Sharon Dash

Mommy, Why Are My Sister's Friends Avoiding Her? Sharon Dash

Bullying is a serious problem in this country, especially in our schools. Children have a tendency to fear what they don't understand, and this can lead to bullying. Mental illness is one of those subjects that can create fearful feelings in children who don't understand it. When a young child is struggling with mental illness, some children will respond to their own fear by bullying that child. Mommy, Why Are My Sister's Friends Avoiding Her? is a charmingly illustrated story about this serious issue. Justine is a sweet, affectionate, intelligent little girl diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder. Her first manic episode occurred at school, and all the students in her classroom witnessed it. Once her mental illness was diagnosed, she was hospitalized for treatment. Now Justine is home from the hospital, on medication, and back in school, eager to return to her everyday life. Quickly, she discovers not only have all her friends deserted her, but some have reacted to their fear of her mental illness by bullying her. Justine's older sister, Dominique, has a fiery temper. When she learns her baby sister is being bullied, she's furious. Dominque is dealing with her own fear and anger concerning her sister's mental illness. She expresses these uncomfortable feelings by wanting to attack her sister's bullies. She thinks she needs to hurt them in the same way they've been hurting Justine. However, Dominique is the only member of her family who feels that way. Her mother, father, and sister believe in the power of education and nonviolence. They feel it's the only positive solution to bullying. But, as the bullying intensifies, Dominique loses all faith in a peaceful solution. Parents will love how Mommy, Why Are My Sister's Friends Avoiding Her? not only teaches children why bullying occurs, but also proves nonviolence is the only positive solution to a bullying situation. At the end of the book, children will find a list of behavioral changes they can make to prevent bullying in their classroom.