Dear Mr. Carson
Book Club Picks

Sunnie is a big girl according to her tormentors, a set of boys she calls the Romulans in her eight grade class. This idea is solidified by the fact that her own mother wants to send her to the "Summer Slim-Down Retreat," aka Fat Camp. Sunnie feels hopeless.

After the Romulans rip up her 8x10 signed photo of Johnny Carson, and her two best (and only) friends seem to be falling in love, Sunnie decides she'd better pack off to fat camp after all.

What happens as a result of this decision is a string of complete chaos including a canoe wreck, a kidnapping attempt, and a live audience on Johnny's TV show.

Will Sunnie's dream of writing an original screenplay and meeting the legendary Johnny help her find a way to be happy with herself before the summer is over and high school begins?

Book Club Picks: Dear Mr. Carson Opinion

This is a heartwarming tale of a charismatic young girl who won't let a few extra pounds keep her down. Sunnie's plight is one familiar to more than half the women in America - the quest to lose weight. The fact that it begins at such a young age (and even younger now as this book is set in the late 1970s) is purely tragic.

Readers will enjoy Sunnie's escapades and cheer for her as she makes her way across the country, chasing a dream. Both mothers and daughters stand to learn a thing or two by watching the outcome of Sunnie's relationship with her own mother.

The book's audience could easily be young adult or mature, depending on what themes your book club wishes to discuss. From young love to why marriages fail, and first love to the sting of death, this book has a little something for everyone.

Book Club Picks: Dear Mr. Carson Discussion Questions

1. Is Sunnie's mom a bad parent? Why or why not?
2. What does Mr. Carson represent for Sunnie? Explain.
3. Why are Sunnie's parents unhappy?

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