The Monster at Recess by Shira C. Potter

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

About the book-

Meet misfit Sophie, too used to being bullied at Grey Stone Day School. Her classmates Julia and Molly tease her to no end and her teacher, Mrs. Cook ignores the bullying.

The playground at Grey Stone has a special secret though: it's shared with the students of a monster school! Craving acceptance and diversity, and trying to defeat her feelings of fear towards these strange and colorful monsters, Sophie bravely steps into the unknown and meets a little monster at recess--and makes her first friend. Through her friendship with the monster, she develops stronger feelings of self-confidence and self-esteem.

My thoughts-

I remember growing up in the late 80's and early 90's that there was always a group of kids no matter what school I went to who would ostracize the other kids from their world. 

Maybe it was because the other kids weren't playing sports like them, or maybe it was because they looked different, or maybe even because they didn't grow up in that place their whole lives that these kids wouldn't be friends with you. I never understood this as a kid. I always tried to interact with all of the other kids, but I found myself on the rejected end of things every now and then and that is so difficult for a kid. Fast forward to current day and I have seen with my own eyes my own kid get bullied by other kids. Yes, you read that right, I have seen a kid say mean things to her with me standing there right next to her. It is one thing to not include a kid in your group, I totally get not everyone can be friends with everyone), but I do not understand why the bullying epidemic has become as bad as it has. The Monster At Recess is a children's book that I think should be in the hands of every kid. This book should be in every young elementary classroom from Kindergarten to Second Grade. It is a short book, but makes a great point about how it doesn't matter how someone else looks or how different we are from each other, that we can still get along, and even be friends. I don't  know what the answer to the bullying epidemic is, but I think books like this one are a great start.