Tough! Read online

  other books in the series to build awareness and

  engage children in discussions related to bullying

  and encourage bullying prevention. If you are

  using the books as a series, consider doing the

  following activities with young readers.

  Series Activity: Chain Reaction

  Discuss with children how chain reactions take

  place throughout each story. Find examples

  of negative chain reactions, and then look

  for positive chain reactions that began as the

  characters made better choices. For example,

  when Luisa gave up the things that made her

  feel special, such as her polka dot boots, Sam felt

  more powerful and continued to bully her. But

  when Luisa made a choice to act confident and be

  herself, Sam felt less powerful and stepped back.

  Help children define these choices in simple terms

  and write them down on strips of paper. Give

  examples of choices in a positive chain reaction:

  “Acting confident.” “Being a friend.” “Telling a

  teacher.” “Saying something kind.” Invite children

  to make a paper chain link with their positive

  choices as a reminder that good choices can start

  a chain reaction to help end bullying. Children can

  hang up their paper chains at school or at home.

  Series Activity: “Tell to Help” Drawing

  Discuss with children how telling adults about a

  situation in order to get help for themselves

  or someone else is one of the most important things

  they can do to help end bullying. Find examples

  from Weird!, Dare!, and Tough! that show how

  characters tried to get help by telling an adult,

  such as Jayla and Will telling Mr. C. about Sam’s

  bullying on page 14 in Tough! Ask children to draw

  a picture of one of these scenes and write “Tell to

  Help” at the top of the drawing. Have children

  show their drawings

  to the class and

  explain why

  they think

  telling

  helped.

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  Series Activity: Round Robin

  In small groups, have children retell Weird!, Dare!,

  and Tough! from the main character’s perspective.

  Each child takes a turn by adding to the story until

  the story is completed.

  Series Activity: What Comes Next?

  Weird! Dare! Tough! . . . what comes next? Ask

  children to imagine and make predictions about

  what happens to the characters in the next book.

  Encourage them to consider the main characters:

  Luisa, Jayla, and Sam, as well as the peripheral

  characters in the books: Emily, Thomas, Patrick,

  Will, Mr. C., and Alex. Then have kids create and

  present their own book title and storyboard.

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  About the Author and Illustrator

  Erin Frankel has a master’s degree in English education and is

  passionate about teaching and writing. She taught ESL in Alabama

  before moving to Madrid, Spain, with her husband Alvaro and their

  three daughters, Gabriela, Sofia, and Kelsey. Erin knows firsthand

  what it feels like to be bullied, and she hopes her stories will help

  bring smiles back to children who have been involved in bullying.

  She and her longtime friend and illustrator Paula Heaphy share the

  belief that all children have the right to feel safe, loved, and confident in

  who they are. In her free time, Erin loves hiking in the Spanish mountains with her puppy

  Bella, as well as kayaking in her hometown of Mays Landing, New Jersey, which she visits

  as often as she can.

  Paula Heaphy is a print and pattern designer in the fashion industry.

  She’s an explorer of all artistic mediums from glassblowing to

  shoemaking, but her biggest love is drawing. She jumped at the

  chance to illustrate her friend Erin’s story, having been bullied herself

  as a child. As the character of Luisa came to life on paper, Paula felt

  her path in life suddenly shift into focus. She lives in Brooklyn, New

  York, where she hopes to use her creativity to light up the hearts of

  children for years to come.

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