Eating disorders are quite prevalent, and according to the National Eating Disorders Association, affect around 8.60% of females and around 4.07% of males in this nation. But until reading Louder Than Hunger by John Schu, I had never learned about a boy’s struggle with an eating disorder. This novel was an eye-opening read for me.
In this novel, a young boy named Jake is diagnosed with an eating disorder and admitted into the Eating Disorders Program at Whispering Pines Hospital after his family notices that he is becoming dangerously underweight. There, he is forced to talk to a therapist and partake in group therapy and art therapy sessions, in order to confront the “Voice” of his anorexia nervosa, or his obsessive thoughts about his weight and intake. During his time at Whispering Pines, Jake is buoyed by the support of his beloved Grandma, a new friend, his therapist, and the healing power of art, but will he muster his own belief in himself and the drive needed to fight the Voice and quieten it for the years to come?
At times wrenching and at times inspiring, Louder Than Hunger offers an unflinching insight into the life of a boy who must learn to cope with an eating disorder that affects him every day, and while fighting it, still find and experience the joys in life.
In Louder Than Hunger, Jake uses art as a medium to work through the challenges he faces and reflect on his motivations to recover.
Activity Suggestion: In honor of the importance of art in aiding Jake’s recovery, students could draw illustrations inspired by their favorite scenes from the novel. Alternatively, they could create their own frame poem by copying their favorite poem from the novel onto paper or cardstock and using markers or colorful felt to decorate the edges and create a handmade frame around the poem.
An example of a frame poem I attempted at 5 years old.
Louder Than Hunger would pair well with Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls. Wintergirls is a superb novel that wields crystalline prose to likewise tackle the topic of a young person experiencing anorexia.
Biography: John Schu is the author of This Is a School, illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison, This Is a Story, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Lauren Castillo, Ruthie Rose’s Big Idea: A Poetry Story, illustrated by Holly Hatam, Louder Than Hunger, and The Gift of Story: Exploring the Affective Side of the Reading Life. He is a contributor to The Creativity Project, edited by Colby Sharp. His forthcoming books include Lily-May’s Joyful Day (Candlewick Press, 2026), illustrated by Holly Hatam and This Is a Theater (Candlewick Press, 2027), illustrated by Jaime Kim. John Schu lives in Naperville, Illinois.