Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher

ISBN: 9780060094898
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (2003)

304 p.

Reading Level: Grades 9^th and above.

Summary:

Sarah Byrnes and Eric have been best friends for years. He’s an overweight swimmer who is nicknamed “Moby,” and she has scars all over her because of a childhood incident. They have always been there for each other, Eric with his generous heart and Sarah with her biting humor. When Sarah suddenly becomes catatonic and is placed in a mental hospital, it’s up to Eric to uncover the reason why. Enlisting his swim team friend, Steve, and his team captain and teacher, Ms. Lemry, as well as his old foe and bully, Dale, they all play a part to help Eric come to terms with his friendship with Sarah and unlock the terrible secret that sent her spiraling into her catatonic state. Only through banding together can they help Sarah escape her father’s clutches, a man who has given into his own descent into insanity, while giving her a hope for a stable and loving life.

Critical Evaluation:

Many themes are interwoven in this novel. The characters learn to accept who they are, both inside and out, while confronting their demons, both real and imagined. Trusting one’s friends when there are no adults available for support is a theme that runs throughout many of Crutcher’s novels. The most touching and inspiring scenes are those that revolve around Ms. Lemry’s class as they deal with hard topics from religion to abortion and everything else in-between. Mark Brittain, a steadfast Christian, allows for no reasoning in many of the topics, but as his classmate talks about abortion, Steve says, “I just don’t think you can have this argument without talking about quality of life. Not just life. Quality.” (p.94). After all, most of those who picket abortion clinics don’t offer to take home the unwanted babies because they’re usually too busy condemning the mothers to eternal hell. As the characters learn to stand up for themselves, the reader glimpses the better road that they will eventually follow and the happier lives they may achieve. Although the themes and storylines are hard to bear at times, Crutcher does not glorify or vilify what these teenagers go through. He simply presents their stories in an honest light and hopes that he’s made a difference in a teen’s life.

Reader’s Annotation:

How far would you go for your best friend? Would you risk your life for theirs?

Author Biography:

Chris Crutcher was born and raised in Ohio. He grew up surrounded by sports and the family business, owning and operating a service station. His parents, especially his father, had a tremendous impact on him. As his biography states, “With logic and common sense as his guideposts, Crutch tutored his youngest son on everything from religion to the physics of relativity to political ideals.” (Retrieved from http://www.chriscrutcher.com/biography.html)

As an adult, Crutcher, armed with a BA in sociology and psychology, got his teaching credential and taught in Washington State and Northern California. In 1981, he applied for and accepted a position with the Spokane Community Health Center and Child Protection team and became a child and family therapist. As his biography also mentions, his fiction is “heavily influenced by his vast experience as a child and family therapist and child protection advocate -- is known for its expert balance of comedy and tragedy, as well as its unflinching honesty and authentic voice.” (Retrieved from http://www.chriscrutcher.com/biography.html). Children across the country devour his realistic portrayals of young people and his dealings with “controversial” subjects, making him a highly-sought-after speaker and author.

Genre: Realistic Fiction - Sports

Curriculum Ties:

This could be taught in an English class or a civics class. This book should be taught
in any school lucky enough to also have a Contemporary American Thought class, but many parents might object, so the teacher needs to have answers ready for any talk
of banning the book.

Booktalking Ideas:

-What does the title mean? What does Moby do for his best friend?

-How do the characters of Sarah, Moby, Jody, and Mark finally stand up for themselves?

-How do Sarah and Dale bond? Why does she share her history with him and not Eric?

Read-Alikes:

-Any other Crutcher novels
-The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
-Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going.

Challenge Issue:
There are many issues parents could challenge in this book, but none more than what is going on in Ms. Lemry’s class. Issues such as suicide, abortion, and shame are confronted without holding back. This book is a fantastic representation of the different paths teenagers travel in their maturation. Parents should be directed to the author’s website and also be asked to read the entire book, working through the issues to get to the lessons.

Reason to include in blog: This Crutcher novel was one that popped up the most in the articles we read in our class. I had never heard of this author before, much to my chagrin, and I wanted to read two books by him. One I was able to choose for my short story selection, but I wanted to choose this one because Sarah’s story continues with Angry Management, and although I read the sequence backward, I wanted to read about where it all began.

References:

Crutcher, C. (n.d.) Biography Retrieved from     

     http://www.chriscrutcher.com/biography.html
 
Crutcher, C. (1993). Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York, N.Y: Greenwillow Books.