The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things

the earth, my butt, and other big, round things

A Michael L. Printz Honor Book * An ALA Best Book for Young Adults * A YALSA Teens' Top Ten Book * An NYPL Book for the Teen Age

Carolyn Mackler's Printz Honor book--starring the unforgettably funny, body-conscious Virginia Shreves--returns in this 15th anniversary edition featuring text updates and never-before-seen material from the author.

Fifteen-year-old Virginia feels like a plus-sized black sheep in her family, especially next to her perfect big brother Byron. Not to mention her best friend has moved, leaving Virginia to navigate an awkward relationship with a boy alone. He might like her now . . . but she has her doubts about how he'll react if he ever looks under all her layers of clothes.

In order to survive, Virginia decides to follow a “Fat Girl Code of Conduct,” which works, until the unthinkable causes her family's façade to crumble. As her world spins out of orbit, she realizes that being true to herself might be the only way back.

Told in a perfect blend of humor and heart, this acclaimed Printz Honor winner resonates as much today as it did when it first published, and now features a new author foreword, text updates, and other bonus content.

 
 

Honors & Awards

  • A Michael L. Printz Honor Book

  • An American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults

  • A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

  • A YALSA Teens’ Top Ten Book

  • Publishers Weekly Cuffie Award winner for Best Book Title

  • A Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Honor Book

  • An International Reading Association’s Young Adults’ Choice

  • Volunteer State Book Award, third place finisher in the grade 7-12 category

  • A Nevada Young Readers’ Award Nominee

  • A Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Nominee

  • A Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee

  • A Volunteer State Book Award Nominee

  • A Great Lakes Great Books Nominee

  • A Colorado Blue Spruce Book Award Nominee

  • A South Carolina Association of School Librarians Book Award Nominee

  • An Amelia Bloomer Project Selection

  • A Pennsylvania School Librarians Association YA Top Forty Fiction Titles