One Fat Summer cover

One Fat Summer

by Robert Lipsyte

They used to call me Crisco Kid because I was fat in the can... So begins the woeful tale of Bobby Marks, a 200-pound candy-bar nut who hated summertime because he couldn't hide his body fat in heavy clothes. The year was 1957. The month was hot July. That was the summer his friend Joanie goaded him into getting the job. When he met his idol, the lifeguard Pete Marino. And when Willie, the crazy ex-marine, vowed to gun him down. Then Bobby found out just how terrifying, exhilarating, dangerous, and wonderful, one fat summer could be...

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?