December 1, 2010
Gr 6-9-At 5 feet, 5 inches and almost 200 pounds by the time he turns 15, Jimmy Winterpock suffers every kind of indignity imaginable from classmates who think of him as less than a person. Jimmy's adolescent point of view, delivered in journal form, is most authentic when describing life's lows (his tormentors) and highs (the support he gets from his family and youth group). However, between those accounts are cracks in the teen voice and message-driven statements such as, "I looked up causes of obesity online, and one site talked about hydrogenated oils and trans fat, and how they weren't in foods until the 70s. Now they're in almost everything we eat, and that's why there's so much obesity." Additionally distracting are the side plots in which Jimmy's only friend, verbally abused when not being neglected, becomes obsessed with a local murder and Jimmy's crush turns out to be a cutter. These serious psychological problems detract from the dramatic changes the teen decides to make in his own life, reducing him to a tragedy magnet instead of allowing his story to soar.-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2010
Grades 6-9 As efforts to combat childhood obesity continue to make headlines, Lang and Buchanan delve into their experiences as teachers to tell the story of Jimmy, a not-so-slim high-school freshman. In his English-class journal, Jimmy records his efforts to make friends and escape bullying over the course of his first year in a new town. Although some of his old and new friends face more dramatic problems, such as abusive parents, Jimmys day-to-day struggles are compelling. A self-acknowledged good kid who loves video games and finds inspiration at church youth group, Jimmy has a refreshingly down-to-earth point of view. His honest, likable voice makes his effort to lose weight, his faith, and his growing social confidence believable. Throughout, Lang and Buchanan manage to work in words of wisdom about healthy eating and exercise. Whether or not they struggle with their own weight, many readers will both relate to and learn from Jimmy.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)
June 15, 2010
Fourteen-year-old Jimmy Winterpock is a self-proclaimed "diet-challenged kid" who sits in the back row so he won't have to hear, "We can't see around Jimmy!" He's in a new school and has hopes of making new friends, though he soon realizes it's the same old thing—no friends, no girlfriend and incessant taunts about his weight. His English teacher has required students to keep a journal and to write three half-pages a week, but Jimmy doesn't see the point. The novel-in–journal-entries, however, is the ideal format for following Jimmy's evolution, as they give readers a direct line to his voice and mind. His voice rings true, appropriately disaffected and sarcastic, yet earnest. Readers may feel cheated, though, when they realize this is a novel with an agenda, turning didactic as it imparts lessons about obesity, social meanness and ostracism. But Jimmy still comes across as a likable kid, and the easy-to-read format will challenge readers to see the real boy in the back of the classroom yearning for a friend. (afterword) (Fiction. 13 & up)
(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)