Cornered: 14 Stories of Bullying and Defiance

Gr 9 Up—Fifteen authors write about teen bullying and empowerment. Media specialists and librarians may need to hand sell this worthy collection since the word "bullying" in the title might repel teens with its connotations of after-school specials and adult lectures. However, they will not regret taking the chance on these stories that range from the supernatural to racial self-loathing. The collection opens with Kirsten Miller's "Nemesis," in which a superhero student from New York City apprehends villains at the anonymous request of bullied teens. Josh Berk's "The Shift Sticks" concerns a bullied female rock singer, and Elizabeth Miles's "Defense Mechanisms" is about a high school junior discovering her true identity. Mystery and horror fans will be interested in the creepy "Inside the Inside," with its decidedly Margo Lanagan-type world. Readers will cheer with Michael in Brendan Halpin's "How Auto-Tune Saved My Life," cry with Chloe in Jennifer Brown's "But Not Forgotten," and recoil with repulsion and sadness in David Yoo's "Everyone's Nice." Unlike other collections in which story quality can vary widely, the readability and interest level are consistent, making this collection a solid recommendation to teens and a definite gateway title to promoting the short-story genre.Lynn Rashid, Marriotts Ridge High School, Marriottsville, MD