The Recess Queen
Oh, would that all bullying problems could be solved so easily! Mean  Jean is the reigning Recess Queen, pushing and smooshing, hammering and  slammering the other kids whenever they cross her. And then one day a puny new  girl shows up on the playground and catches Mean Jean completely off-guard. Not  only is little Katie Sue not the least bit intimidated by the bully, she  actually asks her to jump rope with her. In no time flat, Jean and Katie Sue are  best buddies, and the playground is safe for all again.Sure, it's simplistic, but there's a strong element of truth in this energetic  rhyming story by Alexis O'Neill (Loud Emily). Bullies are  people, too, and sometimes nothing is quite so effective as ingenuous  disarmament. Big, bold, funny acrylic and collage illustrations by Laura  Huliska-Beith (The Book of Bad  Ideas) bounce right along with the text. (Ages 5 to 8)--Emilie  Coulter