But I encourage everyone to
read these letters, and marvel at the intelligence and savy nature of our
future generation.
I am sure proud of them, as our
their teachers, principal, and specialist who are doing superior work.
My responses are in blue.
“I
love your book; I usually do not like reading but your caught my
attention. I think it has a great
lesson. My favorite part in Don’t Feed the
Bully is when they are talking to the principal Also; I like the
idea of Kurt being the bully when he doesn’t look like one.”
Tara C.
(If I can be the
one who helped you decide that you will love reading I will be forever happy.)
“I
like your book, even though it’s not the general genre that I read. I really like how descriptive you were, it
made things a lot more entertaining.
Your presentation was very funny.
It was nice that for once, even though you did the “little kid version”,
that you didn’t treat sixth graders like they were, eight, as most presenters
do. It wasn’t jut like “don’t bully,
blah blah blah blah,” and other things we’ve heard a million times. You got our attention.
Cassandra S.
(You are wise
beyond your years, and I hope you decide to try more in my genre. And my goal is to speak to and respect sixth
graders as I would anyone else.)
“I
really liked your book, it was inspiring.
It was also easy to read and understand.
I could also imagine easily what was happening. I didn’t even read with the class since it
was so good.”
Chinmay C
(I hope you are
inspired to write some yourself, and nothing is better than being lost in a
good book.)
“Thank
you so much for visiting our school. It
was very kind of you. You are very
creative on how you teach students. In
your book you used things that a lot of students could relate to. For example, Handy gets called a lot of names
like, “goofyneck” and a lot of other things.
Most kids get teased like that too.
Also you make the book easy for kids our age
to understand and have fun with, unlike some other books that really don’t get
kids to laugh. Our classroom was always
filled with laughter when we read your book.
I could relate to some of the events in the book and it really teaches
you how to deal with bullies.”
Katie W
(I am proud and
honored by your insight. Have you
thought about tutoring younger kids to help them understand books the way you
do?)
“I
thought the meeting today with the other students was to die for funny. What you said in there was funny and
true. My favorite character in the book
was Kayla because she seems to me the one who brings out all the emotion in
Handy that makes him so funny. As a
girl, like most, I am incredibly shy.
I’m afraid of what people will say about me and won’t want to be my
friend. So, what you said today really
helped me overcome that fear and for that I thank you.”
Erin H.
(Please, do not
die, and thank you. Kayla was created as
a calming force of compassion and a character to confuse Handy by adding a
component in a territory he had not yet experienced. Adolescents and relationships, and the
feelings that come with them that are out of your control, but you need to
learn to understand them, and not let them control you because that can create
trouble when you let your feelings rule your common sense.)
“I
really thought your presentation was really funny. I
Madison J.
(Very good! It shows a lot of maturity on your part to
see the deeper themes in the book.)
“I
like your book a lot. I even asked my
teacher if I could read it at home, it was good and interesting. I liked how it ended with Handy recording all
the fight. Your presentation was good, I
like it. You taught me it’s not always
good to fight. I thought you would be a
sissy if you backed down. And I know
because in Kindergarten to second grade I got into a lot of fights. I have been bullied a lot in my life so I’ve
learned there are always people who want to hurt you. I know all types of bullies because I’ve moved
16 times through 7 states.”
Zach S.
(Well done! Not fighting is not backing down. It is not escalating a bad situation. You can stand up to bullies without backing
down or fighting. Let them know that you
are not a good target for them. Revenge
is never a wise plan.)
“…I
especially like the part at the end in the speech room it was interesting to
see how Kurt felt about all this.
Another thing I liked was Mr. Crumblebean and how clueless Kurt was, and
how creepy he was.”
Helen G.
(Thank you
Helen. You noticed that even Kurt was
not beyond feelings and compassion.)
“I
thought your book was very good. It was
funny and serious all at the same time.
I like how it gave tips on bullying because at Discovery I am being
teased. I don’t like it at all. There are only two people that are teasing
me, they are both related. I ranked your
book a 10. You know what I am going to
do about my bullies? I’m going to 1.
Stay calm. 2. Pretend I like violence,
so I won’t fight back. 3. Have a thick
skin and a sense of humor. 4. Collect
Evidence. I hope you are funny for the
rest of your life. I loved your similes
and metaphors.”
Caitlin J.
(Now if this is an
ongoing problem you can tell someone about it too, and you are halfway there
knowing that it is not about you. If you
don’t have a digital recorder I suggest writing down what they say to you, and
where they say it, and the time it is said.
When you have ten of those take it to your parents and the teacher and
the principal. Also, decide what kind of
teasing it is. Are they really trying to
hurt you? Are you very sensitive? If it hurts it is wrong, but don’t let it
change you.)
“Your
book was pretty good. I liked the
descriptions you made of the people and things around them. All the similes and metaphors seemed really
hard to write, but you said it was the most fun part. I’m curious. If you had to re-write the book and make it
more about your life, would it be kind of the same, or would it be
different? You show was very unusual.
When I walked in, I didn’t know what to think of you.”
Samatha D.
(Pretty good
huh? Yes, thinking up a couple hundred
comparisons was exciting because I even laughed at myself a great deal when I
came up with very funny ones. Do you
know what to think of me now?)
“I
think your book was an awesome book! I
loved the outline and how Handy handled the situation. But I remember one time when I was
bullied. There were two third graders,
like me, in my class. One day they said
they were my friends, the next they weren’t.
It went on for like 2 months!
Then it got physical. But then
they stayed friends with me. I loved the
presentation, with you being a comedian and all.”
Chrstian W.
(I’m not sure what
you mean by the outline, but thank you.
I’m glad you are all friends again. Remember life is like that, but good
friends will always stick by you and they can also sometimes say things that
you don’t like. If they are friends you
can talk about it with them, and they will stop acting in a way you don’t
like. Often things can get physical with
boys and it can strengthen the relationship.
Now, I’m talking about wrestling around here, but there can’t violence
where someone gets hurt with real punching and that kind of thing. That is wrong every time and you need to
tell. Or if there is ever more than one
person ganging up on another. That is a crime.)
If you aren’t a student from
Discovery reading my response take moment right now and buy the book click here!
“Thank
you for coming. Your presentation was funny.
I
Jessica N.
(I am thrilled
when people get this, and Jessica you can take away from that that no
relationship is worth being abused. No
friends, no one! Once someone abuses you
or hurts you it’s time to find new friends because they do not care about you,
they are just using you. It’s sad to
think a parent would do that, but I needed to make the point in a strong
way. Friends and families support one
another.)
“I
really liked your book because you were informing your readers in a creative
way. I giggled when Handy proved with a
tape recorder that he wasn’t the one who beat up Kurt. That was my favorite part. I haven’t necessarily been bullied, but
somebody did say something mean about my mom.
I think I was in second grade when this happened. My friends and I were sitting at a table when
somebody said……. That hurt my feelings
so much I started to cry, and someone got a teacher. The girl who said it said sorry, and that’s
when I stopped crying. I probably
shouldn’t have cried, but I didn’t know this stuff then. I have learned a lot from Don’t Feed the Bully.”
Sarah B.
(You cannot help
your feelings, but it is good you understand that it is not about you when
things like this happen. In addition, I
am thrilled the girl apologized because she realized what she said was not a
joke. Remember to stay calm. I do feel bad sometimes when someone says my
show is terrible, but instead of letting it make me sad, I redouble my efforts
to be great. And sometimes they are
people who hurt themselves and they think saying something hurtful to me might
make them feel better. It doesn’t work,
but they try. I do not let it get me
down, and you shouldn’t either.)
“I
didn’t understand your book until you explained it to the group I was in. Now I think it had a good lesson in bullying,
how to act, and how to get away without violence. If I’m stuck in a bully problem now I won’t
have to get hurt. When I grow up I want
to be a writer too. I’ve written some
stories by looking at some interesting pictures. My mom likes them. Thank you for coming and teaching me about
bullying.”
Allison S.
(This is why I ask
that everybody read the book and talk about it. There are many fun and easy
points, but some things are in there for adults to work out with kids to get
the deeper meaning. And you are right
there can be no violence, and you can get away without being hurt physically
and more important in some cases mentally.
Keep writing! It is brilliant
that pictures spark your creativity for stories. Show them to your teacher too!)
“I
thought your presentation was great, it was funny, and very entertaining. My favorite part was the song. You probably don’t remember what I look like
but I was the one that said the guy should be named motormouth. I
Melanie
(My main goal is
to have fun, and then maybe a few points will slip in, so thanks. I do not remember what you look like, but
only because of my shoddy memory. I do
remember motormouth though, that was funny as if a kid was named motormouth he
would then have to talk to fast. And
rubber cement is awful stuff. Luckily,
it takes very little. You can also use
glue stick, by the way. It must be on
the ball and your nose.)
“I
am very thankful that you could come to our school and visit us. I now realize that many people bully without
realizing that they are actually doing it.
Thanks to your book I have realized that I and others have been bullies,
and that if we had decided to help a person instead of laughing at them it
would’ve been much better.”
Derek C.
(Amazingly
done. It’s a very mature thing when we
learn the appropriate way to act in all cases in our lives. You will now go out and make sure others are
not being attacked by kids who think it’s fun to hurt. I am proud of you, and you can help a person
and laugh together. That’s the best
way!)
“I
sorta thought your book was okay, and I appreciate the message you wrote. Your story could us a little more action, but
that’s just my opinion. I also thought
your presentation was very funny. The
songs and stories were hilarious.”
Eric L.
(Hey, I appreciate
your honesty. The action in my book was
planned out in three big instances that got progressively worse and more
dangerous for Handy. If it had been one
bit of mayhem after another, the points would have been lost, but you are right
it would have been a great and exciting ride.)
“Mr.
Tassell I liked your presentation but your book was alright, but it was a good idea
to write your book because it was funny and everyone like your
presentation. So, I like it when you
came in and had a talk with us and when you played the ukulele for us so I
Loren M.
(I am thrilled that
you did get the message. That’s why I
like to come in to the school also because then I get even those who just
thought the book was alright excited too!
A lot can be learned when you mess around with a good and positive
purpose. Don’t you think?)
“I
thought your book was pretty good. I
loved how you made the book funny and interesting. I thought that your presentation was really
good! It was really funny!! One of my
favorite parts was when you told us the story about the smoking people, I can’t
remember what you called them, and how you stood up to them.”
Ellyssa S
(Pretty good is
sometimes a great deal. The smoking
people were called Hoods, which to this day I don’t know why. I don’t remember them wearing hoods more than
anyone else does. I didn’t as much stand
up and just didn’t let them get to me. I
stayed calm and decided that I could have some power. Okay, I now agree with you, I did stand up to
them, but in a way that was not to attack back or seek revenge.)
“The
meeting was great! The book was OK, but
I didn’t really like it. I’m not into
detective books. I like fantasy a lot
better, and for the green, red, and white person riddle, I thought it was the
pizza delivery boy! I want to become a
writer too. Speaking of which you should
read Warriors. There are 3 series with 6
books in each series. They are about an
inch thick.”
Joe W (Aka Dr. Evil)
(Hey, not
everybody is into the same things. I
hope that, in the future you will like the genre more. Fantasy if fun, but sometimes you have to go
out of your comfort zone and find out you really can connect with a great
book. Warrior’s sounds great, you feel
more powerful when you read it, but remember fantasy is just that. In the world you live in you have work on
your mind to figure out how to solve problems without battles. Remember in the end Dr. Evil stopped being
evil because he found out what he thought all his life was wrong, as was being
evil.)
“I
really
Emily N.
(Your thoughts on
my book are important. The scene from
the book you illustrate is very important.
It tells you that you must approach your problems in a mature manner. With thought, and evidence. It’s not easy to do, but you will be
respected even more for it, and be a better adult someday.)
“Thank
you for taking time out of your day to come visit Discovery Middle School 6th
graders. It was very
Cairenn O.
(Thank you, now go
and write a story of your own that teaches a valuable lesson to those who read
it, but also has a sense of humor about it.)
“Hi,
I’m Riley. I just want to thank you for
coming to our school. Don’t Feed the Bully
was a great book. My favorite part was
at the end when Handy pulled out the tape recorder and they listened to it and
found out it wasn’t Handy who beat up Kurt.
Well I really
Riley V.
(Thanks read the
comment above about this and know that I am thrilled how wise you all are as
students. Add this to: Planning and
focus is the key to all successful projects.)
“I
really liked the book Don’t Feed the Bully. The best part of the book had to be the
similes and metaphors. I think it
teaches a lot about being bullied, and being the bully. If I had to rank it, I’d call it an 11.
Anonymous
(It makes me happy
when students get the underlying point of why I used ten times the amount of
comparisons of any normal book. I wanted
the pictures to jump into your head when you read them heightening the gravity
of the situations. In addition, I wrote
many that are not understood by kids, and they need adults to explain
them. That helps get a discussion going
on the subject. Also, you forgot to put
your name on your letter so I hope you recognize it.)
“I
really loved your book. It helped me
handle bullies a lot better than I did before.
I’d give it a “10”. You’re a very
good writer and a funny comedian. I
think it’s the coolest thing ever that you signed my book.
Molly S
(I hope that is
true, but remember, you have to keep it up everyday. Unfortunately, it is an ongoing process with
setbacks. I also hope my signature means
something in twenty years.)
“I
think you’re very clever, because you know how to handle bullies. I also think you’re really funny, when you
scream and sing songs to everybody.”
Nolan
(I still get
scared when it happens, but I am much better at making the situations easier on
me personally, because I have a thick skin, and I am better at keeping tempers
from flaring by staying calm. Let’s hope
I don’t start screaming the songs.)
“I
loved your book. Hey could you have had pictures
of Ralphie, Kayla, and Handy? Where did
you come up with Mr. Crumblebean? How
does it feel to publish a book? Will the
next book be longer than 16 chapters? Do
you like to play football? What is your
favorite team?”
Nato
(I let the
illustrator do whatever he wanted. I
hadn’t thought that he had not drawn any pictures of the Characters. Hmmmm.
Mr. Crumblebean is a name from the other kid’s book. I gave Kurt a dummy because there is nothing
I can think of that can be more creepy and weird to drag around as school. Publishing isn’t the important part, are
people reading it. That is important.
Don’t know? Football, I am too old, but
I played everyday at your age. Colts! )
“Thank
you for coming. You’re a funny guy, you
remind me of Robin Williams. I didn’t
really understand your book, but it was good.
I’m glad you took time out of your schedule to come and visit us. You’re
a great writer!”
Alayna W.
(Many people tell
me that I am like Robin Williams, and he is very funny so thanks. Read the book again if you didn’t understand
it. I think you understood it more than
you feel. You don’t have to get every
simile, but the main story. Did you
understand the plot and whey Handy had to do what he did? What themes stuck out for you?)
“Can
I call your Brad? I liked your
book. It was funny. I even bought a copy. Your presentation was funny too. I really
Alex who answered Cliff.
(You may call me,
Brad, and Cliff was the correct answer.
Tell you parents to give you a present.)
“The
book was good and I like it. I liked it
so much I bought a copy. I think your
presentation was good. It will help me
in the future. Your presentation was
very funny, but we still learned a lot about it. We like you coming here.”
Patrick M.
(I hope it helps
you today also, the future seems so far away.
Remember most of all to think about what you are saying to people and
whether it is something that will benefit them or is just to cause a problem.)
“I
loved your book. I liked it when Handy
came up with the bee thing when Kurt pushed himself over the desk. Thank you
for writing this story!! When that
person asked if you knew the janitor I thought of a story from my past. Thank you..”
Celina Jean W.
(Handy is a quick
thinker, and always planning and making goals.
Remember this: You need always be
dreaming and planning a great life, or life will chose for you, and it will
chose only things that make life hard or destructive. Study hard, seek a
zillion opportunities. We must be strong
and great for ourselves, making sure we work to be strong and smart. You can do that no matter what problems are
in your way. I believe in you. Do the
right thing and look for great role models wherever you can find them.)
“I
like your book. But the bully that was
dumber than an egg sack was not really needed.
I love your presentation. Those
riddles were hard. And thank you for coming
to DMS.”
Caleb O.
(I don’t know if I
actually understand what you are saying.
How dumb is an egg sack? And the
great part of a story is it can be whatever you want, needed or not. Sorry, the riddles do make you think though.)
“I
really liked your presentation that you did, but I especially liked how you
were so funny, because I never really like presentations, but yours was
actually really good, because you were so funny throughout the presentation
that why yours stood out soooo much, and you are a really good author to. I really liked all the books that you’ve
written. But one thing would be cool is if you put me in as one of the
character in the next book.”
Greg H.
(Well, there might
be a Greg, but I don’t know. And really,
unless I had time to get to know you then it would be hard to say it was
actually you. Moreover, I know you don’t
want me hanging around you for a long time to study how to make a character out
of your personality. I am very hard to
be around. Ask my family.)
“I
think your book, Don’t
Feed the Bully was a great way of putting a true story into a fun
story that kids can relate to. I think
the whole book was hilarious and entertaining.
I really appreciate that you changed your whole schedule just to come
talk to us. I could not really relate to
the victims in this book, or the bullies, but my brother who sadly is a target
of bullying came to mind while reading this book. I thought your show was hilarious but also
taught a lesson. Your kindness I’m sure
will never be forgotten at least not by me.”
Carmela L.L.
(You may not
relate, but I can see how you empathize.
You are a lot like Kayla. She saw
people hurting and scared and even though she was not being targeted or in
trouble, she knew, because of her compassion that she had to help. Bravo, for you.)
“I
really liked your book. Also thank you
for coming to Discovery it was great.
Your book really taught me a lesson because I was somewhat bullied and
called cripple after I had my compound fracture. It didn’t bother me as much but when people I
didn’t know did it it sort of hurt. Once
again, I really thank you for coming to our school and writing the book. It opened my eyes never to bully again.”
Connor N.
(That is something
I talked about, knowing who we can josh with.
You realize that they were not attacking you, but trying to use humor to
lesson the tragedy. We do that and it
helps. Robin Williams use to joke with
his best friend Chris Reeves who became paralyzed from the neck down. He would walk in and say, “What are you
sitting around for get up and dance.”
That would seem very mean to say to someone who could not walk or even
lift one finger, but Chris knew Robin cared about him so much that the jokes he
made were to make him feel normal.
Sometimes people with disabilities just want to be treated normal and
like a friend and can even joke about their disability. The problem is so many people ignore them and
that is a lot of the time much worse to do.
I think the people that joked with you by calling you cripple were
letting you know that everything was actually all right, and you should make
sure not to take it all too serious.)
“I
love your book! The presentation you did
was
Mackenzie K.
(It’s great when I
can surprise people like that and not bore them to death. You want some good books. The Tale of Despereaux, Kate D.
Camillo. Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli.)
This is a lot of letters, if you
read this far and still are only on the fence about getting the book, you can
get a PDF for $3.00. Click here!
“I
loved your presentation today especially about the Jocks, Brains, the Hoods was
funny when you were alone with the Hoods.
That was awesome and one thing I won’t forget at least until I’m dead. But your awesome, it was nice to meet you
also you’ll see me at lunch today when I get your autograph that will be just
great because I’ve never gotten an autograph before.
P.S.
The kiss had me jump a little, but I’m not like all the other prissy girls in
this school.”
Alexis V.
(I would like to
be clear here and say “The story about the kiss” had her jump a little. There was no kissing going on in my program,
whatsoever. Also, I hope that you do not
forget for 100 years.)
“Thank
you so much for coming to our school. I
was so cool because I love Don’t Feed the Bully. I thought it was so cool because it was so
creative! I never read any book like
it. One of my favorite parts is at the
ending where Handy says, “THANK YOU, GRANDMA!”
It was so funny, and you definitely didn’t see it coming! If I had to rate this book no doubt I would
rate it a 10!”
Morgan H.
(My biggest
challenge was coming up with a way to not telegraph the end, but put a clue or
two in there that makes it possible to figure out. Remember Handy said in an early chapter that
he had left his digital recorder at his grandma’s house. Then later he says he could not get his plan
into action for at least three days because it would take that long for his
grandma to mail it to him.)
“I
loved the book Don’t Feed the Bully. It’s really descriptive and a lot of
information in the book. I love the part
when the mace gets in his eyes, the story just kind of changed! The book really helped me because this is my
first year of school in my whole life, and I was asking my mom. Well, I have a bully. But I know what to do now. I just wanted to say thank you. OH YEEE!
Peace.
Taylor F.
(Amazingly
noticed! The book got serious, even
though still funny. Someone was really
getting hurt, and now we knew that the villain or villains would take criminal
chances to protect their power. I am
glad you are in school even though I know your mom is great. Remember if you do have someone bullying you,
you can not let him or her hit you in anyway.
You tell everyone, from your parents to the teachers to the
principals. If he/she is harassing you
then you tell your teachers where that is happening and make sure there is
supervision there. Have your parents
come to school. You do not have to live
with this, but you have to be a little brave here, and also remember to have a
thick skin and a sense of humor.)
“I
liked your book because it had a lot of similes. I would give it an 8 ½ on a
scale of 1-10! Also, your book was
really funny! I’ve never told my
friends, but I use to get picked on because I was smaller than everyone, but
now I’m taller than those kids who picked on me. I hope we can meet again! Bye!
Jacob S.
(You have a great responsibility
now that you are one of the bigger kids, and that is to make sure no one picks
on the little kids. Like you use to
be. You know how awful it is, and you
need to stand with anyone being bullied.
No revenge, or attacking back, just stand with them and let the bullies
know whose side you are on, and they should stop.)
“I
think the book you wrote was interesting.
There were many jokes and suspenseful moments. It was very fun to read. I like the books characters, they were
funny. I rate this 8 9/10.”
Carter J.
(I thank you and
will probably use this in my advertising.
I also like the 9/10 part. That’s
just 1/10 away.)
“I
really liked reading your book. What I
really liked is that you wrote about bullies.
Not a lot of people do that. I
really liked the meeting and talking about the book. I hope I can see you again.”
Kylee V.
(We need more
people to write good fiction that teaches great lessons. Especially funny stuff that kids will
read. I think we’d all be a lot smarter
and happier.)
“You
are so funny. I admire how you are not
afraid of making fun of yourself. I
could tell you’re not afraid of getting up and talking in front of crowds. Unless you were shaking on the inside like
you said, I know I would be!! Speaking
of funny, once I was at the movies with my nephew and my grandpa. We all just got done and we were heading out
to the car. I was the first one out, so
I opened the door to go outside. I
didn’t realize that my nephew was so close, so I shut the door in his face and
he fell backwards. I was laughing so
hard I ran into a pole and landed on my back, lying in the ground. HA! HA! Very
funny!!! Your rock! Keep laughing!
Madi G.
(Making fun of
your own foibles (look that up) is a great way to have a sense of humor about
yourself, but also to get starting working on being better in those areas. I like the story except, I hope no one got
hurt. It is funny, when someone falls or
is hit by accident, only when they are not hurt. Always check to see they are okay, and then
crack up!)
“I
like your sense of humor. There was
something I wanted to show you that you can’t do. I was wondering how many books you have
written? The most important part of the
book is when they found Zach Brewer in the locker room beating up Handy. I would give the book and “A” because it was
detailed. Can you make a book about
me? I already have a title for it. It is, Austin’s
Crazy Adventure.”
Austin T.
(Ah, what can’t I
do? I have written 15 books, but only
six are in print. Reread the book, Zach
did not beat up Handy, he did get one knuckle punch into his arm, but then they
heard the Janitor. Handy would not have
let himself get beat up. He would have
defended himself long enough to get out of there, and then he would have made
sure everyone from his parents to the law knew what they had done. And you must make a book about yourself. You have a title.)
“I
had a lot of fun reading your book. It
was informative and fun at the same time.
Thank you for coming to our school.
It helped me realize that bullies can be taken care of. I used to cry everyday outside of recess
because of this group of girls that were mean to me. But my friends which are all boys, helped me
realize that girls can be really mean if you don’t dress right or even talk
right. Your book is a very funny book.”
Amber F.
(I am thrilled you
realized that. Girls can be very mean
spirited and hurtful. You have to know
that once they are that way that they are not friends you want to have. Read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli. The problem with bully girls is they are
scared of unique and smart girls and feel they have to attack them to bring
them down because of how much they shine.
It’s not about the right style, it’s about your style, and no style, and
there isn’t one girl in that school or anywhere else that will matter to you in
just a few short years. Unless, one or
two becomes true friends. Be stong!)
“I
really like Don’t
Feed the Bully, because it has comedy, adventure, and
excitement. The part I like is that part
when Dummy 1 and Dummy 2 gang up on Handy and how he escapes danger. I have some recommendations for your next
book. One you should get a classroom
pet, preferably a weasel. Second, you
should have them in the same grade just like two weeks later. Third, you should add some characters and
make the book about 50 pages longer.”
Connor J.
(A weasel, I have
a story about a weasel and a one legged chicken! You are on the right page with the second
one, although, the plan is to make it right after Christmas break. My books are as long as it takes to tell the
story the best way possible. I don’t
like adding fluff.)
“I
Drew H.
(Experience
doesn't really change that much from generation to generation, and those who do
not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
I’d like to help middle schoolers of today to stay away from the
mistakes and pain of the past.)
“I
Wayne Z.
(Imagery is a
great word and wise for a sixth grader.
Very good! If you haven’t read
HOLES, you should. Even if you have seen
the movie.)
“I
thought your book was really good. It
had just enough excitement, and also had some stuff that happened that you
wouldn’t think would happen. I also
think your presentation was really neat, because it’s hard to find an adult
like you. I like that you tell us about
your childhood. Also you play the guitar
pretty well.
Any Z.
(The hard boiled
detective stories main thrust is to have more twists and turns than a mountain
road. Also, I try as an adult not to
talk to you guys like your little kids, but with respect and a lot of
silliness. And it’s a Ukulele!)
“I
loved your book. I like just about all
of it. I would rank it on a scale of
1-10. I would put it at a 10. It was nice that you came to our school. I think your book will help bully victims
everywhere.
Rhys B.
(I hope it helps
victims and bullies. I appreciate you
kind words also. I can help even more
when you tell people about it, and help stand up against bullying yourself by
standing with those being bullied.)
“Thanks
for coming to my school to talk to us about bulling. My favorite part of the book was when Handy
was in the locker room and how he dealt with the bullies, and I liked your
songs.”
Walther M.
(Handy does what
we all wish we could do, and you know what?
You can? He was scared too, but
he also knew that he was strong.)
“Your
book Don’t Feed
the Bully is a very good book.
It gives people things to deal with a bully.”
Gabe A.
(I hope you mean,
“It gives people things to help them deal with a bully.” I also hope that you remember that you can
help others too.)