What I went through is shockingly common. I was stuck in a cycle of negative self-talk, restricting food, binging, and dieting. For most of my life, I didn’t think I was worth very much at all. Taking Up Space is based on my disordered eating and my struggle to value myself. Why did you decide to write about disordered eating? Sarah is a pubescent teen dealing with a changing body, and slowly she develops issues with food. I’ve been following your work since you started reviewing middle grade books and interviewing authors, and I’m so glad to connect with you! I loved Taking Up Space. Hi Alyson! It’s a pleasure to chat with you (for the first time!) after reading and LOVING all three of your middle grade books.
Alyson and I talk about Taking Up Space, disordered eating, the value of good friends, and why sports show up in all of her stories.
Add puberty, friend drama, and disordered eating, and Sarah is finding it hard to take up space. I can still remember how I felt while reading all of her books (I can remember where I was for each book!) and that’s my definition of a memorable story.Īlyson Gerber’s newest title is about a girl whose mother’s issues with food are starting to affect her. She writes about impactful topics in a sincere, realistic, and immersive way. With Focused, she explores even further how, when life gives you a challenge, the best way to face it is with an open mind, an open heart, and the open support of the people around you.Alyson Gerber is one of my favorite middle grade authors (you can tell by the fact that I’ve read all of her books so far). In a starred review, Booklist called Alyson Gerber’s first novel, Braced, “a masterfully constructed and highly empathetic debut about a different kind of acceptance”. But to find a way to focus, that’s what she’s going to have to do.
She’s just not sure how you can fix a problem that’s all in your head.
When Clea fails one too many tests, her parents take her to be tested, and she finds out that she has ADHD, which means her attention is all over the place instead of where it needs to be.Ĭlea knows life can’t continue the way it’s been going. It’s starting to be a problem - not just in school, but when Clea’s playing chess or just hanging out with her best friend. She know she needs to focus.but how can she do that when the people around her are always chewing gum loudly or making other annoying noises? She knows she can’t just say whatever thought comes into her head.but sometimes she can’t help herself. She knows she has to do her homework.but she gets distracted. From the author of the critically acclaimed Braced comes a story of a girl caught between her love of chess and her ADHD.Ĭlea can’t control her thoughts.
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