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Weird! #1
Weird!
Luisa is repeatedly teased and called "weird" by her classmate Sam, even though she is simply being herself—laughing with her friends, answering questions in class, greeting her father in Spanish, and wearing her favorite polka-dot boots. Luisa initially reacts to the bullying by withdrawing and hiding her colorful nature. But with the support of her teachers, parents, classmates, and one special friend named Jayla, she is able to reclaim her color and resist Sam’s put-downs.
The Weird! Series
These three books tell the story of an ongoing case of bullying from three third graders’ perspectives. Luisa describes being targeted by bullying in Weird! Jayla shares her experience as a bystander to bullying in Dare! And in Tough!, Sam speaks from the point of view of someone initiating bullying. Kids will easily relate to Luisa, Jayla, and Sam, as each girl has her own unique experience, eventually learning how to face her challenges with the help of friends, peers, and caring adults.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
10 people are currently reading
291 people want to read
About the author
Erin Frankel
26 books17 followersErin Frankel is a children’s book author. She loves telling stories of empathy and wonder. Her picture books include A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen, which is an Orbis Pictus Award Recommended Title and a Texas Blue Bonnet Award Nominee, as well as Remembering Barkley, and the Weird! series. Forthcoming titles include Mary Oliver, Holding on to Wonder (2025) and Piece by Piece: How Stephen Sondheim Made Musical Puzzles Come Alive (2026). Erin lives with her family in Pittsburgh, where she writes, teaches, and hopes. She is represented by Lindsay Auld at Writers House. You can also connect with her on Instagram @erinfrankelwrites
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 30, 2016
My 7 year old was recently bullied. This book was a fantastic book to read to him and start a productive discussion on bullying. Highly recommend.
November 28, 2020
Great book with amazing resources at the back on using it as a book club and questions for younger ones
September 3, 2014
The WEIRD! series relates a common bullying situation from three different perspectives: WEIRD! is from the viewpoint of the bully's target(Luisa); DARE! is from that of the bystander(Jayla); and TOUGH! is from the perspective of the bully, herself(Sam).
The bully situation, itself, is absolutely believable. Sam continually calls Jayla names and puts down how she dresses and the things she likes. When Sam switches her attention to Luisa, calling her "Weird!," and making snide comments about her polka-dot boots, bubbly personality and greeting her father enthusiastically in Spanish, Jayla is relieved not to be Sam's main target. This causes her to stand back and not say anything when Sam torments Luisa in that way she used to focus on Jayla. At first Luisa tries to ignore Sam's behavior. Eventually, though, she begins to feel worn down by the unkindness, doubt herself and give up the things she enjoys.
Predictably--and necessarily for teaching purposes-- Jayla finds the courage to openly support Luisa, Luisa finds the confidence to be true to who she is and Sam begins to consider the idea that she doesn't need to put others down in order to feel confident about herself.
The storyline is thin and not particularly engaging. It's reminiscent of the short, bland vignettes you find as examples of conversation in second language textbooks. The strength of the WEIRD! series--and it is considerable--is in the brilliant teaching activities which follow each story.
Each book finishes with the main characters listing important points she has realized during the story using the acronym of her own title: Luisa uses the letters from WEIRD; Jayla from DARE; and Sam from TOUGH. This is a fantastically effective way to help young people recall and discuss the most important points from the story.
Following this each character also has a special "club" which young readers are invited to "join": Luisa's Confidence Club, Jayla's Courage Club; and Sam's Kindness Club. Each club lists different strategies for courage and confidence as well as several activities which then reinforce them.
The series narrative will be best received by primary grades but the strategies and interactive activities are applicable and adaptable across the entire age range of elementary schools. The WEIRD! series is well worth your reading investment as a parent, teacher, or young person looking for ways to deal with a difficult situation.
The bully situation, itself, is absolutely believable. Sam continually calls Jayla names and puts down how she dresses and the things she likes. When Sam switches her attention to Luisa, calling her "Weird!," and making snide comments about her polka-dot boots, bubbly personality and greeting her father enthusiastically in Spanish, Jayla is relieved not to be Sam's main target. This causes her to stand back and not say anything when Sam torments Luisa in that way she used to focus on Jayla. At first Luisa tries to ignore Sam's behavior. Eventually, though, she begins to feel worn down by the unkindness, doubt herself and give up the things she enjoys.
Predictably--and necessarily for teaching purposes-- Jayla finds the courage to openly support Luisa, Luisa finds the confidence to be true to who she is and Sam begins to consider the idea that she doesn't need to put others down in order to feel confident about herself.
The storyline is thin and not particularly engaging. It's reminiscent of the short, bland vignettes you find as examples of conversation in second language textbooks. The strength of the WEIRD! series--and it is considerable--is in the brilliant teaching activities which follow each story.
Each book finishes with the main characters listing important points she has realized during the story using the acronym of her own title: Luisa uses the letters from WEIRD; Jayla from DARE; and Sam from TOUGH. This is a fantastically effective way to help young people recall and discuss the most important points from the story.
Following this each character also has a special "club" which young readers are invited to "join": Luisa's Confidence Club, Jayla's Courage Club; and Sam's Kindness Club. Each club lists different strategies for courage and confidence as well as several activities which then reinforce them.
The series narrative will be best received by primary grades but the strategies and interactive activities are applicable and adaptable across the entire age range of elementary schools. The WEIRD! series is well worth your reading investment as a parent, teacher, or young person looking for ways to deal with a difficult situation.
Read
July 21, 2016This is a good book! I will read it to my students and it reminded of me when I was weird (still am). I like how the authors creates this to be ok.
I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book cover is on my Pinterest board and my blog, Michelle Dragalin’s Journey.
I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. This book cover is on my Pinterest board and my blog, Michelle Dragalin’s Journey.
October 7, 2012
I thought that these books were a good fit to my library in my classroom. It gives a good perspecitive on all angles of bullying.
October 8, 2012
Series about bullying from three points of view; the bully, the victim and the bystander. Can't wait to read the next two!
November 30, 2012
A great book for the child who is being bullied. And the illustrations are fabulous! Also comes with some helpful tips in the back.
July 24, 2025
Would be great as a read aloud or for starting a conversation about bullying. Part of a 3 book series. This book is from the target’s point of view
April 19, 2018
I am going to say first here that I have not read the second or third book in this series. I will say though that as a person who was bullied all thru school the first book hit home hard.
As an adult, mother, grandmother I have prayed and still pray for my kiddo's each day that first and for most they do not bully, and that they are not bullied themselves. I think we all have read or heard more than ever before that being bullied in some way or form ends badly. For me, I never told about being bullied myself until being an adult, mother and etc. It took many years for me:
To read more of this review: https://breathoflifebookreviews.blogs...
As an adult, mother, grandmother I have prayed and still pray for my kiddo's each day that first and for most they do not bully, and that they are not bullied themselves. I think we all have read or heard more than ever before that being bullied in some way or form ends badly. For me, I never told about being bullied myself until being an adult, mother and etc. It took many years for me:
To read more of this review: https://breathoflifebookreviews.blogs...
December 2, 2022
This is a fantastic book to use within discussions on bullying. The detailed illustrations invite readers to dig deeper and investigate the situation, to gain a greater understanding about the full impact of the bullying behaviours on all of the characters from each perspective. I am eager to read the other two books in the series to follow their storylines further. The endpapers make a nice resource to continue class discussions. I appreciate the courage and self-advocacy focus for the main character, especially since she affects change without being stuck in the role of the victim. The acronyms are cute ways to present the tips. Children love the way that colour is used in the storytelling, as well.
September 21, 2017
Eryou: I dislike this book because Sam was a bully, and being mean to others such as Luisa. And she thinks everything Luisa does is weird.
August 12, 2018
Great book for lil girls.
September 30, 2018
I mostly wanted to check out this book for the illustrations. They were really neat - the story was good too
May 31, 2019
About being the victim of bullying.
Helps you see outside the situation and think about what you can do.
Helps you see outside the situation and think about what you can do.
August 24, 2019
This is a very good book to read to children, be your own self, don’t let anyone bullying you into thinking you are weird because you are different!!!
April 21, 2020
Loved this book and the different perspectives of bullying all working together in the three book series. My school age daughter really connected with it and loves to read it.
February 10, 2021
its good
July 28, 2021
Great picture book to help teach about embracing yourself in the face of bullying. I'm using this whole three book series in my classroom this year.
May 23, 2022
I used this series for classroom guidance lessons on bullying. Good discussion starters.
June 23, 2024
4.5 stars
This is really well done. Unfortunately, my daughter’s third grade class dealt with bullying. This was a way to open conversation about it and get her to see multiple perspectives.
This is really well done. Unfortunately, my daughter’s third grade class dealt with bullying. This was a way to open conversation about it and get her to see multiple perspectives.
Read
March 1, 2017This book is a sequel to another book I read called "Tough." Except for this book it talks about the girl who is being called weird at school. She talks about she feels embarrassed and well, weird when Sam keeps calling her that. She starts to change everything about her, but she doesn't like it and neither do her friends. Her parents, friends, and even teachers start to mention the things they miss about her. Such as her jokes, her laugh, and other things. This is when she realizes that being herself and making herself happy should be her only worry. Once she began to do that she noticed that Sam was leaving her alone, because she looked and seemed like she didn't care, and in reality it actually helped her not care what others were saying about her.
September 28, 2013
These books are a great resource for any school. There are many books about bullying available but what sets these apart from similar stories are the multiple viewpoints comprehensive and detailed section of activities and suggestions at the end of each story. My reviewers (aged 8 and 5) thought that this was great and wanted to try them all out.
The books work well individually but are perhaps best read as a set. The multiple viewpoints provide a valuable perspective on the different backgrounds and motivations of the characters. I felt that 'Dare' was by far the best, as it tackled bystander behaviour perceptively. The protagonist who feels relieved when the bully picks on someone else and then gets sucked into carrying out cruel 'dares' is completely believable and someone many children will be able to relate to. There are multiple aspects of this story to analyse with children and it would be a great discussion starter in any class. 'Weird' was the favourite of my five-year-old, which I think reflects the fact that is a bit simplistic in its portrayal of bullying. It's an engaging story but doesn't really say anything that hasn't been tackled as effectively in other books. I have mixed feelings about 'Tough'. I loved it because it's such an eye-opener for children to see things from the point of view of someone who is seen as irredeemably villainous in the previous books. On the other hand, it's a bit of a missed opportunity. I'd like the writers to have explored the complex power dynamics of bullying among girls, with cliques, exclusion and the allure of popular girls who can alternate between meanness and generosity.
However, despite these minor reservations, these books are highly recommended for educators and parents. The illustrations are beautiful, particularly the expressive characteristion and the judicious use of colour.
The books work well individually but are perhaps best read as a set. The multiple viewpoints provide a valuable perspective on the different backgrounds and motivations of the characters. I felt that 'Dare' was by far the best, as it tackled bystander behaviour perceptively. The protagonist who feels relieved when the bully picks on someone else and then gets sucked into carrying out cruel 'dares' is completely believable and someone many children will be able to relate to. There are multiple aspects of this story to analyse with children and it would be a great discussion starter in any class. 'Weird' was the favourite of my five-year-old, which I think reflects the fact that is a bit simplistic in its portrayal of bullying. It's an engaging story but doesn't really say anything that hasn't been tackled as effectively in other books. I have mixed feelings about 'Tough'. I loved it because it's such an eye-opener for children to see things from the point of view of someone who is seen as irredeemably villainous in the previous books. On the other hand, it's a bit of a missed opportunity. I'd like the writers to have explored the complex power dynamics of bullying among girls, with cliques, exclusion and the allure of popular girls who can alternate between meanness and generosity.
However, despite these minor reservations, these books are highly recommended for educators and parents. The illustrations are beautiful, particularly the expressive characteristion and the judicious use of colour.
September 21, 2013
This story shows how bullying makes the victims feel. The author shows us how Luisa feels after each of the bully's comments. She is frustrated because no matter what she changes about herself, the comments continue and she can hear Sam saying, "Weird!" When she finally talks to trusted adults about the problem, they help her find the strength to be herself. Luisa tells readers, "The more I act like I don't care what she says, the more I really don't care. And the more she thinks I don't care, the more she leaves me alone. Now that's really weird!"
Works well together as a stand-alone, or along with the other two titles Dare and Tough. Recommended by Trudy Ludwig and Dr. Michele Borba, along with Kirkus, School Library Journal and other reviewers. Each book has a glossary of terms, a reminder of what each of the girls learned, an explanation of telling vs. tattling, and notes for adults using the books with children. There is also a downloadable Leader's Guide for the series at http://www.freespirit.com.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Works well together as a stand-alone, or along with the other two titles Dare and Tough. Recommended by Trudy Ludwig and Dr. Michele Borba, along with Kirkus, School Library Journal and other reviewers. Each book has a glossary of terms, a reminder of what each of the girls learned, an explanation of telling vs. tattling, and notes for adults using the books with children. There is also a downloadable Leader's Guide for the series at http://www.freespirit.com.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
September 1, 2012
*** I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads ***
(They kindly sent the other two books in the series as well.)
** The Giveaway was Listed By Elena (of Free Spirit) **
* I received my copy on Sat, Sept 01 2012 *
THANK YOU GOODREADS FIRST READS AND ELENA!
First book in the Weird Trilogy for kids, this picture book is told from the point of view of a girl who is being bullied at school. It goes through how she is being bullied, how she feels about being bullied, and what she does about it. It also covers options kids have when they are being bullied and different people they could reach out to.
Bullying is a topic I feel very strongly about and as such, I look forward to sharing this series with my kids. I think this is a series all parents and teachers could use to approach the subject of bullying with their kids or students.
(They kindly sent the other two books in the series as well.)
** The Giveaway was Listed By Elena (of Free Spirit) **
* I received my copy on Sat, Sept 01 2012 *
THANK YOU GOODREADS FIRST READS AND ELENA!
First book in the Weird Trilogy for kids, this picture book is told from the point of view of a girl who is being bullied at school. It goes through how she is being bullied, how she feels about being bullied, and what she does about it. It also covers options kids have when they are being bullied and different people they could reach out to.
Bullying is a topic I feel very strongly about and as such, I look forward to sharing this series with my kids. I think this is a series all parents and teachers could use to approach the subject of bullying with their kids or students.
October 9, 2012
This is a wonderful and compassionate book on the subject of bullying for elementary school-aged students. In this story, a little girl is confused and hurt when her classmate constantly calls her "weird," no matter what she does. So she tries to change who she is in attempt to stop the bullying, but instead discovers that this just makes her feel worse. By the end of the story, the girl has reclaimed who she is and focused upon her classmates who like and value her for her personality.
Weird! is instantly identifiable regarding the type of bullying that goes on between girls in elementary school, as well as the bullied girl's initial reaction to it. It would probably not be as helpful regarding the more intense, multi-peer bullying that crops up in middle school and junior high.
Weird! is instantly identifiable regarding the type of bullying that goes on between girls in elementary school, as well as the bullied girl's initial reaction to it. It would probably not be as helpful regarding the more intense, multi-peer bullying that crops up in middle school and junior high.
November 11, 2013
A full review is available at my blog:
http://destinydawnlong.wordpress.com/...
Excerpt:
Frankel’s voice is a breath of fresh air. She is able to get inside the heads of each girl and narrates in voices that feel fresh, honest, and real. At the same time, she doesn’t sacrifice literary style–the language is thoughtful and has a natural, easy flow. I was also impressed that each of her main characters are cool and likable in their own way–there are no pathetic outcast whiners or giant ignorant oafs in these books, just three girls with vibrant personalities. And it was great to see that the girls were guided through their issues by competent adults. Too many books leave children to figure out problems on their own, but Frankel recognizes that bullying can be complicated, and sometimes kids need help solving big problems.
http://destinydawnlong.wordpress.com/...
Excerpt:
Frankel’s voice is a breath of fresh air. She is able to get inside the heads of each girl and narrates in voices that feel fresh, honest, and real. At the same time, she doesn’t sacrifice literary style–the language is thoughtful and has a natural, easy flow. I was also impressed that each of her main characters are cool and likable in their own way–there are no pathetic outcast whiners or giant ignorant oafs in these books, just three girls with vibrant personalities. And it was great to see that the girls were guided through their issues by competent adults. Too many books leave children to figure out problems on their own, but Frankel recognizes that bullying can be complicated, and sometimes kids need help solving big problems.
Read
December 12, 2013This book is about being accepting of yourself. Luisa has a bully, Sam. It seems as though Luisa can’t do anything without Sam calling her a weirdo. Luisa tries to change for Sam and loses herself (and joy) in the process. Luisa confides in her Mom and discovers she is wonderful just the way she is. At the end of this book there are the book’s characters perspectives on what they were thinking about and what they learned from the experience. This book is part of a series and has great graphics that would appeal to a student
July 9, 2015
This is such a great little book that talks about being yourself and dealing with bullies. Luisa keeps getting picked on by Sam, who tells her she is WEIRD whenever she does something. Luisa eventually stops being herself so that Sam will stop calling her WEIRD, which she doesn't. Luisa finally gets fed up with not being herself that she eventually figures out that being more like herself and not caring about what Sam says is the way to go. She puts back on her polka dot rainboots and dances in the rain, go Luisa!
March 21, 2013
This book has a clear message for victims of bullying: you can be yourself and not care what they say about you. While that seems like it could be wishful thinking, the picture book takes you through various situations that show you how to live that attitude, and what can happen if you do. It could be useful for many kids who are either the bully victims, the off-siders or the bullies themselves. Reviewed for www.GoodReadingGuide.com
April 5, 2013
Luisa is repeatedly teased and called "weird" by her classmate Sam, even though she is simply being herself—laughing with her friends, answering questions in class, greeting her father in Spanish, and wearing her favorite polka-dot boots. Luisa initially reacts to the bullying by withdrawing and hiding her colorful nature. But with the support of her teachers, parents, cla.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews