The Fat Boy Chronicles is based on the journal of a boy named Jimmy Winterpock. Set in the present time Cincinnati, Jimmy's character is someone who we can all connect to in some way. Jimmy is fourteen, 5'5" and weighs 187 pounds. He is constantly bullied at school because of his weight and sometimes he can't stand it. He was raised in a strong Christian family that believed outward appearance didn't mean much. It was on the inside that counts. Even though he believes this, he still finds it hard to deal with every day life when there are so many tempting food commercials and his sister always orders pizza and leaves it sitting around where he could eat it. Jimmy will find friends in unusual places, and his quest to lose weight will not be easy. He will lose a lot (in more ways than one) but he the experience will change him for the better. This book is one of my favorites because everyone can relate to it. Yes, I know that everyone isn't fat, but there is that one thing that people always pick on us for and we hate it. If you are a high school or middle school student I would recommend this book to you. Its not very long, and it keeps you engaged the entire time in Jimmy's wild life. It's was based off of a journal from Jimmy (whose real name is Doug) so the writing style is that of a fourteen year old forced to keep a journal for his English class. From suicide and drugs to the bond of family and overcoming huge obstacles, this book always keeps you engaged and will leave you with a good feeling at the end.
This article talks about childhood obesity, the effects and how to prevent it. This is what Jimmy struggled with in the book and what Doug struggled wit in real life as a high school student. Childhood Obesity
This is the trailer for the movie based off of the book.
In The Universe Versus Alex Woods, the main character is a boy named Alex Woods. Alex Woods is a regular ten year old boy that has his life changed forever. He gets struck by a meteorite and that changes him forever. Alex sees this as a defining moment in his life because it brings so much change into his life. He goes from living a quiet life to having press lined up to see the boy who got struck by a meteorite. All of a sudden, neurologists, astronomers and all kinds of other doctors and specialists are trying to help him out. Flash forward about three or four years later, he starts having seizures. It is diagnosed as epilepsy. These transform his life because they make him miss a year of school so he is "technically" behind. Alex has trouble interacting with people because he was always shy in the first place. He gets bullied at school for liking reading, having seizures and because his mom runs a clairvoyant business. When the bullies accidentally introduce him to Mr. Peterson, it changes him forever. He finds a reluctant friend in Mr. Peterson, someone that is both opposite and the same. While Alex is quiet and shy, Mr. Peterson isn't afraid to voice his opinion. However, they both love reading and Mr. Peterson has a special love for Kurt Vonnegut. Together they both explore his books through a book club that that Alex sets up. You can see Alex evolve as a character when he starts this book club because he stops worrying about the bullies and starts just pursuing what he loves. Alex also evolves when he helps Mr. Peterson make a very controversial decision that gets him chased down by the police and eventually arrested. Alex starts out as a quiet, shy student but by the end of the book has evolved to be a character that isn't afraid to voice his opinion or stand up for what he believes in.
My article is another summary written by a different person that is a big overview of the story not just a focus on charaters. Alex Woods Summary
