BLUE TO THE SKY

Toronto sixth grader Ella suffers from food allergies and anxiety, the latter exacerbated by the severity of the former.

Ella remembers certain incidents with embarrassment—most notably an episode in kindergarten that resulted in her mother deciding to home-school her and an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts at a friend’s birthday party that necessitated a trip to the ER. Ella desperately hopes she’s starting to outgrow the allergies and, with her mother’s permission, returns to school. Now, in addition to navigating possible triggers, she needs to adjust to the rules of middle school and her changing relationships with boys. Ella is an original narrator. Her complicated emotions are often set to the music that plays in her head and are best captured in her spontaneous verses. Now she has to summon the courage to stand in front of her classmates and recite her poem “Faceless Food,” which describes her experiences. Readers with no previous knowledge of food allergies will gain insight and empathize with Ella’s struggles; those who live with allergies will feel seen. Ella’s decision to climb the stairs at the C.N. Tower for a wildlife fundraiser, while an achievement in its own right, is also symbolic of her growing ability to challenge herself and accept circumstances she can’t change. Her friends and supporters also encourage her. Ella, who was donor conceived, is white; names cue ethnic diversity among the supporting cast.

A sensitive portrayal of living with multiple allergies and of growing into oneself.