bully.com

Gr 6–8—In this mash-up of mystery and realistic fiction, a popular girl who has cyberbullied other kids gets cyberbullied herself and quiet, overachieving Jun Li is framed for the crime. The principal gives him one week to find the real culprit or be expelled. With the help of his friend Chris, the seventh grader must come out of his shell and talk to kids, parents, and teachers to clear his name. The middle school kids are nicely defined; the banter between Jun and Chris is realistic, and their fledgling romance is sweet. Adult characters feel less original. Too many implausible events undermine the mystery: the book is more successful as an anti-cyberbullying tale. Through talking to all the students involved in the bullying, Jun gains insight into their actions and helps readers understand why kids behave the way they do, even when they're behaving badly. Jun's parents read his email and monitor his online activities in a subplot that could spark a discussion of kid privacy vs. parent responsibility. Order where there is a need for bullying fiction.—M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY