Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories is a collection of short stories concerning bullying. All the stories are written by different YA authors, who has either been bulled, seen someone being bullied or bullied someone else. Though all the stories main themes are bullying, there are several other smaller themes discussed throughout the book, as bullying can happen in several different ways.
One of those themes are sex and sexuality. In one of the short stories, the bullying happened in a very high degree, as the narrator was bullied by a boy who touched her breasts, fondled her intimate parts, slapped her butt and made negative comments on her body. In other stories, sexuality is abused, as the bullies spread rumors about their victims.
The book opens up on bullying in a positive and encouraging new way, that hasn’t been done before. Not only using words, but rhetoric and drawings, the authors express that the reader is not alone. Bullying has happened to everyone, and the reader can overcome it. This is the main message that is sent in the book.
Communication is key in the book, as a lot of teachers has started giving the book to their students, which is a good approach to bullying. Yet, it is important that it is supervised and discussed in a timely and controlled manner, as the themes are strong and might be triggering. Making sure the students are aware that they can ask for help if they ever experience anything is exceptionally important.
