At the Long Beach Middle School, the entire sixth grade started their middle school experience by reading The Revealers. The students and teachers alike had a new perspective on bullying! Doug Wilhelm visited our school, and students were able to ask questions not only on bullying, but on the writing process as well. We are hoping to continue this tradition, as it has made such an impact on our school!

 

Michele Natali, Ed.D. Vice Principal Long Beach Middle School Long Beach, NY

 

Doug Wilhelm’s visit to Providence Day School was one of the featured events our anti-bullying/harassment program in the middle school. Mr. Wilhelm possesses the special ability to make an instant connection with middle school kids and, as a result, his anti-bullying message resonates with students. All our 6th grade students read The Revealers, a fascinating novel about how a small group of students work towards ending bullying at their school. I strongly recommend having Mr. Wilhelm visit your school and having your students read his book.

 

Mike Boyer Middle School Dean of Students Providence Day School Fairfax, VA

Independence Middle School’s schoolwide read of The Revealers was the springboard that created meaningful dialog and opportunity for students to discuss bullying they’ve personally experienced or witnessed. Valuable discussions regarding ways to resolve and combat bullying emerged. When Doug Wilhelm visited, he presented three separate, customized grade-level assemblies, including an insightful Q & A session. Mr. Wilhelm also provided an inspirational creative writing workshop for our aspiring writers. The message of his book still rings clearly with our students.

 

 

Our middle school read The Revealers, then invited Doug Wilhelm to speak to both students and parents. With students, I was impressed with how he was able to relate his characters to real-life situations kids can appreciate. Speaking to parents, he shared stories regarding his research that hit home with many. We selected The Revealers to be the center point of our anti-bullying campaign, and the ideas and topics from the novel have been a common thread throughout our advisory program.

 

Teachers: "Doug's sense of humor along with content made his presentations exciting"

Doug Wilhelm was great with our Fennville Middle School students. His sense of humor along with the content of The Revealers made his presentations exciting for middle schoolers and allowed him to relate to all our students. His excitement about writing inspired them to "want" to read and write. Wilhelm's writing workshop was interactive and fun for all! He is now an official honorary "Blackhawk" and welcome at FMS any time he's in Michigan!

Because if his visit our entire middle school staff has since received additional training on bullying. Answers to a student questionnaire are providing the school administration with information to address the issue. I strongly recommend bringing Doug to your community-wide discussion on bullying. As one of our students said that night, "Mr. Wilhelm, you are my hero."

Brigid Sullivan, Executive Director Black River Area Community Care Coalition Chester, Vermont

School counselor: "What a positive impact this has had on our school!"
All our students in grades 5-8 read Doug Wilhem's book The Revealers last fall. We also arranged for Doug to facilitate workshops with all 530 of our middle school students.

The students loved the book and were thrilled to be able to work with the author. Awareness of what bullying is and the effects of this behavior were increased. We saw more children becoming allies for each other as well as standing up for themselves. What a positive impact this has had on our school!

Carol Bick, School Counselor Williston Central School Williston, Vermont

Library media specialist: "The students were mesmerized"
Doug Wilhelm spent the day at our school and talked to all of our middle school students in grades five through eight. At first the students couldn't get over how tall Doug was, but once he sat down and started talking about how he came to write his book, the students were mesmerized. He read from his book, The Revealers, and spoke about the characters in his book who were bullied by others because they were different. Our students asked so many good questions. They truly enjoyed listening to Doug, asking him questions—and at the end of his presentation, they surrounded him wanting to tell him their own stories.

Doug was just great with our students. He listened to their concerns and you could tell by his sincere conversation style that he knew what issues students face in school. Students and teachers all commented on how much they enjoyed Doug's presentation and his visit to our school.

Georgeanne E. Bonifanti, Library Media Specialist Manchester Elementary & Middle School Manchester Center, Vermont

All sixth graders at L.C. Hunt Middle School read The Revealers. As in most middle schools, bullying is ever-present in our hallways, classrooms, cafeteria, etc. Our sixth grade teachers read and LOVED this book because the story was well written and relevant to today's middle school students. The book is read and discussed in home rooms. We ended the year with a visit from Doug Wilhelm, author of The Revealers. What an exciting day for our students!!!

Doug met with two large groups and enthusiastically answered all of their questions. Best of all, he shared his own story of being bullied.

The students had really been looking forward to Doug's visit, and he did not disappoint them. Teachers as well as students enjoyed listening to the ways The Revealers came together. For the students who attended the writing workshop in the afternoon, Doug was inspiring. They were jumping out of their seats wanting to share ideas about their own writing with him. It was a great afternoon.

Diane F. Pawlusiak, Librarian Lyman C. Hunt Middle School Burlington, Vermont

 Teacher: "This was the best unit I've ever done with kids ... nonreaders became readers"

A whole new world opened up to my students this past spring while reading Doug Wilhelm's The Revealers. While the message of the book is one that all of my students can connect to personal experience, what I absolutely loved about the novel was that it inspired my students to want to read more, and want to write more. Nonreaders became readers, and everyone wanted to write.

Kids who had avoided reading for years became immersed in this book, and then asked me what else Doug Wilhelm had written. Another thing that happened was that students started talking to their parents about the book and what they were doing in class. Parents actually emailed me and stopped me in the grocery store to thank me. "Whatever you're doing, keep it up!" one parent told me. I even had parents asking to borrow the book so they could read it.

As a teacher of hundreds and a mother of five, the only other time I've ever witnessed such excitement about reading was when the Harry Potter series began. What's different about The Revealers is that not only has the desire to read increased, but my students want to write more. Several of them asked to take their writing portfolios home over the summer, so they could work on revisions and add to them. Doug Wilhelm's voice has ignited a spark in them that I've never before seen in seventh graders.

Lastly, another thing that is remarkable to me is the trust that was built while working on this unit. Students began to trust each other and me, so they felt as if they could share experiences without feeling like they'd just taken a huge risk. They supported each other, and they also believe they can do something about bullying in our school and community that is positive.

This was the best unit I've ever done with kids. As one of my students said, "Bullying isn't cool, but The Revealers is!"

Karon Perron, Teacher Castleton Village School Castleton, Vermont

I am delighted to write this letter on behalf of Doug Wilhelm's wonderful new book The Revealers. As a high school teacher with 28 years of experience, I have found myself drawn to young adult fiction as a way to engage reluctant readers. The most successful books I have found are those that deal with social issues directly affecting student lives: prejudice, racism, substance abuse or domestic/sexual abuse.

The Revealers is just such a book. Every page and chapter rings true with the angst, isolation, drama, confusion, and humor of middle school kids trying to find their way through the cruel and complex social order of early puberty. Some bewildered kids are clueless as to how they fell out of favor; some "nerds" have simply accepted their fate and learned how to stay out of the crossfire; and the few and powerful "alpha males" and "queen bees" are already wielding their social power with diabolical and menacing accuracy.

Doug Wilhelm's extensive research and work with middle-schoolers has paid off in the authentic voice of this short and powerful work. Not only are the scenarios recognizable to anyone who has suffered through middle school (or suffered through raising middle schoolers), but the technology that permeates the novel is realistic as kids post messages, use KidNet (the school's local area network), and "instant message" each other in ways my generation still can't quite grasp. We watch in awe as three kids, empowered by their intelligence, use technology to "out" the bullies in their own backyard: Darkland (a.k.a. Parkland) Middle School. Some of the sequences are horrifying—yet kids will tell you they are not exaggerated.

Wilhelm artfully weaves lessons of history through his tale as students explore the story of Anne Frank in social studies class and realize that silence—even in the face of a formidable enemy—is wrong and can turn deadly. Like much of Walter Dean Myers's work, this book has a winning combination of realistic problems, ordinary kids, good values (without giving easy answers), and just enough grit to keep kids on the edge of their seats. Middle schoolers have their own little world, their own rules, and their own ways of communicating. Although there are some well-meaning adults in the book, most of the time they orbit the perimeter of this strange world rather than engage in it—just like real life.

The Revealers is good and good for you; it has already been used by many schools to create a dialogue among students and with adults about a hot topic that is also a perennial problem: bullies.

Patricia S. Worsham English Department Chair National Board Certified Teacher Adolescent/Young Adult Language Arts E.C. Glass High School Lynchburg, Virginia

School counselor: "I'm amazed at the sensitivity and accuracy"

I'm so impressed with this book! As a school counselor of 30 years, I'm amazed at the sensitivity and accuracy of its portrayal of the pain of bullying. The story line is realistic and curiously suspenseful as it portrays the children's struggle to extricate themselves from the victimization of the bullies.

There's no quick fix in this story; instead the author incorporates his hours of interviews with actual students to weave a theme of self-awareness from the vantage point of both bully and victim. Excellent for students, teachers and parents!

Thomas Chamberlain Seventh Grade Counselor Rutland Middle School Rutland, Vermont

The Coalition I am the coordinator of does prevention work for youth to addressing substance abuse and violence. As I was preparing for a summit addressing bullying amongst middle school students, a friend gave me Doug Wilhelm's new book to read.

I sat down one weekend and finished The Revealers in four hours, I couldn't (and wouldn't) put it down. It is so real as it shows the bullying kids do to each other, that it made me feel like I was back in school, which was over 25 years ago, and I could feel the pain the the victims in the book were feeling.

But the way the characters react to the bullying and make a difference was inspiring. They didn't do anything extraordinary, they just worked together, reluctantly at first, to help each other out.

My teenage daughter and I highly recommend this book not only for middle school students, but for parents and teachers. A true "must read" book and one on my top 10 list. My advice, after you read it, pass it on and share your feelings and thoughts with others!

Becky Carlson Coordinator Sussex County Coalition for Healthy & Safe Families Newton, New Jersey

Hi. My mom and I read this book about bullying and harassment. I found it quite interesting that the similar stuff that happened to Russell in the book happened to me.

One day I was just going out to recess and these kids just started trying to hit me with a wall ball. They would just bounce it off a wall to hit me. They did this so quiet that the teachers did not see.

Sometimes when we sled at recess this one big kid would just push you down the steepest way when you weren't even in your sled. He did that to me but he pushed me down the back way where all the big jumps are. These jumps are about four feet high. I went down and was flung off my sled and had to go to the nurse.

These stories are true and are like the ones in The Revealers. This book helped me realize that I am not the only one who gets bullied. I liked the way Russell, Elliot, and Catalina tried to figure out what made the bullies do what they do.

Sam Whitney Montpelier, Vermont

I am always looking for good books to read to my fifth grade class. I purchased The Revealers because it addressed the issue of bullying. I finished it over the weekend during winter break and was excited to read it to my class. Even though anti-bullying is a hot topic today, bullying has been around for ages. I can still recall many incidents in my own schooling.

This story is well-written without being preachy, and the characters are real and believable. The book lets the victims empower themselves by not having to suffer in silence. When we see and ignore bullying, it sends the message that it is acceptable. The Revealers offers a credible strategy to deal with bullying.

Although the characters are in middle school, every kid can relate to this issue. I read the first chapter to my twins, who are sixth graders in Seattle, to get their perspective. Their school has a major anti-bullying campaign. My son immediately wanted to read it. He is the shortest sixth grader in his school, and could relate to this book.

My class loved the characters Russ, Elliot and Catalina, but also relished the antics of the bullies, especially Richie. Most of the students cited all the rules that the bullies were breaking, according to our own discipline policy. My substitute teacher got so involved with the story that she read to the class for an hour. She even stayed late after school so she could finish reading the book. Her note said that "every fifth grade teacher should read this book to their class."

I have recommended this book to our librarian, to my book club, and to all the teachers that I know.

Dayle Ishii Peter Kirk Elementary School Kirkland, Washingon

Retired teacher: "This book has the power to change attitudes and behavior"

I am a recently retired middle school language arts teacher, and now I organize reading and writing programs in my community. I've been looking for over a year for the perfect book that will spark the interest of early adolescents, speak to a topic of relevance to them yet have universal appeal to all ages, and initiate discussion and action that may bring about positive change in our school.

This is a tall order! You can't imagine my excitement when I discovered The Revealers.

As I began reading, I was immediately drawn to Russell's angst when he says in the second paragraph, "I wanted people to say, 'Hey Russell! Sit with us!' But I'd open my mouth and what came out would be loud and clanky and wrong. And they would give me that quick, flat, puzzled stare that is the stock weapon of the cool seventh grader and seems to ask, 'What species are you, exactly?' And I would go away thinking I was hopeless."

From that first page on, I knew that this was the book I wanted to use to promote reading and discussion. Doug not only has developed a cast of characters that reflects the middle school population, but he focuses on several driving issues that face early teens every day. I see in this novel a way for students to recognize themselves, recognize others, and recognize the various reasons that a person becomes the perpetrator or victim of bullying. The plot also gives readers an awareness of how school authorities or parents can affect the school climate, and the power that students have to change this. This book has the power to change attitudes and behavior, and that is why it excites me.

Louise Duda Shrewsbury, Vermont