“Numbers” by Laura Woodland is about her experience with seeing herself as a number—as seeing how many sizes down her choir dress can go before she’ll be happy with her weight—and then overcoming her weight obsession. It all started in middle school, she said, when her choir dress size was bigger than the others and she became embarrassed about her weight. This went on for a while until she decided to join the track team, and started to see herself as the number 36—her placing in a state race.

I think this memoir is a superb example of overcoming one’s troubles. Even though, in the end, Laura couldn’t join run cross-country for a while because of a serious injury, her coach’s faith in her put her on the right track again. It gives hope to people who feel or have felt the same way, about only seeing how large their jeans are instead of the wonderful person that they are. “I am who I am and that’s all right with me,” Laura finally realized after her long journey.