"I'm no different than any other kid. I m just a GF kid";, says Paris, matter-of-factly. She is the spunky eleven-year-old narrator of this story for kids with celiac disease who must eat gluten-free (GF) foods.
With equal parts humor and directness, Paris* gets right down to business explaining what it is like to have celiac disease. (*Paris's mom wrote the story, full of her daughter's wisecracking comments, and her dad drew the funny, cartoony illustrations.)
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects 1 in 133 kids. If you have celiac disease, you cannot tolerate gluten, a substance found in many foods, including--gulp!--cake, cookies, pasta, or pizza.
Don't sweat it. Paris has creative GF solutions for you. She offers tips on what to bring to school, parties, and sleep-overs; where to shop for GF foods at stores and online; and how to choose from among plenty of foods that don't contain gluten, like bananas, yogurt, popcorn, chocolate pudding cups, hamburgers, soda, and more!
Paris explains that you don t have to worry about your friends either. They'll get on board once they understand that eating even a tiny bit of gluten can make you sick, tired, or slow your growth.
In THE GF KID, you'll find everything you need to know to get on with your gluten-free life, including:
What celiac disease is and how you can manage it
How to choose safe, gluten-free foods and what to avoid
Lists of gluten-free foods (and candy!)
Tips for eating away from home (restaurants, school, friends homes, the movies)
Keeping your gluten-free stuff separate from gluteny stuff
Favorite GF recipes
If you're the parent of a preteen or young teen with celiac disease -whether your child is newly diagnosed or has been living with celiac disease for a while -you' ll want to have this friendly and empowering book for your child.
It is also a great read for friends, neighbors, classmates, and teachers who want to be supportive and help your son or daughter be a GF kid.