Extra Large

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Author(s)

Tyler Page

Publisher

First Second

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

March 11, 2025

ISBN

978-1250851567

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Tyler Page returns with a touching middle grade memoir about a boy dealing with Button Pusher weight gain, bullying, and gendered expectations all while starting a new school year.

It’s the start of a new school year for Tyler, and with it comes brand-new problems. There are new bullies, new rules, and Tyler’s starting to have a new understanding of his body. In the gym locker room, he notices how his body’s soft curves contrast with the thin frames and toned muscles of the other boys. And on TV, it seems like someone who looks like Tyler never gets the girl. But is being thin the same thing as being healthy? What’s wrong with being fat, anyway? When his dad forces the Page family to start dieting, Tyler discovers the difference between building a body that conforms to society’s expectations and one that actually feels good to live in.

Editor review

1 review

Fascinating Graphic Memoir on Self-Love and Acceptance

April 09, 2025 (Updated: June 24, 2026)

Overall rating

4.5

Plot

4.0

Characters

5.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Tyler is starting a new school year, and there are a lot of new things coming his way. This year there are new bullies, new rules, and Tyler is starting to notice the differences between his body and the other boys around him. Tyler wonders if being thin also means being healthy, and what the problem is with being fat. Tyler’s dad suddenly decides that his family is going to start dieting along with him, and in this Tyler begins to see the difference between looking the way other’s expect him to look and just enjoying the body that he has.

What I Liked: This book opens by taking you on Tyler’s family vacation, then on a shopping trip where he gets new clothes for school. This book then transitions to dinner time, in which Tyler’s dad shares about an article he read. This article is about a man who was on a no-sugar diet and was able to lose a significant amount of weight which inspires Tyler’s dad to also go on a no-sugar diet to lose weight. Due to this, he encourages his family to join him in changing their eating habits to be healthier. The other members of the family aren’t thrilled about making this change, and become frustrated with the dad’s persistence about eliminating sugar and losing weight. Throughout this journey, Tyler learns about the difference between losing weight and being healthy and how weight and health aren’t necessarily connected.

I wasn’t aware that this book was book two of a series until I looked it up online and found that book one would introduce you to Tyler and his journey with ADHD, and explain the weight gain. While this book does great as a standalone, it does make you want to read the first book to get Tyler’s full story and spend more time in his world. The illustrations in this book do an amazing job of getting the feelings across the page and enhancing the story. While this is a memoir, several people will find Tyler’s experiences to be relatable and adults will find these moments some of their most memorable moments from middle school.

Final Verdict: Extra Large is a fascinating memoir that showcases the importance of support and how words can impact our self-image. This book is perfect for those who are struggling with their changing body or who have negative experiences with their peers due to things that are not in their control. This book showcases the importance of self love and acceptance as well as finding groups of people who love and accept you as you are.