Jason-

One point of clarification -- it might help people answer the question if they had a better sense of the age and gender of the kid you're talking about. Is this a 5 year old? 10 year old? Boy or girl?

Peter
(The guy who runs Flashlight Worthy)

Frank Herbert's Dune

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

The Tao of Pooh/The Te of Piglet provided me a lot of solace and confidence in myself during my younger years.

Good point. However, for those who never pay attention to that themselves, here's a good one: Hooway for Wodney Wat by Helen Lester.

Great illustrations, a lot of fun to read -- and a hit everywhere I've taken it (in elementary schools, mostly).

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/catalog/titledetail.cfm?titleNumber=439859

http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Calm-Confident-Workbook-Assertiveness/dp/1572246308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271095457&sr=1-1

Best for under 10's I think......but could help with older ones too. It addresses a lot of psychological issues in a very child friendly way ;)

Lainey

Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson

the chocolate war by robert cormier

on the other hand - maybe not. the end of this fictional story is not cheerful or much of an "answer" to how to deal with bullies. it's actually grim. and it's been on the banned books list forever..

"Blubber" by Judy Blume is the ne plus ultra book on bullying for me. The protagonist both bullies and is bullied over the course of the story. It's fiction though. Maybe you were looking for self help?