Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies

The main character named Celeste is an overweight thirteen year old. The story's setting is mainly at Celeste's home but school and the "HuskyPeach", a modeling business for plus-size models, are also part of the setting throughout the book. Celeste's Aunt Doreen wants her to become a model. She does not have support from her best friend Sandra because Sandra tells Celeste she is too fat to model. Their friendship ends, Celeste becomes friends with two girls named Millie and Katy, and Sandra becomes friends with Lively. Celeste never wanted to model but after losing some weight she finally gave in and she had three modeling sessions. Some sessions were really good but others were not. Her friends, Millie and Katy, ended up being very supportive and helped her with her modeling. In the meantime, the reader learns that the only reason Lively wants to be her friend is to get close to Sandra's brother.The conflict was between Celeste's low self-esteem and unloyal friendships. Sandra was not a good friend but in the end it worked out well when she gained two great friends in Millie and Katy. Celeste was able to win second place in one modeling competition. Without her friends support she may not have done well. Celeste always wanted to lose weight and the modeling competition helped her achieve that. The books title explains how Celeste loved Oreo cookies. She gave the cookies up completely, ate a healthier diet of fruits and vegetables, and walked for exercise. This was the resolution to her conflict of low self-esteem while building true friendships.

I bought this book since my daughter is a girly girl and she needs to do two summer reading projects. She is 12 and loves to read but is very picky . I thought it seemed interesting. She read it in 2 days and loved it.

!the book is great! At the beginning it is a little confusing but during the 3rd chapter it gets easier and makes you want to read more. This book is great for grades 4-6th and i'm positive that you will love this too.

The writing was good and the story engaging. The actions and the words of the bullies made me cringe, and yes, that depiction is TRUE to life! However, I've given the book a 2-star rating because the author is presenting the myth that heavy is bad and that the cure to all of one's problems is to be thinner. Negative body image is a huge issue in our society and I do not feel that this book is helpful and is more than likely harmful for those struggling with a negative body image.

this book was absolutely amazing! i couldnt put it down. it was the perfect length but i liked it so much i wish it was longer. i strongly recommend this book to any girls about ages 9-14. im eleven and it was perfect:)

My book club chose this book and just loved it. They loved the story line as well as the authors sense of humor.

The book arrived quickly and in great condition. My 11 yr old daughter read the book for school summer reading and really liked it.

I am currently a fifth grade teacher and picked this book up because it seemed an interesting conversation piece for my girls, many of whom have serious issues with body image already. I was not at all pleased after reading it. Throughout the piece, the character Celeste is never empowered by her own wants, dreams and aspirations; instead, she is ignored and caves in to the taunting of her classmates, the wants of her family and the opinions of everyone else. Furthermore, characters like Lively are caricatures; they are way too wicked to be believable, for even the nastiest of bullies should have the slightest complexity in them that make readers sympathize with their behavior, even if they deem it wrong. Lively's behavior is flat out evil - no underlying insecurities, no problems at home to make her overcompensate with cruelty to others - she's just a creep who is inexplicably popular, and there is no other explanation for it. This just makes the characters seem stupid for listening to a single, solitary word she says, and her power as a bully weak and confusing. Bottom line - this book leaves the readers with several unsettling underlying messages. Fat is bad and something to conceal, change, or be ashamed of. If you are fat, you probably adhere to overweight stereotypes - you sit around eating too much, you hate sports and you dream of being thin enough for boys to like. I mean, forget about the fact that some overweight girls ARE athletic, have self confidence, and perhaps got that way for a medical reason - that couldn't be true. Meanwhile, thin/pretty/model material is good and something to be proud of. Once Celeste started losing weight, THAT'S when she started "finding" herself. Bullies may be mean, but they win, because their taunts have power over us. If your family wants you to do something badly enough, your opinion doesn't matter - grin, bear it, and do it, and forget about communication or your own free will. It doesn't matter how degraded, unappreciated or ignored you feel - let them throw in the words "opportunity" and "proud", jumble it into a topic that makes you most insecure, and close your mouth about it. These are awful messages to send to vulnerable young girls; I was hoping for something far more uplifting and empowering based upon the reviews and was very disappointed with what I read. With the exception of some humor in the writing, this book was a complete let down. I'm still looking for a book written for larger girls that actually shows them they don't have to cry and long for a day in the life of a thin girl; that, maybe, they can have insecurities like everyone else, but overpower them through some avenue OTHER than losing weight and being a beauty queen. This, most certainly, was not the book I was looking for, and I definitely wouldn't urge my students or my daughter to read it.