Take Up Space, Y'all: Your Bold & Bright Guide to Self-Love

by Tess Holliday, Kelly Coon

Overview

Make your own rules and treat your body well in this uplifting, inspirational, and fact-filled guide to navigating social media, taking care of yourself, and loving your body by top plus-size model Tess Holliday and award-winning author Kelly Coon. 

Take Up Space, Y’all gives teen readers a joyful, can’t-put-this-down reading experience with advice and colorful anecdotes from body positivity activist, top plus-size model, and inclusivity consultant, Tess Holliday. Tess Holliday has been on a mission to shift society's mindset on what is beautiful, what is healthy, and what matters most of out life and living authentically. Now she and co-author, Kelly Coon, are combating the immense pressures society places on teens--from grades to social status to looks--and acknowledging these can have a negative impact on one's physical and mental health. Let Tess, Kelly, and various professionals guide you to taking up all the space you need by:

• making good eating choices for your body
• choosing fashion that defines you
• steering clear of social media trolls
• seeking help from trusted adults in hard situations
• and more!

Through fun quizzes, bit-sized stories from Tess's life, writing prompts, and digestible sidebars, this guide is sure to empower you to unleash self-love and to conquer societal pressures while having fun at the same time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762489169
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	08/26/2025
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Tess Holliday is one of the world’s most famous plus-size models and the first of her size ever to be signed to a major agency. She has been a pioneer of the body positivity movement since 2010, broke boundaries with her Cosmo UK cover, and was the first-ever digital cover star for Self. She is one of the top six plus-size models globally by Vogue Italia. She has created and sold her own clothing lines, speaks at panels around the world, consults for H&M on inclusivity and diversity, and has hosted a podcast.
 
Kelly Coon is an educator with more than twenty years’ writing experience. She was executive editor for Blue Ocean Brain, a high school English teacher, and is a published fiction and nonfiction author for teens and adults. She’s written articles for The Washington Post, Scary Mommy, ThoughtCo, and more.

Editorial Reviews

Tess Holliday is someone I’ve long admired for how she shows up in the world for herself and others by pushing boundaries and trailblazing new paths for all of us. Take Up Space, Y’all is an unapologetic anthem to discovering and celebrating all of the facets of ourselves and to nourishing our continued evolution. Together, Tess and Kelly have crafted a powerful and important book.”

—Mandy Moore, singer-songwriter and actress

“Gosh, I love this book . . . If only I had it when I was growing up! Written in a language and tone that is like having a conversation with your bestie who loves you to bits (and also happens to know a ton more than you do), Tess’s vibrant spirit spills out of the pages, encouraging us to stop putting our trust and focus outside of ourselves, and instead to look inward. From debunking social media, to giving solid guidance for self-care and confidence building, Tess reminds us that we all have our own unique, great-big-beautiful soul that deserves to shine. And the moment we stop trying to shove ourselves into a mold that isn’t made for us, that’s when we start to soar.”

—Elisa Donovan, actress and author

“Tess Holliday and Kelly Coon’s wonderfully practical and brilliantly informative book is pitch perfectly age-appropriate and incredibly fun! It encourages the reader to look at their developing selves and navigate new situations with curiosity, creativity and a deep sense of kindness for themselves and the rest of the world.”

—Melanie Zanetti, award-winning actress and voice over artist

“This is the book I wish I’d had when I was navigating adolescence. Every page is bursting with helpful, practical tips, beautiful insights on living your best life inside and out, and plenty of humor. Make space for this one on every young person’s book shelf. Fresh, fabulous, and fun.”—Laura Taylor Namey, New York Times bestselling author of A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

"Plus-size supermodel and activist Holliday empowers readers to reject traditional beauty norms and love themselves, inside and out. . . . A breezy, accessible, and uplifting guide to body positivity."—Kirkus Reviews

“In a supportive, energetic tone, Holliday and Coon guide readers in learning how to love themselves and develop their own relationships with food, fashion, and friends. For any readers who feel they have to change themselves to fit in, this is an encouraging message to be their most authentic selves.”—Booklist

From the Publisher

2025-05-16
Plus-size supermodel and activist Holliday empowers readers to reject traditional beauty norms and love themselves, inside and out.

Holliday, whose body-positive “Eff Your Beauty Standards” social media campaign went viral, acknowledges her commitment to striving to make “the world a better and safer place for folks in larger bodies” and the pride she takes in being “part of a collective of people who have helped shift a generation,” particularly since she grew up without positive role models who looked like her. This work, which Holliday co-wrote with YA author Coon, draws on the expertise of four consultants with diverse backgrounds and professions, and urges teens to practice self-acceptance. The material is divided into two parts: “Love Your Outer You” and “Love Your Inner You.” Some sections encourage readers to become aware of and challenge the stereotypes they hold about others based on identity labels relating to gender, religion, social class, and other factors. Holliday and Coon strive to include language and content that will engage people of many genders, styles, and cultures. The fun fonts and graphic design, short segments (frequently divided into bullet points or numbered lists), and style and personality quizzes peppered throughout mean the book may be most appealing to younger teens. Even as the work addresses difficult topics like disordered eating and food insecurity, the tone remains upbeat, focusing on messages of kindness and confidence.

A breezy, accessible, and uplifting guide to body positivity. (Q&A, further reading, resources)(Nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews