(3) 4-6 Fact Finders: Focus on Health series. Four short chapters define each health concern as well as identify causes, treatment, and lifestyle issues. Written in an upbeat and nonjudgmental tone, basic diagnostic procedures, simple physiological information, and a few personal stories are included; each chapter is heavily illustrated with full-color photos and clear diagrams and charts. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Fact Finders: Focus on Health titles: What You Need to Know About Allergies and What You Need to Know About Obesity.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) 4-6 Matters of Opinion series. This slim volume models persuasive essay writing and broadly introduces oft-debated issues surrounding obesity. Chapters open with a key question (e.g. "Can the Government Prevent Obesity?"), followed by "Yes" and "No" arguments that advance opposing theses; follow-up sections highlight the debate techniques implemented. Relevant stock photos break up the somewhat choppy text. Essay-writing guidelines are appended. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(4) YA Issues in Society series. An introduction explicates this worldwide health problem. One chapter zeroes in on the mental and physical consequences of obesity and four subsequent chapters explore possible solutions: government regulation, education, marketing restrictions, taxation of sugary drinks and snacks. Generic color photos and occasional "Viewpoint" sections add interest to the dense prose and dull, textbook-like layout. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) YA Former "America's Fattest Teen" Libby Strout has finally lost enough weight to go back to school, only to immediately find herself at odds with popular Jack Masselin, who has a secret of his own: he has prosopagnosia (face blindness). Themes of seeing and being seen resonate throughout the novel, with an alternating narrative that effectively captures both Jack's and Libby's unique perspectives.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) YA At 302 pounds, fifteen-year-old Ever is teased or ignored by her classmates and taunted by an inner voice telling her she's ugly and unloved. After she undergoes gastric bypass surgery and starts losing weight, Ever begins to see others--and herself--in a more positive light. This is an honest and engrossing portrait of an exceptionally difficult journey toward self-acceptance.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) YA Eating Right series. These books about nutrition and the pitfalls of irresponsible eating are not exactly scintillating, but they are, true to the authors' intent, written "in a way that makes the science you need to understand as palatable as the foods you love." Charts, graphs, fact boxes, diagrams, and the occasional photo break up the chapters, which end with unnecessary summaries. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Eating Right titles: Basic Nutrition, Nutrition and Eating Disorders, Nutrition and Weight Management, and Nutrition for Sports and Exercise.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) YA "Statuesque" British teen Angelica Cookson Potts returns for a second volume, her love of food (and comical line-drawn caricatures and handy recipes) intact. The story revolves around Angelica's dad's arrest for protesting inauthentic Scottish haggis at Harrods and has a shallower, melodramatic tone, lacking the well-honed messages about weight found in My Cup Runneth Over, but it still qualifies as guilty pleasure.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) YA When Virginia's brother, whom she worships, is found guilty of date rape, she finally begins to acknowledge her picture-perfect family's dysfunctions. An insecure girl desperate for the approval of her weight- and appearance-obsessed family, Virginia believably transforms into a confident young woman. Mackler does a fine job introducing girls to a very cool chick with a little meat on her bones.

Reviewer: Jennifer M. Brabander | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2003

(3) YA Vivacious, plus-sized Angel Cookson Potts relishes the company of her petite, gorgeous gal pals, endures her eccentric family, and dreams of being a "foodie." Her intensely readable, Brit-inflected first-person voice (interrupted by caricatures and chatty recipes) bears readers along with Angel as she deals (healthily) with her size and becomes the hit of the fashion show at the end of the book.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Nutrition and Fitness series. Each of these slender guides explains how to pursue a given sport for enjoyment and health, adding advice on proper nutrition and hydration, warming up, special equipment, and safety. The pages are cluttered with distracting design elements, but the information is simple and well organized. Sidebars describe teens' fitness experiences; color photos illustrate the books. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 This sequel to Romance of the Snob Squad finds sixth-grader Jenny and her three best friends, a.k.a. the "Snob Squad," trying to figure out who has been stealing money from a teacher. As suspicion falls on each girl in turn, their friendships begin to splinter. The characters seem drawn with too-broad brush strokes, but Peters writes of the vagaries of adolescent relationships with sympathy and humor.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Andy Rash. Sent to fat camp by their parents, plus-sized siblings Ralph and Sylvia balk at Camp Noo Yoo's compulsory aerobics, Creative Abuse and Motivation classes, and skimpy meals. Along with another recalcitrant camper, they run away and spend the summer waging a "psychological war" against fat prejudice. This very funny book offers thought-provoking social commentary and an overt message of tolerance and self-acceptance.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2001

(4) 4-6 Nutrition and Fitness series. In each book, brief chapters cover definitions, sort fact from fiction, and provide a few recipes and simple suggestions for healthier eating. Peer and advertising pressures on teens are acknowledged, while knowledgeable, independent choices are promoted. The relentlessly upbeat tone is annoying, but the information presented is solid. Color photos are included. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Emily Bolam. Murphy, a yellow lab, loves to lie on the porch and eat treats, but one day his owner, Cheryl, decides he's too fat. No matter how much Murphy protests, Cheryl puts him on a diet and buys a treadmill. Soon, Murphy begins to enjoy the attention when everyone comes to see him walking on the treadmill. Although the story is somewhat lackluster, the bright cartoonlike illustrations add humor.

Reviewer: Patricia Riley

(4) YA These self-help books address teenage girls directly, bringing a girl-power attitude to discussions of school, home, body image, and sports. Peppered with statistics and quotes from young people, the pages are lightened by a number of graphic elements. Although the texts overlap and there are many books on these subjects, these books deliver a good dose of pep talk about self-esteem. Each contains an extensive resource list. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 When young Hillary, comfortable with her round self, has a chance to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress, svelte sister Felice convinces her to lose weight for the audition. An encounter with a famed actress, round but glamorous, restores Hillary's contentment with her weight. The message is obvious, but the pastel-colored illustrations of the cat characters are amusing.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) YA While spending the summer at her eccentric artist aunt's house, Colie reinvents herself with the help of two older girls who waitress with her, regaining the confidence she lost when she was overweight and picked on. Supporting characters tend to steal the show in this first-person novel, because the narrator is bland and timid by comparison, even after her transformation occurs.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann

(3) YA Wise-cracking Elvin from Slot Machine is back, maneuvering the perils of overweight adolescence with the help of pals Frankie, Mikie, and his sharp-as-nails mother while dealing with hemorrhoids, bullies, a semi-comatose dog, and sweaty-palmed dances with their sister school. The verbal by-play is hugely entertaining, and the teenaged sweethearts act their ages to perfection.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Jenny and her pals the Snob Squad are back, training a rat to run an obstacle course for the school science fair and competing with enemies Ashley and Melanie for the affections of two of the sixth grade's finest boys. Jenny's snappy asides range from hysterically funny to sadly self-deprecating as she struggles with her weight and her dysfunctional family.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam