The Revealers facts for kids

The Revealers is a book written by American author Doug Wilhelm in 2003. It's a story for teenagers about dealing with bullying in middle school. The book shows how kids can work together to stand up to bullies and make a difference.

What is The Revealers About?

Russell's Story

The main character in The Revealers is Russell Trainor. Russell often feels picked on at school. He lives with his mom and feels like a "nobody." People don't talk to him much, and he feels alone.

One day, an eighth-grader named Richie Tucker starts bothering Russell. Richie follows him and threatens him. He even punches Russell and pours root beer on his head. Russell feels like he needs help.

Finding Friends and Ideas

Russell decides to ask Elliot Gekowicz for advice. Elliot is known as the most-picked-on kid at school. Elliot loves dinosaurs and often talks about them. He relates many things to dinosaurs.

Soon, Elliot and Russell become good friends. They also become friends with Catalina, a girl from the Philippines. Catalina receives mean notes from the popular girls, especially Bethany DeMere. After a very rude note, Elliot and Russell want to do something to help.

Later, Elliot has a bad experience with some bullies on his way home. Instead of letting them win, Elliot tries to fight back. He ends up getting hurt near a bridge. He gets a minor head injury and a sprained ankle.

The Bully Lab Idea

Meanwhile, Catalina writes a letter about her experiences. She writes about coming to the United States and what she is going through. She sends this letter to Elliot and Russell. They get an idea to share her story with other seventh-graders.

With help from a teacher, they find a way to share stories. They use the school's internet service, called KidNet. After sharing Catalina's story, Elliot writes his own story too. Soon, other students start sending their stories. They share them with all the seventh-graders, and then with the whole school.

This idea grows into "The Bully Lab." The goal of this website is to let people talk about bullying. Kids can share if they have seen bullying or if they have been bullied themselves. The site later changes its name to "The Revealers." Many kids who have been affected by bullying start sharing their stories. They want to show how big of a problem bullying is in middle schools.

Solving the Problem

However, a popular student named Bethany sends a fake report to The Revealers. Bethany's father threatens to sue the principal. Because of this, the principal shuts down The Bully Lab and KidNet.

Russell, Catalina, and Elliot then come up with a new plan. They decide to create a project for the science fair. Their project is a simulator that shows different bullying situations. They also include surveys and reports they collected. Thanks to their smart idea, Bethany's trick is revealed. Russell, Catalina, and Elliot win the science fair!

The main lesson of this book is important. It teaches that no one should be bullied. It doesn't matter how someone looks, who they are, or where they come from. The book shows how kids can stand up to meanness and make a positive change.

Sequel

A second book, called True Shoes, was released in March 2012. It continues the story of the characters.