Crutcher, C. (2003). Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of
HarperCollins.
Eric
Calhoune (Moby) is the fat kid in his school and his best friend Sarah Brynes
is the weird girl whose body is covered with burn scars. His senior year Moby
joins the swim team, he starts to lose the unwanted weight and is starting to
fit in and gain popularity. When Moby starts to lose weight, he is faced with
another problem. He believes if he loses the weight there won’t be a bond that
brought him and Sarah Brynes together in the first place. I really enjoyed how
all the characters in this book were invested in Moby and Sarah Brynes. It was
also refreshing to see a true friendship in Sarah Brynes and Moby that did not
turn into a romantic relationship.
In addition Ms. Lemry was a great adult
character in the book. It is difficult for teenagers to seek help from adults
who will really listen and try to help them with everyday problems. It felt
good to see that there was a connection with adults and teenagers in a positive
way. The plot moved at a steady pace. The author also included the background
of how Moby and Sarah Bynres became friends. The author does a good job on
taking on several young adult issues such as obesity, domestic violence and the
importance of life relatable. The book reminds you that adults can be horrible villains,
make and do bad things to kids all the time. But adults can also be loving,
brave, courageous heroes. All it takes is for you as an adult to build a trusting
relationship like Ms. Lemry. In my opinion she was the true hero, light, and
hope in this book. This book won the California Young Readers Medal for Young
Adults. Below I have linked the author’s Chris Crutcher website.
Grade Level Recommendation: 9-12th
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