Diabetes and Me: An Essential Guide for Kids and Parents - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0809028190 ISBN 13: 9780809028191

Publisher: Hill and Wang, 2013

Synopsis

An upbeat, empathetic, and essential guide for young people with diabetes

In Diabetes and Me: An Essential Guide for Kids and Parents, Kim Chaloner, who has been teaching award-winning science classes for fifteen years, gives kids the tools they need to take charge of their health and understand what it means to be diagnosed with diabetes. In this graphic guide, she walks four young people through the basics of diabetes, both Type 1 and Type 2, revealing . . .

• The early signs of diabetes and how doctors can help

• What it means to have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes

• What the pancreas is and how it works

• How to manage the ups and downs of blood sugar levels

• Strategies for diet and exercise

• How to explain diabetes to friends and family members

• And much more!

Illustrated by the award-winning artist Nick Bertozzi, Diabetes and Me is an informative, empowering handbook for parents, teachers, and kids looking to learn more about how to handle one of today's most common conditions.

About this title

About the Authors

Nick Bertozzi has written and drawn many comics over the years, including Becoming Andy Warhol, The Salon, Lewis & Clark, and the New York Times bestselling Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey. Bertozzi has won two Harvey and has taught Cartooning at the School of Visual Arts since 2003. He lives in Queens, New York, with his wife and daughters.

Kim Chaloner is a middle school science teacher and the dean of community life at an independent private school in Manhattan, where she organizes programs in sustainability, biology, multicultural education, and community service. She is the author of Diabetes and Me. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age sixteen.

Reviews

Gr 4 Up—With nearly 26 million people in the United States currently suffering with some form of diabetes, this guidebook is an extremely relevant and timely publication. Presented in graphic-novel format, it offers a wealth of information, including early signs and symptoms, types of diabetes, and successful strategies and methods for controlling it in specific instances. Various medical specialists involved in the treatment of diabetes, introduced as superheroes, explain their respective roles and segue into how to use equipment to monitor blood-sugar levels and describe the nutritional approaches that have been proven effective in controlling the disease. The components of exercise, nutrition, and team support are relayed through a sports theme that young people will relate to. Bertozzi provides fitting animations for each section of this useful book. All ages and types of diabetics will benefit from it.—Kathryn Diman, Bass Harbor Memorial Library, Bernard, ME

Chaloner, a middle-school science educator, provides a highly accessible resource for youth newly diagnosed with diabetes and their parents, going a long way to demystify the ever-more-common disease. Going well beyond standard juvenile texts about living with diabetes, she addresses fears and concerns with both sensitivity and realistic advice for a wide range of readers. A grade-school child facing daily needles, for instance, has concerns that differ from a middle-school athlete, who fears being left out because of his or her diagnosis. In addition to exploring the science behind diabetes, the pharmaceuticals and medical instruments used in treatment, and dietary needs, Chaloner spends ample time on the importance of physical activity and potentially troubling family dynamics, such as resistance to healthier eating habits. Bertozzi, illustrator of Boaz Yakin’s Jerusalem (2013), ably depicts a diverse group of diabetics, detailed accounts of handling monitors during the course of the school day, and some apt metaphorical battles between sugars and insulin. This easy-to-read resource is a standout for its wealth of information and welcoming format. Grades 7-11. --Francisca Goldsmith

Edition details

• Publisher: Hill and Wang
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0809028190
• ISBN 13: 9780809028191
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bertozzi Nick
• Number of pages: 176