There is nothing subtle about “To This Day,” a powerful spoken-word poem in which Shane Koyczan gives a passionate account of the impact of bullying, beginning with his own experiences in childhood before bringing other stories into the light. He focuses not just on the child who is relentlessly bullied and teased, but on what happens to that child when he or she grows up believing they are worthless. Ultimately, Koyczan affirms the strength of survivors: “Because how can you hold your ground / if everyone around you wants to bury you beneath it / you have to believe that they were wrong / they have to be wrong / why else would we still be here?” This book, which can be a conversation starter in classrooms, is also, for all readers and listeners, testament to the profound power of language not only to hurt, but also to help heal. In an unusual reversal, this is a work in which the book came after the movie — or rather, the video, which went viral on YouTube after it was first released in February 2013. Thirty artists from around the world contributed to this work, each one of them illustrating a section of the poem. More about the poem’s origins, and efforts to combat bullying, are included. (Age 10 and older)

An authentic rallying cry for anyone who has been affected by bullying. In February 2013, Shane Koyczan's passionate anti-bullying poem "To This Day" electrified the world. An animated video of the lyric narrative went viral, racking up over 12 million hits to date and inspiring an international movement against bullying in schools. Shane later performed the piece to sustained applause on the stage of the 2013 annual TED Conference. Now this extraordinary work has been adapted into an equally moving and visually arresting book. Thirty international artists, as diverse as they are talented, have been inspired to create exceptional art to accompany "To This Day." Each page is a vibrant collage of images, colors and words that will resonate powerfully with anyone who has experienced bullying themselves, whether as a victim, observer, or participant. Born of Shane's own experiences of being bullied as a child, To This Day expresses the profound and lasting effect of bullying on an individual, while affirming the strength and inner resources that allow people to move beyond the experience. A heartfelt preface and afterword, along with resources for kids affected by bullying, make this book an invaluable centerpiece of the anti-bullying movement.