Throughout the month, Barbara Bologna will continue a series of presentations of her newly released, "Bullied Over Sandman's Falls," with book signings at the Salem Church and Snow libraries.

In a setting based on her experience of a fishing expedition, Bologna's plot features a timely-yet-timeless tale of a youth's travails and ultimate victory over mean-spirited taunting. As the story unfolds, persistent bullying by an older cousin escalates to a life-threatening situation, in which the protagonist, Pete, risks his own life to save his little sister who is trapped in a river's current and headed toward a waterfall.

"Even though kids today have video games and movies filled with superheroes and magic, our children still have to deal with the real 'monsters' that confront them in their everyday lives," said Bologna. "In learning to how deal with bullying they are learning lessons about self-control and confronting challenges that will stay with them through their lives."

Collette Caprara is a local writer and artist.