Bully Boy by Tom Wade

A well-written and fast-paced work of young adult fiction, Bully Boy by Tom Wade is a coming-of-age story about a boy who struggles against bullies in a school that tries to sweep incidents of cruelty under the rug. Henry Wilton is being attacked by a group of boys who are unopposed by the students and the teachers; as the situation gets worse and his cries for help go ignored, Henry will need to decide whether to find a way to protect himself or take the fight back to those who mean him harm. The book does an exemplary job of highlighting the growing crisis in American schools, showing just how much adults are culpable. The story deftly and sensitively addresses tense family dynamics where bad behavior is allowed to continue, and gives a compelling voice to those who suffer on a daily basis in schoolrooms across the country.