Jessi and the Awful Secret (Baby-Sitters Club, 61)

Rating:
Summary: Food for Thought
Review: "Jessi and the Awful Secret" takes a personal look at the dangers of eating disorders in young dancers. Author Anne M. Martin uses familiar, established characters that regular readers of the series will have already met, and adds a new element to their lives in this story. She is thus able to discuss eating disorders in a healthy, comfortable environment; she does not frighten readers who may not be familiar with the subject. The way in which Jessi, the narrator and main character, comes to understand anorexia and why her friend Mary has developed the disorder is realistic and honest. A scene in a fast-food restaurant depicts Jessi's initial naivete about Mary's reasons for not eating, but combines that reaction with sensitivity and concern. There are no accusations in this book. Girls who read this and who themselves may have experienced anorexia will not feel threatened nor judged. The regular subjects of baby-sitting and friendship surround the story of Mary's anorexia; the book is not solely a documentary on eating disorders.

Rating:
Summary: Pretty good
Review: Eleven-year-old Jessi Ramsey loves to dance. She makes a new friend, Mary. But soon Jessi notices some strange things about Mary. She starts getting thinner and thinner, and she's not eating. When she talks about it with her friends in the baby-sitters club, she finds out that Mary is anorexic. Jessi knows Mary is in danger. But if she tells someone, it could mean losing a friend. Read this book and find out what happens!