Taking Up Space

Taking Up Space

Alyson Gerber

Scholastic, 2021

259 pages

Grades 5-8

Realistic Fiction

Sarah's whole life is basketball and relationship with her two best friends, who are also on the team. The team is slated to win the championship this year, only something is different. Sarah isn't as quick on the court and her body is unreliable. Coach explains that its just puberty and she will eventually settle into herself, but she hates sitting on the bench. Sarah's mom has always had weird food issues. There is often nothing to eat in the house-except sweets. Dinners leave Sarah feeling hungry and sometimes Mom even forgets to cook. Is Sarah not worthy of being fed? Meanwhile, Sarah's crush invites her to partner in a cooking competition. The problem is-one of Sarah's best friends likes him too. Should Sarah agree to partner with Benny? And how does she tell her friend? Sarah decided the answers to her problems will be to eat less, sticking to the short list of Mom approved foods. Disaster strikes in the middle of a game thanks to Sarah's new life-style choices, forcing her to seek outside help. Both Coach and the school counselor help Sarah and her family work through her troubles with both food and self-worth.

Alyson Gerber is the new Judy Blume or Norma Fox Mazer. This book, as well as Gerber's two previous titles, are reminiscent of the problem novels I came of age reading in the 1970's. Young people love these books: a kid has a problem and then learns to fix it. In Taking Up Space Gerber explores issues of changing bodies and self-confidence as kids enter puberty. All the women I know have issues of one sort or another about food. It is important to educate our girls (and boys) about healthy eating and embracing diverse body types. An author's note at the end touches on Gerber's own experiences and continued struggles. Beyond the obvious intention of the book, this is also a story of friendship and navigating the troubled waters of middle school relationships. Sarah solves both her relationship problems and eating struggles a bit too maturely and neatly to be realistic, but this is a kid's book. Readers will learn how to solve these dilemmas by following Sarah's example and find comfort in the clean resolution. Taking Up Space is a bit like watching an afterschool special, but will be gobbled up by the intended audience and raises awareness about unhealthy eating practices.