All of Me, Baron Chris

A middle-grade debut novel in verse from Chris Baron about a boy struggling with body image and weight.

Beautifully written, brilliant, and necessary. --Matt de la Pena, Newbery Medalist on All of Me

Ari has body-image issues. After a move across the country, his parents work selling and promoting his mothers paintings and sculptures. Aris bohemian mother needs space to create, and his father is gone for long stretches of time on sales trips.

Meanwhile, Ari makes new friends: Pick, the gamer; the artsy Jorge, and the troubled Lisa. He is also relentlessly bullied because hes overweight, but he cant tell his parents--theyre simply not around enough to listen.

After an upsetting incident, Aris mom suggests he go on a diet, and she gives him a book to help. But the book--and the diet--cant fix everything. As Ari faces the demise of his parents marriage, he also feels himself changing, both emotionally and physically. Here is a much-needed story about accepting the imperfect in oneself and in life.