The Fix-It Friends--Sticks and Stones Read online

  It was a great day at school, except for the part where Miss Mabel said we were going to do meditation again. Quick as a flash, I raised my hand and asked to go to the bathroom. Then I took a long time washing my hands, and I dragged my feet really, really, really slowly walking back. So I missed the whole meditation! What a relief. Nothing stresses me out more than relaxing!

  After school, J.J. ran up to me.

  “Here,” he said, and he shoved a folded-up piece of paper in my hand. It was written in orange marker, and this is what it said:

  J.J. was watching me read it, so I tried really, really hard not to laugh. I thought of really sad things like ice cream falling off the cone before you have a chance to lick it and baby bunnies who have the flu and get thermometers stuck in their mouths. But then I thought of the name “Jehoshaphat,” and I couldn’t help it—the corners of my mouth went up in a smile.

  “You’re going to laugh!” exclaimed J.J.

  “No, I’m not!”

  “Yes, you are! Your face looks all crazy trying to hold in your laugh. Like this.” J.J. made a silly face that looked a lot like Jude’s Tough Guy Face or, as I like to call it, the On-the-Toilet Face.

  When I saw his face, I couldn’t help it. I burst out laughing so hard, I snorted. That made J.J. laugh, too.

  When we finally stopped giggling, I said, “It’s not the worst name I’ve ever heard.”

  “Really?” he said hopefully. “What’s the worst name you ever heard?”

  I thought of Jude’s middle name. But I was sworn to secrecy. So I just said, “Top-secret stuff. I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

  Noah ran over, with Cora and Camille behind him. The front of Camille’s hair looked strange. It was hanging down instead of sticking up like usual. It seemed longer than the rest of her hair. And less curly.

  “Hey! Did you put rocks in your hair again?” I asked.

  “Yep, because she begged and begged me,” said Camille grumpily. “And guess who has a sore neck now?”

  But Cora was smiling from ear to ear.

  “My makeover worked!” squeaked Cora. “I’m collecting more rocks so I can do the rest of her hair.”

  “Never,” grumbled Camille.

  “Tonight!” squeaked Cora.

  “Who wants to play tag?” Noah asked.

  “Me!” I said.

  “Me, too!” said J.J.

  Ivy walked up then and tossed her backpack to the ground. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The green chunk of hair wasn’t green anymore. It was blue, almost the same color as the star on my knee!

  “Count me in,” Ivy said.

  “Yippee-ki-yay!” I hollered. I’d never played tag with a teenager before, and I’d definitely never played with a teenager who had blue hair!

  “What kind of tag should we play?” Cora asked.

  “Ooooh, I know!” I said. I got into my crane pose and yelled, “KUNG FU TAG!!!!”

  “Well, in that case,” said Ivy, “prepare for certain doom. Because I’m IT!”

  Then Ivy did the most amazing thing. She got into a perfect crane pose and did a perfect crane kick, with absolutely no falling down.

  Ivy knew kung fu? The whole time? She really was a mystery.

  I reminded myself to ask her all about it … as soon as tag was over.

  Take the Fix-It Friends Pledge!

  I, (say your full name), do solemnly vow to help kids with their problems. I promise to be kind with my words and actions. I will try to help very annoying brothers even though they probably won’t ever need help because they’re soooooo perfect. Cross my heart, hope to cry, eat a gross old garbage fly.

  When Teasing Ticks You Off …

  Want to hear something surprising? Everybody gets teased. Ask your mom and your cousin and your next-door neighbor, and they’ll remember a time when someone made fun of them. Yep, everybody gets teased, and nobody likes it.

  How does it feel when you get teased?

  “I feel like I want to punch them.”

  —Turtle, age eight

  “I feel like I’m the only one being teased.”

  —Gavin, age twelve

  “Some kids don’t care if they get teased. But it bothers me that people want to be mean. I don’t want to be mean.”

  —Hannah, age eight

  “When I’m playing with someone, it feels like there is a door wide open in between us. But when they say something mean, the door closes a little, and if they’re really mean, the door closes all the way.”

  —Stella, age eight

  What did you do that helped stop the teasing?

  “I just ignored them and went off to play with my other friends. Don’t tease back or fight back, because you might get in trouble instead of them getting in trouble.”

  —Hadley, age eight

  “First say, ‘Stop.’ If they don’t stop, say, ‘Buzz off.’”

  —Nora, age eight

  “One day, a child called me strange and stupid, and I responded, ‘Thanks for the compliment.’ He just walked away. It helps sometimes to have the opposite reaction they expect you to have because you’re not giving them what they want.”

  —Giovanni, age ten

  “The worst thing you can do is not tell an adult. Once you tell somebody, it makes the situation a lot better.”

  —Edie, age ten

  What to Do When You Get Teased

  Getting teased can make you feel like you don’t have much control, and that can be upsetting. But here’s the thing: You can control one really important thing. You can control how you respond to the teasing, and that can make all the difference!

  It all boils down to three words: Keep your cool. Most kids tease to get a big reaction from you. If you yell or tease back or burst into tears, that’s exactly the kind of reaction they want, and they’ll probably keep right on teasing you. Want to take the target off your back? Keep calm, and act like you just don’t care! Here’s how:

  1.  Use your poker face.

  You may be steaming mad or really sad—and you should definitely tell a grown-up all about these feelings later. But when you’re being teased, don’t show the teaser how upset you are. Make your face blank and peaceful, just like Mona Lisa.

  2.  Walk away.

  Don’t storm off, or the teaser may want to follow. Just act like you have way more interesting stuff to do, and walk away to find other friends you can play with.

  3.  Be smart about talking back.

  If you can’t stay silent or just don’t want to, that’s okay! You can absolutely stand up for yourself. The key is to stay calm and in control. Try one of these comebacks; they really work!

  *Tell them to stop in a firm, confident way:

  “What you’re doing is not okay” or “Stop it. I’m not going to play with you if you’re not nice.”

  *Act like the teasing is super boring:

  “I don’t have time for this” or “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  *Surprise them by acting like the teasing doesn’t bother you:

  “Thanks for the compliment!” or “I’m so glad you noticed!”

  4.  Ask an adult for help.

  If you ever feel unsafe or if a group of kids is ganging up on you, you should get a grown-up right away. And if you’ve tried to handle the teasing on your own but it continues, ask an adult for help. Teasing is not okay, and you don’t have to stand for it.

  5. Don’t believe the teasing.

  Just because someone says something does not make it true. Don’t let yourself believe mean comments from teasers! Instead, as a famous singer once said: Shake it off! Talk to people who really know you; they’ll remind you how much they care and how special you are. Because you are awesome, just the way you are!

  Want more tips or fixes for other problems? Just want to check out some Fix-It Friends games and activities? Go to fixitfriendsbooks.com.

  Resources for Parents

  If your child is being bullie
d, here are some resources that may be helpful.

  Books for Kids

  The Juice Box Bully: Empowering Kids to Stand Up for Others by Bob Sornson and Maria Dismondy, Ferne Press, 2010

  A Smart Girl’s Guide to Knowing What to Say by Patti Kelley Criswell, American Girl, 2012

  Stand Up for Yourself & Your Friends: Dealing with Bullies and Bossiness, and Finding a Better Way by Patti Kelley Criswell, American Girl, 2011

  Weird! A Story About Dealing with Bullying in Schools by Erin Frankel, Free Spirit Publishing, 2012

  Books for Parents

  Best Friends, Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children by Michael Thompson, PhD, and Catherine O’Neill Grace with Lawrence J. Cohen, PhD, Ballantine, 2001

  The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School—How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence by Barbara Coloroso, William Morrow, 2009

  Websites

  Stop Bullying

  www.stopbullying.gov/kids

  Pacer Center’s Kids Against Bullying

  www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/kab

  Pacer’s National Bullying Prevention Center

  www.pacer.org/bullying

  Praise for

  The Fix-It Friends: Have No Fear!

  “Fears are scary! But don’t worry: the Fix-It Friends know how to vanquish all kinds of fears, with humor and step-by-step help. Nicole C. Kear has written a funny and helpful series.”

  —Fran Manushkin, author of the Katie Woo series

  “Full of heart and more than a little spunk, this book teaches kids that fear stands no chance against friendship and courage. Where were the Fix-It Friends when I was seven years old?”

  —Kathleen Lane, author of The Best Worst Thing

  “I love the Fix-It Friends as a resource to give to the families I work with. The books help kids see their own power to overcome challenges—and they’re just plain fun to read.”

  —Lauren Knickerbocker, PhD, Co-Director, Early Childhood Clinical Service, NYU Child Study Center

  About the Author

  Nicole C. Kear grew up in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, three firecracker kids, and a ridiculously fluffy hamster. She’s written lots of essays and a memoir, Now I See You, for grown-ups, and she’s thrilled to be writing for kids, who make her think hard and laugh harder. She has a bunch of fancy, boring diplomas and one red clown nose from circus school. Seriously.

  Visit her online at nicolekear.com, or sign up for email updates here.

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  The Fix-It Friends Pledge

  Just for Kids!

  Resources for Parents

  Praise Page

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2017 by Imprint

  A part of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC

  175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

  mackids.com

  All rights reserved.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  Our e-Books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at [email protected].

  Imprint logo designed by Amanda Spielman

  First hardcover edition 2017

  First paperback edition 2017

  eBook edition May 2017

  9781250085870 (ebook)

  Hey, it’s Ezra here, and I’m going to break it down for you:

  If you’re thinking about taking this book without asking permission, just don’t do it. It’s a seriously dumb idea. Look, we’re not going to call you names or anything. And I’m not saying we’ll do kung fu on you.

  But I’m not saying we won’t.

  You read me?