Thursday, November 12, 2020

#tbt: Bystander by James Preller

Image: Macmillan

Bystander by James Preller. 256 p. Square Fish/ Macmillan, 2009. 9780312547967. (Own hc.)

#tbt features Bystander by James Preller. Bystander was published in 2009 and was named to multiple state book award lists. It is the story of Eric Hayes, newly transplanted to Long Island from Ohio. His fears about being the "new kid" are allayed when he meets Griffin, the charismatic leader of a pack of kids who regularly torment David, the kid that everyone "loves to hate," but who only wants to fit in. Griffin seems to like Eric and it looks like Eric will have a place at the table in Griffin's circle of friends. But Eric's discomfort over David's bullying grows and Eric wonders if being a bystander is as bad as being a bully. This short book offers no easy fixes and should resonate with middle school readers. Here's the link to the review I wrote on another platform back when I was a baby blogger.

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