PBParty 14: STICKIES FOR NICKIE

Title: Stickies for Nickie
Genre: Realistic, Fiction, Inspired by a True Event
Word Count: 850 words

Query:

Dear Michelle and Sharon:

Shake it off? No way. Bullying cannot be shaken off, ignored or punished. Fortunately my protagonist Sarah has a unique action plan that not only empowers victims and bystanders, but also embraces bullies and stops school bullying. Maybe forever.

 It may sound implausible, but Stickies for Nickie is based on a true event that occurred in a small town in Canada.  In my manuscript, as in real life, handwritten stickies like “You’re awesome” allow everyone to feel good about themselves, help bystanders find their courage, help victims renew their strengths and guide bullies toward kindness. Stickies for Nickie is the magical and realistic place where The Juice Box Bully. Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Each Other meets Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun.

I believe that my manuscript not only helps bystanders and bullies but also helps victims feel less isolated. As a newly retired teacher with 39 years of experience, I know that bullying will stop only when bystanders find the courage to speak up and become up-standers, and when we fix what’s broken in bullies. I also believe that Sarah’s creative plan to combat bullying is a first in anti-bullying literature. 

Many of my comments and op-eds were published in The Canadian Jewish News, The Montreal Gazette, The Globe and Mail, The National Post, The Calgary Herald, The Christian Science Monitor, parade.com, and The Miami Herald. I have written extensively about children, bullying, parents and the reasons why public schools are failing. My non-fiction book School Selfies: Teachers,Parents,Students and Bandwagons will be published in summer 2015.

I believe that Stickies for Nickie is unique because it offers readers the unusual tactic of using positive stickies to combat bullying, an issue that always needs a spotlight shone on it.  Thank you for the reading.

 50 Words:

 “Me! Me! Throw it to me!”  Nickie’s pencil case exploded and crayons and stickies flew everywhere.

“Come play with us, Sarah,” the bullies shouted, but I pretended I didn’t hear. They scared me. I didn't want to be bullied like Nickie. I didn't want to be a bully either. 

Do you?