Part of The Baby-Sitters Club, book 61
First published 1997
Jessi eagerly raises her hand when her dance instructor asks for volunteers to assist with the younger ballet students. She adores working with kids and sees this as a perfect opportunity to build friendships with her fellow dancers. As Jessi begins her volunteer work, she notices troubling signs in one of her classmates. The girl shows symptoms of anorexia, a serious eating disorder that Jessi has never encountered before. Together with her friends, Jessi must navigate this difficult discovery and learn about the complexities of this dangerous illness. The situation forces Jessi to confront how she can help someone struggling with anorexia while understanding the gravity of what her classmate faces. Through this experience, Jessi gains insight into the reality of eating disorders and the importance of recognizing when someone needs support.
Genres: fiction, family-life, mental-illness, contemporary, adolescence, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
139 pages · Paperback · Apple
Content warnings: eating-disorder