Excerpt
Kamyla Chung loves school! Then one day everything changes when a classmate named Nikita begins to disrupt the classroom. Kamyla grows anxious about Nikita's hurtful behavior. It's hard to learn and have fun in school with Nikita constantly misbehaving. One day the two girls have an argument and Kamyla gets hurt. Afterwards, Kamyla learns of Nikita's own struggles. Saddened by the unfortunate news, Kamyla rises to the challenge to help her troubled classmate.
Professional Reviews
Jedlie: An Important Book About Bullying
"A different take on bullying"
Did you know 1 out of 4 kids are bullied and 1 out of 5 kids admit to being a bully? It’s important to teach kids about the negative effects of bullying, early-on. With the help of our RWYK Certified Great Read program, we are excited to bring to you a perfect book that addresses bullying, friendship, kindness and more.
Kamyla Chung and the Classroom Bully by Ellwyn Autumn and illustrated by Dahn Tran has a powerful anti-bullying message and follows the story of Kamyla Chung, who loves going to school until a new student in her class, Nikita begins to disrupt the classroom. It becomes difficult for Kamyla to learn and have a great time in school with Nikita continually acting up. One day both the girls get into an argument and Kamyla gets hurt. Eventually, Nikita stops coming to school and Kamyla learns about Nikita's struggles at her home and what inspired Nikita to act the way she did. Kamyla realizes that a small act of kindness–like giving Nikita a friendship can go a long way!
The illustrations and use of color depict the changing feelings of the little girls in the story. It's a wonderful conversation starter and brings forward a feeling that exists in every classroom. I love the storyline and love the fact that the classroom bully Nikita ended up with a friend. It also offers a nice way to teach kids about bullies as well as help them understand that sometimes bullying behavior is the result of something deeper.
I also love that this book promotes diversity by showcasing biracial parents -An African-American mom and a Chinese dad. The author does a great job by featuring a family that looks different than your typical children’s story. A great tool for parents and teachers to share lessons about diversity and family. Ellwyn's book also introduces kids to the concept of foster care. It explains why some kids need to have foster parents.
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