Description

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Brian has a nemesis at school. His name is Billy Bitterman and he is a bully. At first Brian is not afraid, until he reads the weather and sees dark clouds approaching. Brian tries to get help from adults and tries everything else he can think of, including an offer of friendship, but when Billy rejects this offer and throws food at him, Brian has had enough. He tells Billy exactly what he thinks of him, but then becomes sad when he sees Billy crying. The story ends with Brian asking grown-ups to really listen and help kids come up with solutions that will fit their situation. The book includes a note for parents and caregivers, written by a licensed psychologist, providing guidance on what to do if their child is being bullied.

About the Author

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Smita Nagpal, PhD., is a mother, wife, daughter, and psychotherapist whose private practice, Still Waters Counseling, includes 3 locations in Michigan - Saline, Ann Arbor and Adrian. Smita migrated to the United States from India when she was 25. Her writing is based in her understanding of life itself as a journey. Sometimes the journey is simply "there and back again" and sometimes the answers to life's problems lie in simply, mindfully awakening into the present moment filled with compassion toward self and others. Smita integrates mindfulness into her therapeutic work and teaches group classes on mindfulness skills as well. Smita's book chapter, Mindfulness-Based Therapy has been published in The Healing Room, a guide to psychotherapy for the lay person. Elizabeth Mikesch, the co-author is an MFA in fiction from UMass Amherst. Her collection of short stories Niceties: Aurol Ardor Pardon Me, was published by Calamari Archive in 2014. In 2015 she wrote and performed a minvan opera, How Could I Speak Except Timidly Like This? in honor of Clarice Lispector. Her work has appeared in BOMB, The Believer, Unsaid, Sleepingfish and Caketrain. She has worked for Inside Out Literary Arts Project and the Juniper Institute.