Stand Strong: You Can Overcome Bullying

Gr 6 Up—Popular motivational speaker Vujicic, who was born without arms or legs, authored and narrated this book, designed to help tweens and teens overcome bullying. Drawing extensively from his childhood and adolescent years of being the bullies' favorite target, Vujicic attempts to fortify listeners with skills they can use to withstand trials in their lives. He discusses how people being bullied can turn those experiences into positive opportunities, and how it is important to cultivate strong values and a spiritual foundation in order to be unharmed by bullies' actions. Vujicic has many good ideas and tips, though some listeners may be turned off by his extensive use of clichés, poorly executed jokes, and choppy sentence structure. The slant toward employing religious faith may make this title a better fit for public rather than school libraries.—Amanda Rollins, Northwest Village School, Plainville, CT