Body Image and Appearance

May 1, 2010
Gr 9 Up-Even though body image is adequately covered in many titles, and there are plenty of books that address issues such as plastic surgery, eating disorders, and body building, this one is different. The author takes a holistic approach to the topic, focusing on more than just girls wanting to be thin and boys wanting to be muscular. There are also chapters on dwarfism and weight bias. The writing is easy to understand and flows well. The book is full of first-person accounts of what it is like to be overweight/short/disfigured, etc. Each chapter includes copious endnotes and a list of resources. A few black-and-white photos appear throughout. A serviceable but not inspired choice."Robin Henry, Wakeland High School, Frisco, TX"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2010
Grades 8-12 From asthma to volunteering, the topics covered in the long-standing It Happened to Me series address a wide spectrum of adolescent concerns. These entries follow the series standard format, which includes a stark, lackluster layout that is further diminished by a weak selection of grainy, poorly reproduced black-and-white photos. The serviceable text is the selling point here, and each titles straightforward language is personalized with numerous heartfelt quotes from teens. Body Image and Appearance moves beyond expected sections on eating disorders and Barbies cultural impact to examine how muscularity, height, dwarfism, and disfigurement affect self-image. Examples of historical practices, from skull modification to foot binding, will particularly grab teens attention, while eye-opening statistics confirm what teens know about the impact of parents, peers, and cultural ideals of beauty on individual self-esteem. With extensive chapter notes and resource lists, these titles offer reliable starting places for personal or academic research.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)