Are you wearing pink today?

Pink Shirt Day is a great anti-bullying initiative inspired by the actions a group of grade nine students who decided to show their solidarity for a student who was being picked on because of a fashion choice. This kind of harassment is sadly not unusual, but the massive student response is. I am a big fan of student run, grass-roots initiatives like this one.

When I was writing Words That Start With B I knew I wanted to give my character Benji a strong friend (Clarissa) and support group (Mattie and Michael) to help him deal with his own bullies. My hope is that children will see themselves in my characters- whether they are the bully, the bullied, or a bystander- and recognize that things can get better, they are not alone, and most of all, that anyone, anywhere can affect change. And wouldn’t you know it? The cover is pink! Spooky!

To support Pink Shirt Day and anti-bullying awareness, I am donating a COMPLETE set of my books, including Words That Start With B, Love is a Four-Letter Word, and the brand new Days That End in Y.  Tweet, share, or like this post to enter!

Contest open to Canadians only