Crutcher, Chris. (2003). Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York: HarperCollins. 295 pp.

Grade Level: 10-12

Genre: contemporary fiction

Summary and Critique

Eric Calhoune and Sarah Byrnes identify with each other and become friends for one simple reason: their teenage peers consider both physically reprehensible. Eric is obese, and Sarah's face and hands are extremely disfigured from severe childhood burns. Their physical distortion and their immense brain power create a strong bond as the two seek out revenge on school bullies and their bully of a vice principal through the publication of an underground newspaper they call Crispy Pork Rinds. When Sarah Byrnes suddenly enters a catatonic state in the middle of one of her high school classes, the depth of their friendship is revealed. In an attempt to bring his friend out of her catatonic state, Eric works to unlock the secrets of Sarah Byrnes' mysterious childhood: what became of her missing mother, her rumored abusive father, and the truth behind her burns.

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is a book that confronts bullies and presents heroes who fight continuing battles. The characters are well rounded and Crutcher does an incredible job extracting the best of each character while also attributing their faults. The themes of pain and retribution, love and abandonment, and the struggle to understand one's self are universal. Crutcher's story is engrossing because of his ability to show both the pain and the humor of being an outsider.

Awards

American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

Best Book of the Year by School Library Journal

Themes/Topics

Families

Friends and Enemies

Challenges and Triumphs

The Individual vs. Society

Author Information

Chris Crutcher was born in Cascade, Idaho and only read one book, To Kill a Mockingbird while in high school. He holds a BA in Sociology and Psychology from Eastern Washington State College and has used his degrees as a family therapist in California. Now living in Spokane Washington, Crutcher works full time as a writer. When he isn't writing he volunteers on the Spokane Child protection team and practices running and swimming. Crutcher was awarded winner of the 200 Margaret A. Edwards Award for his lifetime achievement in writing books for Teens .

For more information on Chris Crutcher:

http://www.aboutcrutcher.com Chris Crutcher's official web site. Includes information about books, current projects, and how to contact Crutcher.

http://www.authortracker.com/b4teens_author.asp?a=authorid&b=16156 Biography and bibliography

Media Connections

Movies

Mask (1985) The movie is based on the real life story of Rocky Dennis, a boy born with a disfiguring congenital condition called craniodiaphyseal dysplasia.

Girl, Interrupted (1999) This movie, based on the book by Susanna Kaysen, explores her time spent in the teen ward of a psychiatric hospital. The movie tells the story of girls deemed mentally ill, society's definition of sanity, and the struggle of recovery.

Television

Boston Public (FOX) This program deals with many themes similar to those in Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, as it is about life inside a high school. Like Sarah's and Eric's pirate newspaper, a recurring character in the series makes public the most private events in the lives of the student body and faculty with biting animated shorts she airs over the Internet.

Online Resources

http://www.safechild.org Provides information on indications of physical abuse, booklists, and counseling information.

http://www.litplans.com/author.htm?a=Crutcher Lesson plans for teaching Crutcher's novels

http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/ National Association for Self-Esteem. Provides information about self-esteem as well as activities and resources for building self-esteem

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/ Official web site for the National Institute of Mental Health. Provides information on mental health issues.

http://www.genaustin.org/public/ The Girls Empowerment Network. Provides a variety of information for teenage girls as well as a forum for teenage girls to discuss various issues.

Related Texts

Kaysen, Susanna. (1993). Girl, Interrupted. New York: Turtle Bay Books. 168p. The story documents the author's year in a teen ward of a psychiatric hospital. When reading Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, the chapter titled "Fire" will be of particular interest as it tells the story of Polly, a girl who burned herself and now feels trapped within her own skin.

Pipher, Mary, Ph.D. (1994). Reviving Ophelia: Saving The Selves Of Adolescent Girls. New York: Putnam. 304pp. The book covers issues from gender inequality, family relations, physical issues and appearance, and media's impact on adolescence.

Pollack, William, PhD. (1998). Real Boys: Rescuing Our Sons from the Myths of Boyhood. New York: Random House. 447 pp. This book looks into how friendships, loss, sports, and appearance, including weight issues, affect boys in childhood and adolescence.

Spinelli, Jerry. (2000). Stargirl. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 186pp. A unique girl who had been home-schooled discovers popularity and painful ostracism when she enters a public high school.

Teaching Ideas

(1) "Challenging Books Through the Years" Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes delves into many subjects considered taboo for young readers. Talk with the class about what constitutes a banned book, and titles that they are familiar with. Discuss what factors seem to contribute to a book being challenged. What do the books have in common? Why do people want to keep these particular books away from young readers? How do the topics that caused books to be banned in the past differ from those of current selections? Possible products: Diagram differences and similarities found among older and more recent books, paying particular attention to controversial topics and issues. As students read challenged or banned books have them compile dates of publication, public debate over the book, action taken in support of or against book, etc. The class will document history of challenged books by placing collected information onto a timeline.

(2) "Outward Appearance" The book looks closely at the emphasis our society places on physical appearance. Students will be assigned to watch a popular feature film, a situational comedy, and a television drama, including the commercials aired during the programs. They will consider the following: How attractive would you consider the majority of the actors? What does their clothing say about them? How are overweight people characterized? What do the programs tell you about the value placed on beauty? Follow with a class discussion regarding why Sarah Byrnes and Eric Calhoune befriended each other. Why was their appearance such a factor in their friendship? Why did Eric stay fat for Sarah Byrnes?

a) Watch an episode of The Drew Carey Show to see how he uses biting humor as a weapon against prejudice.

b) Watch the Friends episode that shows Monica before she lost weight and Rachel had her nose changed. How have their lives changed now that they fit into society's idea of beautiful?

(Review written by Emily F. Egelman and edited by Jennifer E. Moore)