unless you are a size two with perfect skin and hair. I never expected my child to be threatened and called names I didn't even know the meaning of when I was that age. And as parents in this age of technology, we know the bullying does not stop at school. It continues via text and social media.

Two major incidents this year brought it all to a head (one I can't talk about here). Then the consequences hit me this weekend when our family was supposed to attend a graduation party. My girls got there first. The minute my middle schooler caught sight of one of the guests--a bully from school--a panic attack seized her. She called me from her cell phone, but she was such a wreck she could barely speak. I thought she was having an asthma attack. What was supposed to be a nice day with friends ended up being a day where my daughter hid in her room watching NetFlix, because no amount of words from her parents could convince her she would be safe at the party.

As someone who was also bullied, I understand what she's going through. But I only felt fearful once that someone would truly act on their words. My daughter's bullies have been physical. They have been hurtful. And honestly, I don't know if there is a way I can help my child gain back what they stole from her: her confidence and her self-esteem.

Please pray for us.

The Bullying Experience Video

This is a must see video. It shows one of the reasons bullying is such a problem. Thanks to the people of FOUSEYTUBE for conducting this experiment and sharing it with us.

DVD Review: PBS Kids®: Arthur Stands Up to Bullying

From PBS Kids® comes another series of great Arthur™ adventures. This DVD, which is available for purchase from the ShopPBS website and other online retailers, includes four episodes, plus a computer-based component where kids can find themed activities and coloring pages. Based upon the best-selling children's books by Marc Brown, this long-running television series was an important part of my son's and daughters' childhoods.

In "The Last Tough Customer," Binky decides it's time for the group to change their image because it's not good being a bully anymore. The other guys are in, but Molly is having nothing to do with it. When Molly sees some poor behavior from her little brother, James, she wonders if it's time to put the past behind her.

Hoping to improve his chances of beating his opponent, Los Dedos, Brain starts a chess club at school. In "Brain's Chess Mess," he soon discovers most of the kids aren't really interested in learning the ins and outs of playing, but he also finds Rattles to be a great mentor.

In "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh," Sue Ellen gets her feelings hurt when Arthur teases her about her new sweater. Though she asks him to stop, Arthur says she's just overreacting. When he's forced to to write a letter of apology to Sue Ellen, it ends up doing more harm than good. Arthur can't believe his friends think he's being a bully.

"The Best Day Ever" finds Arthur and his friends reminiscing about their "best days." Arthur doesn't seem to have one, but soon learns a lot about himself and his friends.

Arthur Stands Up to Bullying is a great way to teach your kids about friendship and standing up to bullies. This can lead parents into discussions with their children about how two people can see an event differently and how important it is to consider other people's feelings. After "The Last Tough Customer" and "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh," the show visits real classrooms where students talk about bullying and standing up for themselves.

Highly recommended.


Format: Animated, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Pbs (Direct)
DVD Release Date: July 16, 2013
Run Time: 60 minutes

I received a free copy of this DVD. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Author Spotlight: Nancy Carty Lepri and Tween Chapter Book Tiny Angel

When her dad is transferred to a new town, Macy Carver leaves behind her best friend and everything she knows. Suddenly she is the new girl…alone and bullied. An unexpected flash announces guardian angel Jody, who teaches her how to fit in and become a forever friend.


Read an Excerpt!

“Hey, chubbo quit hogging the sidewalk!” Kenny Thompson yanked the front of his bike off the ground, circled around eight-year-old Macy Carver, and stuck out his tongue.

“Don’t,” she yelled. Kenny cut the bike’s front wheel, covering her with dirty water. Laughing, he sped toward school.

“Creepazoid!” Macy said, brushing mud from her jeans, which made a worse mess. Mud even splattered her favorite top. Tears filled her eyes. Stupid North Carolina! Why did her dad have to move here? She hated being the new kid in class. Thanks to Kenny, the kids either ignored her or were mean. To make things worse, she had to sit next to him. Sighing, she trudged on, hoping that when she got to school, Kenny would have sprouted huge warts on his nose.
The first bell rang. Macy walked to her desk and tripped over Kenny’s outstretched foot.

“Hey four-eyes.” He laughed when she stumbled. “Are you a klutzo, too? Aw, poor Macy, dirty and klutzy.”

Macy grabbed the side of her desk to keep from falling. She glared at Kenny, ready to stick out her tongue, but decided he didn’t need anything else to tease her about. Biting her lip, she sat at her desk. She wanted to go home—fat lot of good that would do her. She knew she wouldn’t feel better there.

The letter she got yesterday from her best friend, Emily burned in her back pocket. Darn Emily! At least they’d been best friends back home. When she thought about everything Emily wrote, Macy’s stomach tightened and jerked as if she’d dropped three floors in a runaway elevator, and those muscles wouldn’t relax. It was the same feeling she got in the pit of her tummy every time she lied to her mother about something. Guilty.

But what do I have to feel guilty about? I haven’t done anything wrong. It isn’t like I wanted to move away.

Betrayed. That’s how Macy felt every time she thought about Emily telling her how she and Tricia Mitchell rode the school bus together now, played games and how they were always at each other’s house. Emily told Macy how much fun they were having, even saying they were going to the roller rink on Saturday then having a sleepover at Tricia’s house…something she and Emily loved doing together. Tricia Mitchell! Funny, Emily never liked Tricia before. She always called her stuck up. Now they’re best friends? What’s up with that?

Maybe Emily didn’t miss her at all. Macy suddenly felt lonelier than ever and she really wanted to cry.

A thwack to the back of her head reminded her that her misery was endless. She grabbed the runaway pencil from her lap and held it up. Kenny reached and snatched it from her. Macy blinked hard to keep the tears away. Please don’t let me cry in front of the other kids.

“Hey, I think Macy forgot her pencil. She’s trying to steal mine.” He leaned in with a nasty smirk and whispered, “Hey, chubbo, do you get a royalty every time someone up-sizes their burgers at Wendy’s?”

Choking with anger, Macy balled up her fist, but before she could give Kenny the pounding he deserved, a blazing ball of bright, pink light blasted through the room. It passed between them looking like a tiny comet zinging around Kenny’s head.

“What the…?” He swatted at it, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. The little pink fireball dodged at him again. Kenny lost his balance, and his butt hit the floor—hard.

Macy blinked and her mouth flew open. What the heck was that? It sounded like an insect, but was much bigger than any bug she’d ever seen. It was almost as if one of those fireworks she’d seen at Greenwood Park with her parents last summer had come to life and was waging war on Kenny.

Macy didn’t want to smile, but just then, she couldn’t think of a really good reason not to.

Watch the Trailer!




Here’s what reviewers are saying about Tiny Angel!


“In a day and age when chapter books for ‘tweens can sometimes be more hype than substance, Nancy Carty Lepri’s Tiny Angel is a breath of fresh air… I think Tiny Angel should be read in elementary schools everywhere. It would open up dialogue about bullying and how devastating it can be to an individual, and teach students the lost art of compassion.”

–Dixie Phillips, award-winning author of Stubby’s Destiny and other children’s books

“Tiny Angel is a well-written, delightful story that will entertain middle-grade girls… it’s simply a good story about school, friends, being oneself, and achieving one’s full potential. Highly recommended.”

–Mayra Calvani, author of Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster, Crash!, and The Magic Violin

“I would definitely recommend this book for your tween. Tiny Angel is an engaging and compelling story whose timeless messages will stay with your tween long after she’s read the last page.”

–The Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

"A book I would recommend to children who are dealing with being bullied or need a lesson in compassion for others."

--I'm A Reader, Not A Writer

"I would recommend this book to children ages 7-9, particularly those who are going through a stressful time, are bullied or need to hear that there is positivity in the world."

--Acting Balanced

Nancy Carty Lepri, born and raised in Massachusetts, earned an AA degree in Visual Art from Cape Cod Community College and a BA in Liberal Studies with a concentration in writing from Western New England College. In addition, she was a freelance reporter for several local newspapers.


In 1995, Nancy and her husband Art relocated to Wilmington NC where her publishing credits included the Wilmington Magazine as well as two national and international food-industry trade magazines.


Receiving Editor Certification through Cape Fear Community College in 2006, Nancy taught online writing and drawing courses, illustrated children’s books, started four mainstream novels, and had her children’s chapter book Tiny Angel, published through Guardian Angel Publishing in November 2009.


After a move to the Raleigh area in 2007, Nancy freelanced as senior editor for a national publisher, edited and wrote press releases for more than twenty novels, and was copy editor and reviewer for Affaire de Coeur magazine. She currently edits and critiques manuscripts, reviews for ReaderToReader.com and New York Journal of Books, and is completing her sequel to Tiny Angel.


You can visit Nancy’s website at: http://nancycl.webs.com/.