A Work in Progress

By: Jarrett Lerner

Narrated by: Eric Yang

A young boy struggles with body image in this poignant and “perceptive” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) middle grade journey to self-acceptance told through prose, verse, and illustration.

Will is the only round kid in a school full of thin ones. So he hides…in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, in the back row during class, and anywhere but the cafeteria during lunch. But shame isn’t the only feeling that dominates Will’s life. He’s also got a crush on a girl named Jules who he knows he doesn’t have a chance with, because of his size—but he can’t help wondering what if?

Will’s best shot at attracting Jules’s attention is by slaying the Will Monster inside him by changing his eating habits and getting more exercise. But the results are either frustratingly slow or infuriatingly unsuccessful, and Will’s shame begins to morph into self-loathing.

As he resorts to increasingly drastic measures to transform his appearance, Will meets skateboarder Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress.

An intense and important story.

Not enough books have been written about body image and eating disorders from the young male perspective and this author has done an amazing job. The narrator does a phenomenal job with the free verse style of the book and capturing the internal struggles of the main character. I think that all middle grade students can relate to Will in some shape or form and can gain a lot from hearing this story. I cannot wait to read this with my students this upcoming school year. 10/10

Very important book

Very well written, especially the main character’s inner dialogue! Powerful, and raw. I’m so glad I bought this book. 

The skate board explanation

I liked the whole book and the way it was said by the presenter as well as the plot!

Powerful, Painful, Purposeful!

Could not stop reading it until I was finished! Very important story we have needed for decades. So many young teenage boys struggle with their body image especially after being bullied my son included. Often it just takes that burst in height to change everything. But Will/Jarrett was lucky to have A Friend, Parents, and a counselor to help him see himself As A Work In Progress!

Too much body shaming.

Even though this book is less than an hour long, there is too much negativity and body shaming for young people.