Addressing bullying where it matters most - home, school

Danny Graham’s young readers novel, A bully named Nightmare! has already impacted many young lives in schools across Australia.

Afterall, while forums for bullying have changed over the years – specifically the universal impact of the digital world – for children and early teens, experiences of bullying often stem from school relationships and connections.

That’s why A bully named Nightmare! is such a powerful tool. It’s an interesting read, in a school setting, with a believable set of characters and plot development, embedded with so many practical lessons for all the different characters in a bullying scenario.

Seeing yourself in the story

Teachers report being able to ask their students to think about any bullying situations they may be connected to and use the characters in the book to reflect on their role – victim, perpetrator, onlooker, friends afraid to intervene or someone who chooses to get involved.

It fleshes out teacher and parent roles as well – there are teachers that do a great job, others that are bullies themselves, and others that are not in touch with what’s going on.

The main character, Stevie, who’s on the receiving end of most of the bullying, goes through a range of responses and reactions including intense fear and anxiety, withdrawal, anger and, gradually, the learning of skills and growing of self-awareness that position him for better outcomes.

Although not a major part of the story, the bully themselves goes through a transition towards the end, as they encounter bullying for themselves and are better able to reflect on their own actions.

The reader takes a journey through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy dealing with the trials and tribulations of schoolyard bullying. The author also cleverly introduces the stories of several famous historical figures as well as local traditions and cultural practices.

Kylie James, Year Six classroom teacher

Other teaching topics

A bonus for readers young and old is a range of other teaching topics that come through as part of Stevie and his friends’ school year. Everything from appreciation of First Nation’s history and culture through to emtional intelligence or even overcoming a fear of public speaking.

It’s not surprising that so much is packed into a fast-moving story when we consider author Danny is a highly experienced school teacher and registered psychologist with many years experience in both areas.

Kids may not but this book for themselves, but parents could consider it as a gift that they can then read or discuss with their children (from about Years 5-8).

Teachers can access class set pricing and add A bully named Nightmare! to their reading syllabus. A comprehensive teaching resource (free with class set purchases) with many pages of activities, makes this an even stronger option.

Learn more about A bully named Nightmare! by Danny Graham on our store product page. Also available through Booktopia, Amazon, Koorong, and many bookstores.