Book Display Reference - Plus Size/Curvy Characters

Day one of PLA 2024 included the panel Anti-Racist Readers Services: Beyond the Basics, sponsored by NoveList, and presented by Becky Spratford (RA for All), Robin Bradford, and Yaika Sabat. Becky has kindly posted the the slides on her blog. Becky and Robin have a course with NoveList called Actively Anti-Racist Readers Services to Readers if you would like to learn more. 

A question was asked about diversity in regards to human bodies, specifically looking for books with characters who are plus size or curvy. There are readers and librarians who have curated lists that you can draw from to create lists for patron and staff use. Even publishers have created lists. The titles can be highlighted on your social media as well to draw attention to the fact that your collection includes titles like this and even that they exist at all. Include them in your book displays and lists. 

Take clues from the titles of the lists you do find and improve your search. As you will see, the titles of these lists vary as far as what sort of language is used.  Here are some lists to get you started.You may find that this is an area where your collection is lacking. 

Users of Goodreads have created a variety of lists you can use to start your lists. Once you find one, Some examples include: 
Plus Size Romance Books
True Plus Size Romance Books That I Adore
Plus Sized Mystery Protagonists
Fat Acceptance and Fat Activism
Listopia: Fat Positive Book Lists
Listopia: Plus Size Book Lists: There is a wide selection of lists on this page including one which references covers with plus sized characters, YA titles, and queer characters. 

Libraries who use their websites for passive readers advisory have included this topic in their lists:
Boston Public Library: 18 Plus-Sized Romance Novels 
Pima County Public Library: Read Harder 2021 Fat Positive Romance
Richland Library: Romancing the Fat Girl Plus Sized Heroines
Austin Public Library: Fat Liberation for Teens (YA)
King County LIbrary System: Fat-Positive Fiction, Comics, & Memoirs

The Curvy Fashionista  - Because We Love a Great Book, Here are 30+ Plus Size Centered Must-Reads!  This list does include non-fiction

If you are going to create a list or display centered on this theme, include some biographies and other non-fiction. There are self-help, biographies, and books about body positivity and fat activism.  

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