Module 15-Censorship Issues
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by
Carolyn Mackler
ISBN: 978-0-7636-1958-9
Audience (according to Publisher’s Weekly): Ages 14-up
Mackler, C. (2003). The earth, my butt, and other big round
things. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
things. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Pricing (as of 11/12)
*Amazon: Hardcover: $12.72
Paperback: $8.99
Kindle: $7.19
Audible
Audio Edition: $20.95
Book Summary
Virginia Shreves believes that she
lives in the perfect family-successful and attractive parents as well as older
sister and brother. She, on the other
hand, is only medium intelligent and is not built like a runway model. As Virginia struggles with her own
insecurities, she begins to discover that her sister joined the Peace Corps,
not out of a “perfect” sense of duty, but from a determination to escape a
stifling mother and absent father. And
her perfect brother is suspended from school for date rape. And that boy that she was fooling around with
in secret because he wouldn’t want to be seen with a fat girl in public? He DOES!
As Virginia begins to open her eyes to all that is around her, she
becomes aware of all that she is and all that she has to offer, despite all of
her family’s imperfections.
APA Reference
Mackler, C. (2003). The earth, my butt, and other big round things. Cambridge, MA:
Candlewick Press.
Candlewick Press.
Impressions
As an ultra conservative woman in
her 50s, I felt certain that I would easily discover why this book has found
itself censored in some library settings.
The title alone caused me to wonder about all the gritty language and
situations that might be found under the cover.
Instead, I found a story that all teenaged girls should read! Virginia is a very real, very normal teenager
who battles all the same issues that every young woman in our society
faces—expectations of body dimensions, school performance, living up to the
example left by older and successful siblings, social norms, popularity,
boyfriends, and on and on. How Virginia
handles these complex junior high and high school concerns may not be ways that
all families would accept, but she very clearly demonstrates that individuality
is a positive trait and every young person deserves to express themselves in a
way that reveals their value to society. Although there were a few curse words
sprinkled throughout the text, they were not superfluous nor a constant barrage
of profanity. The make out sessions with Froggy were not overly detailed and
did not culminate in intercourse. A
parent who might worry about the implications of these scenes might want to
read the book with a junior high daughter and use the book as a discussion
starter about sex, self-esteem, and personal worth topics. Parents of high school students should be
thankful that this choice is as tame as it is. There are worse things on TV or in the movie
theater and those seldom have the same positive message to teenaged girls. I do not see this as a book that should raise
a red flag with parents or librarians unless it is being placed in an
elementary school setting.
As an added note, I disagree with
the age appropriate determination expressed by School Library Journal.
While 7th grade is certainly correct, that age range should be extended
to grade 12. Even though Virginia is
only 15, the issues that she handles are applicable to even high school juniors
and seniors, and I believe that that age group, too, would find this book both
entertaining and thought-provoking.
Professional Reviews
<<Gr 7-10-- 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.
Gray, B. A., & Mandell, P. L.
(2004). The earth, my butt, and other big round things. School Library
Journal, 50(12), 76-78. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com.
<<"Chubby"
New York City teenager Virginia Shreves is having a hard time: not only is her
best friend, Shannon, spending the school year out west, but Virginia's being
pressured about her weight by her family-especially her formerly fat mother, a
prominent adolescent psychologist. Lonely and insecure, Virginia has even
started to hurt herself. When the brother she worships is suspended from
college for date rape, the news shocks Virginia into realizing that her
"stellar" family isn't as perfect as her mother says it is, and that
she doesn't have to conform to her mother's expectations. Mackler (Love and Other Four-Letter Words) occasionally
uses a heavy hand when it comes to making her points ("Recently, I've been
finding it harder to pretend that everything is A-OK"), and some of the
plot elements, such as the overweight teacher who looks out for Virginia, or
Virginia's discovery that a popular girl has an eating disorder, seem scripted.
The date rape story line, on the other
hand, is gutsy; her brother wasn't just accused of date rape, he actually
committed the crime. Ultimately, readers will find it easy to relate to
Virginia; she loves junk food, gets nervous about finding someone to sit with
in the cafeteria and can't believe that Froggy, the boy she has secretly made
out with after school, could be interested in her, not just using her. The e-mails
she exchanges with Shannon, and the lists she makes (e.g., "The Fat Girl
Code of Conduct") add both realism and insight to her character. The
heroine's transformation into someone who finds her own style and speaks her
own mind is believable-and worthy of applause. Ages 14-up.
Roback, D., Brown, J. M., Bean, J.,
& Zaleski, J. (2003). The earth, my
butt, and other big round things. Publishers Weekly, 250(29), 197.
Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com.
Library Uses
As
stated in this same section in module 14, a librarian can impact the lives of
his/her patrons. This is a book that
should be purchased in large volume and be promoted heavily among girls school
wide. Having real readers post comments
on a school library website or on a “graffiti board” near this book’s home
would encourage other girls to read it.
A school that does “literature circle” readings in the classrooms would
do well to have sets of this title available to groups and in order for
teachers to know how valuable this book could be, a librarian may have to
provide his/her own summary and evaluation to ELA teachers who might be put off
by the title.
