Fat Chance [Paperback]

Lesléa Newman (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Judi Liebowitz thinks she's fat. And she's convinced, as she confides in her diary, that she'd be happier if she were skinnier. So when Judi becomes friendly with pencil-thin, glamorous Nancy Pratt, she learns Nancy's secret and joins her in the secret binge-and-purge cycles of bulimia. Before long, Judi's life spins out of control and her obsession with food, calories, and pounds is no longer another typical eighth-grade problem--it's a matter of life and death.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW said that this "convincing" and "true-to-life" story about an eighth-grade girl with bulimia "should be required reading for adolescent girls." Ages 12-up. (Aug.)r
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9?Judi Beth Liebowitz appears to be a typical 13-year-old girl. She wonders what she will be when she grows up, what having a boyfriend would be like, and wishes she could lose weight. This desire to be thin, however, begins to dominate her thoughts and actions. Newman chooses a diary format to allow readers a personal look at Judi's emotions. As diary entries progress, her determination to be thin consumes her. She becomes friendly with Nancy Pratt, the most popular and skinniest girl in school, and learns that Nancy binges and purges. As Judi begins to experiment with this new way of ridding herself of food, Nancy is rushed to the emergency room and placed in intensive care. The story finishes a bit too neatly with Judi making up with her best friend, confiding in her English teacher, and confessing her problems with eating to her mother. Everyone is understanding, and she eventually meets with a counselor. Judi is a likable character with whom young teens can empathize, but Nancy is portrayed as a selfish, manipulative girl, and readers never learn her motivations. Fat Chance had the potential to be a strong story on an important topic, but it is too flawed to have its intended impact.?Melissa Yurechko, Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 8, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069811406X
• ISBN-13: 978-0698114067
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (54 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #790,970 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lesléa Newman is the author of 64 books for readers of all ages including the middle grade novel, HACHIKO WAITS, the poetry collection, STILL LIFE WITH BUDDY, the short story collection, A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK, and the children's books A SWEET PASSOVER, THE BOY WHO CRIED FABULOUS, THE BEST CAT IN THE WORLD, DONOVAN'S BIG DAY, and HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. Her literary awards include poetry fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Massachusetts Artists Foundation. Nine of her books have been Lambda Literary Award finalists. A past poet laureate of Northampton, Massachusetts, she is a faculty member of Spalding University's brief-residency MFA in Writing program.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fat Chance, February 21, 2001

By 

Dana (Cleveland,OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fat Chance (Paperback)

Judi Lebowitz always dreamed of being thin. Since she was on the heavy side, she would do almost anything to look like the models on the covers of magazines. Judi tried every diet int he book, but none of them worked. One day in the bathroom at school she heard someone throwing up. It was her classmate and idol Nancy Pratt. Nancy let Judi in on her "dieting" secret. Judi thought that if the most popular girl in the school could throw up and lose weight, why couldn't she. As of that day Judi started to binge and purge. No one knew about it except for Nancy. In a weird way, this started their friendship. Judi hid this from her mom and from her best friend Monica. In school, Judi kept a diary for and English class assignment. In her diary she wrote down all of her feelings and thoughts on subject such as, school, boys, friends, and her body image. One day when Nancy was throwing up after lunch and Judi was guarding the doorway, Judi thought that Nancy was taking longer than usual. When Judi finally got the door open, she found Nancy on the floor passed out. After that incident, Judi swore that she would never throw up again, but she wa unable to keep that promise. The next few days, Nancy was in the hospitals recovering. Read the book to see what happends to Judi and Nancy. I think that Judi was the most interesting character because she took the readers for a journey through her mind. While you read, you feel like you know Judi like a best friend. I would definitely recommends this book. I think that people in their teens could relate to this book. I think that everyone thinkgs that they need to fix their body image, or they find some sort of flaw. I would give this book two outstanding thumbs up!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book made me think about my own life, March 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Fat Chance (Paperback)

I read this book about two years ago, a time where I was thinking about my body and if guys would be attracted to me or not. I thought I was fat and there was no way anybody could get that out of my head. Then one day I went to the library to have some time to myself, well... basically that is all i had, I needed to get out of the house. I had no friends, and felt worthless, and outcasted. I wore a long black coat to school, even on the hottest days possible. I went to the library, checked out this book, and within 2 hours I had read the thing all the way through and was reading it again. I think that if it wasn't for this book, I would never have the friends I have now, and honestly be as popular as I am at school. I never thought that it would happen to me, but I actually felt like a somebody and realized that it comes from within for people to like you. Now I'm not scared to talk to guys, in fact one of my best friends is a guy

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Fat Mistake, March 17, 2004

By 

Alexandria (Mayflower, AR, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fat Chance (Paperback)

The book Fat Chance is about a girl Named Judi Liebowitz. She is a normal teenage girl in the 8th grade who is so worried about her body and wants to lose weight and want to become the prettiest girl in school. She has tried every diet in the book and she starts this new diet and she keeps on eating and can't stop. But then one day she goes into the bathroom and hears a person throwing up, and you won't belive who it was. It was the prettiest and most popular girl in school. Her name is Nancy Pratt. She is so skinny and pretty and Judi wants to be friends with her. Nancy told her that is how she is so skinny. Then Judi trys this and that started her new friendship with Nancy Pratt. But then one day when Judi was guarding the door she knew that something was up because Nancy was taking way to long and when she was opening the door she saw the Nancy was sprawled out on the floor and passed out. But now Judi's life is out of control and she is between life and death. You have to read the book to find out what happens. My feelings about this book is very strong. This book is so happy at the begining but them when she is talking about her weight and she is being negative toward herself. I would recommend this book to someone who is struggling with his/her weight. This book isn't just for girls. It can be for anyone who is haiving trouble with their body image. The climax for this story is when Judi finds Nancy Pratt in the bathroom throwing up. You wouldn't think that one day you would find the most popular girl in school who purges her food to lose weight.