Bullies to Buddies: How to Turn Your Enemies into Friends

Bullies to Buddies: How to Turn Your Enemies into Friends
By Izzy Kalman
Published: 2005
ISBN: 978-0970648211
Non-Fiction

Kalman takes the position and idea that, "When victims stop being victims, bullies stop being bullies." He advocates living by the Golden Rule (treat others the way you want to be treated) and seeks to empower students by teaching them to turn anger into humor, fear into courage, and enemies into friends through verbal exchanges and body language. There are four sections; "Understanding Life," "General Rules," "Some Good Advice," and "Specific Situations." In each section there are related multiple-choice quizzes organize the themes. To enhance engagement and relate to a younger audience there are humorous spot drawings scattered throughout. What surprised me about Kalmans approach is he discouraged kids from telling adults that they are being browbeaten unless stealing or extreme physical violence is involved; “telling is said to be unhelpful and even counterproductive.” This makes sense, but it’s a different approach then I have heard. The larger picture of bullying outside of the school is explored as well, but there is no discussion of discerning abuse that is mental and emotional from the more easily recognized form of childish insults. This is book for schools who are at a moderate level of bullying, not for schools where bullying has taken on more extreme measures of guns and knives, however it does have some good ideas for quelling youth anger. This book is an easy read, but more directed toward teachers and for teaching skills to deal with bullying. Kalman empowers the victims and identifies how to deal with bullies.