According to the website stopbullying.gov, approximately 28% of students in grades 6–12 have experienced bullying in school, and 70.6% say they've witnessed it. One bullying victim, Aija Mayrock, is taking steps to ensure other students don't have to go through what she went through. In her self-published ebook, The Survival Guide to Bullying, 19-year-old Aija—who was bullied throughout middle and high school—offers a fresh and relatable perspective on bullying.
Today, Scholastic announced that it has acquired North American rights to Aija's book. The revised Scholastic edition (The Survival Guide to Bullying: Revised Edition) will be published simultaneously in paperback and ebook formats in July 2015, with a hardcover library edition to follow in September 2015. The revised edition will feature never-before-seen content, including an epilogue and an exclusive Q&A with the author.
“We were all immediately blown away by Aija’s book and the strength of her voice,” said Debra Dorfman of Scholastic Trade Publishing, who negotiated the deal. “What a feat for such a young woman to take a painful personal experience and turn it into a beacon of hope! We knew immediately that with our extensive connections to kids, parents, and teachers, Scholastic would be the best home and platform for her to reach people affected by bullying.”
Aija is not a newcomer to Scholastic, as she received a Silver Medal for poetry in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in 2013, joining the ranks of celebrated creative leaders like Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Sylvia Plath, Robert Redford, Stephen King, Richard Linklater, Zac Posen and Lena Dunham, all of whom won an Award when they were teens.
“When Scholastic told me they wanted to publish my book, it was a dream come true,” said Aija of the announcement. “It was only a year and a half ago that I won the Scholastic Art and Writing Award for my poetry. That was the moment that changed my life and gave me the confidence to write the first page of this book. I am so honored to be part of the Scholastic family.”
You can read more about The Survival Guide to Bullying: Revised Edition in the official press release.
