Thursday, January 29, 2009

Lea Schizas talks about "Bubba and Giganto"


Thanks for coming by Lea.

So, let’s talk about your book “Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us.” Bullying is a tough subject. I think most of us have experienced, or witnessed this while in school. What are some of the forms of bullying kids use these days?

(L) Thank you for hosting me today, Joy. Kids use the same things today that they always have. Things like: name calling, shunning of students because of how they look, need to prove they (the bullies) are better than anyone else and of course anger when someone comes to the defense of the victim.
(J) How did you handle these things in the book?
(L) Throughout, I show the need for friendships, how friends make a big difference in their lives, that even tough kids have areas about them they hate, the consequences that come with bullying; but most of all, I show the dangerous side of bullying, the area where the victim is concerned and choices they make without fully thinking it through.
(J) What grades is “Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us” geared towards?
(L) The book is aimed at grades 4 – 8, these are the best years to tackle bullying.
(J) Are you going to have a teacher’s guide to go along with the book? I bet this is something every teacher in middle school would love to have.
(L) Yes, I’m in the final stages now of finishing my Teacher’s Guide.
(J) What types of things will be in it?
(L) Topics like:

* What is Bullying? – offering tips to students
* Ideas for class discussions
* Reading Between the Lines: a chapter by chapter quiz for teacher’s to use as the class reads the book together
* Class Participation – this is similar to class discussions but offers a few projects they can do as a whole, like setting up groups and each group writes a short ‘bullying’ scene and how to combat it

There’s also another area that I can’t mention otherwise it gives a major point in the book away.

(J) Okay, I guess we’ll all have to wait until it’s available to find out. When will it be ready to go?

(L) I’m hoping it will be ready by February at the latest, then set up a package to approach schools to buy an x amount of books, offer the guide, and 2 free workshops with me in a month.

(J) That’s a great idea Lea. Offering your time as part of the package deal. I bet there will be schools that will jump at the chance.

(L) Teachers don’t have the time to read and come up with ideas for their classrooms so preparing a Teacher’s Guide I find is an important step for children writers.

(J) Where can someone pick up a copy of your book today?

Either at 4RV Publishing or right here




Thanks Lea for stopping by.

Now, for those of you who want to read a review and hear from Bubba and Giganto and some of the other children in the book, hop over to http://zooprisepartyfiestazoorpresa.blogspot.com/
They are all there visiting with Zebee.

15 comments:

Shari Lyle-Soffe said...

Joy and Lea

Wonderful interview. I don't think adults pay enough attention to bullying. It is good to know there is a book to help deal with it.
One of the stories in "On the Go With Rooter and Snuffle" deals with bullying.

Shari
http://rooterandsnuffle.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a great book. Bullying is such a sad topic because more often than not the bully is suffering as much as the victim, and this is his/her way of expressing it.

Vivian Zabel said...

Bullies need help, but the suffering they inflict on others lasts a lifetime. Most parents of bullies add to the problem or deny one exists. A sad situation all the way around.

Lea does have a book that addresses the problems very clearly in a way that makes an interesting read.

Vivian
http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

Sounds like a good book tackling a tough subject. I enjoyed the interview.

Jane Kennedy Sutton
http://janekennedysutton.blogspot.com/

Joy said...

I'm glad you all stopped by today.
Bullying is an age old problem that isn't likely to go away. Lea's book helps shed light on it during one of the toughest times in a young person's life. I like her idea to offer free workshops to schools that purchase the book. Those schools will benefit greatly and the children will be the real winners.

Joy Delgado
http://www.laughing-zebra-children-books.com
http://goingbeyondreading.blogspot.com/
http://zooprisepartyfiestazoorpresa.blogspot.com/
follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/JOYPublishing

Lea Schizas - Author/Editor said...

It's great to see so many understanding the importance to tackle bullying.

Thank you everyone for stopping by. I really appreciate it. And thank you, Joy, for allowing me and the boys to visit your blogs.

Cheryl said...

Excellent interview ladies. This is such an important topic. I'm glad you decided to write about it Lea.

Cheryl

Katie Hines said...

I like the way that every stop on this tour speaks of something different.

Beth Bence Reinke said...

Joy, I absolutely love your blog. It's one of my all-time favorites!

Lea, your book will be ideal for school visits. Best wishes as you educate kids about bullying.

Beth

Vivian Zabel said...

Oh, concerning Study Guides to go with books: 4RV will give a PDF study guide with each order of 10 books, and will sell a study guide for $2 with a single book order.

Any book through 4RV should have a study guide where applicable.

*reminder to self: do your study guide*

Joy said...

Lea, Thank you Lea. I’m glad I could showcase your book. Bullying is a very important topic and you’ve done an excellent job covering it with “Bubba and Giganto.” Best of luck.

Beth, Thank you (blush)

Katie and Cheryl, Glad you stopped by today.

Vivian, 4RV is doing a terrific job. Study guides are a great way to take a book beyond reading. More books need them. Thank you for including them with yours.

Joy Delgado
http://www.laughing-zebra-children-books.com
http://goingbeyondreading.blogspot.com/
http://zooprisepartyfiestazoorpresa.blogspot.com/
follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/JOYPublishing

Unknown said...

Excellent interview. I keep learning new things about this important book. Congrats!

Connie Arnold said...

Great interview! The subject of bullying is an important one, and this book sounds like a good one to deal with this problem. Thanks for sharing, Joy and Lea!

Anonymous said...

This is a great book and opened the avenue for me to talk with my grandchildren about bullying. As a former teacher and a substitute now, I appreciate having a book to open discussion with a class about a relevant topic. Thanks Lea, for the great reading and the topic that is addressed in such an acceptable manner to young readers.

Joy said...

Nancy, Connie and Jacque, I'm glad you stopped by. It's great to see so many people commenting on the subject of bullying. Maybe with books like Lea's we'll start making headway in curbing this problem.

Joy