“The Reader Who Was Bullied”

"The Reader Who Was Bullied"

Mia loved books more than anything else in the world.

While other kids ran around the playground, she liked to sit

quietly with a story in her hands. Books took her to magical

places—faraway kingdoms, deep oceans, and even outer space.

But not everyone understood Mia. At school, some kids wou

ld whisper and laugh when they saw her reading alone.

"Why are you always reading?"

one boy, Jake, would say.

"Don’t you have anything better to do?"

Mia would look down at her book and stay quiet.

She didn’t want to argue. Reading made her happy, even if

others didn’t get it. One day during lunch, Mia sat at he

r

usual table with a book open in front of her.

A group of kids walked by and started making fun of her.

"Look, it’s the book girl again,"

one of them said.

"Maybe she thinks she’s too smart for us,"

another added. Mia felt her cheeks turn red.

She quickly closed her book, her hands shaking a little.

She wished she could disappear. That afternoon, in class,

the teacher announced a reading project.

"Each of you will choose a book

and present your favorite part to the class,"

she said with a smile. Mia’s heart raced.

She loved reading—but speaking in front of everyone?

That was different. And she knew the kids who teased her

would be watching. That night, Mia sat on her bed, stari

ng at the book she had chosen for her project.

Normally, reading made her feel calm and happy—but now, she

felt nervous.

"What if they laugh at me again?"

she whispered to herself. She thought about asking her

teacher if she could skip the presentation.

But deep inside, she knew she didn’t want to give up

something she loved. So Mia took a deep breath and

began to practice. At first, her voice was very quiet.

She stumbled over some words and kept stopping.

But she didn’t quit. She tried again… and again… and

again. Her mom noticed her practicing and sat beside her.

"You don’t have to be perfect,"

her mom said gently.

"Just be brave enough to try."

Mia nodded. She kept practicing until her voice grew a

little stronger. The next day at school, Mia held her boo

k tightly as her teacher called students one by one.

Her heart pounded louder with each name.

Finally, it was her turn.

"Mia, you’re up,"