THE EARTH, MY BUTT & OTHER BIG ROUND THINGS is a coming of age novel about Virginia Shreves as she struggles to find a place to fit in at school and longs for her parent’s approval all the while obsessing about being overweight. Virginia is sure she was switched at birth. "I just know there's a stout, blong family out there, wondering how they wound up with a beautiful, slim, borwn-haired daughter" (page 15). She lives by a Fat Girl Code of Conduct which includes rules for relationships with boys. She knows she can never live up to the expectations her parents have for her. She has an older sister who joined the Peace Corp and an older brother who was the rugby hero of the school. After dealing with the fact that her brother is less than perfect she comes to find out that she has to be true to herself and that will make her happy. When Virginia decides to start doing the things that make her happy she realizes that even though she will still face trials, she will make it.
Teens will be able to relate to Virginia either through the fact that she is overweight, has trouble finding new friends at school after her best friend moves away, or wishing her parents would notice something about her besides her weight. The only part of the book that teens might find unbelievable is the fact that when she stands up to her parents at the end it seems that all is right with her world.
The plot is fast paced and easy to follow. It will keep the readers attention from beginning to end. “Told through first-person narrative, journal entries, and e-mail, Virginia's story will interest readers who are looking for one more book with teen angst, a bit of romance, and a kid who is a bit like them or their friends” (Richmond 2003).
This book covers some heavy topics such as eating disorders, both binge eating and bulimia. It also discusses date rape and the consequences of those actions. Librarians can help students connect to this book by asking them if they have ever felt like they were put in the wrong family. This is a great book for young adults to read to help them discover that life is not perfect no matter how perfect it looks on the outside.
Reference List:
Richmond, Gail. "Review of The Earth, My Butt, & other Big Round Things." School Library Journal 49, no. 9 (2003): 218. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?authtype=ip,uid&profile=ehost&defaultdb=lih (accessed September 17, 2011).
No comments:
Post a Comment