Bullies Begone — Cynthia MacGregor

Craig and Jenny, now 16 and starting the new school year, are asked to help start an after-school program to combat the bullying problem at Manorville High. Most troubling to them are the two students who keep showing up with cuts and bruises but won't admit they're being bullied or tell Craig and Jenny who's doing it to them. Craig once again, as in the previous book, decides to take matters into his own hands and get to the bottom of it in both cases.

Excerpt:

Friday, Drew showed up at school with a bad bruise on his neck and another on his cheek. He hadn't been on the school bus. Craig surmised that Drew had walked or biked to school and been assaulted along the way. “Tell me who's doing this to you!” Craig pleaded. “We want to help. We're the ‘Bullies Begone' group, and we want to help all the kids in school who are being bullied. We know there's a problem at Manorville High, and we want to put an end to it. We can help defend you or help you defend yourself or help you report the bully to the proper authorities. But we can't do anything without your cooperation. Whatever you're afraid of, we'll help you. But you have to cooperate. You have to tell us who it is that's doing this to you.”

“I fell,” Drew said dully.

“I don't believe you,” Craig responded. “Look, are you afraid you'll get beat up even worse if the bully knows you told us? We'll be accidental witnesses. Accidental-on-purpose. Tell us where this is taking place, and a couple of us from the group will be there. We'll hide, so the bully doesn't know we're watching, and when he starts beating up on you, we'll come out of hiding and catch him in the act. You can pretend it wasn't a set-up and you didn't know anything about it. We've got to put an end to this!”

“Leave me alone!”

“Why don't you want us to help you?”