Atticus Weaver and His Triumphant Leap From Outcast to Hero and Back Again by Alexandra Powe Allred A young wheel-chair bound boy-named for Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird-contemplates life in junior high and his status as an "outcast" among his peers. While the rest of the school celebrates Kevin Thurston as the "hero" quarterback, Atticus knows better. He's a bully. Only when Kevin Thurston does something to hurt the most popular girl in school does everyone see Kevin for who he really is. But is he really guilty? There are plenty of twists and turns as Atticus turns "hero" to save his enemy from a crime he didn't commit. 2003, 204 pages, Grades 6-10, Perfection Learning

Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja At Rucher High, the new kid, Jinsen, is called "Buddha Boy" and considered a freak. He dresses in tie-dye shirts, shaves his head, and begs for lunch money in the cafeteria. So when Justin, the book's narrator, has to work with Jinsen on a class project, he hopes to get it over with fast. But the discovery of Jinsen's artistic talent leads to a friendship that changes both boys forever. 2003, 117 pages, Grades 6-10, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Egghead - How long would you stand by? by Caroline Pignat Will is an odd kid obsessed with bugs and lousy at gym: the perfect target for Shane, the Grade 9 bully. Katie has been Will’s friend since elementary school, but can she defend him in high school? Devan has been part of Shane's gang until he realizes that it's not so funny anymore. Told in alternating point of view, Egghead explores bullying from the bystanders' and victim's eyes. Where is the line and what happens when it's crossed? 2008, 128 pages, teens, Red Deer Press

Geography Club by Brent Hartinger Russell Middlebrook is convinced he is the only gay student at his high school until he stumbles across a small group of other gay students. United by their secret, they form a club intended to appear so boring that nobody in their right mind would ever join: the Geography Club. The treacherous terrain of high school dynamics and the pull to be popular undermine even their best intentions and test their values about friendship and bullying. 2003, 226 pages, Grades 7-11, HarperCollins

The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake Seventh-grader Maleeka Madison is tormented by other students because of her dark skin. When Maleeka sees her new teacher, whose skin is blotched from a rare skin condition, she thinks she has finally met someone who is worse off than her. As she watches Miss Saunders refuse to accept the taunts of children, Maleeka begins to explore her response mechanisms to the cruelty of her peers. In rethinking how she defends herself, Maleeka learns that she too often judges people by their appearances. This novel explores the ways in which people's own insecurities can affect how they are treated along with how they behave. 1998, 176 pages, Grades 8-12, Hyperion

Stitches by Glen Huser Travis lives in a trailer park outside a small prairie town, where his love of sewing and desire to become a professional puppeteer make him different from his classmates. These interests make Travis a ripe target for Shon and his friends, the school thugs. As ninth grade graduation approaches and Travis and friends create a puppet production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the taunts and schoolyard ambushes escalate until Shon's anger, jealousy, and prejudice erupt in violence. 2003, 200 pages, Grades 7-10, Groundwood Books

Anastasia and The Ghostly Owl (The Choice Was Hers!) by Anita Emily Wladichuk The purpose of this story is to reach out to as many people as possible to present hope, to inspire, and to encourage those who have been unfortunate to have experienced unfair adversity in their life. www.ghostlyowl.com

Chernowitz! by Fran Arrick Ninth grader Bobby Cherno is targeted by Emmett, a bully who displays anti-Semitic behavior and calls Bobby, "Chernowitz." What begins with one bully soon becomes a tormenting campaign of prejudice and hatred during which Bobby's friends turn into enemies. After a cross is burned on his front lawn and the family car is defaced with a swastika, Bobby decides it is time to fight back. 1983, 183 pages, Grades 8-11, Signet (Penguin Group)