Your Colleagues are Speaking Up About the
Help Stop Bullying Now! Tool Kit
and
Charlie The Dimpled Dragon
“Charlie The Dimpled Dragon is a beautifully written and illustrated story that kids of all ages can understand and find entertaining. The illustrations are outstanding and help tell the story. Students can relate to Charlie’s problem.
“The master CD in the Help Stop Bullying Now! Tool Kit contains all the material for good lessons on bullying and teasing. In Kindergarten, I used the book and the coloring sheets. In 1st grade, I read the book, used the discussion questions, and provided each student with the No Bullying Allowed Promise Certificate. With the 2nd graders, the story was discussed, and I used the follow-up questions. Students were asked to relate a time when they felt like Charlie. They were given the certificate after talking about the purpose of the promise. We also played the Mix ‘Em Up! Activity (found at: http://storytimeclub.com). This age group was easily able to do this activity.
“With the Help Stop Bullying Now! Tool Kit, students learn how to handle bullies in positive ways. The lesson plans allow for integration of other subject areas which is fascinating. It’s an excellent help in teaching students about teasing and bullying.
“We learned that being different is OK. Each of us has something about ourselves we feel needs to be improved or changed. We cherish our differences because it makes us who we are. The students learn that there are many ways to handle bullying. We learned our words and actions can affect others—so use kind words.
“Thank you, Gray-Haired Granny, for caring about bullying and trying to find ways to stop it.
Jeanne Rogers, Counselor, K-2
West Clayton Elementary School
Clayton, NC
“Charlie The Dimpled Dragon is a well-written and beautifully illustrated book. It’s also very inviting and kid-friendly for elementary students. This book handles one of our school’s most pressing issues, bullying, in a very gentle and appealing manner.
“The Help Stop Bullying Now! Tool Kit master CD contains great follow-up activities to help students identify strategies to use in handling bullying situations both as a victim and as a bystander. Its Graphic Organizer is great for older elementary students in helping to identify effective strategies to handle bullies. Coloring sheets for younger students are excellent in reinforcing the importance of accepting yourself and others.
“The tool kit promotes great discussions on accepting yourself and others along with important discussions about strategies and coping skills for handling bullying situations.”
Cynthia H. Dunn, Counselor
Benson Elementary School
Benson, NC
“My students love Charlie The Dimpled Dragon. 20 out of 21 students loved this book per a vote. Students have felt like Charlie, and it’s not a good feeling.
“I’ve used this for character education and also in reading and writing. It’s a great book to use to discuss feelings, emotions, to sound out words, and about bullying. I also used this to teach my first graders how to apologize to each other. (1) Tell the person what you did, (2) Tell them you’re sorry (mean it!), (3) Ask them to forgive you.
“Guidance counselors and teachers all over the world need this book. Our students have not had enough practice with showing kindness to each other. Let’s start thinking positively and show how kindness can change this world.”
Jan L. Langdon, 1st Grade Teacher
West View Elementary School
Garner, NC
“The students in all my 1st grade classes enjoyed Charlie The Dimpled Dragon. They were able to identify different forms of bullying in the story. I like that the story shared the effects of bullying on Charlie. The book promotes the discussion of bullying situations in the students’ own lives, and, like Charlie, the students understood that bullying hurts peoples’ feelings. It also promoted a discussion about accepting yourself and celebrating your uniqueness.
“Charlie The Dimpled Dragon is an engaging story that helps children understand the emotional impacts of bullying. The book’s characters experience situations that some children cope with daily. My students discovered ideas in the story that they can use to become more accepting of their uniqueness and to deal with people who aren’t accepting. The story empowers students to control meanness in their lives and not let the meanness control them.”
Christine Maroclo, Counselor
Vance Elementary School
Raleigh, NC
“I’ve used Charlie The Dimpled Dragon and the lesson plans from the master CD with my 3rd-5th graders. The discussion questions have been used like a ‘literature circle group’. After the students are finished with the questions, we discuss the moral of the story, and the students can color one of the coloring pages.
“Even though Charlie The Dimpled Dragon is easy to understand, the students are able to look deeper to the moral of the story. J It provides good discussion and a lot of resources as well!”
Kristin Poe, Counselor
Fuquay-Varina Elementary School
Fuquay-Varina, NC
“I’ve utilized Charlie The Dimpled Dragon in K-5 groups to help students with self-esteem and anger issues. The students love dragons and so are attentive and able to understand the important messages of apologizing to others. They can also relate to the character of Charlie. Charlie The Dimpled Dragon is easy to read and understand for students whether they are reading to themselves or listening to an adult. They’re able to see that what is ‘inside’ is more important than the ‘outside.’ Thank you, Gray-Haired Granny!”
Christina Strayer Allen, Counselor
Four Oaks Elementary School
Four Oaks, NC
“I used the book, Charlie The Dimpled Dragon, with my guidance classes, from first grade through fifth grade. We discussed bullying, and then I read them the book. Third through fifth graders love to listen to books as it doesn’t occur very often. After completing the book, we had a wonderful discussion about bullying and about being different.
“I loved the story about Charlie The Dimpled Dragon. It was completely different from my other bullying books. I also used the book to discuss how we all look different and all have different talents and that no one is better than anyone else. I feel like this book is great with all ages!!!”
Suzanne S. Pernell, Counselor
West Smithfield Elementary School
Smithfield, NC