About This Book
This realistic chapter book follows thirteen-year-old Glenda as she experiences a summer filled with both promise and disappointment. When her past struggles with weight return, they impact her new friendships, a potential romance, and her first summer job. The story sensitively explores themes of body image, self-esteem, and the complexities of adolescent social life. Parents will appreciate how the book normalizes feelings of insecurity and offers a relatable journey of resilience and self-discovery for middle-grade readers.
Thirteen-year-old Glenda finds her old weight problem returning to haunt her after friendship, romance, and a new job turn sour during a summer that looked so promising in the beginning.
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Discussion Prompts
1
How does Glenda's 'weight problem' affect her feelings about herself and her interactions with others?
2
What challenges does Glenda face in her friendships and how does she try to overcome them?
3
How do Glenda's feelings about her summer job change throughout the story?
4
Have you ever had a time when something you were really looking forward to didn't turn out as planned? How did you handle it?
5
What does Glenda learn about herself by the end of the summer?
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