A first person narrative when done right can be a marvelous read with deep insights into the mind of the main character. Sixth grader Ben Snyder succeeds on all fronts as he deals with his eating troubles.

Those include a list of only ten foods he can eat and the struggles to keep it private:

Ben Snyder is ready for middle school. But his super picky eating, which has never been a big deal before, is about to take him down. Suddenly everybody’s on his case about what he’s eating and what he’s not—his old friends, his new friends, his weird lab partner, the girl he’s crushing on, and a bully—and Ben finds himself in social free fall, sliding toward the bottom of the middle school food chain. Even worse, there’s an upcoming three-day class trip to a colonial campsite. Knowing he can’t handle the gag-worthy menu, Ben prepares for the outing like it’s a survival mission. Armed with new and unexpected information about his eating habits that could change everything, he sets out with three tactical goals: impress the girl, outsmart the bully, and avoid every single meal. But when epic hunger threatens to push him over the edge, Ben must decide how far he will go to fit in and if he has the courage to stand out.

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Themes middle school readers will relate to include peer pressure, friendship issues, bullying, and creating a new mindset for how to deal with a problem. The 54 chapters progress at a perfect pace. Ben’s narration is often humorous and heartbreaking at the same time.

The story is truthful with off the charts realism. Main bully, Darren, is the perfect example of how bullying often takes place in a school setting. It’s subtle until it builds to something worse. Ben’s reactions with two different girls is also spot on. One he likes and the other is beyond irritating for him.

As for the overnight school trip to a unique colonial campsite, it too is accurate. I base this on spending many a night with students at outdoor education camps and week long trips to Washington D.C. It’s whole different set of challenges when you are not in the classroom.

Centering FOOD FIGHT on an eating disorder has paved the way for Linda B. Davis’s sparkling and important middle grade debut. I can’t wait to read more of her stories.

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: FOOD FIGHT by Linda B. Davis

1. Ben’s parents have contrasting reaction in dealing with his problem. Mom is sympathetic as she urges Ben to try counseling while Dad sides with the toughen up and deal with it mode. This brings tension and intensity to the plot.
2. The way Ben is okay with his eating troubles but fears what others will think is carried out to the climatic conclusion. I hope for a sequel to follow more of Ben’s progress and setbacks.
3. I’d never hear of ARFID (avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder) but the ramifications of such a problem were brilliantly on display here.
4. Oliva is a nuisance to Ben, but they connect through her caring and working together on an orienteering competition. There’s more to everyone if you get to know them.
5. Shows how elementary peer groups change during the first year of middle school. What worked before is now a new set of standards. Excellent portrayal here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, LINDA B. DAVIS

Linda has always been curious about why we do the things we do. She holds master’s degrees in social work and developmental psychology. As a social worker in a community mental health setting, Linda became passionate about the need for accurate and accessible mental health information in children’s literature.

She is a member of SCBWI and is active in the Chicago writing community. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, gardening, buying more books than she can possibly read, and maintaining her Little Free Library. Food Fight is her first novel.

(For more about Linda, please visit her author web site)

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