Girls and Bullying

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Great news! Rachel Vail has published a new book and her Friendship Ring series is coming back into print.

I first discovered Vail back in 1991, when the novel Wonder (Scholastic/Orchard) was published. She wrote about hidden aggression in girls before teachers, librarians, and guidance councilors recognized that girls, too, are involved in bullying.

Rachel Vail tells stories of girls longing for friendship, of the dance that is friendship, how it blossoms and grows, then withers and dies and sometimes blooms again.

In the just-released Unfriendeda story told in many voices, we see the seduction of the “popular” girl from several 8th grader’s points of view. There’s Truly, who is at first dazzled by the cool kid’s attention. Then there’s Truly’s former best friend Hazel, whose jealously spirals out of control into bitter vengeance. Vail manages to capture family dynamics as well as the nuances of middle school society in this age of social media.

Penguin/Puffin is also bringing back into print The Friendship Ring. A six-book series that tells the same story from several different 7th grade character’s point of view, it was a tour de force when first published in 1998. Unfortunately, the books were originally released in a small format that seemed targeted to an audience too young to appreciate them. Now reissued in paperback, these are perfect for ages 10 and older and there are no worries that a 4th grader might pick them up.

The first four volumes are now available:

9780147511188_df256  9780147511195_431bb

Published 6/12/14″

If You Only Knew (Friendship Ring, #1)

Please, Please, Please (Friendship Ring, #2)

9780147511201_4fd44  9780147511218_3be6c

Published, 9/25/14:

Not That I Care (Friendship Ring, #3)

What Are Friends For? (Friendship Ring, #4)

To come:

Popularity Contest (Friendship Ring, #5)

Fill In The Blank (Friendship Ring, #6)

2 Responses to “Girls and Bullying”

  1. Jessica Meyer Says:

    I am so excited for these books! There are so many girls who come into my library looking for these type of books and most all of the LOVE Vail. These will go so fast…can’t wait to get them!

  2. Susan Person Says:

    Hooray! I love this series. So glad it’s back out for a new generation of readers. Mine are already on order!