Bibliotherapy

I'll be working more closely with our school guidance counselor in developing bibliographies of books that deal with emotional and social issues that our students will be plagued by in this next school year. One of the greatest concerns at our school is the problem with bullying. I graduated with a Masters Degree in Library Science in 1982 and at that time, we even had a class in bibliotherapy. Over the last 15 years I haven't noticed as much emphasis on the use of books for therapeutic needs but lately am noticing a comeback. I'm real excited to be able to share literature with other faculty and parents in hopes that this will be a meaningful and helpful experience for the students involved. I do want to caution against becoming so clinical.

In this group, I hope we can share experiences, books, ideas, activities as we read books that deal with specific issues. Here are the topics I hope to cover:
Bullying
Death (parents or pets)
Disabilities and physical handicaps
Terminal Illnesses
Adoption
Eating disorders

If you'd like to add to this list please do so.

Between June and July, I will be researching and reading as many books as possible on bullying. Please share with us any thoughts, experiences, or books on this topic.

(Not sure the best way to handle this group - open to ideas! Just want to share and get input on this topic.)