Product Description

Book Description
"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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #250153 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781890627690
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 3-5–London and Glickman have teamed up to produce a book about their eldest daughter, recently diagnosed with celiac disease. Black-and-white cartoon drawings of Paris, an active 11-year-old, lead readers through facts about the disease, how it affects those who have it, and what can be done to live healthfully in spite of it. In addition to describing the physical effects of gluten on the body, London does an excellent job of exploring the emotional effects of living without it. Gluten is found in most grains; people with the disease cannot eat pizza, grilled-cheese sandwiches, or chicken nuggets. As Paris says, Sometimes it makes me sad....Some kids have way, way, way bigger problems!!! Sometimes I just need to remind myself of that! While this book may not have universal appeal, it is an informative choice for children who have recently been diagnosed with celiac disease.–Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
"Preteens (and others) will find chuckles and solid information in this new book." -- American AutoImmune Association newsletter

A book of this sort could come across as very dry; that is not the case in this well handled, lively, spirited look at coping with a serious disease. The cartoon drawings are humorous and appealing, child friendly but not insulting. The character of Paris, an eleven-year-old girl with celiac disease, is clever and cute enough to keep this information-packed book one that children will enjoy while learning about how to deal with this disease that affects 1 in every 133 people. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, not an allergy, which causes the production of antibodies to fight the perceived poison that gluten represents to the body. The antibodies attack the body itself because there is not any poison actually present. This attack manifests itself in a wide variety of symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose the disease, leaving many people undiagnosed or inaccurately diagnosed. The story line is based on the author and illustrator's own daughter's experience with having the disease diagnosed and being treated with a gluten free diet. This book will give lots of help to families who must eliminate gluten for a family member who needs to dramatically improve their health. There is basic information about the kinds of foods that are gluten free and those which are not, but there is also an abundance of back matter including website addresses, references, books, recipes, sources for purchasing gluten free foods, support groups, summer camps, and strategies for traveling, going to restaurants, as well as sleep over parties. Paris' willingness to be so open about her own situation will be an inspiration to others with celiac disease. This will be an excellent resource for doctor's offices, libraries, and parents but most especially the child (actually any age) learning to eat healthy and GF (gluten free) for life. --Sheilah Egan - Children's Literature

Preteens (and others) will find chuckles and solid information in this new book. --American AutoImmune Association newsletter

Preteens (and others) will find chuckles and solid information in this new book. --American AutoImmune Association newsletter

About the Author
Melissa London and Eric Glickman met at Syracuse University on the first day of their art classes and quickly became best friends. After graduating with BFA's, both became Advertising Art Directors and married in 1990. They live with their three beautiful children in New York's Westchester County. Their eldest daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 11.

Customer Reviews

The GF Girrrlz Review The GF Kid
The GF Kid: A Celiac Disease Survival Guide
Review By Eileen Spreitzer

Kids newly diagnosed with Celiac Disease are often overwhelmed. They are confused about what foods to eat or not to eat, and their entire lifestyle changes dramatically. With The GF Kid, information is presented in a fun and friendly format that keeps its young readers engrossed as they read about this condition. This book explains what celiac disease is, what to say when you're at a restaurant, and tips for finding gluten-free foods at a store, along with the key rules of celiac, like not to eat anything that you don't know is okay. The GF Kid is helpful to adults, too: it shows lists of companies that often have gluten free foods along with their website and phone number, and lists of GF candy and ingredients (and non-GF candy and ingredients). Kids can really relate to this book because another kid wrote it, and its fun illustrations bring the whole story to life. I wish I had this book when I was just diagnosed. It would have been an extremely helpful guide for me.

The GF Kid: A Celiac Disease Survival Guide
Review By Anna Spreitzer

Celiac Disease can be hard to understand, especially for kids. The GF Kid helps kids understand the disease and some interesting facts about it. I think that there are some parts in there that give facts that few adults with celiac disease would even know. Kids can fully relate to this book because it is given from a child's point of view, and has fun illustrations. Many kids have a hard time understanding what we celiacs can or cannot have. The GF Kid refers to many GF foods and points out commonly mistaken things. It covers everything briefly but completely, and is easy to understand, from friends to siblings, to who discovered it, to how it may have come to be, eating at fast food to eating at fancy restaurants, to what it does to how to deal with it, and much more. The book is practically written in kid language. This is an excellent book, filled with fun cartoons, great illustrations, and wacky writing. Any kid would thoroughly enjoy such a great book. This book is also great for helping kids that don't have celiac disease but have friends that do fully understand what the problem with their friend is. Furthermore, its just fun to read, even if you don't know anyone with the disease. Who knows, maybe your dad will be diagnosed with celiac disease in two days! Best be prepared!!!

The GF Kid: A Celiac Disease Survival Guide
Review By Laura Spreitzer

For most children, celiac disease is hard to manage. Pretend you are a little kid going to lunch and everybody else has pizza, pasta and such, while you just have a PB and J sandwich on crumbly gf bread. Or just imagine going to get ice cream cones with your brownie troop and mistakenly thinking that any old vanilla soft serve was okay as long as it was in a cup and not a cone like the rest of the kids. Wouldn't you feel left out? The GF Kid helps children cope with staying gluten free and having celiac disease. I already knew a lot of foods and candies that are gluten free, but I didn't know things like Baby Ruths and Butterfingers candybars are GF too. Mom's been holding out on me! The GF Kid explains lots of things that kids don't normally understand by putting it into "Kid Language". I'm glad Mom got this book. Thank you Paris!

I wish I had this book 6 years ago!
When my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 6 years ago it truly took me over a year to figure out how to live with her new dietary needs. The GF Kid explains,in a clear and concise way, EVERYTHING you need to know. From specific foods to an easy medical explanation, Paris delivers her message in an upbeat, positive manner. I give a copy of this book to all my daughters teachers in the beginning of the year and I also read it to her class to explain why she eats differently than her classmates. Everyone "gets it" after reading this book. Both the writing and the illustrations are fantastic! Anyone who knows someone with Celiac Disease should purchase this book!

Doesn't just help kids...
This book really relates to kids with celiac disease. It breaks it down and spells it out in terms they can relate to. My twin grandsons were diagnosed and this not only helped them, but all the adults, understand the new lifestyle they were embarking on. Thanks to the author and her parents for all the great information.