Starfish features Ellie, a fat girl who has been bullied for her weight since she wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash in the pool. Even her older brother and sister make fun of her weight. Her mom controls her diet, monitoring her portions and choosing lackluster “healthy” alternatives. Ellie is feeling more disheartened because her friend Viv who is also plus-sized is moving away.
Review | Love Is a Revolution
In Love Is a Revolution, Nala Robertson is a big Black girl who lives with her cousin Imani and Imani’s parents. Imani is an environmental activist with the group Inspire Harlem. When Nala attends Imani’s birthday open-mic night, she meets a charismatic young man named Tye. Tye is also an activist who is immediately drawn to Nala. Nala is eager to impress and starts a series of lies, telling Tye that she is a vegan and pretending to be active in community work at her grandmother’s home for the elderly.
The two soon start dating but the relationship is obviously built on lies. Nala quickly becomes uncomfortable, worrying that Tye only likes her for the fake persona she created.
23 Best Middle-Grade Books About Body Image and Body Positivity
I love that there have been more middle-grade books about body image and body positivity out in recent times. Body image issues are real, and often they start while we’re young. In this list of middle-grade books about body image and body positivity, you’ll find books aimed at tweens and younger teens. These stories feature young people dealing with body confidence due to bullying about their weight, skin color, skin conditions, medical conditions, height, and even one book where a character struggles with accepting her monolid. I’ve read several of these books and the rest come highly recommended for being strongly body positive and helping readers, young and old, find a measure of body acceptance.
Review | Turning Point
In Turning Point, we reunite with the Pirates Cove gang (minus a few) — mostly Mila, Mo, Sheeda, and Tai. This book focuses on Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda)’s friendship and how it changes over a summer when both girls are drawn into different pursuits. Mo is off at a ballet intensive with Mila, while Sheeda is stuck at church (with her church “friends”) feeling like she has no life.
