One Fat Summer

The first book in the Summer trilogy Robert Lipsyte’s young adult contemporary novel, One Fat Summer (1977), follows a teenager struggling with insecurities and obesity who is dreading the summer vacation. Critically acclaimed, it was nominated for the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award in 1979. An American sports journalist and children’s book writer, Lipsyte received the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2001 for his contributions to young adult fiction. He also writes nonfiction about encouraging young people to enjoy sports instead of forcing them to be competitive all the time.

Fourteen-year-old Bobby Marks lives near Rumson Lake in the summer of 1942. He is obese and the kids at school bully him for it. He hates summertime because he is insecure about his body and he doesn’t like wearing shorts or t-shirts. His best friend, Joanie, is picked on for having a big nose. All Bobby wants is for the kids at school to give him a break, and for his body to look better.

School is out for the summer, and his father wants to send him to camp. Horrified, Bobby doesn’t want to go. He knows kids at school will make fun of him when he comes back and they find out where he has been. He is too old, he says, for camp. His mother doesn’t want him to go because she is worried it will hurt his self-esteem.



Bobby’s dad comes up with another plan. Instead of going to camp, he will mow lawns. He is not going to be allowed to just sit around doing nothing all summer. Reluctantly, Bobby agrees, because it is better than summer camp. When he tells Joanie the news, she is sad for him, but she has bad news of her own. She is going to New York for the summer and she can’t explain why. Now, Bobby has no one to hang out with. He is miserable and lonely.

Bobby starts working for Dr. Kahn. Dr. Kahn looks for excuses to criticize Bobby’s work because he doesn’t want to pay anything for it. He constantly complains, pushing Bobby to work harder. He tells Bobby that, if he weren’t so fat, he could move faster and mow better. Bobby pretends he doesn’t care what Dr. Kahn says, but he is hurt by his comments. He overeats to deal with his depression. Food is his escape.

Meanwhile, Bobby’s mum and dad fight all the time. They won’t tell him what they’re fighting about. He is sick of feeling that everything in his life is a mess. He decides there is one thing he can control—how hard he works. He puts everything he has into mowing the lawn and, week by week, he loses weight.



The boy who used to cut Dr. Kahn’s lawn, Willie, stops by Dr. Kahn’s house all the time. He watches Bobby and makes fun of him constantly. He laughs at how Bobby can’t take his shirt off because of his weight and how he sweats all the time. However, Bobby decides Willie won’t get the better of him. He starts taking his shirt off and talking back to Willie, and he shows Dr. Kahn that he’s the best in the neighborhood at lawn mowing.

As the weeks go by, Bobby’s mum and dad watch him change. They notice that he speaks his mind more, stands up for himself, and wears summer clothes. They’re very proud of him even if they don’t say it much. They are especially proud of how well he’s handling Dr. Kahn and his endless demands, and how he speaks up for the money that he’s due.

Bobby stops eating as much comfort food. He realizes that the food doesn’t make him feel any better. Instead, too much junk food makes him feel worse. He learns that eating is only a quick fix and that it is up to him to define himself. He can’t help wondering what Joanie will think when she sees him again in the fall. He is not attracted to her, but he hopes that she will be proud of him.



Meanwhile, Bobby’s dad leaves. Bobby learns that he is having an affair and that is what his parents have been fighting about. When Bobby’s dad comes back, it is clear that things are over between his parents, and he doesn’t want to take sides. Instead of returning to junk food, however, Bobby stays focused on his own health.

Willie can’t stop bullying Bobby. Eventually, Bobby attacks Willie, almost drowning him. He stops, realizing that hurting Willie makes him just as bad as Willie. When Bobby tries talking to Willie, it is obvious that Willie has a drinking problem and has nothing else going on in his life. Bobby learns that even bullies have insecurities and weaknesses and that everyone deserves kindness. Life is rarely as straightforward as it seems.