I'm a Vegetarian: Amazing facts and ideas for healthy vegetarians [Paperback]

Ellen Schwartz (Author), Farida Zaman (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Whether it’s for health, humane, or taste reasons, many young people are vegetarians. This is the perfect book to help them be healthy ones. It provides a history of vegetarianism, advice on balancing one’s diet, yummy food ideas, and, best of all, ways to cope with sticky situations. How do you handle the inevitable trips to the local burger joint? How do you resist Grandma’s attempts to get you to try just a bit of her famous roast turkey? How do you respond to dire predictions that it’s meat that makes you strong? For young people who are vegetarians, or for those who are thinking about making the switch, this is an invaluable resource.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Teens will find much encouragement in this guide to navigating the vegetarian lifestyle. The author opens with an overview of the different types of vegetarians and the rationale behind their decisions, then moves into advice on handling parental concerns and sticky social situations that are sure to arise. A consideration of nutrition and how to achieve a healthy diet that provides all necessary nutrients follows, ending with a smattering of suggested menus and recipes. Schwartz emphasizes how to deal with social interactions in ways that will educate others, rather than threaten them. She writes in a light, chatty tone, using a question-and-answer format, bulleted facts and lists, boxed information, and humor. Black-and-white drawings throughout add to the book's appeal. A friendly, rational volume that nicely complements Judy Krizmanic's A Teen's Guide to Going Vegetarian (Puffin, 1994).
Joyce Adams Burner, Hillcrest Library, Prairie Village, KS
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 6-10. This slim paperback is for young people who are already vegetarians as well as for those who are still thinking about it. Written in the breezy tone and with the depth of a lightweight magazine article, this offers the expected overview of vegetarian staple ingredients; tips on combining foods for best nutrition; sample menus; and a small section of well-chosen but poorly presented recipes (no nutritional information is given for the dishes, and the recipes' steps appear in a jumbled stream of text). What's best are introductory chapters that give advice on dealing with meat-heavy family holidays, explaining vegetarianism to carnivorous friends, and making snappy comebacks to common myths about a meatless diet. Despite whimsical drawings, the gray-toned layout is uninviting, but young people interested in the subject will still find satisfying browsing material. Suggest Judi Gillies and Jennifer Glossop's The Jumbo Vegetarian Cookbook [BKL Mr. 1 02] for more extensive recipes and a fuller introduction to the kitchen. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Tundra Books (March 12, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0887765882
• ISBN-13: 978-0887765889
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 0.4 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #811,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Diet & Nutrition

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best books written for kids that I've read, May 26, 2003

By 

Melanie Wilson "mongoliamel" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: I'm a Vegetarian: Amazing facts and ideas for healthy vegetarians (Paperback)

The cover of I'm A Vegetarian features three kids who appear to be about 11 to 20 years old, a clue that this book is written for "tweens" and teens. The writing style is simple, easy-to-understand, and fun-to-read, making it a sure winner for this age group. However, the book would appeal just as much to parents and younger children. The author and her husband have raised two vegetarian daughters, and her connection with what veg kids want and need to know is clear and strong. She has a knack for presenting facts and information that keeps your attention, and most importantly, will appeal to young minds.

The book starts by defining "vegetarianism," and includes quotes from kids of all ages explaining why they decided to become vegetarians. Interspersed throughout the chapters are quotes from famous people and interesting facts about animals, animal agriculture, the environment, and nutrition. Short activities help to illustrate the topic of each section. For example, to help children understand how much space a chicken is allotted in a typical egg-laying factory cage, the author suggests taking a ruler and a sheet of paper and tracing a six-inch square. This is a quick, easy lesson that really brings the point home.

Schwartz goes on to discuss how to deal with parents who aren't happy about having a child convert to vegetarianism and "other sticky situations," like talking to one's peers, handling holiday dinners, and getting decent veg food in the school cafeteria. She covers these topics by offering simple advice without sounding preachy. She keeps it upbeat and positive, which kids will appreciate, but which some may find unrealistic. Still, her saucy comebacks are priceless, and will allow veg kids to arm themselves with funny comments whenever they are put on the spot.

In the chapter "Food, Glorious Food!" Schwartz presents a history of vegetarianism and a primer on "new" foods, many of which are not eaten regularly within the standard American diet. She introduces soy foods including soymilk, tofu, TVP, tempeh, and miso, and includes information on lentils and quinoa, plus peanuts, chickpeas, and potatoes, all of which have interesting stories behind them. She even briefly discusses genetically modified foods.

Finally, after providing a general discussion of eating a balanced diet in the chapter entitled "Be Smart - Stay Healthy," Schwartz goes on to discuss nutrition in more detail. This section is so easy to comprehend that my 5-year-old enjoyed reading it with me. Provided are sample lacto-ovo and vegan diet menus, lots of meal ideas, and a handful of recipes to get you started. This title is highly recommended for new vegetarian kids as well as their meat-eating or vegetarian parents. It would also work well for vegetarian parents who want to teach their children aged 5 to teen about nutrition.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for providing comfort & education to young veg's, April 2, 2002

By 

Virginia Reviewer (Virginia) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: I'm a Vegetarian: Amazing facts and ideas for healthy vegetarians (Paperback)

This book is written in a very fun, age-appropriate style. It highlights many of the concerns and interests of the young vegetarian. It includes jokes, recipes, information, comebacks, and even famous vegetarians. A great read for the young vegetarian, especially one you may be afraid of losing to peer pressure. NOTE: Although veganism is mentioned, the book focuses on vegetarianism, not veganism.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars great book, December 13, 2007

By 

Celia Halperin (Skokie, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'm a Vegetarian: Amazing facts and ideas for healthy vegetarians (Paperback)

What, No Meat?!: What to Do When Your Kid Becomes a Vegetarian
I love this book b/c it's easy to read and understand. THe menus and recipes are simple as well - although I wish there were more! It's a great book for new vegetarians and their meat-eating parents. It's also good for vegetarian parents who are not exactly sure about nutritional values.