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

by Tess Holliday (Author), Kelly Coon (Author)

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.

A USA Today Bestseller!

2026 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in the Young Adult (YA) Non-Fiction, Ages 13-19+ category

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.

Author Biography

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.