Say Something
by Peggy Moss, illustrated by Lea Lyon
Ages 6-8, 32 pages
Realistic Fiction
There are many forms of bullying and one aspect is the bystander who doesn’t say or do anything about it. Say Something follows the viewpoint of a girl who notices students being teased, pushed, and called names but she doesn’t say anything. She moves to the other side of the hall or sits away where others are being bullied, yet the teasing still continues. One day she’s forced to sit alone at lunch and students laugh with her, but then she realizes that the jokes are about her and starts crying. When the students leave she notices that students she knows were nearby, but didn’t say anything. She explains to her brother that she’s upset at the kids at the table. He responds back “Why? They didn’t do anything.” The next day, the girl starts a conversation with a girl who others teased and discovers she’s quite funny. The book’s conclusion is brief, so there can more discussion about what happened to other students. The book provides details about how you can make a difference when you see someone being teased. Say Something won the Teacher’s Choice Award in 2005.
One person speaking up makes more noise than a thousand people who remain silent.
- Thom Harnett (Civil Rights Attorney)
