When you're looking for a vacation but don't have much money, a book can often be the best alternative. Books contain some of the best adventures with some of the most likable heroes. Reading has also been linked to intelligence. It's a wonderful and fun way to learn. That said, some people still don't get the appeal.
Callum Manning is a 13-year-old book fanatic. He likes reading so much that he even made an Instagram account to specifically talk about books and reach out to others who were also interested in literature. It's a noble venture, but one that other teens didn't necessarily understand. Instead of praising him or joining him, some went ahead and mocked him. That's right — Callum was bullied for loving books.
Even worse, Callum is one of the newest kids at his school. That means that some of his bullies didn't even give him a chance. They saw something they didn't understand and attacked him for it.
"Kids in his new school have seen it and have created a group chat calling him a creep slagging him off about it and added him to it so he could see," said Callum's older sister, Ellis Landreth, to CNN. She tweeted about the cruel thing that was happening, not expecting her tweet to go viral. But it did.
Currently, Cal has 260,000 followers. Even Harper Collins added him on Instagram, telling him that it would love to send him even more books. "Hi Callum!" the publisher wrote. "We are huge fans of what you’re doing to share your love of books and would love to support you on your reading journey with more books!"
Ellis says her brother has become overwhelmed. But that's good. He found what he was seeking the whole time — people to talk about books with. Even better, Callum gives every type of book a try. One of his most recent reviews was on Pride and Prejudice, the classic Jane Austen novel that most 13-year-old boys would not even consider reading.
Other bookshops are also excited to give Callum free books. In fact, he may never need to buy a new book again based on all of the support he's gotten. It just goes to show you that books don't make someone weird. Books are a wonderful way to connect people. The support he's gotten is proof that he's not alone.
The bullying was absolutely cruel. According to his sister, Callum was briefly added to the bullies' group chat so that he would see what other people were saying about him and his account. Before Callum could even defend himself or speak up, he was removed from the group. Hopefully, the group has since dissolved — since actions like that are just reprehensible.
His sister also mentioned that his mom is elated over the support he's gotten. "She's so happy people are spreading positive messages about these issues," she said. "No matter how small some things seem, they can stick with kids forever." It also proves that bullies can target people for any reason. That's enough to make any child paranoid about what they choose to share.
The first book that Callum talked about was The Shining. "So I guess I'm going to start this account off with one of my favourite books," he wrote. "This book was the first book I read in 1 day. And I was like 10. So yeah it scared me." Followers responded back with positive messages, with one account — @itsameprince — stating that "Keep the reading up. You'll be laughing at those who laughed at you from your Ferrari."
Next up, Callum reviewed You. In doing so, he made people aware of the fact that the popular Netflix show was actually a book first. "So, I'm reading this book at the moment and it's great," he stated. "It's [in] my opinion better [than] the TV show but the TV show was really good."
So is there a book that Callum doesn't like? He tried out the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, but they just weren't for him. "OK books to be honest, but not for me," he explained. "I loved these books as a kid," replied @aztechvegan. "I remember waiting on new ones to come out."
The account, in general, is a reminder that bullying never pays. And even though children have gotten kinder than they used to be, it's still a huge problem that can affect people for life. Ellis' tweet brought about plenty of sweet words from people who know how harmful bullying can be.
Sometimes, hearing success stories from kids who were also bullied can be very inspirational. It's proof that with a little bit of confidence and encouragement, anyone can rise above. Oftentimes, bullies pick their victims because they, themselves, are insecure and are too afraid to admit it.
It must have been such a boost for Callum to see his followers rise. In his Instagram stories, he says he was happy to reach 100. Now, he's got thousands of people cheering him on and ready to discuss books. And the more his story gets out, the more followers he'll rack up.
"Just wanna let you know that anyone whose ever bullied me, has essentially led a really boring life," a follower named @callantini said. "Kids take all types of opportunities to take out their insecurities on others, it has absolutely nothing to do with you and they must be really hurting to want to hurt someone else. Keep reviewing books and doing what you like to do! Who knows maybe you’ll be the next great book critic!"
It's good advice for everyone. Never let negative people bring you down and stop you from doing something you love to do. Especially if it's something harmless like creating an Instagram account to highlight quality reads. While some people have reportedly continued on with their negativity toward Callum, the good definitely outweighs the bad.
You should let Callum serve as an inspiration. Go ahead and do something creative that might not have an audience at first. You never know what may happen. Just know that true friends and supporters won't make fun of you for having a healthy hobby. The second someone mocks your love of reading, you may want to cut them loose.
