If you were bullied in school, statistics show you may not be alone. According to a 2025 study by the National Association of School Psychologists, 33 percent of elementary students reported being bullied often at school.
From the perspective of parents and teachers, who is doing the bullying can be even more confusing.
“In elementary schools, the roles of ‘bully’ and ‘victim’ are often blurred,” stated the NASP. “The same child can be a victim of bullying one day and display bullying behaviors the next day.”
Local authors Betty and Daniel Smith have created a new children’s book that addresses those roles and demonstrates appropriate responses from a child’s perspective.
The Smiths’ new release, “Elijah and Mr. Sage Stand Up to School Bullies,” follows a second-grade student who is being bullied by his classmates. He befriends a wise owl who helps him overcome his fear and address the problem proactively.
Betty Smith is a retired elementary teacher with thirty years of experience observing students and helping them navigate their challenging social landscape.
“I found that providing positive, proactive solutions for my classes to handle bullying was helpful,” observed Mrs. Smith, who was also a finalist for Hamilton County Education Association’s Elementary Teacher of the Year. “I believe bullying has become much more prevalent than it was when I was still teaching.”
After retiring from full-time teaching, Mrs. Smith worked part-time as a reading interventionist. Later, she volunteered as an elementary reading coach at local schools.
Mrs. Smith, who said it has been a long-term goal to publish a children’s book, co-authored the volume with her husband.
Mr. Smith, a retired U.S. Navy senior chief petty officer, Tennessee State Guard lieutenant colonel and former executive director of the National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History in Chattanooga, previously used his expertise to publish four military history reference books.
He later published a heist novel, “The Biltmore’s Mona Lisa.” Once it hit the Amazon bestsellers list for historical fiction, Mrs. Smith said she knew it was the perfect time to pursue her children’s story in partnership with her spouse.
“After Dan’s successes navigating the publishing process, it was now our dream to help others raise happy, healthy children,” Mrs. Smith said. “We hope this book will contribute to that goal.”
While the book's subject matter has long been a passion project for Mrs. Smith, the couple said they knew it would take more than a compelling storyline to bring Elijah and Mr. Sage to life for children.
The book really took shape, they said, once Faith Daan and Hope Daan came on board as illustrators.
The artists are twin sisters who won numerous artistic awards as students at Chattanooga’s Center for Creative Arts magnet school, including the national 2021, 2022 and 2024 Education Staffing Solutions student art contest awards.
The Daans’ artwork has also been displayed around the city on award-winning EPB ArtSpark utility box installations.
Faith and Hope Daan are currently college students studying animation. They are “working on personal projects that explore themes of culture, diversity and acceptance.”
“Elijah and Mr. Sage Stand Up to School Bullies” is available locally at Winder Binder and Reve Coffee and Books, as well as online at Amazon, IngramSpark and BookShop.
More information about the book, its authors and illustrators is available at danielsmithbooks.net.