Artichokes Heart By Suzanne Supplee

By Dominique Maack

Author: Suzanne Supplee

She grew up in Tennessee

She lives near Baltimore, Maryland

Married and has three daughters

Protagonist: Rosemary Warren

She struggles with her weight and crave of delicious foods. She’s teased by kids and harassed by her family to lose weight. She attends high school and works at her mother’s hair salon: Heavenly Hair. She struggles to work the weight off for herself, not for others.

Antagonist’s: Aunt Mary and The Bluebirds

She’s Rosemary’s aunt. She never deals with her own problems but always points out everyone else’s. She always harasses Rosemary to lose weight and blames her mothers problems on her.

The Bluebirds are the popular girls a school. They’re fit and have all the guys. They are the cruelest to people outside they’re group, especially Rosemary.

Favorite Character: Kay-Kay Reese

She was part of the bluebirds but left the group because she couldn’t be mean to anyone.

She’s pretty, athletic, she befriends Rosey and helps her lose her weight throughout the book.

She allows Rosey to open up and share her feelings with her.

Least Favorite Character: The Bluebirds

Because they are nothing but mean to people.

Rising Action

It introduces Rosmary and her family, Mother: Rose

Aunt: Mary

Grandma: Georgia

And all of them trying to get Rosey to lose weight by buying her a treadmill.

Exposition

Rosey is balancing school, her moms cancer, her aunts nagging, and her job at her mother’s salon.

Her mother cares too much about other people and doesn’t take care of herself.

Climax

Rosey becomes interested in a boy, Kyle Cox.

Kyle shows that he’s interested in her and they become boyfriend and girlfriend.

This triggers her to want to lose weight.

Falling Action/ Resolution

Rosey loses a lot of weight with her friend Kay-Kay by her side.

She opens up with her mom and grows a better relationship with her and her aunt Mary.

Setting and Theme

The story is in a small town, in Tennessee. A majority of the story takes place in Heavenly Hair. There is gossip from “The Quilters”, clients that are sometimes unwanted, and family issues that takes place.

Rating

I give this book an 8.The story was fun to read but the ending wasn’t finished off well.I felt like the story was really built up with no ending. This would be a good book for a girl to read because it involved the stresses of a girl and how she got through her problems.

Social Issue: Weight Problems

(Obesity and Anorexia)

ObesityWho?: Obesity in children in a rising epidemic

What?: Using supplements instead of natural healthy diets and exercise. Crushing our healthcare system.Where?: US has the highest obesity rates. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/07/eveningnews/main6069163.shtml

…Continuing

When?: In society today and the latest growing years.

Why?: Parents don’t promote healthy eating habits, school lunch could be much much healthier, and manufacturing companies advertising junk food.

How?: Make parents aware, change school lunches, grow more will power to not give into manufacture’s, and allow more exercise in schools and outside school.

Arguments against.

Should schools only serve healthy foods?

Kids wouldn’t purchase as much if only offered healthy foods.

Schools sometimes get funded from the companies that provide junk food.

Arguments For.

It would lower obesity rates among children and teach them better habits for when they’re older.

Creates a better ability to concentrate among children due to the vitamins and nutrients in the food.

Promotes healthy food eating outside school.

Statistics

1 in 5 children in the US are diagnosed with obesity.

Quarter of children in the population don’t exercise.

Almost two-thirds (about 66%) of U.S. adults age 20 or older are overweight. About 62% of women and around 71% of men. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSj9d1P72sc&feature=fvw

PoemToday we shall, at your requestlook at the bulge below your chest.The scourge of gross obesityenslaves the country of the free.

Is it just portions, giant platesor lunches shouted by kind mates, perhaps the coffee with thick creamthat bulges boldly near the seam.

The experts say the cause is FATyou try it but soon smell a rat.Two thirds of Yanks are now obesewith jelly-bellies and trick knees.

They do their shopping in the Mallwhere shirts are marked as Big and Tall.And where they have a House of Pieswhere staff will tell them soothing lies……cont.

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/obesity-in-america/

Youtube Videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSj9d1P72sc&feature=fvw

Anorexia Who?: Anorexia is primarily a disorder of females. Only rarely is it found in males. Usually diagnosed when the young person is between the ages of 15 and 20 http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/eat_disorder.html

What?: Also crushing our healthcare system. Where?: The USWhen?: In society today.

…Continuing

Why?: The person with a family member who has had an eating disorder is at higher risk for developing anorexia. Also, mood disorders are seen more frequently in families where someone has anorexia.How?: The diagnosis of anorexia is made when the anorexic either loses fifteen percent (15%) of their weight or when the growing child fails to acquire eighty-five percent (85%) of the minimal weight for their particular age and height. http://www.nmha.org/go/eating-disorders

Statistics

In the United States approximately 7 out of every 100 females have some form of eating disorder.

Research shows that anorexia is found in about one percent (1%) of young women in their late adolescence or early adulthood.

http://www.nmha.org/go/eating-disorders

The Healthy Weight

For adults, an ideal BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9.

A person with a BMI over 24.9 is considered overweight.

A person with a BMI under 18.5 is considered underweight

YouTube Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vu3DL_yAZSM&NR=1