Using Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories to Discuss Bullying

Saying "No" to a Bully: Using Stories to Discuss Bullying

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories

By Geoffrey Philp

Mabrak Books, 2012

Stories are one of the most effective ways of talking about sensitive topics such as bullying because they engage the moral imagination of children. 

Through the skillful use of narrative, children are able to grasp the consequences of actions and empathize with characters. This is a key element in the conversation because bullies quite often are unable to understand the consequences of their actions. Empathy and compassion even when directed at fictional characters are first steps.

Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories, which uses Caribbean folklore to illustrate valuable lessons about conflict resolution, teaches children that problems can be resolved by using their wits instead of their fists.

Synopsis:
Jimmy Harrison loves school and his favorite subject is snack time! But when a new boy, Kevin, joins his class, he begins to bully Jimmy and the rest of the children. What's worse, he begins to take away Jimmy's snacks. Using the wisdom from his Grandpa Sydney's story about "Anancy, Snake, and Tiger," Jimmy overcomes the class bully. And for one Sunday, he reunites his family for dinner.

Set in the multicultural environment of South Florida, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories draws on the rich oral tradition of Anancy stories that are told and re-told in Jamaica and the Caribbean. These Anancy stories, which originated in West Africa, are rich sources of wisdom that have been passed down from generation to generation.

At the end of the presentation, the students will be able to:

• Define bullying
• Recognize forms of bullying
• Seek help if they are "targets" of bullies

Geoffrey Philp is the author of the children's books, Grandpa Sydney's Anancy Stories and Marcus and the Amazons, which was a featured book on the Kart Foundation's Reading List. A critically acclaimed author of thirteen books, Geoffrey's work been published in the Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stories and the Oxford Book of Caribbean Verse. He has also won many awards for his poetry and fiction, including a Florida Individual Artist Fellowship, Sauza "Stay Pure" Award, James Michener Fellowships from the University of Miami, and in 2008, he won the coveted "Outstanding Writer" prize from the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission. As a former English and drama teacher at West Miami Middle Schools, Geoffrey has conducted writing workshops such as "How to Write Your Own Caribbean Folktale" and "Love Doesn't Have to Hurt (Domestic Violence).” He now teaches English and creative writing at Miami Dade College, where he is the chairperson of the College Prep Department.