It happened completely out of the blue. No one saw it coming. Least of all, Will himself.
He was in the school hallway with his friends minding his own business when he felt a tap on his shoulder… Behind him stood Nick, a kid short for his age, but with anger issues twice his size. What he says upends Will’s carefree existence, and steals everything from him.
“You’re fat. And everyone thinks it.”
Before these words, Will had never thought he looked any different to his peers. But when all in the hallway around them falls silent, it backs up what the bully has just said. Everyone thinks it. At least that’s what is swirling round Will’s mind as he flees the scene.
From this moment, Will begins to look at himself differently. He looks at others around him and sees them differently. He looks sooo FAT in the mirror. EVERYONE else is so thin. What is wrong with him?
As his self esteem slides, so do his friendships. In turn, this builds the perception to others of, The FAT kid. This vicious cycle has Will hiding his feelings from his parents, along with his binge eating, and finally even more destructive behaviour.
There is one ray of hope in Will’s life, by the name of Markus. He is new at the school, and has been the new kid at many schools through his life, due to his dad’s job. He has learnt a few things about being the new kid and fitting in. His hard won wisdom helps Will, especially when things can’t get much worse.
Told in diary format, A Work In Progress is truly insightful, sobering and heart breaking in equal measure.
Importantly however, it shows readers the devastating effects their words can have on others, and the possible resulting fallout. Middle grade aged children can be particularly ruthless bullies for many different reasons, but are also old enough to take responsibility for their actions and words.
This story is brilliantly written, beginning with a statement that shames a perfectly happy boy named Will, stealing his love of life, his friends and his sense of self.
The light in the novel comes from a crush on a girl, who despite what he believes, just might like Will back, and another who has been through many trials of fitting in.
Doodles and drawings help portray Will’s feelings as he struggles through an extended time through school, perceived as the FAT kid – both in other’s eyes and his own. The pages are lined and have margins as if Will has scribbled his thoughts inside an exercise book or journal.
His eventual courage is heart warming as he finally begins to see an emerging new self in his mirror.
A must read.
Author / Illustrator – Jarrett Lerner
Age – 9+
See here for all the Awards and Nominations A Work in Progress has received, along with other cool stuff!
(2024, Simon & Schuster, Body Shaming, Mental Health, Self Esteem, Fitting In, Growing Up, New Friends, Drawing, Skateboarding, School, Binge Eating, Hiding the truth, Diary Format, Journal, Happiness, Drawing Club, Courage, Crush, Bullies, Bullying, Secret)