Letters to a Bullied Girl - by Olivia Gardner & Emily Buder & Sarah Buder (Paperback)

About the Book

After suffering a seizure in middle school, Gardner was taunted and teased by classmates for two years. Two concerned sisters began a letter-writing campaign to bolster the girl's spirits, and thousands responded in kind. This inspiring collection offers help and hope for combating the epidemic of bullying.

Book Synopsis

Olivia Gardner, a northern California teenager, was severely taunted and cyber-bullied by her classmates for more than two years. News of her bullying spread, eventually reaching two teenage girls from a neighboring town, sisters Emily and Sarah Buder. The girls were so moved by Olivia's story that they initiated a letter-writing campaign to help lift her spirits. It was a tender gesture of solidarity that set off an overwhelming chain reaction of support, encouragement, and love.

In Letters to a Bullied Girl, Olivia and the Buder sisters share an inspiring selection of messages that arrived from across America--the personal, often painful remembrances of former targets, remorseful bullies, and sympathetic bystanders. Letters to a Bullied Girl examines our national bullying epidemic from a variety of angles and perspectives, and includes practical guidance from bullying expert Barbara Coloroso, author of The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander. Though addressed to Olivia, the letters speak to all young people who have been bullied, offer advice and hope to those who suffer, and provide a wake-up call to all who have ever been involved in bullying.

Review Quotes

"... At a time when traditional bullying has been compounded by the viral nature of the web, Letters to a Bullied Girl, strives to show that there's a way to fight this abuse." -- Ann Pleshette Murphy, Good Morning America parenting contributor and author of The 7 Stages of Motherhood: Loving Your Life Without Losing Your Mind

"Letters to a Bullied Girl is a must read for all young people. Instead of analyzing or proselytizing, it takes us right into the heart of the matter..." -- Madeline Levine, Ph.D., author of The Price of Privilege: How Parental Pressure and Material Advantage are Creating a Generation of Disconnected and Unhappy Kids

"...This powerful book can help bolster a wounded sense of self, offer a community of support, and deflect the barbs of cruel sad cowards... Letters to a Bullied Girl is not just helpful and heartwarming--it's potentially life-saving." -- Carol Weston, author of Girltalk: All the Stuff Your Sister Never Told You and The Diary of Melanie Martin and advice columnist at Girls' Life Magazine

"This book shows how one girl's life was transformed through the moral courage of others...For all the parents who ask me what they can do to help their child, this book will comfort and inspire." -- Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence

"As I read Olivia's story, I couldn't help but wonder if these same letters could have helped my son Jared, who died by "bullycide." ... At some time in our lives, couldn't we all use such letters to help us through our worst moments?" -- Brenda High, Founder, Co-Director, Bully Police USA; author of Bullycide in America

"Emily and Sarah Buder are powerful examples of what an incredible impact you can make by speaking up...This book is an inspiration and a powerful call to action..." -- Suzanne Shulman, Program Director Leave Out Violence (LOVE)

LETTERS could (and should) be a wake-up call to school administrators and parents...that is, those who are blissfully unaware that the problem isn't going away ... It's also an excellent resource for teens, both for those who are being bullied and for those who are standing by watching it happen. -- Reviewed by Alexis Burling, Teenreads.com