Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Sexual Content: A teacher doesn’t show up to class and one of the students speculates that maybe she starred in an x-rated movie and the principal saw it.

Adult Themes: Marci’s father is verbally abusive, calls her fat and stupid, and blames her for causing his anger and contention in the family. A teacher is politically active and refuses to say the pledge of allegiance. Under-age teens drink beer at a party. The parents of the girl hosting the party allow beer because, as the daughter explains, they are glad she doesn’t smoke “dope”. Marci calls herself fat and is embarrassed by her body. She compares herself to her skinny and beautiful friend.

Synopsis

Ninth grader Marcy Lewis invents a new excuse every day for why she will not be participating in gym class. While she is smart, Marcy doesn’t like herself very much. She describes herself as a flat-chested blimp who is ashamed to get into a gym suit or talk to skinny people. But when the new English teacher, Ms. Finney, helps her students learn to see themselves and others more clearly and to discuss and accept their feelings, Marcy’s life starts to change. She begins to realize that she has a strong will, a bright mind, and important and interesting things to say. With this preparation, when Ms. Finney is suspended for review by the principal, Marcy and her friends are ready to fight to keep their forward thinking teacher.

Although The Cat Ate My Gymsuit was written 37 years ago, the themes are just as important today as they were then. A young teenage girl struggles with body image and fitting in with all the other “normal” kids. An excellent teacher makes a difference in the lives of her students but is misunderstood by the administration and some parents. A father tries to control his maturing daughter with anger and threats. Young students band together to make their opinions known and are willing to suffer the consequences for their actions in order to make their point. It could have been written today, but I thoroughly enjoyed the 1974 version.

The reading level is ages 9-12, but in my opinion a lot of the important discussions might be lost on a 4th grader (I have one, so I know what I’m talking about). I think it would be a very valuable book for grades 6 and up. Also, some explanation might be needed about calling people fat. We just don’t do that in 2011.