A Sunshine Coast mum and primary school teacher has written a book highlighting the effects of school-yard bullying which will soon be launched in Noosa.
Lisa Edgar said bullying in our society has become quite systemic and suggests we need to have conversations about it with children from a young age.
To stimulate these conversations she has recently written and published her first children’s book titled ‘The Playground Hero’.
“As a primary school teacher and a mum, I’ve spent a lot of time around children. And in doing so I’ve seen a lot of bullying, and I’ve also seen many acts of kindness,“ Lisa said.
“I wrote this book to put a spotlight on both of these topics and to hopefully give parents a tool to influence their children in a positive way.“
The Playground Hero is a heartfelt and beautifully illustrated story about a school boy named Jack who doesn’t have any friends, and explores the hurtful feelings of being lonely, isolated and bullied. It also shows how sport can be a great way to bring a group of very different kids together and find common ground.
According to the Australian Government’s Institute of Health and Welfare, 60 per cent of children aged 8-12yrs have experienced two or more bullying behaviours which can include verbal, physical, social and cyber bullying.
Children victims of bullying are also more likely to have poor academic performance, at risk of struggling with transition points throughout life, more likely to have mental health concerns and are at higher risk of suicide.
“I’m hoping the book will become a call to action for children to make a positive difference in somebody else’s life through inclusion. It is a perfect example of modelling to children the actions underpinning the words which are quite simply, ‘be kind, always’“, Lisa said.
The book will be launched at Noosa Yacht and Rowing club on Saturday 24 July from 2:30pm to 4:30pm.
Tickets are $30 including a copy of the book, drink on arrival and canapes. The event is child friendly.
Grab your tickets here: www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-playground-hero-book-launch- tickets-158664422559
The book is available for just $25 (including postage and handling) online from lisaedgarauthor.com.
