Take That, You Scaredy-Cat! is the first book by actor/writer Byron Marc Newsome. In this 6,800-word story, kids will learn important lessons about how to stand up for themselves and how to overcome the bullies in their lives. The main character is Jay, a short but very smart African American kid who has been bullied at his last school and now has to start a new school. Jay takes the bus by himself and goes to his first class, where a kind teacher introduces him. The kids are nice, he thinks, and then he meets Carmen, “the prettiest girl in the whole wide world”, who actually wants to be his friend. Jay and Carmen meet at lunch, and he confides in her about his painful experiences with bullies. (Kids at his last school called him nerdy-wordy, shrimpy-wimpy, and scaredy-cat.)

But when she is faced with the scary schoolyard bully Big Rufus and his two sidekicks, Carmen doesn’t keep Jay’s secret. Jay will have to learn how to confront his fears, stand up to his enemies, and forgive Carmen for letting him down. Luckily his strong and loving mom knows the secret to standing up to bullies and shares it with him. Take That beautifully captures both the excitement and the vulnerability of being a kid these days. It will make a difference in the lives of kids from ages six on up....