Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Author and Book Buzz: Author Interview with Erik Daniel Shein and L.M. R...
Author and Book Buzz: Author Interview with Erik Daniel Shein and L.M. R...: ***** Goodreads 5-Star Review ***** The MonsterJunkies is a story about a boy named Crow and his sister Indigo who try to approach bullyi...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Bullying and The Monsterjunkies
Bullying is a topic of
interest to most, if not all tweens and teens now. From kindergarten to
college, kids have encountered it. Bullying can range from teasing among the
younger set to activity considered criminal as the children grow older.
Consider the events covered by the news agencies over the last decade.
Sometimes the bullied become the bullies, as in the Columbine killings in
Colorado. Or the activity can take on the mode of a hate crime as in the
Laramie, Wyoming torture and killing of Mathew Shepard. Robert Champion, a
Florida A & M band member died as a result of hazing, once a tradition
among college sororities and fraternities, which rarely resulted in mortality.
These examples, combined with the recent displays of gun violence, have put
students and school administrators on edge. The President is being urged “to do
something;” LaPierre of the NRA is advocating arming teachers. Where will it
stop?
I believe the place to
begin is in the schools. Let’s stop bullying now. The bullies need
psychological treatment. They have a personality defect, perhaps something in
their family situation has caused them to think they are better than others or
that they a have superior right, often without the ability, to lead. Erik Shein, noted author and
animator, has produced a work of fiction, The
Monsterjunkies; an American Family Odyssey, for tweens and teens that provides a look
inside a family who struggles with inheritance, science and a community’s fear
of the unknown. Bullying and how one tween defeats the bullies will provide
entertainment while giving kids information about bullying. “Ed asked,
‘Do you believe their story, Ms. Conners? You heard my speech on bullying at
the PTA meeting and you know how the bullying game is played. They are using
the very tactics I described, including taunting, secret backstabbing and
provoking victims when the moment’s right. It’s all part of the game and that
is exactly what’s happening here.’”
Kids will recognize at least one character from The Monsterjunkies; an American Family
Odyssey, whether it’s the main character, much maligned Cromwell, his
sister the well-arranged Indigo or the
bully-master himself, Rutherford J. Grimes III. Cromwell or Crow, as he prefers
to be called, finds a way to deal with the bullying. He meets it head-on in a
unique combination of smarts and one-upmanship. Indigo, too, must find a way to
have friends over without sacrificing her family’s desire and need for privacy.
Why the overly espoused need for privacy? It is the very estate itself and its
unusual set of inhabitants that provides the ticket for Crow’s acceptance.
Some students may be able find solutions to their bullying
problems at home, talking to family; perhaps, a family member has experienced
bullying in his or her younger years. Or there may be some other suggestion
that can provide material for a solution. School counselors are also a good
avenue for help. Students who experience bullying at any level should contact
school counselors and/or administrators immediately. It is their desire to end
bullying as much as the students. They must be given a chance to help and that
chance begins by being notified.
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