Everything I Know About You

I will preface this review with the fact that I have a close personal connection to the eating disorder topics addressed in this book, and have read extensively on the topic at times in my life. In addition, I try to read all (or as many as possible!) MG and YA titles that discuss this topic to ensure that the portrayal is 1) accurate and 2) sensitive and 3) non-glamorizing. I am so happy to say that this book hits all three of those in the best middle-grade-way possible, and in addition, addresses the life-long nature of anorexia and purging through exercise rather than a tied-with-a-bow quick fix.Tally.....oh Tally. She is one of my new favorite middle grade heroines because of her body positive attitude and strong sense of self. She bows to no one, but also realizes her own vulnerabilities, and is willing to admit when she is wrong and apologize to those who deserve it. She EATS food and dresses to her heart's desire and rejects harmful body image and style stereotypes. Her struggles with how to deal with Ava's issues are heartfelt and so so real.Now for the trip storyline. I *JUST* returned from a middle school bus trip to Washington DC with my daughter and her class, so this story entered my reading life at the exact right time! I connected with every part of the trip, and it brought me right back there - I loved how Dee addressed the rooming issues and social issues, as these are the exact things I witnessed during my time as a chaperone. For anyone who hasn't gone on this trip, please know that this book perfectly nails it.EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT YOU deserves a place in every middle school library and classroom. As a mom, THIS is the book I want my daughter reading and Tally is the heroine I want her reading about.Please also go and read Dee's post on Nerdy Book Club on her motivation for this story - it is required reading!AND if you want another MG on this topic, with a slightly different, but equally good twist, please read THINGS THAT SURPRISE YOU by Jennifer Maschari.

This book is so awesome, Barbara, you've outdone yourself again! This book focuses on the life of Talia "Tally" Martin, who is a brave, strong, smart girl who doesn't care about what other people think about her. On their class field trip to Washington D.C., Tally and her friends Caleb "Spider" and Sonnet, are forced to share rooms with their sworn enemies. Tally rooms with a girl named Ava Seeley, who is a "Clonegirl" (meaning she dresses and acts like everyone else in her squad), and hadn't been so nice to her in the past. Tally is very disappointed that she doesn't get to room with her friends. But as she starts to room with Ava, she notices some strange things about her...This book is great because it teaches you about hard issues like Anorexia. It's an awesome Middle-grade Realistic-Fiction read. It's not too challenging, and I think it's great for girls age 10-14. Pleeeeease buy it!!!

I wanted to find a book that presented the reality of young kids and eating disorders. This book came through seamlessly peeling back the layers and being matter of fact. Eating disorders are serious but recovery is possible.

Gift

My 11-year old daughter loved it. She says it's now one of her favorites.

Tally has always liked herself as she is - taller and larger than her family members, a fierce friend / bodyguard for her two best friends, a math nerd, a person with unusual fashion sense. But when she goes on the 7th grade trip to Washington, D.C., she's paired with her arch-nemesis, Ava. Ava is everything Tally is not - popular, fashion-forward, able to fit in with her classmates. When Tally's friends start to branch out and find other people to spend time with, Tally is stuck with Ava, and when she sees how little Ava eats and how much she exercises, she faces some tough decisions.I read this entire book in one sitting, which is something I can't often do. I loved that Tally had a very well-rounded personality but that she wasn't perfect. Her fierce protection of her friends made them think of her as their babysitter or "rescue dolphin." She had her own style and was blissfully oblivious of what others thought of her. But then Ava is not a 2-dimensional antagonist, either. She has her own personality and we get to learn more about her throughout the book.I don't know that I've ever seen a book for tweens about anorexia, but this is definitely an issue that tweens can struggle with, and I'm glad that this book exists. My only (very small) complaint has to do with the cover: it looks to me like a cover of a book for adults or older teens. I'd love to have seen some characters on the cover, or an illustration of Washington, D.C. or something. Nevertheless, this book will be added to my library's collection and I will be book-talking it to the tweens and teens.Recommended for: tweensRed Flags: Tally talks about how she punched a classmate for bullying her friend; Tally's roommate Ava counts the calories in her food and over-exercises, so there is discussion of anorexia as wellOverall Rating: 5/5 starsRead-Alikes: Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, Sadia, The Popularity PapersI received a complimentary copy of this book through Edelweiss for the purposes of review.