Maddie Stands Tall

Martha Lamon is a freelance writer and researcher based in Huntsville,
Ontario.

When Maddie discovers that her younger brother Julian is being bullied
at school, she, her brother Alexander, and a few of her friends devise a
plan to stop the perpetrators. Fortunately, teachers and Maddie’s
parents intervene before a confrontation ensues, and a more peaceful
resolution is achieved.

The chapter book is written in the same fast-paced but simple style of
other books in the First Novels series. The backdrop to the difficult
issue of bullying is Maddie’s attempts to navigate through the equally
complex relationships that exist at home and in the elementary school
setting.

The book highlights several aspects of bullying in a way that will be
very accessible to young readers. Julian experiences real fear at the
hands of the bullies who call him a toad, threaten to take away his
glasses because they want him to be blind, then warn him that they will
cut out his tongue if he tattles on them. Julian responds by pretending
to be sick to avoid going to school. The net result of Leblanc’s
insights and straightforward writing is a book that will entertain young
readers but also help them understand their own world a little bit
better. Highly recommended.