Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes

Crutcher, C. (2003).  Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes.  New York:
    Harper Collins Publisher.

Moby is a high school senior whose best friend is Sarah Byrnes.  Sarah has been hospitalized after a traumatic childhood event caused by her abusive father.  Sarah suffered burns to her face and hands from Virgil Byrnes, her father.  Sarah has since stopped speaking and is put into a hospital where Moby visits her often.  Moby feels desperate to help his best friend with whom he feels connected to due to their mutual bullying for their physical appearance.  Moby is overweight and feels that he must stay that way in order to keep his friendship with Sarah.

 

Moby betrays Sarah after she pleads with him not to tell any adult about what has happened to her and her growing fear of her father.  Moby confides in Ms. Lemry, his teacher and swim coach.  Together, they try to find a solution and work to find Sarah’s mother who has disappeared since the abuse.  Sarah feels betrayed and the hospital discovers that Sarah has been faking her illness in order to escape her father.  Sarah’s mother refuses to help and Sarah must look to Moby and Ms. Lemry for help.  Virgil is finally stopped and arrested and Sarah is able to live with Ms. Lemry and her husband.  She gets a second chance of a family despite her biological parents.

 

This book deals with topics that would be best suited for  a high school student who processes Kohlberg's moral development, particularly the postconventional level where laws don't always follow what is "right".  Additional readings may include Please ignore Vera Dietz and Sharon Draper’s Tears of a tiger.