Module 15: The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler

"I know what it's like to hate your body so much that you want to hurt it."

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Citation

Mackler, C.  (2003).  The earth, my butt, and other big round things.  Cambridge, Mass:  Candlewick Press.

Summary

Virginia Shreves is fifteen, overweight and self-conscious.  She also might be the only person in Manhattan--or maybe in the world--who hasn't French-kissed.  Her best friend, Shannon, has moved across the country, and her parents don't seem to notice her in between weekend golf trips.   Froggy Welsh the Fourth--yes, that's his real name--has provided some physical distractions, but Viriginia still doesn't want him actually seeing her body.  Between her classmates, her mother, and herself, she is surrounded by pressure to slim down.  And then her older brother, Byron, comes home from Columbia in the middle of the semester.  As she deals with her brother's fall from grace, she begins to feel more empowered about her life and her body.

My Impressions

I was initially a little concerned about Virginia's priorities at the beginning of the book, as she seemed somewhat shallow.  However, she quickly won me over with her smart, candid voice.  She feels very much like a regular teenager, and I quickly related my own teenage insecurities with hers, even if they weren't the same.  Her issues are real, relevant, and necessary to confront.  Body image, fitting in, family dynamics, boys, friends, and boyfriends are all dealt with in this book, leaving the reader satisfied and, possibly, with a stronger sense of self-confidence.

Reviews

School Library Journal

"Gr 7-10-- Overweight 15-year-old Virginia Shreves is the misfit in what she perceives as her perfect, thin, good-looking, exceptional family in this novel by Carolyn Mackler (Candlewick, 2003). Her usually absent father and adolescent psychologist mother are so stifling that Virginia's older sister joins the Peace Corp to escape. Big brother Byron is universally adored by all, particularly Virginia, until halfway through the novel when he is suspended from college for date rape. Virginia slowly comes to realize that Byron is the cause of many of her insecurities, and she is the only one in the family to acknowledge and do something about the fact that he did commit this terrible crime. The absence of Virginia's best friend, romantic entanglement with Froggy Welsh, and the many casual cruelties perpetrated on her by the in-crowd cause Virginia stress and create a serious lack of self- esteem. However, once she realizes her perfect family isn't quite as flawless as she thought, Virginia is empowered to stand up to her awful but well-intentioned mother, reestablish contact with Froggy, and even do the ultimate in teen defiance-get a body piercing. Johanna Parker is a superb narrator for this first person novel. She successfully portrays the angry mother, clueless father, whiny and irresponsible brother, vapid in-girls and, best of all, the appealing main character. Pacing is excellent and Parker perfectly conveys the nuances of teen insecurity in all its painful glory. While the author tries to deal with too many issues and ends up giving many of them short shrift, teens will certainly care and root for the marvelous Virginia Shreves."

Gray, B.A. & Mandell, P.L.  (2004).  [Review of the book The earth, my butt, and other round things by C. Mackler].  School Library Journal, 50(12), 76-78.  Retrieved from http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com.

Publishers Weekly

""Chubby" New York City teenager Virginia Shreves is having a hard time: not only is her best friend, Shannon, spending the school year out west, but Virginia's being pressured about her weight by her family-especially her formerly fat mother, a prominent adolescent psychologist. Lonely and insecure, Virginia has even started to hurt herself. When the brother she worships is suspended from college for date rape, the news shocks Virginia into realizing that her "stellar" family isn't as perfect as her mother says it is, and that she doesn't have to conform to her mother's expectations. Mackler (Love and Other Four-Letter Words) occasionally uses a heavy hand when it comes to making her points ("Recently, I've been finding it harder to pretend that everything is A-OK"), and some of the plot elements, such as the overweight teacher who looks out for Virginia, or Virginia's discovery that a popular girl has an eating disorder, seem scripted. The date rape story line, on the other hand, is gutsy; her brother wasn't just accused of date rape, he actually committed the crime. Ultimately, readers will find it easy to relate to Virginia; she loves junk food, gets nervous about finding someone to sit with in the cafeteria and can't believe that Froggy, the boy she has secretly made out with after school, could be interested in her, not just using her. The e-mails she exchanges with Shalmon, and the lists she makes (e.g., "The Fat Girl Code of Conduct") add both realism and insight to her character. The heroine's transformation into someone who finds her own style and speaks her own mind is believable-and worthy of applause. Ages 14-up."

Roback, D., Brown, J.M., Bean, J. & Zaleski, J.  (2003).  [Review of the book The earth, my butt, and other big round things by C. Mackler].  Publishers Weekly, 250(29), 197.

Suggested Library Uses

• This book would be an excellent inclusion on any teens' book club list.  It makes an encouraging story full of discussion points that would hit home with almost any teenage girl.
• Have the teen group start their own webzine where they can share their own thoughts through articles, editorials, comics, etc.

Find it @ Your Library - Albany County Public Library

I FICTION M218E (young adult fiction)

Notes

YALSA Teens' Top 10, ALA, 2004

Michael L. Printz Honor Book, 2004