Join us on Friday 20 May for Pink Shirt Day, as we Kōrero Mai, Kōrero Atu, Mauri Tū, Mauri Ora – Speak Up, Stand Together, Stop Bullying!

Celebrated annually around the globe, Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying, after a peer was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. In Aotearoa, Pink Shirt Day works to create schools, workplaces, communities and whānau where everyone feels safe, valued and respected.

Register or Funraise at www.pinkshirtday.org.nz

Explore some of our books below on diversity, inclusion, bullying & more. Learn resilience & how to prepare your family to recognise & stand up to bullying. 

 

 Stand Up to Bullying! : Upstanders to the Rescue!

 When it comes to changing bullying behaviour, nobody has more power than upstanders - all the people who see bullying or know it's happening ...and decide to do something about it.
How strong are upstanders? Stronger than a snarling seventh grader. More powerful than a petty put - down. Able to delete Internet rumours with a single click. When Bystanders choose to act as UPstanders, they are real superheroes! With humorous, kid-friendly text, Stand Up to Bullying! teaches kids how to safely take a stand against bullying, support kids who are targeted, and spread the word that bullying is not cool - it's cruel. The power to end bullying starts with one person: you.

 

All about diversity by Felicity Brooks. 

A beautifully illustrated celebration of diversity which helps young children to understand, value and respect differences of every kind. This dynamic and joyous exploration of difference helps young children learn to respond in a kind and equal way to everyone regardless of shape, size, age, physical and mental ability, gender, race, beliefs, language, culture, national identity, background, and so on. With topics ranging from clothes, hair, music and food to homes, festivals and families, there is plenty for children to talk about as they find out about diversity and see how differences relate to them.

 

 He tai pari by Sarina Dickson.

 A novel for children in Māori, with teaching plans and family exercises in English. Kei roto nei ētahi mahere ako me ētahi hei mahi mā ngā whānau hoki, kia whakanui i te manawaroa me te whakamāramatanga o te kare ā-roto. The concept of Home and School Scaffolding (an approach that builds on trusted attachment relationships) enables parents and teachers to collaboratively support the children in their care. Part of a suite of resources addressing anxiety within a systemic framework.

 

The proudest blue: a story of hijab and family by Ibtihaj Muhammad. 

A powerful, vibrantly illustrated story about the first day of school–and two sisters on one’s first day of hijab–by Olympic medalist and social justice activist Ibtihaj Muhammad.
With her new backpack and light-up shoes, Faizah knows the first day of school is going to be special. It’s the start of a brand new year and, best of all, it’s her older sister Asiya’s first day of hijab–a hijab of beautiful blue fabric, like the ocean waving to the sky. But not everyone sees hijab as beautiful, and in the face of hurtful, confusing words, Faizah will find new ways to be strong.

 

 Dear bully: seventy authors tell their stories by Carrie Jones.

 YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Discover how Lauren Kate transformed the feeling of that one mean girl getting under her skin into her first novel, how Lauren Oliver learned to celebrate ambiguity in her classmates and in herself, and how R.L. Stine turned being the "funny guy" into the best defence against the bullies in his class. Today's top authors for teens come together to share their stories about bullying—as silent observers on the sidelines of high school, as victims, and as perpetrators—in a collection at turns moving and self-effacing, but always deeply personal.

 

Be bully free: a hands-on guide to how you can take control by Michael Panckridge. 

With bullying affecting approximately one in five children, and an increase in bullying on social media, it remains a frighteningly common issue for children growing up today. Written in a young adult fiction style, Be Bully Free gives the recipient of bullying direct and practical advice to help empower them and take back control in their situation. The advice is grounded in real world, everyday bullying scenarios and additional information is given to help children with nutrition, exercise, sleep, anxiety and more, making this book a highly valuable resource for any child aged 11+ who is experiencing or has experienced bullying and for their schools and families."--Publishers description.

 

 Mophead: how your difference makes a difference Selina Tusitala Marsh.

 A moving graphic memoir of growing up Pasifika in New Zealand ... At school, Selina is ridiculed for her big, frizzy hair. Kids call her 'mophead'. She ties her hair up this way and that way and tries to fit in. Until one day - Sam Hunt plays a role - Selina gives up the game. She decides to let her hair out, to embrace her difference, to be WILD! Selina takes us through special moments in her extraordinary life. She becomes one of the first Pasifika women to hold a PhD. She reads for the Queen of England and Samoan royalty. She meets Barack Obama. And then she is named the New Zealand Poet Laureate. She picks up her special tokotoko, and notices something. It has wild hair coming out the end. It looks like a mop. A kid on the Waiheke ferry teases her about it. So she tells him a story . . .

The boy at the back of the class by Onjali Q. Raúf. 

There used to be an empty chair at the back of my class, but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it. He's nine years old (just like me), but he's very strange. He never talks and never smiles and doesn't like sweets - not even lemon sherbets, which are my favourite! But then I learned the truth: Ahmet really isn't very strange at all. He's a refugee who's run away from a war. A real one. With bombs and fires and bullies that hurt people. The more I find out about him, the more I want to help. That's where my best friends Josie, Michael and Tom come in. Because you see, together we've come up with a plan...

 Talking about bullying by Louise Spilsbury. 

 A positive and proactive book that helps you understand and cope with bullying. There's two sides to every story. In Talking About Bullying, you will read two sides to the dilemmas, sticky situations or issues that children sometimes have to face when dealing with others. Encouraging you to put yourself in someone else's shoes to see why they have reacted in a certain way or said certain things will help you to understand why different points of view arise in the first place and why your perspective might cloud your judgement or stop other seeing your point of view. It will help you to find ways to positively and proactively resolve situations, deal with your emotions and maybe even change your mind. Bullying tackles situations including: physical bullying, frenemies, cyberbullying, and when you might be the bully. The book includes top tips for dealing with your emotions and conflict resolution.
 

You are enough: a book about inclusion by Margaret O'Hair. 

"This inclusive and empowering picture book, inspired by Sofia Sanchez an 11-year-old model and actress with Down syndrome, reminds readers how important it is to embrace your differences, be confident, and be proud of who you are. Imagine all of the wonderful things you can do if you don't let anyone stop you! You are enough just how you are. Sofia is unique, but her message is universal: We all belong. So each spread features beautiful, full-colour illustrations of a full cast of kid characters with all kinds of backgrounds, experiences, and abilities.

 Belonging : the ancient code of togetherness by Owen Eastwood.

  Whakapapa. You belong here. Whakapapa is a Māori word which embodies our human need to belong. It represents a powerful spiritual idea - we are all part of an unbroken and unbreakable chain of people who share a special culture. Owen Eastwood places this concept at the core of his methods to maximise a team's performance. In this book he reveals, for the first time, the secrets to what has made him one of the most in-demand Performance Coaches in the world. Aspects of Owen's unique approach include: finding your identity story; establishing a shared purpose; fostering player leadership rather than dictatorship; seeking the clarity of a collective why; establishing a sense of legacy; recognizing our primal need for social bonding; embracing ancestral wisdom; analyzing the link between confidence and trust; treasuring the value of humility. Belonging will not just make you a better team member - it will make you a better human being.

 

The compassion project by Julian Abel. 

General hospital admissions are on the rise. But in a small town in rural England, thanks to the simple introduction of kindness and compassion, that trend has been reversed. And what this town achieved, we can all adopt in our own lives to powerful effect. Through daily mindful acts of care we are capable of changing things for the better, both inside ourselves and for the world around us. Frome in Somerset isn’t special. It could be any town; it could be your town. And yet the people who live there have a story to tell about the simple, ground-shaking power of compassion. If it came in tablet form, it would be hailed as a wonder of modern medicine. By contrast, it’s entirely free but offers heartening evidence that when human beings make time for each other, the beneficial effects go far beyond the reach of naive optimism. 

 

 The Resilience Project by Hugh van Cuylenburg.

Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation: despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many people found it hard to be happy, or suffered from mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa.

How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient? He set about finding the answer and in time came to recognise the key traits and behaviours these children possessed were gratitude, empathy and mindfulness.

In the ensuing years, Hugh threw himself into studying and sharing this revelation with the world through The Resilience Project, with his playful and unorthodox presentations which both entertain and inform. Now, with the same blend of humour, poignancy and clear-eyed insight that The Resilience Project has become renowned for, Hugh explains how we can all get the tools we need to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

Kiwicorn by Katherine Q. Merewether. 

A cute and funny story about being unique. Illustrations and text help children to understand their emotions and to open a light-hearted dialogue about diversity. The Kiwicorn story can help parents and teachers to convey the important message that we're all different from each other and being different is awesome!

 

 Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

 This is an emotionally-charged, uplifting novel that will speak to anyone who's ever thought there was something wrong with them because they didn't fit in. Everybody is smart in different ways. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its life believing it is stupid. Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the troublemaker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there's a lot more to her-and to everyone-than a label, and that great minds don't always think alike.

 Bully by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.  

Bull doesn't have a kind word for any of his friends. When the other animals ask him to play, he responds in the way he's been taught: Chicken! Slow Coach! You stink! Until, that is, one of his friends decides to stand up to him, and makes him realise what a bully he's become.

 

 Find more great reading recommendations on our Books and Reading page!