Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Crutcher, C. (1993). Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. NY: Greenwillow Books. Book Summary Eric and Sarah are two misfits trying to survive life.Eric is overweight and Sarah has these mysterious burn scars on her face. They both end up forming an inseparable friendship and on their free time they write newspaper articles about the school bully named Dale. Unbeknown, the only person that knows Sarah’s deep darkest secret is Dale.  Eric decides to join the swim team to keep himself occupied and starts to lose weight. Eric becomes part of the “in” crowd, but still worries about Sarah. Sarah has a mental breakdown and gets admitted into a mental hospital. Sarah’s story is a mystery to Eric until Dale reveals that her father abuses her at home. Eric will do anything it takes to rescue Sarah from abuse even if it means risking his own life. Book Review The author does a great job at integrating modern day issues teenagers go through on a daily basis from bullying to  domestic violence. The readers will connect with the major theme of friendship in this novel. Many readers will like how the main character doesn’t neglect his friend just because he is becoming popular. He instead worries about her and tries to save her. I also like the way the author transforms the “bully” into someone that actually cares. At the end of this book, readers will know the meaning of true friendship. Awards and Honors ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults ALA Best of the Best Books for Young Adults American Bookseller Pick of the Lists California Young Reader Medal School Library Journal Best Book Interview with the author https://youtu.be/81DF-DzRJwg All About the author http://www.chriscrutcher.com/biography.html More books by the author