This divesting yet ultimately redemptive story accented with drawings and photographs making it a natural successor. 5o cents book playground speaks about adolescent and teenage life, and how he was affected by bullying. He explores this topical issue by sharing some of his own experiences in this fiction zed story. His aim was to reach out to us and show us how bullies are created and that there is hope to overcome it. The story is narrated by thirteen year old butterball, nicknamed because of his weight, who lives with his over worked mother post split in long island suburb. His father remind butterball gets in trouble at school for hitting a kid and therefore has to attend weekly sessions with psychologists getting to the bottom of his behavioral issues. Butterball is a sympathetic character that I think many people will relate to. After his parent’s split he has to start again in a new neighborhood and school where he is the outsider. The only time he does get respect and positive attention from his peers is when he attacks a fellow student. Even his father seems to like the new bullying ways of his son. The dialogue is realistic and edgy with an uncondescending tone that gets the message across. The language is explicit at times but appropriate to the story and since it is not toned down it is more relatable to the intended audience. There are many issues presented in the book that go hand in hand with the bullying behav...
