Entire Book
I finished reading the book a few days ago. What a full on book! I found it so incredibly sad and the main characters in the book really touched my heart.
High school can be such a small place- you keep seeing the same people day after day! This book reminded me of the movie 'Heathers' as the characters cant see beyond life at school. When I was at school I didn't feel like I was popular at all. I was very happy to get out and meet a diverse range of people at university. So great to get out and meet people who lived outside my suburb!
Its sad that Peter didn't feel valued amongst his peers. Like Lacy said during the court case his sensitive nature made him stand out at high school but this trait would have worked in his favour as an adult. He would've be a SNAG and I think alot of girls would've be after him!
Chapter 12
As a primary school teacher I was shocked that a teacher would give that advice to a parent. She should have taken Lacey's concern for Peter more seriously. If only she had taken the meeting as a sign that an anti bullying program might be needed at their school! How can a kindergarten boy be expected to know how to deal with a bully? Anti bullying programs that give children steps and skills to deal with a bully are so important . The program should encourage bullies to reflect on their actions. Making sure that the principal and all of the staff are aware of the problem is important too.
I was surprised that Lacey threatened to cancel Peters play dates with Josie. Josie seemed like such a loyal friend and loyal friends are important for a child's sense of self worth. Perhaps Lacey had never been a victim of school yard bullying herself?
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