Bullying Books for Kids
105 books in bullying. Every book rated for reading level and content intensity.
Bullying books for kids span a wider readiness range than parents usually expect. The same genre category contains gentle picture books and high-intensity middle-grade novels — Reading-level and grade-level scores measure text complexity, not what's actually in the story. A bullying title appropriate for a confident 8-year-old reader could still cover themes a sensitive 12-year-old isn't ready for.
Across HootRated's 105 bullying titles, books span Grade 1–7. About 77% are rated Gentle or Mild — safe picks for sensitive readers and kids reading ahead of their emotional readiness. 2% sit at the Intense or Very Intense end. Average content intensity is 2.2/5.
Use the intensity badges (green → red, low → high) to filter by emotional readiness rather than just age. For deeper detail on how we rate, see our rating methodology.
Something weird about Mr. Foster
Ken Catran
Something weird about Mr. Foster
Ken Catran
I can't talk now, I'm busy writing nothing!
Jeff Fluharty
I can't talk now, I'm busy writing nothing!
Jeff Fluharty
A bundle of sticks
Pat Mauser McCord
A bundle of sticks
Pat Mauser McCord
The only girl in school
Natalie Standiford
The only girl in school
Natalie Standiford
Pop Hooper's perfect pets
Kyle Mewburn
Pop Hooper's perfect pets
Kyle Mewburn
Showing our 5 curated picks of 105 rated bullying books. Search all of them.
For teens (ages 13+)
12 bullying books are written for readers 13 and up. A few of them:
Questions parents ask about bullying books
- What are the best bullying books for kids?
- HootRated catalogs 105 bullying children's books spanning Grade 1–7. Each is rated on reading level and content intensity. The picks above are sorted by quality signals — hook factor, discussion potential, and content appropriateness.
- Are bullying books appropriate for sensitive readers?
- 81 (77%) are rated Gentle or Mild — safe for sensitive readers. 2 (2%) are rated Intense or Very Intense. Average intensity is 2.2/5. Filter by intensity badge to match your child's emotional readiness.
- What reading level are bullying books?
- Bullying books in our catalog span Grade 1–7. The typical reading level lands around Grade 3. Reading level measures text difficulty — separate from content intensity, which measures emotional weight. The two often don't track together for kids who read above their age — the reading-level gap.