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A review by inkyinsanity
SPF 40 by Sharon Emerson
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Review of a diabetic character by a type 1 diabetic reader.
This book was so cute and lighthearted! The art is adorable and I really liked the characters, although it took me a bit to keep up with all of them.
The character with diabetes is a side character, so it’s not prominent, but it’s still given several pages worth of time throughout the book, and it’s beautiful visual representation! There’s very little discussion of what diabetes is or how it affects our lives, but it fits with the story perfectly anyway. I’m very happy.
Scott’s initially shy about his diabetes, but he’s shy with everything else too. He’s seen checking his blood sugar at the camp nurse’s, had a number with a realistic reaction, and shows off his new pump site. He trusts his bag to one of the CITs during an activity, which leads to a slight maturity arc for the CIT. (As a longtime veteran of diabetes camp, it was really weird seeing counselors who don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to t1d! I got a kick out of it.)
He goes low, but it’s no problem at all, and I LOVE that! Blood sugar fluctuations are SO often misconstrued in fiction for drama purposes, and this showed it as a completely normal experience that was easily resolved long before it could become a problem.
It was so nice to see an insulin pump illustrated in a graphic novel. Especially since it’s clearly modeled after Omnipods—podders unite! 😉
My favorite quote from Scott is when he’s inspired to make his camp project:
This book was so cute and lighthearted! The art is adorable and I really liked the characters, although it took me a bit to keep up with all of them.
The character with diabetes is a side character, so it’s not prominent, but it’s still given several pages worth of time throughout the book, and it’s beautiful visual representation! There’s very little discussion of what diabetes is or how it affects our lives, but it fits with the story perfectly anyway. I’m very happy.
Scott’s initially shy about his diabetes, but he’s shy with everything else too. He’s seen checking his blood sugar at the camp nurse’s, had a number with a realistic reaction, and shows off his new pump site. He trusts his bag to one of the CITs during an activity, which leads to a slight maturity arc for the CIT. (As a longtime veteran of diabetes camp, it was really weird seeing counselors who don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to t1d! I got a kick out of it.)
He goes low, but it’s no problem at all, and I LOVE that! Blood sugar fluctuations are SO often misconstrued in fiction for drama purposes, and this showed it as a completely normal experience that was easily resolved long before it could become a problem.
It was so nice to see an insulin pump illustrated in a graphic novel. Especially since it’s clearly modeled after Omnipods—podders unite! 😉
My favorite quote from Scott is when he’s inspired to make his camp project:
”It’s supposed to catch nightmares…but it’s too small.”
“For what?”
“Diabetes.”
That whole page is really cute, but Scott really spoke to me in that moment because it’s exactly something that one of my own campers would do. Most of them would, tbh, myself included.
I might have to suggest to the activity director to bring dreamcatcher supplies next year…
I would definitely recommend reading the first book, but you don’t have to. (I didn’t.) Overall, this is an excellent book for kids looking for a little bit of lighthearted t1d rep.