Big Fat Manifesto

Read 1/19/08 Ages 12+ (no language, tangential mentions of sex) Near-militant about her right to be fat, self-proclaimed "Fat Girl" Jamie is a senior in high school, has a happy relationship with a Fat Boy, and a leading (but not lead) role in the fall musical, "The Wiz." As features editor of the school newspaper, she writes a column on being fat and proud, as well as the discrimination Fat Girls like her take. When larger media outlets pick up on her stories, it gets blown out of proportion.The characters of her friends are more like caricatures (lesbian Freddie, obsessive vegan NoNo) and Jamie herself can be downright unlikable at times. But her strong opinions are redeemed by her own revelations, and it's nice to see a character in YA lit who's overweight and not a recluse, loser, loner, or dieter.