Does This Book Make Me Look Fat?: Stories About Loving -- and Loathing -- Your Body
Grade 7 Up—This is a well-intentioned book of essays and short stories by a diverse group of young adult authors including Barry Lyga and Ellen Hopkins. The selections are pretty evenly divided between fiction and personal essay; however, all touch on the concept of body image (defined here in terms of weight). Two stories, by Sarra Manning and Coe Booth, distinguish themselves by not addressing body image in these terms, focusing instead on breast and butt size, respectively. Although three of the selections feature male subjects, it is clear that the collection anticipates a female readership. While Daniel Pinkwater's and Lyga's contributions are what seem to be personal essays about the authors' own thoughts on weight, Matt de la Peña's short story is told from the perspective of an older brother dealing with his sister's anorexia. The collection concludes with a list of recommended reading and viewing, a list of songs entitled "Big Girls Don't Cry," and an unannotated list of Web sites, some of which promote healthy body images for teens, others of which are commercial sites featuring plus-size clothing. From the selections to the recommendations, it is clear that this book is attempting to advance self-acceptance; however, the limited breadth of the stories, and the dubious commercial/public service nature of the webliography result in a mixed message.—Amy S. Pattee, Simmons College, BostonCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.