Books

inside the Ozempic revolution

Few aspects of being human have generated more judgment, scorn and condemnation than a person’s size, shape and weight – particularly if you happen to be female. As late as 2022, the Times’scolumnist Matthew Parris published a column headlined “Fat shaming is the only way to beat the obesity crisis” in which he attributed Britain’s “losing battle with fat” to society’s failure to goad and stigmatise the overweight into finally, shamefacedly, eating less. The tendency to equate excess weight with poor character (and thinness with grit and self-control) treats obesity as a moral as well as physical failing – less a disease than a lifestyle choice.

One of the great strengths of Reuters journalist Aimee Donnellan’s first book is its insistence on framing the discovery of the new weight-loss drugs within the fraught social and cultural context of beauty norms, body image and health. For those who need them, weekly injections of Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro can be revolutionary. Yet for every person with diabetes or obesity taking the drugs to improve their health, others – neither obese nor diabetic – are obtaining them to get “beach-body” ready, fit into smaller dresses, or attain the slender aesthetic social media demands of them. Small wonder some commentators have likened the injections to “an eating disorder in a pen”.

Donnellan opens the book with a case in point, a poignant interview with “Sarah”, a 34-year-old marketing executive from Michigan. She recounts a summer of unprecedented success at work – suddenly being included in important meetings, being assigned new management responsibilities and receiving a raise. Yet nothing had changed about her behaviour at work. It was her appearance – after six months on Ozempic – that had undergone a metamorphosis. In the eyes of her employers, shedding five stone (32kg) of weight had transformed her worth: Sarah mattered more because she weighed less.

Like all great tales of scientific discovery, the weight loss saga is rich in serendipity, rivalry and obsession – all of which Donnellan recounts with relish. Wonderfully, it includes a starring role for the only venomous lizard in the US, the Gila monster, though I will refrain from spoilers here. Another key protagonist is Svetlana Mojsov, a young Macedonian immigrant to the US who arrived at New York’s Rockefeller University in 1972 to do post-grad chemistry. (Today, one imagines, ICE would probably deport her.) At this time, the causes of obesity were seen as self-evident – eating too much and exercising too little – and therefore unfit for serious scientific inquiry. Mojsov disagreed. She was fascinated by why some people seemed to feel sated earlier than others, or metabolised food more quickly. Her research – for which she is tipped to win a future Nobel prize – successfully engineered a synthetic version of a natural hormone, glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1), which helps control blood sugar.

Scientists at Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk seized on GLP-1 as a potential new treatment for diabetes. Decades of effort at last culminated in a drug, semaglutide, that people with diabetes could administer once weekly, unlike multiple daily injections of insulin. But the drug trials revealed something unprecedented. Not only did semaglutide control blood sugar beautifully, it caused participants to lose up to 20% of their body weight, seemingly without even trying. Novo Nordisk had stumbled across the holy grail – a safe chemical treatment for obesity that worked to astonishing effect. As word of the miracle jab leaked, celebrities began to seek it out. When a newly svelte Oprah Winfrey told her podcast fans that taking the drug was the cause, suddenly everyone was clamouring for Ozempic. That this had occurred in her lifetime, said Winfrey, “felt like relief, like redemption, like a gift”. It was certainly a gift to Novo Nordisk, whose market value is now, thanks to Ozempic, bigger than the entire GDP of Norway.

Commendably, Donnellan is careful not to treat the GLP-1 drugs an unalloyed good. She addresses their side-effects, such as severe nausea, and their use by non-obese people to the potential detriment of their health. The one omission is that she doesn’t dig into what is surely the most intriguing aspect of weight-loss drugs: incredibly, scientists simply don’t know why they excel at treating obesity, beyond the fact that GLP-1 receptors are present in the brain. It appears that saturating the brain with abnormally high levels of the hormone dials down people’s craving for food. A lifetime of incessant chatter about eating is dampened. Restraint becomes easy, effortless. Does this mean drugs like Ozempic will be licensed in the future to treat drug, alcohol, gambling and sex addiction? What would that do to our concept of free will? Ozempic is a miracle drug, a rebuke to a century of condemnation of those who are obese, and a profound challenge to the very definition of what it means to be human. Watch this space.

Books

Literacy push harms reading pleasure

The “relentless” focus on measuring literacy progress in schools has “pushed reading for pleasure to the margins”, according to a new report.

“Parents and schools both recognise that reading for pleasure matters, but their understandable focus on literacy skills is actively undermining it,” found the study, which analysed survey data on reading trends among UK children, drawing on data from HarperCollins, NielsenIQ and The Reading Agency.

Daily reading for pleasure among five to 17-year-olds fell from 39% in 2012 to 25% in 2025, data shows, while the proportion of children who rarely or never read for pleasure tripled from 5% to 15%.

However, the study also found that both daily and weekly reading for pleasure increased between 2024 and 2025 among 11- to 17-year-old boys and girls. For 14- to 17-year-old boys, who researchers claim are the “among the hardest-to-reach” in terms of encouraging reading, those who never read fell from 36% to 30% year-on-year.

The data suggested that fewer teens think “books aren’t cool” (down from 45% to 38% between 2024 and 2025 for the 11-17 age group), and fewer say they’d “rather watch TV, play video games or go online than read” (down from 76% to 69% for 14- to 17-year-olds).

Social media is helping teenagers discover books they enjoy, with the proportion reporting finding books via BookTok rising from 23% in 2024 to 27% in 2025 among 14- to 17-year-olds. Among 11- to 17-year-olds, discovery via YouTube rose from 25% to 30%.

The results for younger children were less encouraging. Only 32% of five to 10-year-olds read daily for pleasure last year, a level unchanged for three years and down from 55% in 2012. The proportion of five to 7-year-olds who rarely or never read for pleasure rose from 8% to 11% in a single year.

Barriers to children reading for pleasure include struggling to discover books they enjoy and screens winning their attention.

Removing pressure and making reading a social activity could encourage children to pick up a book more often, researchers said. The report also claimed being read to throughout childhood has a significant impact on a child’s reading habits. Children “who are read to daily are three times more likely to choose to read independently, daily, than if they are read to weekly by their parents,” said HarperCollins consumer insight director Alison David.

Three-fifths of three to seven-year-olds are not read to daily, according to the data. Despite this, 71% of parents with children aged 13 and under said they wished their children would spend more time reading books, an increase from 65% in 2019. Nearly half (41%) of parents believe that reading for pleasure is more important than ever.

When parents with five to 10-year-old children were asked why they read to them, the top two reasons were literacy-focused, and 58% of parents did not select enjoyment as a reason. Parents need to understand “the difference between literacy and reading for pleasure”, stated the report.

Focus groups identified a “fatalistic” attitude among parents, who assume that some children will enjoy reading and others simply won’t. Some parents also believe that reading to their child will make them lazy and less likely to be independent readers.

The report emphasised the importance of reading to children beyond the age when they can “decode” the language themselves. “They still need to be read to for the enjoyment it brings, for habit forming and for encouragement to read independently.”

David suggests that beyond bedtime reading, parents should read to children “often and anywhere” by taking a book to the park, on the bus, or to a coffee shop. “Read to children when they are in the bath, or eating lunch. Make a den, put a blanket over a table and sit in there to read. Build excitement – talk about how excited you are to continue the story to find out what happens next.”

“When you are out, point out things that you see and relate back to books, and use it as a trigger to read again later”, she said, adding that if you see a cat, you might suggest reading a Mog book – the popular series by Judith Kerr – later on. She also suggests putting on “funny voices and accents, really ham it up”, as children “love it”.

The report suggests that by helping parents understand that encouraging reading for pleasure “requires a different approach from supporting literacy – that both are essential, both are achievable – and by giving them practical tools and compelling reasons to act, we can make change happen”.

The Guardian

Books

Kids & teens: best new books

Musical inspiration from Corinne Bailey Rae; danger in a magical academy; the adventures of an otter pup; a YA queer gothic fantasy, and more

The Bear and the Seed by Poonam Mistry, Templar, £12.99
When Bear’s glorious forest disappears, he finds hope in a tiny seed – but he needs help from other animals to tend it in this inspiring picture book, filled with spellbinding geometric art.

Little Passenger by Deirdre Sullivan and Jessica Love, Walker, £12.99
This poetic, beautiful picture book features a mother talking to her growing baby throughout pregnancy (“You are a full stop, a pea, a single grape”). Love’s lustrous ink and watercolour illustrations marry the delicate tendrils of developing plants with the intricate stitches of a sampler.

Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae and Gillian Eilidh O’Mara, Fox&Ink, £8.99
From a Grammy-winning musician, this gorgeous picture book about intergenerational bonds, shared emotions and the power of music boasts light-filled, joyous illustrations.

Alan, King of the Universe by Tom McLaughlin, Hodder, £12.99
These five splendidly silly, surreal graphic novel adventures, starring Alan, an orange cat with opposable thumbs and dreams of world domination, and his canine sidekick Fido, should appeal to Dog Man fans of 6+.

Megalomaniacs by Jamie Smart, David Fickling, £9.99
From the creator of Bunny vs Monkey come the Megalomaniacs – alien invaders hampered in their attempts to conquer Bobbletown by their minute size and unceasing infighting. An irresistible 7+ comics romp, crammed with bum jokes, eyewatering colour and an array of tiny villains, from a Jekyll and Hyde carrot to a cyborg kitten bounty hunter.

Poetry Pizza by Simon Mole, illustrated by Tom McLaughlin, Otter-Barry, £8.99
From baths full of lemonade to invented acronyms, a spell for infinite football skills to Yuri Gagarin’s last wee before blasting off into space, this lively, funny, lyrical poetry collection features subjects to entice a variety of 7+ readers.

The Adventures of Portly the Otter by MG Leonard, illustrated by Polly Dunbar, Farshore, £14.99
Elegantly balancing delight and peril, these stories of a lovable otter pup feature cameos from Toad, Ratty, Badger and Mole – and some unsettling appearances from the Weasels. Dunbar’s adorable illustrations complement this perfect introduction to Wind in the Willows for 8+ (or for younger bedtime listeners).

Escape from the Child Snatchers by Sufiya Ahmed, Andersen, £7.99
When Humza and his best friend, Ranj, leave India on a dangerous journey to find Humza’s big brother Dani in England, they fall almost immediately into the clutches of the child-snatching Basil Brookes. Can they escape him, find Dani – and free Brookes’s other victims too? A fast-paced, atmospheric 9+ historical adventure.

Feather Vane by Beth O’Brien, HarperCollins, £7.99
Trainee sorcerers Morfran and Creirwy have been sent with their mother, Ceridwen, to banish nuisance magical creatures from the village of Greeth-Under-Edge. When Ceridwen is imprisoned for using a forbidden enchantment, though, it’s up to the twins to contend with sylphs, salamanders, gnomes and river hags – and to learn where the deepest magic really lies, in this absorbing 9+ fantasy with a flavour of Diana Wynne Jones.

The Overthinkers’ Club : Happy List by Nat Luurtsema, illustrated by Cécile Dormeau, Usborne, £7.99
Champion worrier Birdie begins summer term with a LOT to overthink – her BFF making other friends, an imminent house move, the fact that she owns (and needs) no bras … Will starting a Happy List help stop her stressing? This hilarious new illustrated diary series will be catnip for 9+ Lottie Brooks fans.

Anya and the Light above the Ocean by Amelia Giudici, Andersen, £7.99
When her scientist mother doesn’t come home one stormy night, Anya sets out in a small boat to find her, but blacks out after she encounters a mysterious square of light at sea. When she wakes, her mother is still missing, and Anya is suddenly sent away to strangers, where she must use all her courage and tenacity to figure out the unthinkable happenings around her … A gripping, original and thought-provoking 10+ sci-fi thriller.

The Danger of Small Things by Caryl Lewis, S&S, £16.99
After the bees die out, causing worldwide famine, a new order emerges – a society without art or creativity, in which girls are sent away to work as pollinators before being married off at 16. With the help of some forbidden paints and pollination brushes, can 14-year-old Jess incite a rebellion? A compelling YA dystopia, marrying an urgent environmental message with a stirring feminist call to arms.

Her Hidden Fire by Clíodhna O’Sullivan, Penguin, £9.99
In segregated Domhain, power is concentrated in the elite Channellers, a power drawn from the life-force of the lower-status people called “Fodder”. Éadha, a servant, loves Ionáin, the heir of a ruling family who will lose their status if Ionáin does not possess the Channeller gift. But when Éadha discovers that she does – and Ionáin does not – she makes an audacious decision to accompany him to the Channeller training academy, shielding him by a trick. Riveting, romantic and thought-provoking, this chunky YA fantasy interrogates patriarchy, power-hoarding and the myths by which injustice sustains itself.

Bad Queer by Gayathiri Kamalakanthan, illustrated by Chi Nwosu, Faber, £9.99
Supported and loved by their family, Surya knows they’re non-binary, but telling Blessing – the handsome, fascinating boy they’re crushing on at drama club – is harder to face. A poignant, thoughtful YA verse novel about navigating identity and the joys and pains of first love, ideal for Dean Atta fans.

These Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Salter, Bloomsbury, £16.99
In a dying, decaying world, Fourspires Castle houses arcanists of four rival disciplines – bone, blood, botany and stone – whose rites maintain the precarious status quo. When the king is assassinated, the arcanists and their human familiars must fight for survival in the ritual of the Slaughter; but bone witch Taro, botanical familiar Nixie, cursed blood familiar Elliot, and Alix, banished from the Stone Arcania, become allies despite their spiteful, mistrustful history, aiming not just to survive but to lift the curse that binds their world in its rotting chains. Ambitious, gruesome and appallingly fascinating, this queer gothic fantasy kicks off a trilogy that’s sure to attract legions of strong-stomached YA readers.

The Guardian

Books

Children and Teens Roundup: Best New Picture Books and Novels

The Good Deed Dogs by Emma Chichester Clark, Walker, £12.99
Three very good dogs’ attempts to help others keep backfiring with chaotic consequences – until they pull off a successful kitten rescue in this exuberantly charming picture book.

Auntie’s Bangles by Dean Atta and Alea Marley, Orchard, £12.99
Everyone misses Auntie, especially the jingle of her jewellery; but eventually Theo and Rama are ready to put on her bangles and dance to celebrate her memory. A sweet, poignant picture book about loss, joy and remembrance.

Grandad’s World by Michael Foreman, Scholastic, £12.99
Jack loves spending time with his grandad, watching wildlife in the woods and round the village pond. But when rubbish pollutes the water, it’s up to Jack and Grandad to put things right in this absorbing picture book, full of soft blues and greens and the fascination of the natural world.

Jake in the Middle by Michael Catchpool, illustrated by Shanarama, Otter-Barry, £8.99
Jake lives with his bossy older sister and shoe-stealing baby brother at No 3 Maple Street, enjoying gentle, child-friendly adventures such as a trip to the city farm with his grandpa or setting up a school museum. This engaging 5+ chapter book will delight newly independent readers.

Postman Planet by Ben Davis, Gallery Kids, £7.99
Postman Planet pretends to be the best postman in the universe, but despite his moustache he’s only nine years old. Now he and his new part-robot dog assistant have to make an urgent helium delivery to the Planet of Fluffy Unicorns – but can they dodge the Space Vikings who want to steal their cargo? A laugh-out-loud, highly illustrated interstellar caper for 6+ by an author who’s also a real-life postman.

Donut Squad 2: Make a Mess! by Neill Cameron, DFB, £9.99
As Anxiety Donut goes on a mindfulness retreat and Dadnut teaches Li’l Timmy the meaning of life, everyone’s favourite glazed pastry treats are back – but the aggressively savoury Bagel Battalion have plans to banish them from their own book in this rip-roaring 7+ graphic novel sequel, just as funny, silly, clever and addictive as volume one.

The Golden Monkey Mystery by Piu DasGupta, Nosy Crow, £7.99
Aspiring doctor Roma is amazed to discover a golden monkey near her Indian boarding school, far away from its home in Assam. Despite two English children tagging along, bandits on her tail and the malign influence of a cursed jewel called the Snakestone, Roma is determined to return the monkey to where it belongs in this full-tilt, thrilling 8+ historical adventure.

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead, Andersen, £7.99
Eleven-year-old Nathan has always known that he’s from another planet, part of a long-running Earth-based experiment that seems to be coming to an end. But as Nathan’s peers start disappearing and his own family are called back to the Mothership, he begins to question everything he’s believed to be true … An imaginative, humorous coming-of-age sci-fi story for 9+ by an award-winning author.

The Monsters at the End of the World by Rebecca Orwin, illustrated by Oriol Vidal, Puffin, £8.99
Everyone knows that the monsters infesting the sea near Sunny’s tiny town are violent and terrifying – until Sunny meets one, and finds out that what everyone knows is wrong. But Seawaren’s elders won’t listen to Sunny, even though someone in the town is keeping a monstrous secret of their own. This gripping post-apocalyptic debut for 9+ emphasises empathy and curiosity as essentials even in the toughest of times.

The Night I Borrowed Time by Iqbal Hussain, Puffin, £8.99
Zubair is a seventh son, but it’s not until his granny arrives from Pakistan and gives him a strange amulet that he discovers he has the ability to time-travel. When he attempts to fix his parents’ marriage, however, Zubair finds that meddling with the past presents a lot of pitfalls in this funny, touching, thought-provoking 10+ story, richly imagined and deeply inventive.

Bottom of Form

Ghost Boys: The Graphic Novel by Jewell Parker Rhodes, illustrated by Setor Fiadzigbey, Orion, £9.99
The story of 12-year-old Black boy Jerome, who is shot dead by a police officer while playing with a toy gun, and whose ghost meets the spirit of Emmett Till in the afterlife, has now been given a hauntingly powerful graphic novel treatment, with chapters alternating between Dead and Alive. A moving, enraging version of the original novel.

Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet, Scholastic, £8.99
What would happen to Louisa May Alcott’s March girls if one of them was murdered? A compulsive, sometimes gory reimagining of Little Women as a modern YA thriller, told from all four sisters’ perspectives.

Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones, Hot Key, £14.99
Eli doesn’t know other witches exist until he meets the gorgeous James and is inducted into the Arcana, a magic society ruled over by the mysterious Majors. Eli and his newfound family are threatened by a curse rooted in the Arcana’s history – can they face the secrets of the past to break free of it? This whimsical, inclusive, queer debut YA graphic novel is inspired by the tarot deck.

Queen of Faces by Petra Lord, HarperFire, £16.99
In Caimor, the rich can pay to change their ailing, ageing bodies, but 17-year-old Ana is trapped in a dying male form that will kill her if she doesn’t trade it for a better one. Her last hope of survival is to become an assassin for Caimor’s elite school of magic – but as the terrifying dark mage Khaiovhe incites a gathering rebellion, Ana’s missions become steadily more dangerous and confusing, forcing her to re-evaluate her loyalties and beliefs. A hugely ambitious, wholly riveting 14+ fantasy debut.

The Guardian