By Judy Blume
A fifth-grader joins the class in tormenting one girl, then becomes the target herself.
Linda gives a class report on whales, and Wendy — the confident, popular girl who runs things — nicknames her "Blubber." It sticks. Jill, who tells the story, joins in. Not because she hates Linda, but because going along with Wendy is easier and more fun than being the one left out. The teasing keeps escalating until the class puts Linda through a mock 'trial' in the coat room. Then Jill crosses Wendy, and by the next day she's the one everyone's turned on, finding out from the inside how it feels. Blume doesn't tidy any of it up: nobody makes a speech, and Wendy never really pays for what she started.
Most bullying stories are about a child resisting the pressure. This one is about a child who gives in completely, and that's what makes it hard to shake. Jill isn't a monster; she's ordinary, taking the easy path, and Blume lets that sit there without excusing it or punishing it. There's no lesson handed over. For a nine-to-twelve-year-old who has watched this happen at school, or been part of it, seeing it laid out this plainly can feel a little too close.