Sam Speaks Out

Elizabeth Levin is a professor of psychology at Laurentian University.

The I’m a Great Little Kid Series is a project of the Toronto Child
Abuse Centre. While previous books in the series emphasized the
development of self-esteem, the three under review deal with abuse and
bullies. All are written in verse, and all include colorful
illustrations, a moral dilemma, and tips for adult readers.

In A Tale Worth Telling, the new kid at school seems unfriendly until
he confides that the soccer coach was mean to him. He had tried to tell
his dad and sister, but they were too busy to listen. His new friends
persuade him to tell the school janitor, and everything is resolved.

In Sam Speaks Out, Sam has been touched by his teenage neighbor and
told to keep it a secret. However, the secret comes out after he
confides in his friend Charlene.

In Respect Is Correct, Jennie and her friend Amon witness some older
kids bullying a lady. They get a teacher to intervene and by doing so
demonstrate respect, a topic they had difficulty tackling when required
to do a presentation on it.

All three books will prompt useful discussions at home and at school.
However, the books are preachy rather than endearing, and as such are
likely to appeal only to children who are experiencing the issues they
address. Recommended with reservations.