The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (by Carolyn Mackler)

Overweight Virginia thinks she's a misfit in her family, with two thin, gorgeous, successful parents and two thin, gorgeous, high-achieving older siblings. Her mother pressures her to lose weight, which she tries to do. But her anxiety leads her to minor acts of self-mutilation, as she tries to live by her Fat Girl Code of Conduct, which operates on the basic assumption that she is worthless. Then her brother, Byron, whom she idolizes, is suspended from college for date rape, and Virginia begins to see both her family and herself in a different light.

Readers, especially teen girls, will likely relate to Virginia, and they will certainly respect her growing ability to stand up for herself. Though this book could use a bit more scathing humor -- and a deeper exploration of some of the more serious issues it raises -- Mackler is able to impart a message of self-acceptance through her self-deprecating narrator. Readers will appreciate the emails and journal entries that add realism to Virginia's coming-of-age story.