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A review by laurieb755
Lola and the Troll by Connie Schultz
4.0
Sandy Rodriguez has colorfully illustrated Connie Schultz's children's book that speaks to a way of dealing with a bully. This is a story for young children yet (for me) it has a strong resemblance to someone in the news. (Ah, if only there was a Lola and a Ms Sneesby in a certain public person's past…)
The lesson I take is that bullies need to be stood up to at a very early stage in their development; the longer they are 'given' permission and power to prevail, the longer they will prevail, until they are no longer able to give up their bully persona. I could see this as a regular 'go to' book in environments for toddlers, kindergarteners and children through single digit ages. The more the message is repeated the more it may sink in, not only for the person who is bullying but for the person who is being bullied. In my experience as an educator, there is always a reason that a child bullies others. If the underlying cause(s) is not addressed then the bully will continue to bully.
Connie Schultz is a wonderful writer, her words filled with compassion and honesty. I know this from being a reader of Hopefully Yours, her substack. Indeed, I appreciate her writing to the point that I became a subscriber. Along with a book filled with essays she has also written a memoir based on her life as the spouse of a politician during his first successful run to become a Senator from Ohio. Connie is also a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and a speaker who knows how to reach her audience.
The lesson I take is that bullies need to be stood up to at a very early stage in their development; the longer they are 'given' permission and power to prevail, the longer they will prevail, until they are no longer able to give up their bully persona. I could see this as a regular 'go to' book in environments for toddlers, kindergarteners and children through single digit ages. The more the message is repeated the more it may sink in, not only for the person who is bullying but for the person who is being bullied. In my experience as an educator, there is always a reason that a child bullies others. If the underlying cause(s) is not addressed then the bully will continue to bully.
Connie Schultz is a wonderful writer, her words filled with compassion and honesty. I know this from being a reader of Hopefully Yours, her substack. Indeed, I appreciate her writing to the point that I became a subscriber. Along with a book filled with essays she has also written a memoir based on her life as the spouse of a politician during his first successful run to become a Senator from Ohio. Connie is also a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and a speaker who knows how to reach her audience.