Jarrett Lerner

1. Contains content that may be triggering for some readers, including depictions of body shaming, body dysmorphia, binge eating, food restriction, and disordered eating
2. A list of resources are provided at the end of the book for people that are suffering from eating-related mental illnesses
3. Black and white sketch illustrations throughout
4. Varying poem arrangements, including stanzas and concrete poetry
5. Features inverted text in the form of notebook paper on some pages (black background and white text)
6. Mentions the theme of perseverance and getting back up after you fall down
7. Novel study: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Work-in-Progress-Full-Unit-1021028...
8. Novel study: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Work-in-Progress-by-Jarrett-Lerner...
9. Study guide: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-Work-in-Progress-Jarrett-Lerner-NO...
10. Behind the scenes videos: https://jarrettlerner.com/a-work-in-progress/… (mere)

Early in Will's story, he shares a searing memory from fourth grade, in which a kid called him "fat" as an insult. This was a pivotal moment for Will, who until then knew that he was bigger than other kids but not that he was supposed to feel "less" because of it. Over the next few years, he drifted away from friendships and wore baggy clothes to be unnoticed - and ate more to feel better. Eventually, though, his internalized fatphobia and self-hatred become self-destructive; he stops eating entirely, and passes out at school, which leads to him finally getting the help he needs from parents, doctors, and even a new friend.

Will tells his story sketchbook-style, in poems with short lines, surrounded by sketches, scribbles, and cross-outs in the margins. It conveys his pain so effectively it's often uncomfortable to read.

See also: Garvey's Choice (graphic novel) by Nikki Grimes

Quotes

But up until that point...
I hadn't known [my size]
was the thing
about me
that mattered most
to the rest
of the world. (21)

And as soon as
I realized
my size mattered
so much
to everyone else
it mattered
that much
to me. (24)

You've stepped through
a door
and now the thin
is locked behind you.
Or no:
it's crazier.
You step through
a door
and then the door
disappears. (35)

For me
it was like
an atom bomb
going off
and wrecking everything
in its path.
But for him
it was probably
just another moment
in another
completely forgettable
day. (52)

"The way I
look at it--
the way
I think
about myself
is like
a work in progress." (Markus, 318)

"Thinking of myself
as unfinished
in that way--
it's gotten me to be
a lot kinder
to myself." (322)… (mere)