Module 15-The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things

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.

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.        

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.