Wilhelm, Doug. The Revealers. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. ISBN 978-0374462437 224 pp. $7.99

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The Revealers by Doug Wilhelm is another look at the issue of bullying. It seems like writing about bullying is a recent trend. Is it because it is more common in schools these days or because it has always been there and people are finally paying attention?
In this chapter book, Elliot, Russell and Catalina are all singled out by bullies at Parkland Middle School. They are cruelly teased, both verbally and physically. The three misfits join forces and start to talk about what’s going on. Then Catalina writes a short biography to let others know who she really is in an effort to defeat the stupid lies than mean Bethany DeMere is spreading all over school. The three kids publish her story on their in-school email network called “Schoolstream.” When others read Catalina’s story, they start writing their own stories of bullying and victimization. Elliott, Russell and Catalina start publishing these stories regularly under the title “The Darkland Revealer.”

For the most part, the stories are well received by the students and teachers and there is a definite change in attitude at Parkland Middle School. There are also those who are not so happy about the bully revelations–the bullies themselves!