A kicking great read!
Type 1 diabetes takes centre field in this new title for young readers
Sam Montgomerie, author of the new children’s book ‘The Unstoppables’ featuring a character with type 1 diabetes tells us more about her inspiration….
Reading provides a window into the lives of people like ourselves, and we can see how characters overcome obstacles in their own lives. So, what happens when a young girl is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and she worries how it will affect playing her favourite sport?
Meet the feisty female footballer, Mathilda. Her team, The Mighty Titans, have made it into the Junior Football Fever finals and they are determined to beat the long-standing champions, The Hot Shots. But the thought of the upcoming game makes Mathilda’s stomach knot - what if she isn’t ready for the challenge?
Mathilda has just returned to football after her diabetes diagnosis and she wonders how it will affect her play. What if she lets the whole team down? Her best friend Lucy is also nervous - she has to step into the role of goalie and she worries she will make a mistake and let the other team’s ball into the goal.
Together, they decide to work on a plan so that they can get back to enjoying the game they love. They vow to become The Unstoppables - and to live up to their name in the finals. And it turns out, they have to think fast - especially when two of The Hot Shots decide they are going to sabotage the game!
The idea of writing The Unstoppables came from a friend who has a son who is mad about football, and he was also diagnosed with diabetes at a young age. As he continued to train hard in his sport, he learnt how to manage his blood sugars through his diet, using his CGM as a guide. He went on to excel, playing in competitive teams and training other young people in the sport.
Part of being a good writer is being a good researcher. When I was writing this story, I spent time talking to the staff at Diabetes New Zealand Otago. They were really helpful at showing me the current CGM technology and told me the advice they give young people on how to manage their carb intake to ensure they have enough energy while they are training and playing sports.
A huge thank you to the wonderful team at Diabetes New Zealand who do so much to support young people with this condition! I was delighted when my publisher in London decided to include the Diabetes NZ logo on the book - isn’t it great to know that this book being read by millions of school students on the other side of the world is endorsed by our own local diabetes organisation?
Putting a character with diabetes at the centre of a story for young people was important to me. There are thousands of people living with this condition, and we all need to see ourselves represented in the stories we see around us. I hope the story will also help other young readers to understand the condition a little more, and how it does not need to hold anyone back.
The Unstoppables is a kicking great read! It is suitable for young readers who are starting their independent reading journey.
Order from sam.montgomerie@gmail.com
Recommended ages 6-7; 32 pages; 1543 words.
Publisher: Big Cat Collins, HarperCollins UK
$15.00