The Bystander by James Preller

Pages: 223

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: real life / social issues

Notes for Parents: Scenes of bullying.

The Back Cover

Eric is the new kid in seventh grade, and he needs new friends. Griffin is cool and popular and wants to be his friend. But Griffin always seems to be in the middle of bad things. And if he doesn’t like someone, they’re in big trouble. The more Eric hangs out with Griffin, the more he ends up in the middle of bad things, too. But he’s just there, just watching while it happens; none of it is his fault. He’d like to do the right thing and stop being friends with a liar and a bully like Griffin. But how can he stop being a bystander without becoming a victim?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

It’s a fairly simple story about a boy who gets mixed up with a bully.

What’s good?

This is a thought-provoking and realistic portrait of one boy’s middle school experience. The author respects that bullying is a complex issue with no easy solutions. The writing is simple and straight-forward, making it a fast and easy read.

Best Part: Eric’s sneakers and $27.

What isn’t good?

The story ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. Perhaps this is apropos since the bleak reality is that justice for bullies is often fleeting. There are rarely concrete resolutions in the complicated world of teen drama.

Worst part: I didn’t like Mary.

Recommendation þþþoo

This was a good, solid story that brushed the surface of a growing issue. It doesn’t offer any solutions, but it recognizes the problem with a convincing example.

Preller, James. The Bystander. New York: Square Fish, 2009.