Tough! Read online

  “Delightful . . . Not only for kids, this series is a must for educators,

  parents, and caregivers who want to help children end the cycle of cruelty.”

  —Barbara Coloroso, best-selling author of The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander

  “I love this series. Kids are sure to empathize with the characters

  and recognize their own power to stop bullying.”

  —Dr. Michele Borba, internationally recognized child expert and author of

  The Big Book of Parenting Solutions

  by Erin Frankel

  illustrated by Paula Heaphy

  Acknowledgments

  Heartfelt thanks to Judy Galbraith, Meg Bratsch, Steven Hauge, Michelle Lee, and Margie Lisovskis

  at Free Spirit for their expertise, support, and dedication to making the world a better place for children.

  Special gratitude to Kelsey, Sofia, and Gabriela for their enthusiasm and ideas during the creation of

  this book. Appreciation to Naomi Drew for her helpful comments. Thanks also to Alvaro, Thomas, Ann,

  Paul, Ros, Beth, and all our family and friends for their creative insight and encouragement.

  Copyright © 2012 by Erin Frankel and Paula Heaphy

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Unless otherwise noted, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a

  retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher,

  except for brief quotations or critical reviews. For more information, go to www.freespirit.com/company/permissions.cfm.

  Free Spirit, Free Spirit Publishing, and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Free Spirit Publishing Inc. A complete listing of our logos and

  trademarks is available at www.freespirit.com.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Frankel, Erin.

  Tough! / by Erin Frankel ; illustrated by Paula Heaphy.

  p. cm. — (Weird series ; bk. 3)

  ISBN 978-1-57542-400-2

  1. Bullying—Juvenile literature. 2. Bullying in schools—Juvenile literature. 3. Aggressiveness in children—Juvenile literature. I. Heaphy, Paula. II. Title.

  BF637.B85F728 2012

  302.34’3—dc23

  2012006160

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-57542-658-7

  Free Spirit Publishing does not have control over or assume responsibility for author or third-party websites and their content.

  Reading Level Grades 2–3; Interest Level Ages 5–9;

  Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading Level M

  Edited by Meg Bratsch

  Cover and interior design by Michelle Lee

  10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

  Printed in Hong Kong

  P17200512

  Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

  Minneapolis, MN

  (612) 338-2068

  [email protected]

  www.freespirit.com

  Free Spirit offers competitive pricing.

  Contact [email protected] for pricing information on multiple quantity purchases.

  For all children,

  young and old, who

  have been involved in bullying.

  Don’t lose sight of who you are.

  Know yourself.

  Be yourself.

  And always listen

  to your heart.

  What are you staring at?

  I’m not the weird one.

  My name is Sam and I’m

  1

  That’s Luisa. She’s weird.

  She dresses weird.

  2

  She acts weird.

  She talks weird.

  Someone has

  to tell her,

  so I do.

  3

  Keeping things cool at school is TOUGH,

  but I’m pretty good at it. I get lots of practice.

  4

  5

  It’s a TOUGH job, but someone

  has to make the rules.

  Around here, that’s me.

  6

  If everyone did

  what they wanted,

  things would be out

  of control. Believe me,

  I know.

  7

  The way I look at it, people need to be TOUGH.

  You know, learn how to take a joke. I did.

  8

  9

  If someone doesn’t like the way I act,

  well that’s

  10

  Around here, what I say goes.

  No one dares to tell me no.

  11

  So what if I’m a little TOUGH on Luisa?

  The way I look at it, she has it easy.

  Always getting the right answer.

  Always with her friends.

  Always smiling.

  12

  Well, at least she used to smile.

  13

  The truth is, I don’t have much to smile about anymore either.

  Things are getting TOUGH around here.

  People aren’t following my rules.

  14

  15

  How do I think Luisa feels?

  That’s a TOUGH question.

  I try not to think about

  other people’s feelings.

  16

  And the harder I try, the more I forget . . .

  What it’s like to feel sad.

  What it’s like to be scared.

  Or what it’s like to really care.

  17

  I’m not being mean.

  I’m just being

  18

  I act this way to keep things cool.

  So people won’t mess with me.

  Do they really

  think I’m mean?

  19

  Maybe Mr. C. is right.

  Maybe I could use a little help.

  Someone to tell me: “Enough is enough!”

  Someone to help me stop acting

  so TOUGH!

  20

  Someone to help me see

  that being kind

  can be cool.

  And someone else

  to make the rules.

  21

  I’m starting to see that when I’m kind,

  people notice.

  22

  And I can be kind and still be strong.

  23

  Changing is TOUGH,

  but the more I act

  like my real self,

  the easier it gets.

  24

  With everyone standing up

  for each other, school seems

  like a cooler place to be.

  25

  Of course, I could always find someone

  to pick on if I really wanted to . . .

  26

  . . . but it feels better to have a friend instead.

  27

  I discovered something

  really amazing!

  28

  When I show people I care—

  even just a little bit—

  they show they care back.

  Enough is enough!

  I’m through with being . . .

  29

  30

  31

  Sam’s Notes

  It’s tough work changing my behavior, but being mean all the time is even

  tougher. Here are some things I’ve learned:

  Taking my anger out on others only makes me angrier.

  Out of control is how I felt before someone helped me change.

  Unless I change my behavior, I will keep hurting myself and others.

  Giving people a chance is a good way to fit in and be cool
.

  Having real friends feels a lot better than being tough.

  32

  Luisa’s Notes

  I’m glad Sam is giving up her old ways. I know that I’m not weird—no matter

  what anyone says. Here are some other things I learned as a target of

  bullying:

  When everyone joins together to help, things start getting better.

  Every person who is picked on needs someone to stand up for him or her.

  I think all people deserve to be treated with kindness, including Sam.

  Realizing that no one liked her behavior helped Sam change.

  Disrespecting others means you are also disrespecting yourself.

  Jayla’s Notes

  I found out that things got a lot harder when I didn’t dare to stand up for

  myself and Luisa. Now I feel good about the choices I’m making. Here are

  some things I know for sure:

  Deciding to do what I knew was right took courage.

  Assisting Sam when she bullied Luisa meant I was bullying, too.

  Reaching out to Luisa and being her friend was a good choice.

  Eliminating bullying is everyone’s responsibility—we all have the power

  to help.

  33

  Join Sam’s Kindness Club!

  Acting tough didn’t take away the hurt I felt when people were mean to me. And it didn’t

  help me make friends, because everyone was scared of me. Now, I’m making choices to

  show I care, and things are finally starting to change for the better.

  I think of my words like notes on my guitar. I try to choose the ones that will help others

  feel good. Want to help? Just put your fingers on the kind notes below to help me play

  the right chords.

  Wow, it sounds great! Remember, the more you practice, the better you’ll get.

  34

  Kindness Club: Picture This

  Writing down my thoughts helps me see how my words and actions affect others.

  Mr. C. calls this activity “reflection.” He suggests that I draw my reflections to help me

  picture what’s going on. I could use some help! Grab some paper and let’s get started.

  1. Draw lines to divide the poster into four equal sections. At the top write: “Picture This.”

  2. Label the four sections with these questions: “What did I do?” “What did I hope to

  get by doing it?” “What happened when I did it?” “How can I get what I want without

  hurting others?”

  3. Now read my story again while thinking about

  these questions.

  4. Finally, draw pictures on the poster to

  describe each of the questions.

  Thanks for helping me see what

  happens when I bully. Are you worried

  about the way you’ve been acting

  toward others lately? Try making your

  own “Picture This” poster and sharing

  it with someone you trust.

  35

  Kindness Club: Sticking to Caring

  I figured no one cared about my feelings, so I chose not to care about others’ feelings. But

  then I found out that people do care, and I want to be one of those people. I’m done with

  being tough and I’m sticking to caring! Want to help me decorate a guitar with stickers?

  1. Cut out a large guitar shape from a piece of cardboard. Tape six pieces of string on the

  cardboard—these are your guitar strings.

  2. Cut out heart shapes from a sheet of paper. These are your stickers.

  3. In the center of each heart, write words to describe what happens when you stick

  to caring. Examples: I am respectful. I feel happy. I make friends. I’m not lonely.

  4. Place tape on the back of your hearts and

  stick them to your guitar.

  5. Pretend to play your new guitar, or hang

  it in your bedroom. You can also

  teach a friend how to make one.

  Can you think of more activities

  to do in our Kindness Club?

  Share them with your

  classmates and friends.

  Someone who’s kind is tough

  to resist!

  36

  A Note to Parents, Teachers, and Other Caring Adults

  Every day, millions of children are subjected to

  bullying in the form of name-calling, threats,

  insults, belittling, taunting, rumors, and racist

  slurs—and still more are witnesses to it. Verbal

  bullying, which can begin as early as preschool,

  accounts for 70 percent of reported bullying

  and is often a stepping stone to other types of

  aggression, including physical, relational, and

  online bullying. As caring adults, how can we help

  children feel safe, respected, and confident in who

  they are? How can we help children who initiate

  bullying make choices they can feel proud of and

  end the cycle of violence?

  We can start by holding children who bully

  others accountable for their behavior, while

  modeling and encouraging positive choices. We

  can provide kids who are targets of bullying with

  practical coping tools for positive thinking and

  confidence building. We can help bystanders

  explore safe and effective ways to stand up for

  those who are being bullied. And through stories

  such as Tough!, we can help children develop

  awareness and perspective-taking skills to help

  prevent and change bullying behavior. We can

  help children like Sam understand that by hurting

  others they are also hurting themselves, and

  that kindness breeds kindness. We can explore

  practical strategies to help children act on what

  they know is right, while providing a trusting

  environment to support their efforts.

  Reflection Questions for Tough!

  The story told in Tough! illustrates a fictional

  situation, but it is one that many kids will likely

  relate to even if their experiences have been

  different. Following are some questions and

  activities to encourage reflection and dialogue as

  you read Tough! Referring to the main characters

  by name will help children make connections: Sam

  Important: Online bullying (called cyberbullying) is a real threat among elementary-age

  children, given the increased use of smartphones and computers in school and at home.

  It’s also the most difficult type of bullying to stop, because it’s less apparent to onlookers.

  Be sure to include cyberbullying in all of your discussions about bullying with kids.

  37

  initiates the bullying, Jayla is a bystander to the

  bullying, and Luisa is the target of the bullying.

  Page 1: What do you think of the way Sam

  introduces herself?

  Pages 2–3: What has Sam written and said about

  Luisa? How does it feel to have someone write or

  say mean things about you?

  Pages 4–7: How does Sam “practice” being a

  bully? Have you ever witnessed bullying on TV or

  in movies? How does it make you feel? What is

  Sam’s relationship like with her brother Alex? How

  do you think this affects Sam’s behavior at school?

  (Note: Children choose to bully others for many

  reasons. Their motivations are often complex

  and not easily explained by family relationships,

  media images, or peer pressure. However, talking

  about all of these things
can help kids understand

  what might contribute to bullying behavior.)

  Pages 8–9: Why does Sam think people need

  to be tough? Do you think saying or writing

  something mean is ever “just a joke”? Why do you

  think Sam joins in on page 9 when the boys bully

  Emily (the girl with the violin case)? Have you ever

  felt pressured to join in bullying someone? What

  did you do?

  Pages 10–11: What does Sam dare Jayla to do on

  page 11? Why do you think Jayla does what Sam

  says?

  Pages 12–17: How does Sam feel about the way

  she treats Luisa? What changes are taking place

  around Sam? What does Sam think about the

  changes?

  Pages 18–19: Do you think Sam is being mean?

  Does Sam want others to think she is mean? Why

  or why not?

  Pages 20–27: Who helps Sam change her

  behavior? How does Sam show that she is making

  positive changes? What does she realize about

  Emily?

  Pages 28–31: What does Sam discover? Do you

  think she’ll continue to bully others?

  Overall: Which character in Tough! is most like

  you and why? What would you like to say to this

  character?

  38

  The Weird Series

  The Weird series gives readers the opportunity

  to explore three very different perspectives on

  bullying: that of a child who is a target of bullying

  in Weird!, that of a bystander to bullying in Dare!,

  and that of a child who initiates bullying in Tough!

  Each book can be used alone or together with the