Rising High School Senior, Anushka Agarwal is Teaching Kids About Food Allergies, One Book Reading at a Time

MONTVILLE, NJ - Seventeen-year-old rising high school senior, Anushka Agarwal is the author and illustrator of the children's book Jelly Sandwiches . You might be wondering why just jelly and not peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? The reason is that Anushka is allergic to peanuts, as well as eggs, tree nuts, coconut, sesame, and poppy seeds.

“It was a play on when I was growing up my mom would pack me a jelly sandwich because I could never eat the peanut butter,” Anushka said.

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Her book follows Sara Gupta, a young girl on her first day of kindergarten. Sara was having a great day until she had to sit at the allergy-free table during lunch. Sara made a friend who also had food allergies, helping her realize she didn’t have to feel alone.

Anushka said that the reason she wrote her book was because of her own experience as someone with food allergies.

“I have six food allergies myself," Anushka said. "I wanted to create a resource for kids growing up, where they have something where they feel represented.”

Anushka read her book to a group of children and parents at the Montville Township Public Library on July 13. Following the reading, Anushka brought out Jenga, with her own twist on the game. Each child pulled a numbered block from the tower, with the number correlating to an allergy-related question Anushka had assigned to it. The questions Anushka asked were ones she thinks about on a daily basis, such as how to know if something is okay to eat as someone with allergies.

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“When I was growing up I felt a lot of people were talking about food allergies for one or two days, and then they would forget about it," Anushka said. "When you’re living with it, you can never forget about it.”

Anushka highly recommends those without food allergies read Jelly Sandwiches.

“Once it becomes more normalized for kids without allergies to know what they are, it can help them in their own classrooms and own communities to be more accepting, inclusive, and more aware of their friends with allergies,” Anushka commented.

Anushka wants all kids with allergies to know, “You’re not alone in your allergy journey. Although your allergies are to be embraced, you’re not defined by them.”

Anushka donated a copy of her book to the Montville Township Public Library. You can also have your very own Jelly Sandwiches book, which are available for purchase on Amazon.

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