Starfish

　　長大的路，一點也不簡單，尤其當整個世界都與肥胖作對……飽受霸凌的胖女孩艾莉（Ellie），如何在好友的支持與專業的諮商幫助下，找回自信，活出自我？　　
 
　　艾莉是位胖女孩，打從五歲時，她穿著像鯨魚的泳衣跳入泳池，水花濺起的那刻開始，旁人對她身材的嘲諷就不曾停歇。六年多來，艾莉奉行胖女孩生存法則過活，像是跳進水中要小心濺起水花，避免在大庭廣眾之下吃東西，甚至連移動速度都要小心不要過快，免得身上的肉亂動。假如不照做，後果自負的慘痛經驗，歷歷在目。
 
　　自從艾莉十一歲時，好友薇芙（Viv）搬走後，艾莉總是感到寂寞。這時隔壁搬來熱情如火的墨西哥家庭，新鄰居家的女孩卡塔莉娜衷心喜歡艾莉，開心與她成為朋友。
 
　　艾莉家後院的泳池，可說是她的避風港。在這裡她可以盡情享受水中的無重力狀態，浮在水面像海星一樣，四肢伸展，自由自在。這裡也可以讓她暫時逃離母親的冷嘲熱諷，天真的媽媽以為這樣就能激勵她減肥……好在艾莉還有爸爸與鄰居卡塔莉娜(Catalina)站在艾利這邊！

A Printz Honor winner!

Ellie is tired of being fat-shamed and does something about it in this poignant debut novel-in-verse.

Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules--like ＂no making waves,＂ ＂avoid eating in public,＂ and ＂don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.＂ And she’s found her safe space--her swimming pool--where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life--by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

Lisa Fipps is a library marketing manager. Starfish is her debut novel. She lives in Kokomo, Indiana.