Book Review: POW MAN - putting a positive spin on bullying

I was recently asked to review a new book by Dave POW Tabain and Nadia Worland called POW MAN. A book that teaches children how to unleash the hero within. As soon as the book arrived, I quickly read it and then gave it the TRUE test of quality by passing it to my three children.

13 Year old - it's too babyish for me
11 Year old - it's great!
9 Year old - loved it!

After reviewing the contents again with my teacher's hat on, I felt this book definitely fits nicely into primary grades 2 through 5.

Essentially the story revolves around a young boy, Dave POW Tabain, his school friends and a bully at school. In order to help his friend Stu, who is bullied by Johno and his crew, Dave comes up with a 3 point plan - the POW Plan.

One of the things I really loved about this book is the language used by the writers. When I tested this book out with my own classroom students, they all enjoyed the slang words used such as "OMG!" and "told ya!" which gave the book a sense of realism for the situation Dave and his friends would encounter. It appears to be set in an Australian school, which also helped my students make a deeper connection to the characters.

The book is filled with cartoon-type illustrations, similar to other books for this age group, and is a gentle read with a powerful message. With bullying in and out of schools becoming a major issue, this book is well timed for pre-teens. Nadia Worland seems to have some great credentials for this topic as she has worked both as a teacher and facilitator for Positive Partnerships. Co-author Dave POW Tabain also has a good grounding as a motivational speaker and past kettle-ball champion.

The plan, that is revealed in the book, takes students through a step-by-step realistic solution to the bullying problem that Stu encounters. Being easy to read, realistic and down-to-earth, I feel this book is perfect to include in your classroom discussions around bullying.

The book can be purchased from various Australian bookshops or directly for the POW MAN website and teaching materials are also available through the publisher.