If there's one good outgrowth of the Colorado shootings, it's the recent attention paid to bullying. Having been bullied as a child, and having watched children be bullied and bully, I'm glad this childhood issue isn't being shrugged off so easily. There several great new books ready to come to the rescue of a hurting child.

Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo (Dial, $15.99; ages 4-7) is a bully's tale in animal guise. The hero is a small mouse who is threatened by a fox, owl, and snake. He vanquishes them all by predicting the arrival of the dangerous Gruffalo, a beast with "terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws." In a surprise twist, the mouse runs into the very beast he's invented for his defense. The story is told with rhythm, rhyme, and fanciful illustrations that will appeal to small children. Older children will appreciate the plot twists, irony and the mouse's modeling even the largest bullies can be outwitted by courageous small opponents.

Helen Lester's Hooway for Wodney Wat (Houghton Mifflin, $15.00; ages 5-8) has a hero with a problem. Rodney, a small rat, is plagued by schoolmates who find great amusement in teasing him because he has a hard time pronouncing r's. These bullies wind up on the receiving end with the arrival of a new student, the oversized female bully, Camilla Capybara. She boasts and then proves that she's bigger, meaner, and smarter than any of them. Rodney is terrified when he's selected to lead Simon Says, but his speech deviations turn into difficulties for the unknowing Camilla who responds to his commands by weeding a sign until she's exhausted and whapping her paws around her head until she's punchy. Rodney's voice and sense of self grow stronger and so does the appreciation of his classmates who welcome Camilla's fwustwated depawtuwe.

What happens when two bullies meet? There's a light look at this predicament in Junko Morimoto's retelling, The Two Bullies (Crown, $17.00; ages 5-8). Ni-ou believes he's the strongest man in Japan, but when he hears he's equaled by a man in China called Dokkoi, he's determined to do battle. Through silly circumstance, each believes he's met the match of a lifetime, and both flee, relieved that they don't have to prove their prowess. This folk tale has great under-messages of the fear that runs bullies.

Bullies can change and one does in Sharleen Collicott's Toestomper and the Caterpillars (Houghton Mifflin, $15.00; ages 5-9). Toestomper prides himself on being mean, disgusting, and rude until he meets a mass of small "fuzzies". Slowly he becomes their defender, rejects his past friends and attitudes, and is rewarded with their devotion. Collicott's illustrations add warmth to the story and children will love Toestomper's rude comments.

Wesley, the bullied hero of Paul Fleischman's Weslandia (Candlewick, $15.99; ages 7-10) has "no friends, but plenty of tormentors. Fleeing them was the only sport he was good at." Though his parents are concerned, Wesley cares less especially when he begins a civilization of his own. When a strange eight-petaled plant sprouts in his backyard, Wesley eats its fruit and roots, makes clothes from its fiber, invents a new number system, and discovers games and inventions until "he has no shortage of friends." A noble lesson handled with humor and ingenuity...if you can't beat them, lead them!

Howard, a small boy with big problems, is the hero of Carol Sonenklar's short novel, Might Boy (Orchard, $15.95; ages 7-10) is . Howard, who has moved to New York City from California, uncomfortable in the city setting already, becomes the target of the largest bully in the fourth grade. Howard escapes into a fantasy life where he's comforted daily by the television exploits of superhero, Mighty Boy. When Howard wins a guest appearance on the show and the two get lost in the woods, he discovers Mighty Boy's true identity. The star is only a boy who misses having a normal life and Howard, with his survival and kindness skills, becomes a hero and a true friend. His bravery and the attention of the press earn him the respect of classmates and he finds the confidence to stand up for himself.

Susan Butler's The Hermit Thrush Sings (DK Ink, $16.95; ages 10 and up) has a futuristic setting where an entire society is bullied. Those who have a difference are in the worst trouble. Leora's webbed-hand make her a "defective" and she fears she'll be removed to the Institute. Not that her life is all that happy. She lives, lonely and unloved, with her uncaring stepmother and stepsister, and can't stop missing her father and sister who have disappeared in the forbidden Outside. Continually bullied by classmates, relatives, and family, Leora seeks comfort friendship with a birmba, a creature she's been taught to fear her entire life. Suddenly the tales she's heard seem false and she flees her home. Outside, she discovers her hand allows her to communicate with the flora and fauna, and she has inherited her Grand Nan's gift of seeing. Finding family, friends, those of like spirit, Leora unites a kingdom that desperately needs release from the bullying forces which control it.

One of the most fascinating young adult novels I read this year is a book about a girl who bullies herself. Janet Tashjian's Multiple Choice (Henry Holt,$16.95; ages 11 and up) is about a brilliant girl who's obsessive compulsive. Monica Devon is a whiz at puzzles, and she's smart enough to notice that "98.762 percent of my time is spent obsessing". To release herself and bring spontaneity to her life, she comes up with a frightening plan. She will react to situations depending on which scrabble letter she draws from a bag. "A" means she'll make a normal choice, "B" means a plain dumb choice, a "C" will lead her to decision completely out of character, and "D" will motivate a charitable or sacrificial action. Suddenly Monica is trapped in her game and the risks become more and more dangerous until they are life-threatening. A believable and sad story of a girl's attempt to free herself from herself.