Mackler, Carolyn. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things. Cambridge, Mass., Candlewick Press, 2003.

One might wonder what a good/great YA novel might include. Forget wondering, read The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things!

Not only does this author offer a book with gritty issues like overeating and date rape, she also offers a heart warming coming of age tale that transcends time and location. Regardless of which society young people have grown up in, they will face the issues that Mackler presents in this novel. Teenagers world wide will be able to relate to protagonist Virginia Shreves and her relationships with family and friends.