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Summary
Summary
Chosen to compete in the camp's bathing ugly contest because of her weight, Betsy decides to push the idea to its limit and force the campers to rethink their ideas about the importance of outward appearance.
Summary
Chosen to compete in the camp's bathing ugly contest because of her weight, Betsy decides to push the idea to its limit and force the campers to rethink their ideas about the importance of outward appearance.
Reviews (8)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8 The Bathing Ugly prize is the dubious counterpart to the Bathing Beauty prize awarded at the end of ten weeks at Camp Sunny Days, where Betsy Sherman, 13, is spending her summer. Pampered by her doting parents, Betsy has been a cheerful outsider, burying her disappointments in the joys of eating. But Camp Sunny Days, run by a faded beauty queen, is a place of both organized and casual cruelty to those who do not possess physical beauty. Betsy quickly realizes that not only is she overweight, but she also meets few other of the camp's criteria for beauty. Through first-person narration, readers meet Betsy's allies and tormentors, watch her diet intentions and dreams of instant beauty fall apart, and, in a dramatic finale, watch Betsy turn the ``winning'' of the Bathing Ugly award into a triumph. Busselle captures the emotions of self-conscious pre-teens superbly. The humiliation of a public weighing, the camp latrine, and the ragging that Betsy takes at the hands of an older camper are painfully and accurately described. Although many camp stories are available, the strong characterization with emphasis on Betsy's growth and the focus on self-concept make this a particularly good example of this genre. While the theme is similar to Brock Cole's The Goats (Farrar, 1987), Bathing Ugly is for a younger audience, who will take a great deal of satisfaction in Betsy's unique triumph over her tormentors. Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Overweight Betsy, 13, learns some important truths about herself and her seemingly self-possessed camp-mates; in PW 's words, ``Readers will appreciate the realistic results of Betsy's unreal expectations, and the author's resisting of pat solutions.'' Ages 10-up. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
A first novel with an interesting feel for off-center characterizations and plot. Betsy, 13, only child of doting parents, is determined to go away to camp--if only to generate a little excitement in her life. Camp Sunny Days seems to adhere to her parents' conservative values, but on arrival for the summer Betsy finds that the camp pecking-order is based largely on appearance. When Miss Mack, the ancient director, reveals (in public) Betsy's mother's request that Betsy lose weight, the girl's efforts in that direction are obsessive. She is devastated when her cabin nominates her for ""Bathing Ugly"" in a camp contest (there will also be a Bathing Beauty). That humiliation, plus an incident with a bully, stirs in Betsy the courage to make a statement about the contest's values, earning her the respect of others and--more important--self-respect. Though Betsy is well-realized and there are several valuable themes here, the story loses focus somewhat: characterization is uneven, and some plot strands trail off. Still, Busselle's excellent eye for detail, flair for dialogue, and good sense of story make this a promising debut. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
When 13-year-old Betsy represents her cabin in Camp Sunny Days' beauty and ugly contests, her absurd behavior causes campers and adults alike to reevaluate their attitudes toward outward appearance.
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8 The Bathing Ugly prize is the dubious counterpart to the Bathing Beauty prize awarded at the end of ten weeks at Camp Sunny Days, where Betsy Sherman, 13, is spending her summer. Pampered by her doting parents, Betsy has been a cheerful outsider, burying her disappointments in the joys of eating. But Camp Sunny Days, run by a faded beauty queen, is a place of both organized and casual cruelty to those who do not possess physical beauty. Betsy quickly realizes that not only is she overweight, but she also meets few other of the camp's criteria for beauty. Through first-person narration, readers meet Betsy's allies and tormentors, watch her diet intentions and dreams of instant beauty fall apart, and, in a dramatic finale, watch Betsy turn the ``winning'' of the Bathing Ugly award into a triumph. Busselle captures the emotions of self-conscious pre-teens superbly. The humiliation of a public weighing, the camp latrine, and the ragging that Betsy takes at the hands of an older camper are painfully and accurately described. Although many camp stories are available, the strong characterization with emphasis on Betsy's growth and the focus on self-concept make this a particularly good example of this genre. While the theme is similar to Brock Cole's The Goats (Farrar, 1987), Bathing Ugly is for a younger audience, who will take a great deal of satisfaction in Betsy's unique triumph over her tormentors. Barbara Chatton, College of Education, University of Wyoming, Laramie (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Overweight Betsy, 13, learns some important truths about herself and her seemingly self-possessed camp-mates; in PW 's words, ``Readers will appreciate the realistic results of Betsy's unreal expectations, and the author's resisting of pat solutions.'' Ages 10-up. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
A first novel with an interesting feel for off-center characterizations and plot. Betsy, 13, only child of doting parents, is determined to go away to camp--if only to generate a little excitement in her life. Camp Sunny Days seems to adhere to her parents' conservative values, but on arrival for the summer Betsy finds that the camp pecking-order is based largely on appearance. When Miss Mack, the ancient director, reveals (in public) Betsy's mother's request that Betsy lose weight, the girl's efforts in that direction are obsessive. She is devastated when her cabin nominates her for ""Bathing Ugly"" in a camp contest (there will also be a Bathing Beauty). That humiliation, plus an incident with a bully, stirs in Betsy the courage to make a statement about the contest's values, earning her the respect of others and--more important--self-respect. Though Betsy is well-realized and there are several valuable themes here, the story loses focus somewhat: characterization is uneven, and some plot strands trail off. Still, Busselle's excellent eye for detail, flair for dialogue, and good sense of story make this a promising debut. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
When 13-year-old Betsy represents her cabin in Camp Sunny Days' beauty and ugly contests, her absurd behavior causes campers and adults alike to reevaluate their attitudes toward outward appearance.
