Teen Pick: Fat Boy vs. the Cheerleaders

Fat Boy vs the Cheerleaders
by Geoff Herbach
Sourcebooks Fire
2014
320 pages
ISBN: 9781402291418

Available May 6, 2014

Geoff Herbach tells a story like no other YA author can--he tells it with outrageous humor, spot-on teen dialog, and believable snark.

Gabe Johnson is the butt (pun intended) of the whole school's jokes. They call him names, they laugh at his butt shaking dances, and jocks go out of their way to defeat him. Popular cheerleaders Janessa and Emily  take cheap shots at Gabe calling him Chunk. This band geek is about to explode, and when he does, he will enrage fellow band students to stand up to the cheerleaders and jocks.

When the funds from the coke machine are diverted from Gabe's school band to the cheerleaders for a new dance team, Gabe makes a stand...this is not just a stand. It is of epic proportions. Gabe LOVES band--and now the principal is cancelling summer band camp so the cheerleaders can have their dance team? With the help of his friends and supporters, Gabe stirs the entire school and community of small town Minnekota Lake into an uproar.

The novel is told in the form of Gabe's statement to his attorney Henry Rodriguez. Gabe finds himself needing representation after an unfortunate series of events.

The character of Gabe is believable, loveable, and he turns out to be harder than steel instead of soft as a marshmallow. This fat boy is mad and working on himself. He won't be the butt of their jokes forever, he decides. The only reason he's the center of the mean kids' wrath is that he makes himself the center of it. Gabe realizes he has more than one fight on his hands. He just needs to convince himself that he is capable of changing himself. Once his mindset has changed, the kids can't get to him anymore.

Readers who love an underdog will love Gabe and his journey to become a winner. They will be rooting for him and his cause.

Highly recommended grade 9-up. Language. Mature situations. On-line bullying.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Teen Pick: 45 Pounds (More or Less)

45 Pounds (More or Less)
by K.A. Barson
Viking
2013
256 pages
ISBN: 9780670784820

"You'll love this book so much that you'll wish you had a friend like Ann." --Cynthia Leitich Smith, New York Times bestselling author

Poignant and savvy, 45 Pounds (More or Less) will tug at the  heartstrings. Sixteen year old Ann Galardi's life revolves around food, so much so that she is now wearing size 17 and some of those clothes are starting to feel pretty snug. Picture perfect size 6 Mom is constantly fighting with Ann over food choices.

Ann hates her weight, and she hates arguing about it and her mother's constant harping and veiled looks when Ann puts even  a bite of food in her mouth. Ann decides to take action when her Aunt Jackie announces plans for her upcoming wedding. Ann wants to lost weight to look nice for the wedding.

Armed with her debit card and a new resolve Ann orders a diet plan from an Infomercial. She eats the tasteless, unappealing food and soon sees the pounds dropping off. When she gets hired  at The Twisted Pretzel, a food court pretzel eatery, Ann has to  fight her demons. She will not eat pretzels or anything else from the food court.

Weeks pass and Ann continues to lose weight. People start to notice, too. Ann is on cloud nine when a cute guy stops by the pretzel shop and flirts with her. Later, she finds out he is her co-worker's cousin.

Family life is tense at home when Ann's stepfather's mother spends the night. Meal time is always tense with Ann's mother and little sister constantly fighting over food. Libby doesn't like to eat what is served to her, and Ann's mother tries forcing her to eat. Eating issues plague this family and the reader begins to see what drives Ann to find solace in food.

Highly, highly recommended for anyone who has ever been on a diet and anyone who loves a slightly flawed character who is not a size 0. Ann has spunk and charm--she is no quitter and no pushover. This is a real character who will resonate with teens.

Grade 7 and up with this warning: Ann's father cheated on her mother and she divorced him. Also, Ann's Aunt Jackie is a lesbian and marrying a woman. The publisher says age 12 and up. Depending on your community, this book may be high school level only. No language, no sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Father's Day Pick: Drop Dead Healthy

Drop Dead Healthy
by A.J. Jacobs
Simon & Schuster
2012
402 pages with extensive index

Just in time for Father's Day, this gem of a self-help book will have fathers rolling on the floor laughing--it may be the best exercise yet. A.J. Jacobs, best-selling writer and editor at large of Esquire Magazine, takes on the topic of good health and turns it into a laugh riot. He tackles each body system with a passion reporting his findings in this very funny self-help book. This is the perfect gift for any man in your life: brothers, uncles, fathers, husbands and sons. Any male who is trying to improve his health will appeciate Jacobs' dry wit.

When he begins his experiment, Jacobs has a middle age paunch and tries never to exercise. He devotes almost a year to reading self-help books and hooking up with experts, gurus, doctors, and wacky individuals whose ideas run the gamut: the Caveman Workout, the Running Barefoot Movement, acupuncture, self-massage, chewdaism, relieving stress, and conquering noise pollution.

Jacobs tries everything. He spends a week trying out each new exercise or diet regime. He even tries to sleep with a mask that helps people who suffer sleep apnea, and he records his findings in this book inluding how many miles he's racked up on his treadmill "desk"--he writes the book while walking on his treadmill--how many pounds he's lost/gained, and he even records hours of sleep he gets each night.

To give a snapshot of the extensiveness of his research, here is a partial list from the index:

aerobic exercise, 348
brainpower, boosted by, 174-5
for eyes, 329
for Finger Fitness, 305-7, 309
in guerrilla exercises, 353-54
longevity linked to, 44-45
schedule for, 33
slow fitness vs., 158-61


When Jacobs goes to meet Paul McGlothin, director of research for a non-profit group, Calorie Restriction Society, he says,

"He's skinny, but not the POW skinny I was expecting. More like lead-singer-of-an-emo-band skinny." Funny, right? His observations are spot-on and comedic.

Jacobs spends three hours in Central Park "huffing and puffing" and acting like a Caveman with a few other New York exercise enthusiasts. He decides to give up on the Caveman regime after meeting over-achiever Caveman Vlad.

I learned a lot about health and healthy ideas from this book, and I was entertained the entire time. When was the last time you actually laughed about calories, dieting and exercising?

From "The Ten Best Pieces of Food Advice I've Gotten All Year":

"Don't eat white stuff unless you want to get fatter.
Make it crunchy.
If you are going to eat meat, make it a side dish.
Protein and fats for breakfast.
Eat your colors.
Buy a steamer."

Do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy today. You'll spend hours laughing with and at A.J. Jacobs.

Highly, highly recommended for anyone with a sense of humor who is interested in health, nutrition, exercise, and good plain fun. Recommended for health and fitness collections.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I bought this book after reading about it in a magazine aboard a Southwest flight. I purchased it for myself.