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 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Fat Cat
- By Robin Brande
- Genre: Body Awareness
Common Sense Media says
Girl-geek makeover tale with a great healthy eating message.
Parents say
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that there isn't much to be worried about in this novel about a teen giving up processed foods for a school project. There's some kissing, heavy petting, and a discussion of waiting to have sex, plus a few instances of name calling. Mostly the main character sets a good example by embarking on a positive mission of self-discovery that makes her a whole lot healthier in the process.
What's the story?
Catherine Locke has always had a love affair with junk food, Matt, and science. When Matt betrayed her in seventh grade it ended their friendship, but not her love of food and science. Cat became "Fat Cat" and put all her energy into beating Matt at least once in a science fair. When a tough, make-it-or-break-it science class project looked like it would break her she got prehistoric with it. She vowed to live like early human ancestors on a basic foods diet and no modern conveniences. Giving up Snickers and Diet Coke was tough, but what she learned about food, her body, and herself was worth so much more.
Is it any good?
FAT CAT took a tried and true premise -- fat chick gets skinny and popular by senior year -- and added an interesting angle to it. Author Robin Brande created a story that uses science and a commitment to research to motivate "Fat Cat" to get thin and healthy. No crash diets, no dangerous exercise, just good old-fashioned (caveman inspired) healthy eating and prehistoric transportation: her feet.
Readers will love Cat's perserverance and identify with her pain from both being called fat and giving up her junky diet of diet soda and chocolate. Hopefully teens will read this novel and realize they can take control of their own diets while learning how processed food can affect their mood and bodies. Cat's story eventually gets sidetracked by standard boy/girl drama, and it's disappointing that her experiment detoured into some Pretty Woman-style shopping experiences and boy-magnent experiements, but overall the message is positive and inspiring.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the effects of processed foods. What feelings do you associate with eating junk food? How about after you eat it? Do you crave it more or less?
What simple changes can you make to eat healthier?Is it easy to make the change to eating unprocessed foods --why or why not? How does money affect eating habits?
Do changes in appearance really matter or is it how you carry yourself? How did Cat's physical transformation change her socially?
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AGE
LOVED IT!!!!
My daughter and i really loved this book i would reccomend it to anyone! but it may be a wee bit innapropriate for some kids...
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AGE
Perfect for teens and Parents.
I actually LOVE this book. It kinda inspired me to start eating healthy and even becoming a vegeterian. I like how it gives us evidence that the technology,etc. has to do with us sometimes being obese as a teenager. I really think teenage people like me and parents will enjoy it as much as i did.
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Kid, 12 years old
May 20, 2010
AGE
Perfect for Teens but not for tweens
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Kid, 12 years old
May 16, 2011
AGE
Perfect for 11+ AND VERY SENSIBLE CHILDREN.
It sounds like a great book.
I am going to read it soon.
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AGE
Good for teens.
Loved this book and thought the kids at my school would like it because it deals with boy-girl issues and friendship. The main character reinvents herself for a science project and along the way resolves the issues that she has with her best guy friend.
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Kid, 12 years old
June 7, 2010
AGE
the message and role models are great and they make this book good! the insults are mean like "jerk, fat and b--ch" 2 times.
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| Author: | Robin Brande |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Body Awareness |
| Publisher: | Knopf |
| Publication date: | October 13, 2009 |
| Number of pages: | 336 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 17 |
| Read aloud: | 12 |
| Read alone: | 12 |
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