Earth, My Butt, and other Big Round Things, Mackler

This book is popular with the kids and I can see why. Ginny is a very real teen. She is easy to like and sympathize with. Ginny is the youngest and imperfect kid in an apparently perfect family. Things have already begun to change, the perfect facade is beginning to crumble. Oldest daughter Anais, expected to become a doctor has graduated from college and gone into the peace corps instead of continuing her education. Son Byron has gotten in trouble in college for date raping a girl at a party while very drunk, something that affects Ginny very profoundly. Ginny, meanwhile has to deal with mom constantly lecturing her about her grades, her weight, her lack of exercise, her life goals, her weight, her friends, her weight, her diet etc. If its a lecture, teens tend to shut down, rather than cooperate and Ginny does just that. But, she is a strong kid and slowly finds her own way. She establishes her own life goals, starts a surprising athletic activity her mom has nothing to do with, gets pierced and died and really begins to find her way. She even asks her dad to let her confide in him, to be more involved in her life and he seems happy to have been asked. Its easy to cheer Ginny on. Way to go girl. Fun Read. JDW 2/10