Do you remember the transformative book that made you feel finally seen? For me, that book is on this list. And I didn’t come to it until I was in my 40s. Can you imagine how different things might have been if they had published this book when I was in college? While body-positive narratives and books featuring plus-size bodies are gaining traction, it is refreshing to see publishers and authors creating stories about people of all sizes. I love seeing books with characters whose bodies take up space and who are unapologetically comfortable in their skin. I hope these books are a lasting gift to you or someone you know.
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Tweens:
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Short
Available from:The only other short person in Julia’s family is her grandma, Mittens. However, Julia’s height helps her get cast as a Munchkin (and a flying monkey) in a local summer production of The Wizard of Oz. Besides growing as an actor, Julia makes her first adult friend (Mrs. Chang, her neighbor and costume designer) and handles a critical review from the play’s opening night. Told with warmth and humor, this story is a nod to all who have ever felt self-conscious of their height.
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Growing Up Powerful
Available from:From the famed Rebel Girls podcast and book series comes this affirming nonfiction title. Broken into five chapters — Powerful Brains, Strong Body, Family Contributor, Stronger Together, and Making the World Better — this holistic approach to puberty covers everything from body hair to volunteering and getting therapy. With personality quizzes, a Q&A section, and abundant resources at the back of the book, this exuberantly illustrated and informative handbook is ideal for female-identifying children transitioning into adolescence.
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A Smart Girl's Guide: Body Image
How is your body image? This upbeat audiobook tackles timely body image issues for tweens and young teens. Readers will learn about body shape, skin, proper nutrition, and exercise. Other topics include disordered eating and gender identity, which is also a part of body image. With real-world examples and a body-inclusive and body-positive message, this book is excellent for caregivers to give their child entering puberty.
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Star Fish
Available from:As an overweight child, Ellie gets taunted about her weight. This prompts her to form five rules for life, which boils down to this: make yourself small. However, the pool and library are Ellie’s safe harbors. If only Ellie could erase the hurt her mother inflicts on her in unhelpful ways to manage Ellie’s weight. Through some challenging mental work with a psychiatrist, Ellie learns to accept herself and repair her strained family relationships. I desperately wish I’d had this powerfully told novel-in-verse as a young person.
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Dress Coded
Available from:When Molly’s friend refuses to cover her tank top with the sweatshirt tied around her waist (which was being used to hide her period accident), she receives a dress code violation. In response, Molly launches a podcast interviewing students impacted by the dress code. With short chapters and likable characters, this story makes it easy to root for the grassroots campaign Molly spearheads to amend the school’s dress code. Readers will also appreciate her throwback letters to versions of her younger self.
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Teen & Young Adult:
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Fat Chance, Charlie Vega
Available from:Charlie Vega is a big, brown girl who is friends with the nearly perfect Amelia. When Charlie gets asked to winter formal by her high school crush, she can’t believe her luck. However, Charlie discovers he only asked her out to get close to Amelia. So, when Charlie starts dating her coworker, Brian, she gets upset when she finds out that he asked Amelia out a year before. Charlie must decide whether to continue risking her heart or let her insecurities destroy a promising relationship.
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45 Pounds (More or Less)
Available from:When Ann’s aunt gets engaged, Ann purchases a diet kit guaranteed to slim her down in time for the wedding. As the wedding draws closer, she navigates her first job, dance lessons, and first crush, while dealing with her mom’s body dysmorphia and continual talk about her weight. When Ann realizes how body shaming and confusing weight-related messages affect her little sister, she must confront her mother and her own ideas of perfection.
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My Eyes Are Up Here
Available from:Greer accompanies her mother on a meet-and-greet for a new family moving into the neighborhood, where she meets charismatic Jackson. Even though Greer likes him, her oversized chest prevents her from getting close to anyone other than her best friend and social justice warrior, Maggie. Throughout the book, Greer deals with ill-fitting volleyball jerseys, unwanted comments from strangers, and a heavy mental load as she navigates high school with a body that doesn’t fit the “normal” standard of beauty.
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Adult Titles That Young Adults Relate To:
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Fat Girls in Black Bodies
Available from:“Growing up Black and fat was not for the faint at heart.” Cox challenges the internal narrative of fat shaming reinforced by a lifetime of external experiences and creates the momentum needed for activism and structural change. She delivers her powerful message through personal experiences and anecdotes about well-meaning family members making insensitive comments or monitoring her food intake at family gatherings. “The fear and shame of living in a fat body come[s] dressed in the same racist, fatphobic bullshit the West has been selling for centuries.” With an extensive bibliography and research, this nonfiction title is as eye-opening as it is infuriating to read. While she wrote this title for adults, older teens will also find it a valuable call to action.
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13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl
Available from:Plump fingers and doughy necks define the women in thirteen fictional essays about staying home on Friday nights or fretting about putting a full-body image on a dating website. One woman gets complimented only on her hair and ankles, while another gets involved with a coworker with a fetish for giving oral sex to overweight women. Uncomfortable dressing-room scenes where nothing fits and lunch with an oblivious (and thin) coworker make this sharp social commentary on weight a must-read for older teens and adults. Note: strong sexual content might not be suitable for all readers.
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