The CyberSyd team were delighted to meet Sarah Siggs after a recent meeting of the Anti-Bullying Alliance.
Sarah is the author of “Mud Boy” which she wrote with the aim of helping children to understand how bullying starts, to learn what being bullied feels like and to know what to do when it happens. Mud Boy is a book for children aged from 4 to 11 years. Illustrated by Amy Crosby and including helpful notes for adults from Dr Pooky Knightsmith, it is a useful whole-school anti-bullying resource.
For younger children the story helps them to realise how powerful words are and how important it is to be kind and for older children it also provides an opportunity to understand the emotional and mental impact of bullying. Sarah tells us feedback from schools is always positive, with one teacher reporting that she had never had a class so clearly understand the impact of their words on others. Mud Boy is published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers and is widely available online or can be ordered via bookshops.
If you’re a parent, teacher, or other educational professional looking for an innovative way of exploring issues around bullying then you can find out more on Sarah's Twitter @SSiggs and Instagram @55iggs
Watch out for Hug Words. This is the title of Sarah’s next book and it’s all about the good words. The story incorporates the five main things that are recognised as being important for our mental health and well-being. Sarah told us she uses the word CLANG to help children to remember Connect, Learn, Active, Notice, Give.
CyberSyd promotes the same principles through the Education Authority’s Take 5 Steps to Wellbeing.
Sarah has kindly sent us some signed copies of Mud Boy to give away to some lucky primary schools! All you need to do is send an email with the title “Mud Boy Competition” to info@cybersyd.net with your name, your school name, and your postal address. The winners will be chosen at random.
Good luck!
The CyberSyd Team