 | Body talk : 37 voices explore our radical anatomy | |
| Price: $13.90 | ||
Summary:
Thirty-seven contributors-including model Tyra Banks, gymnast Aly Raisman, and bestselling YA authors-explore the world in their unique bodies through essays, lists, comics, and art.
| Editor: | Jensen, Kelly |
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 06/01/2020 From the editor of (Don’t) Call Me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health (2018) comes a similarly formatted anthology, this time on the topic of body image. Conversational and deeply personal essays with interspersed Q&As, lists, artwork, and comics address a variety of issues, beginning with the more visible, such as scoliosis and dwarfism. Other sections address different shapes a body can take, body differences “below the belt” (e.g., testicular cancer and endometriosis), and seemingly “invisible” differences (e.g., asexuality and Crohn’s disease). Additional FAQs broach related educational and potentially controversial subjects, like menstruation and how straw bans affect the disabled. The authors and illustrators are diverse; some, such as Tyra Banks, Shane Burcaw, Aly Raisman, and Alex Gino will be more recognizable. Together, their contributions not only emphasize acceptance and self-love but reclaim identities like “fat” and “disabled” and span across gender, gender identity, race, and other intersections. Readers will find many commonalities among all these differences and may begin to embrace those differences in others and, most importantly, in themselves. - Copyright 2020 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 07/01/2020 Gr 7 Up—Jensen has collected personal narratives for a remarkable anthology that tackles various aspects of anatomy. Authors, athletes, celebrities, and other public figures share their experiences of negative self-image and how they came to terms with these feelings. Topics include visible "issues" (being overweight, having noticeable chin hairs, having scoliosis) and invisible ones (dealing with partial blindness, being Deaf, or having Crohn's disease). These individuals are not afraid to share what they have gone through and how they achieved self-acceptance. As with her previous anthologies, Jensen expertly organizes these stories into chapters on a common theme. The experiences are relayed with equal parts honesty and knowledge. Throughout the book, readers can find "Body Talk FAQs" that fit the section in which they are located. The further reading guide contains nonfiction titles and fictional works where characters contend with those topics. Teens may not find a touchstone in every story but are likely to have experienced insecurity about one or more of the subjects. VERDICT A must-have anthology collection on an evergreen topic.—Amanda Borgia, Uniondale P.L., NY - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
School Library Journal - 07/01/2020 Gr 7 Up—Jensen has collected personal narratives for a remarkable anthology that tackles various aspects of anatomy. Authors, athletes, celebrities, and other public figures share their experiences of negative self-image and how they came to terms with these feelings. Topics include visible "issues" (being overweight, having noticeable chin hairs, having scoliosis) and invisible ones (dealing with partial blindness, being Deaf, or having Crohn's disease). These individuals are not afraid to share what they have gone through and how they achieved self-acceptance. As with her previous anthologies, Jensen expertly organizes these stories into chapters on a common theme. The experiences are relayed with equal parts honesty and knowledge. Throughout the book, readers can find "Body Talk FAQs" that fit the section in which they are located. The further reading guide contains nonfiction titles and fictional works where characters contend with those topics. Teens may not find a touchstone in every story but are likely to have experienced insecurity about one or more of the subjects. VERDICT A must-have anthology collection on an evergreen topic.—Amanda Borgia, Uniondale P.L., NY - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
