- Book Commentaries -
"As you know, Jackie and I, and our daughter Grace, face many of the same daily challenges as you and your sons. We agree that a great deal of the literature that is available can be either too clinical or too disheartenting. By incorporating your own experience as the mother of two children with food allergies, and weaving it with the professional perspectives of doctors and teachers, you have created a very comprehensive resource. Jackie and I thank you for sharing your book with us..."
~ Christopher J. Dodd, United States Senator
"As a mother who has struggled with overwhelming food allergies, asthma, ‘special’ school lunches, and the ignorance of the food allergy issue in the public, I have found Flourishing With Food Allergies to be an exceptional book by A. Anderson, who is both mother and advocate."
~ Kelly Jad'on, Founder of Basil & Spice
"This is one of the most comprehensive books on food allergies that I have read to date and I have read many. It provides the emotional support and tools that can help empower you in guiding your child's way in managing to live successfully with food allergies and not in fear... There is truly a wealth of information in Ms. Anderson's book...”
~ Bonnie Schmidt, Red Lady’s Reading Room
"Flourishing with Food Allergies (Social, Emotional, and Practical Guidelines for Families with Young Children) is an extensive overview of allergies in children for a wide variety of foods, including the most common culprits: tree nuts, peanuts, dairy, eggs, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. In addition to her extensive research and practical experience, it includes a number of very helpful interviews with doctors and parents on identifying food allergies, finding alternative foods and other coping techniques...Overall, this is an important resource for parents on a most misunderstood topic.”
~ Allison Martin, Children with Disabilities
“No parent of a food-allergic child should be without this book. If you have children with food allergies or suspect that your children may be allergic to certain foods, do yourself and your family a favor and read this book. It is thorough, authoritative, clearly written, and about as close to a "bible" on the subject as exists...Although "empowering" is a word often overused these days, I can say without the shadow of a doubt that the parent who has this book will be greatly empowered in the day-to-day challenge of raising happy and healthy food-allergic children. Grandparents and professionals who work with children would also empower both themselves and children in their care by reading this enormously helpful book.”
~ Dennis Littrell, Professional Reviewer, Amazon
“Food Allergies can crop up far more often than one would think, and can change the way some live their lives.’Flourishing with Food Allergies: Social, Emotional, and Practical Guidance for Families with Young Children’ is a guide for parents of children who suffer from food allergies. Chapters are filled with tips on finding proper medical care, and keeping one's children away from allergens when they are at social situations or school. Enhanced with a bibliography and appendix, ‘Flourishing with Food Allergies’ should be considered a first pick for any parent of a child with food allergies.”
~ James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief, Midwest Book Review
"I enjoyed Flourishing with Food Allergies tremendously! A. Anderson did a great job of getting right to the point and keeping it a smooth read. I didn't want to put it down! It’s highly informative and emotionally stimulating..."
~ Cynthia Roark, Utah Food Allergy Network (UFAN) board member and head of UFAN’s Utah County Chapter
"Flourishing is a great read for anyone dealing with food allergies, including food intolerances and Celiac Disease. The author, Ms. Anderson, did an outstanding job of “normalizing” food allergies through her book. Not only does her book take the reader through her own experiences with food allergies, but the book also shares insights into other families and how they deal with food allergies. One thing is certain, each family and individual deals with food allergies differently. If we can all learn from each other, our own decisions and actions we will all be further ahead in our education around food allergies..."
~ AllergySense
"Flourishing with Food Allergies is something a mother with a food allergic child must have. As a parent, you will really learn a lot from this book regarding how to properly cope with your child’s emotional issues especially when she can’t eat every food she likes to try. You will also see the most recent food allergy studies being conducted and be forewarned why food allergies seem to rise nowadays..."
~ Infants Allergy
"Flourishing with Food Allergies, by A. Anderson, has recently won the 2009 Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for best book in Health. The subtitle of the book, 'Social, emotional and practical guidance for families with young children' sums the book up perfectly. With food allergies on the rise, Flourishing with Food Allergies is a great go to book for those just newly diagnosed as well as those well versed in food allergy life...The media hasn't always been kind in their portrayal of the food allergy community. This award celebrates all that food allergy writers and parents are trying to do—spread information, education and awareness."
~ Ruth Smith, Founder of Best Allergy Sites
"Reading this book will bring confidence, peace and control of keeping things in perspective for your child with food allergies and for your entire family...It provides practical advice, facts and statistics and most importantly, acts as a support for parents of allergic children with personal notes, stories and experiences."
~ Marie-Ida Bonneau, Mallergies Food Allergies
"Flourishing with Food Allergies is clearly an invaluable guide for anyone living with or coming in contact with a child suffering from food allergies. Praised by members of the medical field, this book represents
a must-read for concerned parents and caregivers."
~ The Litchfield Literary Review
"I found Flourishing to be very easy to read and it had a pleasant, warm, friendly approach to a scary problem. The personal stories are helpful because readers can find parts with which they identify..."
~ Tracy B. Fausnight M.D., Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology, Penn State Children's Hospital
"Flourishing with Food Allergies is a comprehensive book on having food allergic children. The first half of the book shares various ways parents found out about their child’s allergies and how they learned to cope with these allergies. It brought me right back to when we first found out our child’s allergies and the emotional impact was devastating. A. Anderson shares the emotional, social & familial impact of allergies in the home & community. The last half of the book has a wealth of practical information on how to handle allergies. She discusses varied approaches to treating allergies through discussions from the medical community. She also shares how to handle many situations such as birthday parties and school. One of the most important pieces of information discussed was on coping mechanisms. She discusses how we go through a grieving process when learning to accept and live with allergies. I have seen this in my own coping strategies as well as in the members of our allergy group. I would highly recommend this book to those struggling with food allergies as well as to family, friends and the medical community. I think it helps to promote empathy in a community where there is still much misunderstanding about the severity of anaphylactic allergies. Thank you, A. Anderson for sharing your struggles and how you have learned to cope with allergies. This is a valuable book to all wanting to learn & understand more about allergies."
~ Denise Lomelino, MSCP, Mat-Su PFAC Coordinator AAFA, Parents of Food Allergic Children Educational Support Group, AK
"...It will not tell you how to build a factory to exclude allergies but it will give you many, many reasons to find just such a solution. It offers clear examples and incentives to those training food handlers and those developing food processing systems and it may just increase the awareness and improves the response of some airlines."
~ International Food Hygiene, Positive Action Publications Ltd., East Yorkshire, England
"Flourishing with Food Allergies is a wonderful resource for families dealing with food allergies. I love the personal stories and experiences--events to which all those dealing with food allergies can relate. I highly recommend the book and will share it will my support group."
~ Catherine Teck, Leader of Inspiring Children Allergies Network (I-CAN), CO
"Flourishing with Food Allergies is a useful guide for any parent of an allergic child. It provides a sensitive and thorough review of how food allergies affect families. I highly recommend it."
~ Maren Steensen, Des Moines Food Allergy Community, Education and Support (FACES), IA
"A well rounded, very comprehensive guide for parents starting or in the early stages of their food allergy journey. The book includes various stories from several families and how they discovered their child's allergies--wonderful for parents that may feel alone or isolated. Different theories and beliefs are discussed, as are the different perspectives from various disciplines in the medical community. Multiple countries are also included giving an interesting look at the difference between them. Very useful and practical ideas for dealing with everyday social situations are also provided. Well organized and easy to read, hard to put down." ~ Theresa Brees, San Francisco Bay Area Food Allergy Support Group, CA
"I have to say I LOVE your book! I have a tough time putting it down at night. A lot of the health books I read are pretty dry, but yours is engaging and extremely interesting to read. I'm going to put it on my recommendation list and will be blogging about it soon."
~ Lisa Miller, Founder of Lisa Miller Wellness, NY
"I really enjoyed your book, it was a wonderful glimpse into the world that I currently live with my food allergic son. It is so nice that I can hear others stories, and know that I am not alone! Thank you for taking the time to write on something that very few people truly understand!"
~ Robyn Love, My Allergy Support Group, Columbus, OH
"How I wish this book existed when my first son was diagnosed with a food allergy. Newly diagnosed, overwhelmed, and terribly confused, I had a lot of questions for seasoned parents of the food allergy world. A. Anderson, mom and author of 'Flourishing with Food Allergies' would have helped me feel not so alone back then…Anderson takes the reader's hand and provides a pathway and support to understanding how other families cope…Like most of us, learning how to manage her kids' food allergies didn't come immediately or naturally. In fact, accepting that their children even had food allergies came with resistance. Anderson states, 'acceptance, for us, included understanding the allergens, researching the foods we ate, and making significant changes to our family's diet. This is difficult to do overnight. It took us many months - about 6 to be exact.' Sound familiar? You are not alone."
~ Jennifer Faust, Co-leader of Food Allergy Association of Wisconsin
"The first part of this book provides snippets from other people’s experiences. It helped me to feel like I was not alone, or crazy for that matter. What I like most about this book is that it is very thought provoking about the cause of food allergies. I know that there has been great effort in searching for a cure, but I have always felt that finding the cause is more important. If there is something that is causing such havoc on our biological system, it should be stopped! What about autism and ADHD? Could these be the results of the same culprit? Did you realize how many extra chemicals go into our food supply?"
~ Amy Perry, Another Mom's Food Allergy Journey
"Flourishing will be featured in our Toddler Nutrition and Health Resource List 2009."
~ Amanda Arthur, WIC (Woman, Infant & Children) Works Resource System, National Agricultural Library, USDA
"I JUST finished reading this book and I absolutely loved it!!! I will be recommending this book as the # 1 book to read if you are a parent of a child with food allergies, a teacher or day care provider, or someone who is interested in finding out about more food allergies."
~ Karen A. Jordan, Executive Director, Berkshire Food Allergy Consulting Services
"I found the parents’ stories very helpful. It made me feel less isolated and even though I'm sad that others go through this -- it helps to know I am not alone. [T]he theories and facts [section was] interesting. I did a lot of reading and research when my son was first diagnosed back in 2000 but haven't kept up with it because for a long time I couldn't find answers to my questions. I can definitely see this section being very helpful for someone whose child was recently diagnosed. [T]his book will be very helpful to those who will send their child to school. I recommend Flourishing."
~ Jennifer Murphy, Florida Food Allergy Council
"I am active duty Army and have read the book. The book made me cry. I could really relate. It was an easy read and one that I didn't want to put down."
~ Theresa Williams, Founder of Military Families with Food Allergies Support Group
"Flourishing with Food Allergies is a really good book about how to help children and their families live with food allergies. It is full of tips on how to handle play dates and birthday parties, making educated discussions about schools, practical guidance about diets, allergen control and travel so many other helpful topics. It provides you with wonderful tools and resources and is a must read for parents of children with food allergies.”
~ Mike Krause, Allergy Store
"I enjoyed Flourishing with Food Allergies. I was glad to have the opportunity to hear the stories, challenges and perspectives of the families that were highlighted in the book. It was also very interesting to hear the way various medical professionals address food allergies."
~ Nicole Paoli-Ramos, Co-Founder of Hudson Valley Food Allergy Support Group, NY
"I enjoyed the book and think that it is an excellent resource for parents of newly diagnosed children with food allergies."
~ Jenny Giles, Kansas City Northland Parents of Children with Peanut Allergies, MO
"I was recently honored to read a new book out on the market A. Anderson’s new book, Flourishing with Food Allergies. I loved the fact that it covers more then one family’s story about how they learned they had allergies and how they started to cope with it. It also covers other diseases or problems that sometimes go hand in hand with food allergies, such as asthma and autism. Anyone who has a family member with food allergies should take the time to sit down and read this book. A must have for your food allergy library."
~ Sheree’ Godwin, Executive Director and Founder of Food Allergy Association of Wisconsin Inc
"Anderson managed to capture the sensitivity and need for practical information that parents must have. By incorporating her own story, and giving a glimpse into the lives of 14 other families from around the world who deal with food allergy, readers quickly realize, "I am not alone". Ms. Anderson devotes the second half of the book to "Solutions". She includes perspectives from top allergy docs, school teachers and a psychologist. The book progresses to practical solutions for dealing with social situations, school and travel. The conclusion of the book is devoted to a plea that we come together and ask government officials to devote more funds for studies to test, treat and eventually cure food allergies. This is a topic near and dear to my heart."
~ Joanne LaSpina, Food Allergy Assistant
"I was really impressed! The stories are engaging for newly diagnosed families and 'veteran' allergy parents alike. I especially like seeing the stories about asthma and autism, growing issues for members in our support group. It is comprehensive and a must have for families with food allergies."
~ Jodi Stokes, Co-Founder Parents of Allergic Kids (PAK), Charlotte, NC
“I recently read Flourishing with Food Allergies and would recommend this book to any family dealing with allergies. The stories provided were real and hit home with me as a mom to a three-year-old little girl with multiple food allergies. I am so glad the author put in the time to share her story.”
~ Kristie Jones, Founder and Leader of Caring for Children with Food Allergies (COCOA), NC
"Flourishing with Food Allergies provides a multi-faceted view at many of the issues surrounding the complexities of food allergies. It provides a window into the challenges that others face while navigating through this difficult diagnosis, ensuring the rest of us that we are not alone in this journey."
~ Amy Brocious, Safe Choices: Support for Families with Food Allergies, Naples, FL
“This is a great resource for parents of young children dealing with a new diagnosis. It covers a broad range of topics including handling the emotional stages a parent may go through with a diagnosis of food allergies, the social situations a child may incur and much, much more. It also helps parents realize that they are not alone in what they are feeling and doing.”
~ Kelly Gliss, SAFE: Support and Activities for Food Allergy Education, TX
“The book is GREAT!! It is very informative and easy to understand. As a mother of children with food allergies, I wish that I would have had this book when my children were first diagnosed several years ago. I especially love the section that gives parents tips for social situations such as birthday parties. This book is the perfect guide for parents of children with food allergies. I recommend it to everyone that I meet that has children with food allergies.”
~ Barbara Graddy, Founder of the Food Allergy Support of East Alabama
“I have read many books about food allergies, including books written from a parent’s perspective. I have learned something from each of them. What makes this book different is that it brings in many different voices. One of the first pages of the book says it all, “You can handle food allergies in your children. You can be a successful parent. It isn’t your fault that your child has food allergies.” While doctors and nurses understand medically, there is a huge gap when it comes to the emotional and real-life aspect of food allergies. Support groups provide a way to learn from the experience of others, share and comfort, help educate others and increase awareness. Flourishing with Food Allergies is the closest thing I have seen to a “support group in a book”."
~ Dena Friedel, Founder/Director of “My” Food Allergy Support Group in Lewis Center, OH
“This book was an excellent read. It was chock full of useful information. The scope of the information is very diverse. I came away feeling like my knowledge of my son’s food allergy was truly deepened. I also left with a lot of hope that it truly is manageable. I highly recommend this book for your food allergy library...The most fascinating part of the book to me (other than the personal stories) was the "Perspectives" section. It is the interviews of two pediatricians, an allergist, a naturopath doctor, a clinical psychologist and, most interesting, the author's husband (a food allergy dad)...My absolute favorite line in the book, which I have copied into my own personal journal for inspiration, came from Dr. Roman Adler, a pediatrician: ‘When a child has food allergies, he or she is forced to become disciplined and assertive in order to survive... These qualities of discipline and assertiveness can serve the child well when he is an adult in the professional world. He is more likely to be successful.’”
~ Robyn Adams, Peanut Allergy Kid Founder
“This book is an invaluable resource for parents of children with allergies...[It] also should be read by parents-to-be and general readers who may be able to make the real difference in the lives of friends and family members to suffer from allergies.”
~ Deborah Markus, Secular Homeschooling Editor
"Very informative and well-written. A comprehensive, must-read for families living with food allergies."
~ Mindi Ferkul, NASK (Niagara Anaphylaxis Support & Knowledge) Ontario, Canada
I was very interested in this book, from the title alone! Maybe this would be a more comprehensive food allergy resource than many others I’d read? The title reflected the positive slant we are all seeking when managing food allergy. Successful management is what all of us parents are striving for—“flourishing children"—and not only medically, but absolutely let’s not forget the rest of the child—critical things like children who are thriving emotionally and socially, too! Anderson did deliver!
All of these aspects can be quite complicated and overwhelming, yet absolutely manageable. I really appreciated the "can do" tone in this book. The stories shared by various parents and the perspectives expressed by various medical professionals were interesting, thought provoking, and validating. The compilation was a great example of how, though indeed all of our children need to strictly avoid their food allergens, there are slightly different ways of handling the various aspects involved.
I could really relate to Anderson’s and her husband’s thoughts on their personal experience of having young children with food allergy. I loved having the chapter on the “dad’s perspective” to share with my husband! I also found the section on probiotics fascinating. I've already held this book up high during a recent parent support group meeting, eager to share this new title with our members. I am certain Anderson will help many families with this great new book!
~ Debbie Bornilla, Coordinator of Food Allergy Parent Education Group of Las Vegas/Henderson, NV
“Parents need to know they are not alone in this experience and that what they feel is normal. It is beneficial to tell the stories of how other people negatively respond to people with food allergies. We deal with this on a daily basis. Education is the key. I thought “Flourishing” is a very good resource for parents who are struggling with all facets of dealing with food allergies in their daily lives. Thank you for introducing this resource to our members. I really appreciate the support it gives.”
~ Jeanette Katona, Founder of Richmond Food Allergy Support Group, VA
“Thankfully, there is an increasing array of resources available to parents, as well as networks to empower them to meet these challenges. One such resource is A. Anderson's new book, "Flourishing with Food Allergies: Social, Emotional, and Practical Guidance for Families with Young Children." Ms. Anderson's book highlights the journeys of 15 families dealing with food allergies, while also providing a wealth of information about how to make educated school choices, how to survive social situations, and offering links to in-depth studies on allergies and children. Anderson also includes action plans for parents who want to get involved and contact government officials to help address this growing concern.”
~ Nancy Massotto, Executive Director of Holistic Mom’s Network
"Flourishing with Food Allergies is packed with information. By sharing other families' experiences, you realize you are not alone. In addition, there are many facts and resources on food allergies, from dealing with social situations to physicians' perspectives."
~ Debbie Pantano, Leader of the Food Allergy Support Group of Gloucester County, NJ
"Impressive new book out about thinking positively about our child's food allergies. I recently talked about this book to our mom's group and how it really hits home on what we've learned around here especially in the last year is that this experience has brought such a health blessing to our life. Her husband even writes a whole chapter on his perspective which is refreshing and encouraging."
~ Maria Hardy, Founder of Loudoun Allergy Network, VA
"Thank you very much for this wonderful book!! I have read it cover to cover and believe that it is a must read for families managing food allergies. I was particularly struck by the parental perspectives that are shared in this book. I kept nodding my head saying 'Yes, that's it! I can relate to this!' The struggles and triumphs that are shared are very similar to stories I hear from parents in my support group. It is such a relief to know that we share common frustrations and can look to other stories to help us handle them. I also found the variety of medical perspectives very much in-line with my own experience as well as those in my group. This book helps support that awareness and education, of all of those we deal with, including physicians, is needed and a must for all those who we entrust our children too. I am therefore recommending this book to my group as well as to teachers, school nurses, and my physician's office."
~ Rose Boynton, Founder, FACES of New York (Food Allergies: Coping, Educating, Supporting)
"This book is a great tool for parents who are learning to navigate the challenges of severe food allergies. I found the travel and airline guidelines sections especially helpful."
~ Laura Jackson, Coordinator, Kentucky Families with Food Allergies
"A comprehensive review of how food allergies affect children's lives, their families, and their school environments. Wonderful tools and resources provided to educate families. A must read for parents of food allergic children!"
~ Dr. Pamela A. Georgeson, Allergist with Kenwood Allergy and Asthma Center, MI
"Food allergies are one of the most serious and complex health issues in America today, especially for children. The more awareness we create among parents, teachers, health professionals and researchers, the more progress we can make to improve the quality of life for food allergic patients."
~ Mike Tringale, MSM, Director of External Affairs, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
"A must read for food allergy families. One of the most comprehensive food allergy books to date. Especially love that Anderson addresses the emotional impact food allergies has on a child. I think this is a subject that most overlook. She talks from experience, it is evident she lives this day today and didn't just 'research' the information. Would highly recommend to anyone, newly diagnosed or experienced in living with food allergies."
~ Angie Norton, President, Co-founder, Phoenix Allergy Network, AZ
"For any parent this book provides valuable information about food allergies and their symptoms. It also shows how parents have been able to pursue the issue and get answers about their children's health. This book is a valuable resource for any parent especially with small children. I have also used the information to inform my adult clients who may have had long standing food allergies that they did not identify."
~ Roxanne H. Condon, MS, LPC Master of Science, Licensed Professional Counselor
"Thoughtfully written and straight to the point-this is the first book I recommend to parents of children with food allergies. It deals with real world issues not covered in other publications!"
~ Deana Boucher, RD CDE, Registered Dietitian and mother of three
"From medical information to personal stories of people living with food allergies...that is what made this book so interesting. Every time I put it down, I couldn't wait to pick it up again to see what I was going to read about next."
~ Karen Wolff, LCSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker and mother of two
"The research is in-depth...writing is clear and concise...grasp of the emotions of parent subjects is intense. Ms. Anderson's writing is hard-hitting at times while similarly gentle and guiding for parents trying their best to protect their children from hidden dangers. You can learn a lot just by reading the sections on the social implications of food-allergic children."
~ Maria Duncan, Freelance Writer and mother of two
"Both practical and personal this book is wonderful, giving much needed information and insight to extended family and teachers who care about the 'whole child'."
~ Kathleen Reimold, retired teacher and grandmother of four
"I started to tear-up when I was reading-I love the way things are phrased. I am very excited about this book and how it will help parents of children with food allergies."
~ Michelle, mother of three
“Flourishing with Food Allergies will be a wonderful resource to families. It is an empowering guide for those who are coping with a food allergy in today’s world. Thank you for the work you do to help families that live with food allergies.”
~ MaryKay Hill, Executive Director, Vermont Food Allergy Organization, VT
“This is a wonderful book! It is so great to know that other parents are going through similar situations. It is also nice to know that you can live successfully with food allergies.”
~ Amazon customer review
“This book is very helpful in the sense that it addresses the emotional and social issues that families go through when dealing with food allergies. It's comforting to hear others are going through similar experiences and learn how they handled it. An informative & interesting read! Thank you A. Anderson!”
~ Amazon customer review
“Great book!” Selected as a “Highlighted Title” for exhibiting superior levels of creativity, originality, and high standards of design and production quality.
~ Jim Barnes, Managing Editor & Awards Director, Independent Publisher Online/Jenkins Group
“A. Anderson's Flourishing with Food Allergies is a unique resource. Combining perspectives from the author's own family, stories from families around the world with food allergies and other related conditions, advice from allergists and complementary health practitioners, and chapters on lifestyle and health, the book aims to be a broad-based resource for families—especially those with very young children—with a range of food allergies. It covers a broad range of allergies, not only the "big eight." It sympathetically discusses the emotions mothers and fathers feel at kids' diagnosis. It includes less-covered topics that parents will find useful. The book was a pleasure to read—I really enjoyed it and am happy to recommend it.”
~ Victoria Groce, About.com: Food Allergies
“Flourishing with Food Allergies provides a compassionate glimpse into the life of children with food allergies. It reflects a mother’s heartfelt journey and provides inspiration to families dealing with this all too pervasive condition. As we continue to gain insight into allergies, asthma, ADHD and autism which now affect 1 in 3 American children, Flourishing with Food Allergies is a valuable resource for parents.”
~ Robyn O’Brien, Founder of AllergyKids.com, mother of 4 allergic children, CO
“Celiac disease is not an allergy—but children, particularly, have a lot of the same issues as allergy sufferers. The helpful tips and advice make this book a worthwhile read.”
~ Diane Della Monica, Greater New Haven Celiac Group, CT
“This book is a wonderful resource for parents. I am a speech-language pathologist and am thrilled that there is such a wonderful book to recommend to parents of children with food allergies. It offers practical, useful information and lets parents know that living with food allergies is truly manageable!”
~ Amazon customer review