Rating: 
Summary: Please Start Reading This!
Review: This book is fantastic. I had to pick a non fiction book for a project, and I picked this. I thought I would read so many pages a day, but instead I finished the entire book the night I got it. I absolutely love it. I've never really bullied anyone or been bullied so I couldn't really connect to the author, but it was great and a good book to read. I love Jodee Blanco's style of writing and I'm going to read all of her books now.
Rating: 
Summary: This was a disappointment.
Review: This book was written from an adult perspective by a woman who experienced extreme bullying in her middle school and high school years. The reader is supposed to sympathise with her in her journey through 3 schools, puberty, young adulthood and of course, the extreme bullying. The only thing of value that I gleened from this book is the author's insight that bullies often forget the vicious things they do. Otherwise this book was simply a 1-sided reflection of a painful time in the author's life. Her adult recollections of what happened lack depth, understanding, and any sort of real personal introspection. I also found it difficult to sympathise with this author since her entire focus, from beginning to end, was on being accepted by the "popular crowd". Who cares about the "popular crowd" if they are cruel and mean? This seemed shallow and somewhat pathetic. I found the end particularly interesting where she attends her reunion and all her former classmates are aware that she has written a book about their school years and yet it has not yet hit the bookstores. The author believes she has come to terms with these people and considers herself finally accepted by them. Wonder what they'll think after reading the book!
Rating: 
Summary: There's hope for us!
Review: Reading this inspirational, true story really made me feel good. Granted, much of the book is sad, but as a former "victim" myself, I was really uplifted at how Jodee felt about herself through the whole thing. I was also proud and happy that she overcame all of it and went on to become successful. I truly identified with her experience. Her triumph and success gave me hope! It was, at times, difficult to read, so I would put it down for a day. However, the writing is so good (the author's an editor) and easy to read that I read it all in about one week. It's definitely not a vaction book, but every reader can get something out of it: victims, former bullies, parents, and edcuators.
Rating:
Summary: Nicole's Review- Please Stop Laughing at Me
Review: After reading the the book Please Stop Laughing at Me, I was amazed! It is one of the best books I have ever read! This book tells a young girl's amazing life story. The main character, Jodee, is teased and taunted all throughout school, and yet in the end she is able to let go and forgive. This story will pull you in with the characters and make you cry as well as teach you lessons. This is a great book that I recommend to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Brittany's Review!
Review: Please Stop Laughing at Me... by, Jodee Blanco was the best, true story I have ever read in my entire life. It is a truly phenomenal novel, and the best one I have ever experienced. If you read this book I am sure sure you will also agree that the problems Jodee faces will be touching, and life changing. If you have ever experienced the hurt school bullying can create, then this book is for you!
Rating:
Summary: Deeply Affecting
Review: My daughter is 15 years old and has endured some very difficult years at school. Though she was never physically abused, she's been isolated, ignored and teased. We never knew exactly how to handle it - the school did next to nothing. My daughter, like Jodee, has been extremely depressed and didn't want to go to school. She is now going to a new high school and is much happier. But reading this book was like a lifeline. It was painful, but to know that Jodee survived and eventually triumphed gave me hope.
This was clearly not an easy book to write, but I couldn't put it down, I applaud Jodee Blanco for having the courage to write it and anyone who's ever suffered or known anyone who's been bullied - must read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Bullying Is Definitely Uncool
Review: Though this was a good book, it was heart-breaking to read at some points. Jodee Blanco suffered merciless teasing and abuse from elementary through high school just because she dared to be something the popular crowd considered "uncool": she was herself, i.e., she was kind, caring, principled, and smart. In her memoir, Ms. Blanco points out a most painful truth, a truth she suffered on a daily basis--if you pick on someone and make his/her life miserable or if you goof up in your studies, you are "cool" to the popular crowd. If you dare to be yourself (i.e.,you hang out with and defend "uncool" people, you actually enjoy school, etc.), you are "uncool" and pay the price for it. Well, if being "cool" means getting poor grades, getting into trouble, losing the respect of adults, and making somebody's life miserable, then I'd rather not be. Ms. Blanco's story points out that bullying is no laughing matter and how it causes long-lasting damage in some people. The bottom line: bullying is UNCOOL.
Rating: 
Summary: A tale of unwillingness
Review: When I read this book, I was at first shocked at what they did to Jodee. Then I realized something: why didn't Jodee stand up for herself? The whole book consisted of her being tormented, but as far as I can see, she didn't stand up to them, fight them, tell them off, anything! She comes off as a martyr for being abused, but i don't think she realized she had the power to change it for the better. If Jodee had more confidence, this would've been a great book.
Rating:
Summary: take another look
Review: Please Stop Laughing at Me is gut wrenching reality check. This book allows the reader to go step by step through the daily brutality of bullying in school. I was walking around the book store when the title caught my eye and I proceeded in reading the back of the book to find out just a little more, while reading the back and about Jodee's daily torture I thought in my mind "I am in high school and would see a lot of people relating to the daily life of Jodee," so I picked the book up and began to read. While reading page after page of unbearable torture I found myself wanting to help this little girl who longed for someone to hear her cries of help. I wanted to relieve her from her world that she couldn't escape. I thought that Jodee was a strong individual who had a lot of guts to go to school and stand the torment caused by those that were her friends at one time. Her longing to be cool, but yet her moral standards were her own worst enemy. Sticking up for the mentally retarded got her new shoe shoved into the toilet and her fear of sex at the age of 13 got her the silent treatment and pain for her so called friends. Her peers saw her as a different person and feared the one who wouldn't conform. She wanted to be liked, but not at the cost of her morals. She cried to all those she thought should listen her teacher, her principal, her parents, her peers, and anyone else. After reading her words I hold my head a little higher and take notice to the girl who walks down the hall with her head glued to the floor and her arms held tight to her side and when her books go crashing to the floor because of a bully I glided over and help her pick up her things because Jodee needed someone with enough guts to do that for her. I now realize how harsh school really is even if I didn't go through the things that she did I now have a new found understanding for all those people who stay at home sick because they fear school.
Rating:
Summary: Congratulations Jodee Blanco! It's a wonderful book.
Review: I saw this book at my local bookstore and debated with myself for a week about whether to buy it. I finally did buy it two days ago and I read it this morning. I was picked on in school. I never really figured out why, except that I was very uncoordinated, which made me a bad pick in gym class. Like Ms. Blanco, I did everything I could to avoid a confrontation and that just made it worse. I didn't have it nearly as bad as Ms. Blanco and I was never beat up, but my school years from 5th to 9th grade were rough. My 8th grade year was the worst year of my life. I didn't want to read this book because I didn't want to think about that time again, even though it was 25 years ago. I'm glad I did, though. Ms. Blanco showed incredible strength of character and was given the same advice that I was. "You're better than them." "Just ignore it." None of it works. I used to close my eyes and imagine that when I opened them, the nightmare would be over. All you can do is persevere. There's no solution to bullying because there's always repercussions. But I imagine that Ms. Blanco's book would be great comfort to a young man or woman who is being bullied. While it might not offer a solution (and Ms. Blanco doesn't claim to have a solution), it definitely offers hope. Good for you, Jodee Blanco. You didn't let them beat you down. You remained true to yourself and you kept your compassion for others. Congratulations. You made it.
|
