Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies

April 1, 2009
Gr 7-9-In this humorous novel, weight and friendship issues trouble plus-sized Celeste, 13, until she learns better eating habits and starts to stand up for herself. First she's forced to wear a hideous bridesmaid dress. Then her friend Sandra dumps her for Lively, a skinny popular girl. Worst of all, Celeste's aunt enters her in the HuskyPeach modeling competition; Celeste competes to please her mother, but makes plans to sabotage her chances of winning because she's embarrassed by the whole idea. The competition, however, actually boosts her confidence and helps her come to terms with her weight, her eating habits, and her feelings about Sandra's defection. The wry, funny tone makes this book a pleasurable read, and teens of all body types will enjoy Celeste's original voice. Those dealing with bullying and teasing will empathize with her and cheer her on. Other novels about overweight teens include Susan Vaught's "Big Fat Manifesto" and Simmone Howell's "Everything Beautiful" (both Bloomsbury, 2008), but this one is more lighthearted and for a slightly younger audience."Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2009
Grades 6-8 When Celestes meddling aunt enters her in the Miss Husky Peach Pageant for larger sized girls, the eighth-grader quails at the thought of the teasing thats sure to follow, though the idea of modeling has its appeal. Reasoning that if she loses enough weight, shell be ineligible for the contest, Celeste finds the motivation to skip snacks and even to exercise. Along the way, she begins to express her individuality through the unlikely vehicle of a beauty contest. Successes, flops, humiliations, and recoveries are all part of the pageant process, and even girls who dont see themselves as potential models will enjoy Celestes account of her experiences. The wry first-person narrative also provides convincing views of middle-school friendships, family dynamics, and incremental personal growth. The ending may be a bit too rosy for absolute realism, but readers rooting for Celeste wont complain. A light, well-paced first novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)