Author: Phyllis J. Perry
Pages: 95
We can start by saying that middle school is not easy! We have all been in the situation of thinking that middle school had to be the worst! Jack experiences this in rare form, making it all too real for middle schoolers. Two boys named Steve and Cliff, harass Jack each morning by taking his lunch and destroying his valuables. Even though he is dealing with bullies, Jack has friends that have his back and his beloved baseball. One of Jack's friends C.J. has some problems in reading and math and the bullies make fun of him, they call him "Retardo". However, Jack's other friend Lizabeth does not take lightly to the bullies' tricks and she has her own ways of dealing with the famous Steve and Cliff. Then, Jack and his crew add a new guy to the group who is named Hans Ollig. Hans Ollig is from Germany and speaks little English. C.J., Elizabeth, Jack, and the rest of the class are assigned a "Melting Pot" unit. Jack and Hans are put in a group together. Social Studies Unit helps Jack learn even more about Hans' background.
Buddies, Bullies, and Baseball by Phyllis J. Perry discuss important topics of bullies, different cultures, family issues, and how we can embrace differences. Also, I like how Jack finally figures out a solution to the bullies and becomes triumphant in the end! We learned that all of us can go through trials, but it is how we handle it in the end. This book would be great for students in 2nd-4th grade and also great for adults as well. The book is under 100 pages and great for baseball fans and World Series Dreamers.
Buddies, Bullies, and Baseball
https://www.tckpublishing.com/
http://www.phyllisjperry.com/
