I WONDER Who the Next Amazing Character Will Be?

Wonder by R.J. Palacio - I can't help but wonder what I would have done if I would have met a character like August Pullman.  I have read a lot of books in the past few years, and I am happy to say that this isn't the first time I have been pulled into a character like I was as I read, Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I still wonder what happened with Donald Zinkoff in Jerry Spinelli's book, Loser.  I wonder how long the legacy of Petey Corbin stuck to the people who were able see inside his severely handicapped body in the book, Petey by Ben Mikaelsen. I wonder if Melody found her real voice in the book, Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper. Finally, I can't leave out Kevin in Rodman Philbrick's book, Freak the Mighty. I am sure that I am missing other great characters and other great books.  I hope some of my readers get personally into the characters of their great books the way I was able to hang with August Pullman and his family.

August Pullman is severely deformed.  That might be an understatement. He has a severe case of what is called, Mandibulofacial Dysostosis. R.J. Palacio doesn't describe the extent of his handicap right away, leaving the reader to wonder, "How bad could it be?" Auggie is going to to middle school for the first time.  If there was anywhere that courage is tested, it would be in middle school, especially since up until this time, Auggie has been home schooled by his overprotective mother. Auggie has the love and support of his family to see him through this new adventure where potential bullies and friends mix together testing not only Auggie's courage, but the courage of his family, and anyone who dares to see through his severe deformities.  The unique style of Palacio depicting the effects of living with a brother and friend like Auggie, makes the reader reflect within, searching for their own empathy and wondering, "How would I react if I met Auggie for the first time? Could I be a friend like that?"

Cyber Bullying - A 21st Century Dilemma

Headlines: Half of teens 15 to 18 bullied someone in the last year!
It's almost hard to believe the data.  First of all, who would admit to being a bully? According to this headline, is anybody safe in our high schools?  Like a lot of articles, the headlines can be a little deceiving.  Many of us will admit that we didn't treat someone as nice as we should have, or we have been made to feel inadequate by someone else. That doesn't make a bully. Many of those same people are outstanding citizens. The problem comes with the definition of what a bully truly is. According to Stopbullying.gov:

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Both kids who are bullied and who bully others may have serious, lasting problems. 

Bullying: Boys vs Girls

When it comes to bullying, There seems to be a difference in the strategies and reactions of the bullies and their victims across gender lines.  In an article in The Florida Times Union by Joy Batteh-Freiha the author states that boys bullying more often will result in some sort of physical confrontation and may be short lived.Whereas girls bullying will be more emotional and tend to be drawn out including more deviance and planning drawing more on friends and social cliques.

I found another resource from ABC News: What Would You Do? Watch this amazing video. I know the issue is girls being bullies, but there is so much more going on here. The reactions of the bystanders says a lot about the problem of what to do when you see bullying.  One of the issues we discussed was that the silent acceptance of bystanders is a major motivator for the bully to continue their torment.  If kids and adults had the courage to stand up to the bully, would there be any bullying?  Wouldn't all bullies stand along?

I know there is a lot here, but what do you think? Is girl bullying worse than boys? Do some research. Respond by stating what you think and try to include an article or blog that supports your opinion.

-Mr. Kohl

How Far Will You Go to Stop Bullying?

Plastic surgery to stop bullying? 

Doesn't that mean the bullies win?

We have been discussing bullying throughout the past few months, and we all agreed that parents need to play an important role in helping their kids deal with bullying.  We read about parents that picketed the school, confronted the bullies themselves, and one even attacked the bullies on a bus.  The following covers an issue that was missed in all of our research.

It seems like the issue of bullying, and how to deal with it, has evolved throughout the years into a complex ordeal that may require drastic measures to reach a solution. A recent current event assignment that was handed in to me contained a blog by Andrea Bennett, published on August eighth of this year. Check out her blog by clicking on her name.  Is plastic surgery a possible solution?

Watch the CNN video to get the whole story of 14 year old Nadia Ilse being interviewed by Sanjay Gutal.  You might agree she looks better.  I do, but at what cost.  I'm not talking about $40,000 price tag for the surgery.

Is this a parenting problem or a sample of how society has molded our perceptions? Maybe you are comfortable with this idea. Tell me what you think.

-Mr. Kohl