The Bully Blockers by Celeste Shally. Illustrated by David Harrington - 2009

Awaken Specialty Press, 2009. Softcover. New. What would you do if you saw someone being bullied? Would you pretend it didn't happen? Would you walk away and hope that someone else will take care of it? Would you care? According to research, children with autism are more likely to be bullied than their peers. They make easy targets because they are socially awkward and often times unaware they are being bullied. For the child with autism, there are severe emotional, and sometimes physical, consequences to being repeatedly bullied. The Bully Blockers tells the story of a boy who witnesses a classmate with autism being bullied and how he decides to get involved. This hard-to-find book shows that one child can make a difference when he has the courage to stand up for his classmate with autism. Celeste Shally lives in Northwest Arkansas with her husband and two sons. Her oldest son was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder at the age of three. She holds a bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University. As a parent and former educator, Celeste writes in response to her need for more children's books that help typical children understand and relate to their peers with autism. Foreword by Allison Singer of Autism Speaks. Ages 4-8; 32 pages. 2009