A friend of mind has a relative that is 13 years old and is in a treatment facility for eating disorders. She wants to send the teen a book to read, but doesn't know which to send. Obviously wants to avoid any books with "perfect" heroines in it.....the books should be relatively hip, easy to read (the girl isn't an avid reader), and engaging. Anyone have any recommendations?? I think the Twilight books are relatively safe, as Bella is described as "normal"....does anyone know about the series "The Uglies" by Scott Westerfield? Are they ok? Looking forward to hearing all feedback to send along. Thanks in advance for your time.

It has been a while since I've read it, but it sounds like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants might fit here. The premise is that four girls, all very different physically as well as psychologically, find these "magic" pants that fit all of them. They share the pants and each chapter is told from the point of view of the girl with the pants at the time. There are several books in the series, and pretty decent movies also.

My daughter loves the Westerfield books. I'll ask her about the body image messages. From what she's said, I think they are about why it's bad to conform to a single image standard. So, would be good on body image. 13 and not an avid reader may be a little young for these titles, however. How about Nancy Drew? They're old fashioned, but in a good way.

How about something fun and escapist ? Instead of something that preaches the "positive body image" message, something that has NOTHING to do with looks, popularity, etc.

I'm thinking Nim's Island by Wendy Orr. Easy, fun read about gaining confidence and competence. And it was a recent movie, which can help pull in non-avid readers.

You might be careful about sending books that are painfully obvious about their body image messages though. She might feel like she's being preached to and reject them. Subtlety might be best. Emaestra's description for the book in post 2 sounds like the right idea in my opinion.

Mensagem editada pelo seu autor, Nov 3, 2009, 2:25pm.

i'm sure she won't be sending something directly related to body image.....something really engaging would be great, but as an extra job she has to make sure that there is no body "message" that's accidentally present in the book....hope that clarifies. = Thank you for the feedback so far!

I'd reccomend her loved ones reading Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: the Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body by Courtney E. Martin and other books on the subject to better understand what she's going through and what she's thinking. Understanding the problem as best as possible, will make the process of dealing with it easier, or at least more comprehendable.

Regarding Twilight - I don't think it's a good choice. Bella is described as being 'normal' but there is still a very heavy focus on physical beauty. Edward's face and body are described on almost every page, and he's supposed to be the epitome of bodily perfection, as are the other vampires.. Edward is also physically attracted to Bella because of her smell, so her body is still very important. And although she complains a lot, Bella has no bodily problems that most of us would feel insecure about. She looks as good as the actress who plays her.

Nevertheless, she is very insecure about her own looks, but she never gets over this. Her 'happy ending' comes from having a beautiful perfect boyfriend and becoming a beautiful vampire herself. Basically, she's never happy with who she is until she is transformed into the things she idealises. And that's like someone with an eating disorder overcoming their problem by being transformed into a supermodel.

I don't know of any books that would be suitable, but I'll think about it for a bit and let you know if I come up with anything :)

Mensagem editada pelo seu autor, Nov 4, 2009, 7:16am.

Now, I haven't actually got round to reading this one yet but I was recently at an 'author do' with writer Babs Horton (whose other books are probably perfect for younger readers as well as adults) and she mentioned that her Recipes for Cherubs deals with a major character who has an eating disorder. It sounds like something that the young lady might enjoy and be able to identify but perhaps there is somebody out there who has actually read the book and can comment more accurately than I can?

I also can't help thinking that perhaps the ultimate 'non-physical-beauty-advocating' book must be Jane Eyre. I was about 13 when I first read it and, to be honest, I think I was too young, but I know thousands of others read it at that kind of age and loved it so a lot will depend on her reading tastes and whether she is likely yet to appreciate the classics.

Mensagem editada pelo seu autor, Nov 5, 2009, 6:18am.

The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot are engaging reads and filled with humor. None of the main characters have superstar looks but they are realistically portrayed and are perfect for young teen girls. Even my husband laughs at the passages I have read to him.