Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this book features some upsetting details about how livestock is raised and killed. There are disturbing photographs of rotten body parts. The book also has a pro-union/ anti big business stance.
Families can use this book to talk about their own eating habits. How do your kids think they are doing versus most American teens and tweens? Also, the authors encourage kids to vote with their dollars and "stop buying" junk food from fast-food companies. Ask your kids: Do they think that your own behavior can really make an impact on society? What else could you do to make a difference? Check out the publisher's press release for some ideas.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Kate Pavao
Fast Food Nation fans will certainly recognize much of the material here; this book features many of the same stories and facts about junk food. Even so, the subject matter remains fascinating -- and repulsive. You don't want to look, and yet you can't look away.
Teens may be especially drawn to the profiles of kids throughout the book: The McDonald's employee working long hours at the expense of her school work, the Native American girl working to stop soft drink sales at her school, the obese teen boy worried about having gastric bypass surgery.
The photographs seems sort of randomly placed throughout the book, and the narrative itself can wander a bit. Even so, teens will likely be inspired by this book -- at least to rethink their own habits.
From The Book
During the course of a year, the typical American child watches more than 40,000 TV commercials. About 20,000 of those ads are for junk food: soda, candy, breakfast cereals, and fast food. That means children now see a junk-food ad every five minutes while they are watching TV -- and see about three hours of junk food ads every week. American kids aren't learning about food in the classroom. They're being told what to eat by the same junk-food ads repeating again and again.
Plot Summary:
This book teaches kids the history of fast food, and shows them the impact it has had on society. Kids learn about the chemicals in the food, how junk food is marketed (and why kids make great targets), how animals are raised and killed, and what it is doing to our bodies.
Related Books:
Also by Eric Schlosser
Fast Food Nation
Related Movie
Super Size Me
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ViolenceSome details about how animals are raised and slaughtered. A teen gets a weight-loss operation that nearly kills him. |
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Social BehaviorEncourages kids to think about what they eat -- and how they spend their money. Parents should know the book does have a pro-union/ anti big business stance. |
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CommercialismAll sorts of products are mentioned, from McDonald's to Waffle House, but kids definitely get the idea that fast food and soda are not good for them. |
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