Zeus, Dog of Chaos
Page 17
Not all dogs are trained this same way, of course. Rebecca Garrett of Borderland, also in Tennessee, teaches regular pet owners how to train their family pets to become diabetic alert dogs. Not every pet has the temperament to do this, of course, but according to Rebecca, if the dog is interested and able, training your pet to alert blood sugar highs and lows can be a very cost-effective tool for your family. More information on both Borderland and Retrieving Independence can be found in the Acknowledgments.
Diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin. Insulin is needed to allow sugar (often called glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. Type 1 diabetes (sometimes called juvenile diabetes) is often diagnosed in childhood and requires the medicine and technology you read about in this story; Madden has type 1 diabetes. With type 1 diabetes, the pancreas produces no insulin. It can cause dangerous medical conditions like seizures or comas if medical insulin is not properly balanced and maintained. Type 2 diabetes is far more common in the United States; with type 2, the pancreas produces some insulin and can often be controlled with weight management, diet, and exercise.
As of this writing, the technology for managing type 1 diabetes is as current and realistic as I could make it for a middle schooler like Madden. A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is attached to the skin and monitors glucose levels. However, because a CGM monitors body fluids slightly differently than other methods, there can be a lag time of five to twenty minutes for the glucose readings to be accurate, and blood sugar can do wild things in that small window of time. Persons wearing a CGM must therefore calibrate this system by backing it up with a traditional fingerprick method two or three times daily. The fingerprick method is much more accurate on a moment-to-moment basis, but it only monitors glucose when the person proactively pricks his/her finger and tests the blood droplet. A CGM monitors glucose patterns and trends over time; the fingerprick method is accurate at that moment. For that reason, many persons with type 1 diabetes use both.
In many cases, however, a diabetic alert dog can be the best solution of all. Dogs trained in this kind of scent detection have very little “lag” time as described by the CGM monitor. They can almost immediately detect abrupt changes in glucose levels. Diabetic alert dogs can be ideal for persons who are very active or who are frequently exposed to hot and cold weather, like people who work outdoors. An excellent book about diabetic alert dogs is Elle & Coach: Diabetes, the Fight for My Daughter’s Life, and the Dog Who Changed Everything by Stefany Shaheen and Mark Dagostino. In this nonfiction book, we follow Elle’s journey from being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes through to adopting Coach, her diabetic alert dog. You will, like I was, be amazed and impressed at the things Coach and dogs like him can do.
And speaking of good literature, below is a list of the poetry Zeus and Madden learn together in their class, the Glorious Study of Labels:
“The Red Wheelbarrow” by William Carlos Williams. Originally published in 1923.
“She sights a Bird—she chuckles” by Emily Dickinson. Originally published about 1862.
“The Pig” by Roald Dahl. Originally published in 1960.
“Ducks” by F. W. Harvey. Originally published in 1919.
“To Flush, My Dog” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Originally published in 1921.
Also, really astute readers know that Zeus isn’t actually known as the god of chaos. Smiles to you if you know which god(dess) was known as such!
Finally, more information on foundations that seek a cure for diabetes and foundations that train diabetic alert dogs—and how you can help!—is provided in the Acknowledgments. Because while diabetic alert dogs are heroes, they, like all animals on this planet, count on us humans to take care of them. Let’s help these heroes as much as they help us.
Acknowledgments
“Books are a team sport.” My critique group and I are fond of saying that, and it’s true. Books are created by teams of story lovers. I’m so grateful for the following teams that helped bring Zeus, Dog of Chaos to life:
Thank you to the Writers & Hikers (round two in Damascus!): Sarah Brown, Alisha Klapheke, Erica Rodgers, Court Stevens, and Lauren Thoman. When I started writing Zeus on this retreat, it was missing something. The drive between Nashville and Damascus, Virginia, with these music lovers gave me the missing piece of the puzzle: middle school band! Plus I love these ladies with my whole heart, and I am so grateful for their friendship.
Thank you, always, to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, particularly the Midsouth chapter. SCBWI is the best group of cheerleaders a creator can hope for!
Thank you to Josh Adams of Adams Literary, whose initial reaction to Zeus was “Awwww!” I’m so grateful to have worked with Josh and Tracey for over a decade. Here’s to many more, friends!
Thank you to Ben Rosenthal, my editor, who saw Zeus for the chaotic, loving pup that he is. He made Zeus funnier, made Zeus’s relationships more meaningful. I’m grateful for Ben, editorial assistant Tanu Srivastava, copy editor Janet Robbins Rosenberg, production editor Kathryn Silsand, and all at Katherine Tegen Books. Thank you for the beautiful stories you create for young readers!
Thank you to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Type 1 diabetes is sometimes called “juvenile” diabetes, because it’s often diagnosed in childhood. This organization does lifesaving research for those living with diabetes. Diabetes is an “invisible” illness, meaning those who live with it often don’t look sick. It can be a challenge to get others to understand how serious diabetes truly can be, because when it’s managed well, the person can do anything he or she wants. Check out www.jdrf.org for more information, including how to find a walkathon near you! A portion of the sales of Zeus, Dog of Chaos will go to the JDRF.
Thank you to friend Mike Edwards, who answered numerous questions about living with and managing diabetes (and particularly how that applied to middle school band!). He is a mentor to others who have been recently diagnosed, and he was patient with my barrage of questions. One thing Mike would tell you is that a student like Madden would probably have a closer relationship with the school nurse than what I’ve portrayed here. Anything else incorrect in this story is my misunderstanding. Mike pointed me toward “Diabetic Danica,” a YouTube channel dedicated to providing people with diabetes more information about the latest products, medicines, and technology. Thank you to Danica, a registered nurse and person with diabetes, for sharing her knowledge far and wide!
Thank you to Brenda Dew and Lesley Adams of Retrieving Independence. Brenda and Lesley are two dynamos who work with incarcerated people to train dogs as diabetic alert animals. Many service dogs are trained by people in prison, inside prison walls. It is a system that benefits everyone involved, and I’m grateful for programs like Retrieving Independence. They taught me so much about how diabetic alert dogs are trained. You can learn more about the program (and donate to them!) at retrievingindependence.org. A portion of all sales of Zeus, Dog of Chaos will go toward Retrieving Independence.
Thank you to Rebecca Garrett of Borderland. Rebecca began training dogs to assist people with diabetes when her own daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age ten. Rebecca trained their family pet to assist her daughter, and Borderland was born! Borderland allows families to train their own pets to become diabetic alert dogs. It’s a fascinating program.
Thank you to the *real* Page Middle School Band! Particularly its fearless leader, band director Carol Strayer, and its wonderful instructor Evan Burton. Ms. Strayer and Mr. Burton let me sit in on dozens of their classroom sessions in the spring of 2018. Their rapport with the students is second to none, and the students give their all in return. Support your school’s music and arts programs!
Thank you to Julie Caudle, Page Middle School’s librarian, who helped make the connections needed for this story. Schools need great libraries and librarians, and “my” Page Middle School has exactly that! #librariansaremyrockstars
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nbsp; Thank you to all the booksellers, librarians, teachers, bloggers, festival organizers, parents, and grandparents who share books with kids! There is no better way to grow empathy than through a story. I am so very grateful for all you do to help readers find stories they love. Keep sharing stories and growing empathy worldwide—you make a difference word by word, page by page.
Thank you to Byron, Chloe, and Jack, always. I am grateful for the chaos in our lives, every single day. I love you!
About the Author
Courtesy Kristin O’Donnell Tubb
KRISTIN O’DONNELL TUBB is the author of The Story Collector and its sequel, The Story Seeker, the award-winning A Dog Like Daisy, John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy (written as E. F. Abbott), The 13th Sign, Selling Hope, and Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different. Kristin lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with her bouncy-loud family. Just like her two dogs, she can be bribed with cheese. You can visit her online at www.kristintubb.com.
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Copyright
Katherine Tegen Books is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
ZEUS, DOG OF CHAOS. Copyright © 2020 by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
www.harpercollinschildrens.com
Cover art © 2020 by Mike Heath
Cover design by Andrea Vandergrift and Joel Tippie
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Tubb, Kristin O’Donnell, author.
Title: Zeus, dog of chaos / Kristin O’Donnell Tubb.
Description: First edition. | New York, NY : Katherine Tegen Books, [2020] | Audience: Ages 8–12. | Audience: Grades 4–6. | Summary: “Zeus, a German shepherd, is assigned to Madden as a diabetic alert dog and must help him navigate middle school”—Provided by publisher.
Identifiers: LCCN 2019035470 | ISBN 978-0-06-288593-7 (hardcover)
Subjects: CYAC: Working dogs—Fiction. | German shepherd dog—Fiction. | Dogs—Fiction. | Diabetes—Fiction. | Middle schools—Fiction. | Schools—Fiction. | Single-parent families—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.T796 Zeu 2020 | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019035470
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Digital Edition JUNE 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-288597-5
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-288593-7
2021222324PC/LSCH10987654321
FIRST EDITION
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