The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

Module 7
March 1 – 7

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
By Carolyn Mackler

Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. 2003. Candlewick Press. ISBN: 0763620912

Synopsis:
Virginia Shreves feels like a black sheep in a picture perfect family. She is slightly overweight and seems unexceptional compared to her parents or siblings. Then Virginia’s brother, Byron, gets into trouble at college and has to move home. Virginia is plunged into the depths of depression, and she begins to question everything that she always thought was a sterling truth. With the help of her good friend, Shannon, Virginia realizes that her limits are only what she believes, and that she is beautiful just as she is.
Michael Printz Award Honor book

My View of the World:
This is a really insightful book about the thoughts of a girl who feels as though she is overweight and an underachiever. While it touches on the topics of eating disorders, self-esteem issues, adolescent sex, and date rape, it is an interesting read and definitely worth having in a library or a classroom. It celebrates teens finding their own identity apart from what popular culture would tell them that they should be.

Book Reviews:
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.-B. Allison Gray. December 1, 2004. School Library Journal.

Virginia Shreves has some serious issues with which to deal. Her body and her inferiority complex are both larger than average. Her best friend just moved away from home in New York City to Walla Walla, Washington, and just might forget Virginia completely. Froggy, her potential boyfriend, is a great kisser, but he never speaks to her outside their Monday afternoon trysts. Worst of all, she is convinced that she was switched at birth because her family is a collection of thin, bright overachievers. Her adolescent psychologist mother is a diet and exercise fanatic, and her jet-setting father openly prefers skinny women. Byron and Anais, Virginia's older brother and sister, are slim, brilliant, and successful-hard acts to follow. Subtract the oddball Virginia from the equation and this fabulous foursome equals a perfect family. At least they seem perfect until an unspeakable act and a telephone call change everything, and Virginia learns that people are not always what they seem. Mackler allows Virginia to narrate the story of her family's destruction and struggle for redemption in a voice that is dead-on, whether sassy and self-assured or agonized and self-destructive. Hilarious, insecure, hopeful, clueless-Virginia is a treasure. All readers will wish they could tell her that themselves. From the eye-catching silver foil cover, with title graphics looking like lipstick, to the upbeat ending, this novel is a required purchase for public library young adult collections. The occasional use of strong language and a few mild sexual allusions are appropriate and well done.-Jamie S. Hansen. October 1, 2003. Voice of Youth Advocates.

In My World:
I would use this book to address issues with teenagers having to do the body image and eating disorders. It cal also speak to self esteem issues and family expectations. I would use this with a select group of teen girls as a book club read to discuss in a group. This can prompt more information about what a healthy body image looks like.