The Best Fictional Chapter Books
Featuring Diabetic Characters and Info
Recommended for diabetic kids ages 9 to 12
and their friends, siblings, and teachers, too!
Have you just found out
about your child's diabetes?
Do your kids hate feeling
different from everyone else?
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Finally, here's some GOOD news! No matter how your diet and insulin management are going, you're probably using your glucose meter and testing equipment better than some of the characters in the books recommended here.
Yes, some of the fictional kids and teens do everything right, but the best books feature more realistic characters who have real feelings, play popular DDR Games,
and do things that your kids and teens can relate to. These characters occasionally make bad choices that cause problems in many parts of their lives, not just their diabetes management.
Why not let fictional kids make the mistakes your child might be tempted to make? Let the diabetic kids and teenagers in these books take testing short cuts and suffer the consequences, so your kids don't have to mess up their health care or disappoint the people who care about them.
Please Pass Grandma's Leg - AKA: The Case of the Sacked Potatoes
Please Pass Grandma's Leg by Christine Petrell Kallevig
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by award-winning author and professional storyteller Christine Petrell Kallevig features Roland, a diabetic sixth-grader who's all bummed out because he's just caught his electronic-hat-wearing grandma showing off her artificial leg to unsuspecting shoppers at the mall. The trouble is, these unsuspecting shoppers are the most popular kids at Roland's school. Fortunately for him and unfortunately for her, one of the girls, Crystal Nellson, has much worse problems. Despite his anger and frustration with his new diabetes diagnosis, Roland is rewarded with true friendship when he finally stops worrying about himself so much and starts helping Crystal solve The Case of the Sacked Potatoes. If your kids like funny mysteries, they'll love this book! It's a bestseller during author Christine Petrell Kallevig's school visits.
I'm Tougher Than Diabetes! (Concept Books - Albert Whitman)
I'm Tougher Than Diabetes! by Alden R. Carter
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features Natalie describing how she manages her type I diabetes. She speaks straightforwardly in the first person about the ups and downs of her daily procedures, demonstrating how she tests her sugar levels, explaining about insulin shots, and describing the emergency procedures her family practices. Her mother helps measure food; her classmates cheer when her sugar levels are normal; and her sister recognizes the signs of low and high blood sugar, knowing exactly how to respond.
How I Feel: A Book About Diabetes by Michael and Steven Olson
 
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How I Feel: A Book About Diabetes
- When Michael Olson's seven-year-old brother Steven came down with juvenile diabetes, he resolved to learn as much as he could about the illness and to write and illustrate his own book based upon Steven's experience. This is the book both Michael and Steven wished they had when Steven's first diagnosis impacted their entire family. Michael describes what Steven went through before the disease was discovered, how he felt in hospital and during the recuperation period, and how his life changed once he became a child who would now be insulin dependent.
Chicken Friend by Nicola Morgan
 
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Chicken Friend
features Becca, 12, who narrates the disastrous events of her past week with invigorating humor. After her family's recent move to the country, she tries to befriend a pair of trendy girls and ends up hosting a wild party complete with older boys and alcohol. Her voice is fresh and engaging, with a meandering pace and various asides, just like how this character would tell the story. Her self-deprecating attitude is both funny and touching. At the same time, she keeps several key bits of knowledge from readers until they become necessary for the story's context, such as her own diabetic condition.
The Dinosaur Tamer : And Other Stories for Children with Diabetes
The Dinosaur Tamer : And Other Stories for Children With Diabetes
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by Marcia Mazur, Peter Banks, and Andrew Keegan has twenty-five fictional stories that will entertain, enlighten, and ease a child's frustration about having diabetes.
