SOLVED. Book about overweight child - I'd say written in the 1990s with a poem (in body of post). [s]

[Sarah]

Hi - this is driving me insane, I must have read this book about 25 years ago but remember the poem (it might be a bit wrong) but cannot find it in any old books that I owe. I thought it was Judy Blume but cannot find it in the books.

Here goes:-
I look in the mirror and what do I see
a shadow of the former me
where once upon a time I had
a roll of fat for shoulder pads
and round my waist a blown up tyre
the sort that motorists admire
and arms that bulged
and calves that billowed
and at my rear a bottom pillowed
I how behold with greatest glee
a poised and slimline slender me
from gorging crisps and cake and pasta
I learn at last to shout out abbastanza
and turned to fruit and veg instead
to celery and wholemeal bread
and apples radishes and pears
and running up and down the stairs
and being madly energetic
instead of fat and apathetic
and that is how I thus became
a rose by any other name
a tiny captivating elf
a shadow of my former self


Please help!

[Rainbowheart]

I don't think it could be Judy Blume. She's American, and that vocabulary is definitely British.

[Sarah]

It does sound British doesn't it. I can't think of any British authors from back in the 1990s! arrgh.

[Stephanie]

I fed the opening line into OpenLibrary's text search and it came up with Bossy Boots.

[Rachel]

It's definitely from that series (Peter High by Jean Ure) - I read them too. I wonder if the previous book is more likely based on the title: Fat Lollipop

[Stephanie]

Rachel wrote: "It's definitely from that series (Peter High by Jean Ure) - I read them too. I wonder if the previous book is more likely based on the title: Fat Lollipop"

That would make a lot of sense! Can't believe I missed that. You must be right -- I couldn't get it to load Bossy Boots to do a text search verification before, but I just checked (since FL isnt on the archive) and the search hit on an excerpt of just the first 2 poem lines in this one:

"at half term the school mag was due out with Jo's poem that she had written about last term, all about Fat Lollipop trying to slim." [cue excerpt] "Everyone was agreed that Jo's poem was going to be far and away the best in the mag."

[Sarah]

Oh wow - thank you!! I have just ordered the book to see! I seriously cannot remember what I ate for dinner last night but this poem just sticks in my head.

[Sarah]

You guys are amazing!! Fat Lollypop arrived this morning and it IS the right one!

My recollection of the poem was pretty spot on which is quite impressive beings as it's been around 25 years since I last read it!

THANK YOU!!!

[Rachel]

Glad you found it Sarah. I remember those books really clearly as well. I still remember "basta" is the Italian word for enough because of that poem!