cover image Fat Glenda Turns 14 CL

Fat Glenda Turns 14 CL

Lila Perl, Lila Perl Yerkow. Clarion Books, $13.95 (168pp) ISBN 978-0-395-53341-3

Fat Glenda returns to Long Island after a summer of romance--and slenderness--only to find that depression has caused her to gain 10 pounds. Then Glenda meets Giselle, who is far fatter than Glenda ever was. Giselle helps Glenda break into ``plus size'' fashion modeling, which has both good and bad effects. Glenda craves a figure to be proud of; in modeling for larger sizes, she can almost attain this goal. Nevertheless, Glenda comes to realize that getting skinny isn't the be-all and end-all of her life. Fans of previous Fat Glenda stories will welcome the return of the sturdy and sensitive heroine. Perl's control of the dynamics of junior high girl-friendships is flawless, and while Glenda's relentless attention to weight grows tiresome, the topic is overwhelmingly interesting to many young people. Ages 10-14. (Apr.)