Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Crutcher, Chris. (1993). Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. Greenwillow Books: NY. Eric is a high school student who has been fat his whole life and even now as a swimmer, is still chunky and called Moby. His best friend is a girl named Sarah Byrnes who will only be referred to by her whole name and is severely burned on her face and hands.  She has gone silent and sits in a mental hospital.  As Eric struggles with his swimming, a tough class that causes him to solidify the beliefs he stands upon, and a peers he finds himself sitting with Sarah Byrnes each evening remembering and questioning with hope s to bring her back.  As the truth starts to emerge of the monstrosities that is her father, Eric finds himself fighting for Sarah Byrnes when she has always fought for him when he never would stand up for himself. This book would offer some great discussions.  The religion aspect and abortion issue in the plot line might cause teachers to pause using it in their lesson. It would be a good book club choice or author study contribution. This very book is the true definition of Kohlberg’s theory of moral development in postconventional stance. The status quo that some people are more valuable than others and that the marginalized should stay just that goes to show how complacent society can become but it is through the discussions and character building that the status quo is overturned and all people are of worth.