Taking Up Space by Alyson Gerber - ADVISABLE

 Taking Up Space by Alyson Gerber, 259 pages. Scholastic, May 2021. $18. 

Content: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

7th grader Sarah’s body is changing and that is causing havoc with her basketball game. Even though her coach has a prohibition against the players going on diets, Sarah thinks that may be what she needs to regain her equilibrium. Food has always been a minefield in Sarah’s house. Her mother has very odd, distinct ideas about what foods are good and which are bad - many of which contradict what she is learning in health class. Who should Sarah actually believe? 

Gerber tackles a little too much this time. She adds a cooking contest and a fight with Sarah’s best friend, which leaves little space for a realistic resolution to Sarah’s difficulty with food and with her mother’s food issues. While not the best of Gerber’s writing, it is still interesting and important in this world where food issues are very much a big deal, especially for this particular audience. 

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS