World of Ink August '11 Virtual Tour -- Not Fat Because I Wanna Be by LaNiyah Bailey

Publisher: Createspace / Bright Girl Publishing, Inc (self-pub)
ISBN Number(s): 1461006767
Publication Date(s): 03/02/11

Summary:

In her debut book, Not FAT Because I Wanna Be, LaNiyah details the struggle of Jessica, a fictional girl who has an underlying medical issue that causes her to gain weight. Bullied by her peers, Jessica learns to accept her body and eventually opens up about her condition to her classmates.

LaNiyah is not only speaking to other children through her book, but has become an advocate for anti‐bullying organizations.

With a message that words can hurt and that not all weight gain is due to an unhealthy lifestyle, LaNiyah hopes her book will enlighten and entertain her young readers.

My Review:

I have to first congratulate LaNiyah on her first book.  What a courageous young girl, to experience and go through so much and want to write about it.  This is the first book I have seen on the market that deals with weight gain/loss that results from medications and medical issues in children.  Now, families can pick up this book and share with their children and classrooms to teach young children about not judging people for what they look like on the outside and not to make fun of people for their appearance, as there may be an underlying reason why they look the way they do.

Growing up, I dealt with various medical issues and different medications either made me gain or lose weight.  I didn't want to share my conditions with everyone, but had to deal with teasing and pointing in school.  Children can be cruel sometimes when you are young, and children who are being teased don't know how to handle it.  Now, they can feel confident in their own skins thanks to LaNiyah and her book.  This easy to read book is geared towards children 6+ and follows a young girl named Jessica as she deals with teasing and bullying because of her weight, caused by medical conditions.  Jessica eventually learns that it is what is on the inside that is most important and she begins to accept her outside appearance.  And, slowly she gains confidence in sharing her story with classmates, which helps them see that she is not different from them, even though she may look different on the outside.

What a powerful book by such a talented and young author.  If you have a child who is battling weight issues due to medical conditions, or just want to share a book with your children to help teach them not make fun of or bully other children because of their appearance, then you must pick up this book today.   This would also make a great classroom read if you are teacher.  It will allow for great discussion in the classroom, as well as with parent and child at home.

Again, great job, LaNiyah.  I wish you much success in the future as a bestselling author!!!!

About the Author:

LaNiyah Bailey is a 6‐year‐old author with a message for children like her – just because you are bigger than other kid, that doesn’t mean that people have the right to bully you.

Don't forget to check out these other sites for more information on LaNiyah and her book:

Author Website: www.NotFatBecauseIWannaBe.com
Blog Address: www.NotFatBecauseIWannaBe.com
Facebook Fan Page URL: http://www.facebook.com/pages/LaNiyah-Bailey/204815272870647

Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of this book in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.