![]() ![]() I think it will be a story that many fifth, sixth and seventh graders will take to heart and that will be invaluable to them as they navigate middle school and body image issues.Ĭons: As much as I loved the verse format, I think its brevity made some of the work done in therapy seem a little quick and easy. ![]() I commend Nancy Paulsen (mentioned in the author’s acknowledgements) for seeing this as a middle grade book instead of YA. Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she's been bullied about her weight. Pros: I inhaled this novel in verse in a single sitting and can’t wait to share it with students at my school. A Printz Honor winner Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse. Includes a brief author’s note explaining how she based Ellie’s bullying on her own experiences. It’s clear there’s still a lot of work to do for Ellie’s family, but by the end she is feeling empowered to confront some of the bullies and to stop hiding who she really is. Fortunately, a new girl next door becomes a friend, and Ellie’s sympathetic dad takes her to a therapist who helps her explore her emotions and learn to stand up for herself. Written in free verse, Starfish follows Ellie, a Texas girl who has been bullied relentlessly for her weight, even by her own mother. Things get worse when her best friend moves away the summer before sixth grade, and Ellie has to face middle school alone. ![]() Summary: Eleven-year-old Ellie has been bullied about her size for many years–by her classmates, her brother, and her mother, who is pushing her to have bariatric surgery. ![]()
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