Michele Yulo is a mom with a mission.  She has taken a stand against bullying in schools, but not in the way you might expect.  Rather than fighting an individual battle behind closed doors, she has taken a different and far more creative approach.  She's written a children's book and developed a brand.

Yulo's daughter Gabi shunned dresses and princesses and all things pink in favor of hanging out with her dad in his workshop and playing superheroes. Rather than argue with her, Yulo embraced Gabi for who she was and what she loved.  She launched a web site, the Princess Free Zone (PFZ), which "provides an opportunity for individual choice and seeks to remove barriers by sending the message to young girls that, while princess play is valid, it is okay to not like dressing up like a princess or similar play."  Instead of pushing girls toward pink and frilly and boys toward blue and tough, PFZ advocates exposing children to all toys and activities and letting them choose for themselves what suits them.  As Yulo says, "a girl can wear a tiara if she wants, but she should feel free to take it off as well."

Princess Free Zone is more than just a website and a philosophy, though.  Michele has launched a brand, complete with characters, gear, and now, books.

On Tuesday morning, Yulo shared the first book, "Super Tool Lula," with first and second graders at Livsey Elementary School.  In the book, kids pick on ten-year-old Lula because she's different and she "acts like a boy." Lula's mom offers some very wise advice and tells her that "they're just jealous of you because you're not trying to be anyone but you."

Lula's dad then shares a family secret -- that her grandfather had been a real superhero who fought bullies.  Inside his toolbox was a magic compass which Dad gives to Lula.  With the magic toolbox and compass, Lula becomes "Super Tool Lula," a superhero with the power to find bullies and change their hearts, filling them with kindness. 

Following the reading of the story, Michele took questions from the audience and the first and second graders very quickly became a focus group, asking thoughtful questions and offering advice (they pointed out to Yulo that Lula's dog would need a super hero costume, as well, so that he wouldn't blow Lula's disguise). 

When asked how she became an author, Yulo told the kids, "You guys, anyone can be an author.  All you have to do is write." 

Another question was, "How did you decide to write about a girl superhero?,"
to which she replied, "My daughter likes superheroes, and I realized that there aren't many that are girls." 

As for Super Tool Lula's powers?  Yulo said she wanted to create a hero "that fights bullies...because we all know that bullying is bad, right?  It's not a good thing."  The kids nodded in agreement.

The book has not yet been published, but Yulo has already worked with an illustrator (Marley Smith) and brought the pictures with her for the kids to see.  She also played the guitar and sang Lula's theme song, which you can see and listen to here.

The students responded very enthusiastically to both the story and the message, asking when the books would be available in stores, asking for Yulo to write more stories about Lula and her friends, and even suggesting movies, television shows, and Halloween costumes based on the books. 

The characters and storyline, while very fun and engaging for kids, promote a positive message that ties in well with DeKalb County Schools' recently adopted stronger stance against bullying. 

If you would like Michele Yulo to read her book and discuss bullying for your school or group, please contact her at Michele@PrincessFreeZone.com.