Lighter Than My Shadow is an inspiring story that sparks memories to
those who have suffered from sexual abuse, eating disorders, and self esteem
issues. Through drawings, it makes these issues real! Katie Green did a
wonderful job showing the reader how her eating disorder almost conquered her
life and made her disappear. Even though there was a “therapist” that
promised he would help but did nothing more than contributing to the problem,
there were many who supported her (and loved her) through her journey.
Katie Green, along with
Tim Malnick, has contributed in The Crystal Mirror and Other Stories.
“Enter the Crystal Mirror and find timeless tales for children and grown-ups
alike – a world of monsters, painters, princes, princesses, courageous bats and
chuckling old men who live on rocks in the middle of the ocean. Each is a story
of questing and transformation, and of the surprises that await us when we
finally discover what we have long been looking for” (Green).
This is a very impactful
book that produces in you a special love for Katie Green. She stops being
“author Katie Green” and soon becomes more like a friend, Katie. Katie’s book
has an official trailer that may produce in your soul immediate sadness. I
encourage you to watch it's trailer, and to read this moving graphic novel.
If you are interested in
seeing a vlog in which Katie Green shares a little about her life and the
projects she is working on, feel free to watch this video:
Lighter than My Shadow is more than a book with pictures and words. It
is a book about survival and recovery. It is an excellent resource to have in
the counselor's office, in the library, at home, and part of the classroom
library. This book can be used to motivate those students that want to learn to
draw or those who were born to be great artists.
There are numerous books
that can help teens and adults understand the struggles of a person struggling
with an eating disorder. These books are great because they help you develop a
sense of sympathy and the desire to help those who are struggling. Another
interesting and heart breaking book that touches this subject is Letting Ana
Go by Anonymous. Ana seems to have it all together. But, look deeper and
you might find a withering teen with an eating disorder and struggling to
survive. You may also learn more about this topic by reading Thin by
Lauren Greenfield, David B. Herzog, Michael Strober, Joan Jacobs
Brumberg. It is a compilation of stories, interviews, journal entries, and
photographs that show the lives and struggles of twenty girls and women who are
enduring similar afflictions.
Green, K. (2013).
Lighter than my shadow. NY: Vintage.
YA Eating Disorder
Fiction (135 books). (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2140.YA_Eating_Disorder_Fiction
Graphic Novel
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