Starfish

Starfish

Lisa Fipps

Nancy Paulsen/Penguin, 2021

224 pages

Grades 6-8

Realistic Fiction

Starting sixth grade without her best friend should be bad enough, but for Ellie it is that much worse. Tormented by bullies since kindergarten for her weight, Ellie (AKA Splash) would like to be invisible, trying to make herself as small as possible by living the "fat girl rules". Life at home isn't much better. Despite a supportive father and an adoring dog, Ellie's brother is a constant source of insults, her sister is ambivalent and Mom puts Ellie on diet after diet, finally suggesting weight loss surgery. The only place that Ellie finds solace is in her pool, where she feels weightless and can float like a starfish-finally spreading out and allowing herself to take up space. A new next-door neighbor turned friend and a helpful therapist start to turn Ellie's self-confidence around. She slowly accepts the person that she is, starts to love herself, and learns to deal with both the bullies at school and at home in a healthy manner. When Ellie's dog disappears, she must learn to trust those around her that will help and stand up to those who hurt her, finally finding the confidence to confront Mom, despite the fear of further rejection.

This was a hard book to read. Debut author, Fipps, explains in an author's note that, although a work of fiction, all of the events stem from pieces of her childhood. I cannot imagine a world where such cruelty exists or a mother who is so unsupportive. The bullying from both school and home is so extreme that we put this book initially in the teen section. I will buy a second copy for the children's department for though the cruelty is not for sensitive readers, it is important for kids to open their eyes to the plight of those living within unconventional body types. Wonder allowed children to feel empathy for those considered "ugly" and, hopefully, Starfish will raise awareness for kids who are bullied for their weight. The message is to live "healthy" over the unhealthy behaviors associated with the quest to be skinny. Although Ellie is tortured for most of the book, it ends on a positive note and both Mom and a sister have a change of heart and the bullies are dealt with in a positive manner, as well as revelations about their motivations. Written in verse, this is a beautiful book with a lot to say, that will break the reader's heart and leave them seeing the world a little more kindly.