Copyright Date:
2014
Edition Date:
2014
Release Date:
05/20/14
Pages:
286 pages
ISBN:
1-400-32370-3
ISBN 13:
978-1-400-32370-8
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2013049061
Dimensions:
21 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
Sixth-grader Tori Taylor knows firsthand what it feels like to be the target of bullying, but when the class bully sets her sights on the awkward new girl, Tori must decide whether to intervene or to lie low and save herself. Ginger Hollingberry talks loud, dresses strangely and smells funny. But her biggest fault, cluelessness, makes her the perfect target for Kylie Steppe and the Pack. At first, Tori and her friends, Ophelia and Winnie, reason that Ginger brings the bullying on herself, but as the teasing escalates, it becomes impossible for Tori to stay silent. However, her school problems are quickly overshadowed by her grandmother's sudden hospitalization. Life suddenly feels too big and too scary. The one place Tori thinks she might find help is God, but she has no idea where to start. Biblical teaching and Christian values offer a different perspective on a familiar topic. Uneven pacing and occasionally inauthentic dialogue are not enough to rob this story of its true heart. Integrity and reconciliation are emphasized over punishment and revenge, but real-world pragmatism is never sacrificed for lofty ideals. Spiritually centered and practically minded; it's the first in a trilogy, so look for other perspectives in subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 9-13)
There is no such thing as neutral. According to the Ambassadors 4 Kids Club, one out of every four students is bullied--and 85% of these situations never receive intervention. Parents, students, and teachers alike have amped up the discussion of how to solve the bullying problem for a networked generation of kids. Written by bestselling author, Nancy Rue, each book in the Mean Girl Makeover trilogy focuses on a different character's point of view: the bully, the victim, and the bystander. Each girl has a different personality so that every reader can find a character she relates to. The books, based on Scripture, show solid biblical solutions to the bullying problem set in a story for kids. So Not Okay, the first book in the series, tells the story of Tori Taylor, a quiet sixth grader at Gold Country Middle School in Grass Valley, California. Tori knows to stay out of the way of Kylie, the queen bee of GCMS. When an awkward new student named Ginger becomes Kylie's new target, Tori whispers a prayer of thanks that it's not her. But as Kylie's bullying of Ginger continues to build, Tori feels guilty and tries to be kind to Ginger. Pretty soon, the bullying line of fire directed toward Ginger starts deflecting onto Tori, who must decide if she and her friends can befriend Ginger and withstand Kylie's taunts, or do nothing and resume their status quo. Tori's decision dramatically changes her trajectory for the rest of the school year.