Adam's Gluten Free Surprise — Debbie Simpson

A book for all teachers. One of the best ways to help a child who needs to be gluten free is to help the important adults in his/her life understand what this means. For someone who doesn't need to follow a strict gluten free diet, it can be difficult to understand. After all, the word “diet” usually means “cheat a little.” For a person with celiac (or nonceliac gluten sensitivity) 100% adherence is very important. Yes, a crumb can make a difference. And this is the purpose of this “children's” book, to help teachers, grandparents, childcare providers, and others understand what gluten is, and to understand the importance of safety without leaving anyone out. Adam's Gluten Free Surprise: Helping Others Understand Gluten Free follows Adam through his first six months of a new school year after being diagnosed with celiac disease. He is very accepting of his medically required diet, offering a, “that's OK,” when he cannot be included in a special treat that his peers can enjoy. But his good nature, which offers children with special diets a positive role model, turns sad at times, as is only natural when a person feels left out, or when they cannot eat something that looks and smells good. (The identical girls' version is Hailey's Gluten Free Surprise.) In the end, Adam's teacher and peers understand a bit more about gluten. They secretly plan to make their Valentine's Day party completely gluten free so he can be included. While this certainly won't happen in every classroom, the purpose of this story is to help promote empathy and understanding. Adam's Gluten Free Surprise is about the acceptance that is required by the child with a special diet and it is about the understanding that is required by those who are important parts of his or her life. *Teachers, if one of your students requires a gluten free diet, please ask him or her first before reading this book to the entire class. While some children are thrilled to share a book that is about themselves, some children don't want to be the focus. But please do read it for yourself; your understanding of gluten free is very important.