One of our members, Mark Snoad, is launching his book Maggie and the Mountain of Light – to coincide with Allergy Awareness Week! This book for young readers is based on a main character who lives with food allergies but still manages to find plenty of adventures to go on. Mark and his wife, Kimberley Madden-Snoad, have had a long association with Allergy New Zealand, ever since their daughter Mikayla was diagnosed with food allergies at six months old. Kimberley served as a regional coordinator for 17 years, running an allergy support group and hosting events for kids and parents. Mark and Kimberley organised and ran our first ever Allergy Youth Camp, and also ran three other day-long workshops for teenagers. Allergy New Zealand CEO Mark Dixon sat down with Mark to talk about the release of his debut novel, Maggie and the Mountain of Light.
Hi Mark, Tell us a little bit about your book
The main character, Maggie, is 12years old and battles severe food allergies, asthma and anxiety. Despite this, she is a proud member of the Wayfinder Girls (a pseudo Girl Guides organisation). Maggie attends a fun 'apocalypse training’ camp in London with her best friend Anahira, where she has to navigate all the challenges any food allergic kid faces when attending a camp. Maggie and Anahira discover a secret programme called, ‘Guardians’ that the Wayfinder Girls keep hidden from the world. The Guardians protect the world from interdimensional threats. Anahira wants to become a Guardian but Maggie is not so sure, she is finding it hard enough just coping with her life as it is. The story then explores whether Maggie will face her fears and journey into the unknown.
Sounds intriguing. What was the inspiration for your novel?
My inspiration was, and is, my daughter Mikayla. She has battled food allergies her entire life but this has not stopped her from doing anything she wants to do. Mikayla successfully completed the Queen’s Guide Award a few years ago and has helped create and run the AUT Performing Arts Club, which put on their very own show at the Herald Theatre last year. Mikayla is a massive Percy Jackson fan and I loved the idea of a protagonist who didn’t have any special powers or magical ability, but still went on a magical adventure.
That’s very cool. How did Mikayla feel about you writing a book based on her?
She is very proud and excited. And I had some awesome Dad moments along the way. I read the early version of the book out loud at dinner time, one chapter each time, to get a sense of how my daughters (Mikayla and Hannah) reacted to each scene. I would read a scene and the family would laugh or comment. Mikayla would say what she thought and then I’d read the very next line, which was Maggie’s internal thinking. On several occasions what I’d written down as Maggie’s thoughts were exactly the same as what Mikayla had just said. It freaked Mikayla out a bit. “How do you know what’s in my head?” she would exclaim! They were proud Dad moments!
Wow, that’s amazing, well done. And does Maggie have similar allergies to Mikayla?
Yes. Maggie, like Mikayla, is allergic to dairy, eggs, kiwifruit, and several tree nuts, and she also has Coeliac Disease, and asthma. So, a high achiever in terms of the wide range of allergies she copes with on a daily basis. Maggie, like Mikayla, is also very anxious. It comes with the territory of forever being on the lookout for anything that could spark a reaction.
A high achiever? That’s one way of looking at it. How authentic is the allergy experience communicated in your book?
It’s a really authentic portrayal based on more than 20 years of dealing with daily life as a food allergic family. For example, we first meet Maggie’s mum carrying a chilly bin full of Mikayla’s safe food for the camp. The chilly bin is labelled ‘Don’t Touch’ and ‘For Maggie only’. And then there is the negotiation, even though already pre-planned, with the camp staff for a separate place for Maggie to store and prepare her own food. Then there is Maggie’s ever present medicine bag, complete with EpiPen®, asthma inhaler, and safe snacks. The meds bag never leaves Maggie’s side and then there are the activities in the dining hall, or around the campfire, that Maggie can’t participate in. It truly captures the isolation and sense of difference all food allergic kids face, but also shows the importance of having caring and supportive friends and family.
That’s a really good point. Who helps Maggie? Most families would struggle to allow their food allergic 12-year-old daughter to attend camp.
That’s true. I attended Mikayla’s intermediate school camp as a parent-helper, and Kimberley attended many Girl Guide camps with Mikayla as well, some with more horrific situations than others. We also provided a quasi-UberEats service for some other week-long camps, where we stayed somewhere close by and shuttled meals back and forth. Mikayla has attended camps by herself, with the mitigating factor being whether there was someone we trusted at the camp, someone who understood food allergies and would look after Mikayla. For Maggie, that person is her best friend, Anahira. And for Maggie’s family, the Wayfinder Girls is a trusted organisation. Maggie has been to several Wayfinder Girls camps before.
Got it. Having other trusted people supporting our food allergic kids is important. So, what’s the main message in your book?
That you are braver than you think you are, and that anyone can be the hero of their own story.
Right. Even if you have severe food allergies?
Yes! We had a really helpful saying when Mikayla was growing up: ‘Be careful, not fearful’. I think that’s an important message. Don’t fear new experiences, or new opportunities, but be careful when doing them for the first time. In my novel, Maggie finds herself doing things she never thought she could do, but she is careful all the time.
Be careful, not fearful. I like that. So what age group is your novel targeted at? And is it appropriate for that age group?
It is middle grade fantasy, which is typically for young people aged eight to 13, but is often promoted as 8+, because there is no age limit. And yes, definitely age appropriate. My publisher, Monarch Educational Services, is dedicated to family-friendly, clean-reads for children and young people.
Fantastic. A few quick final questions. Will there be a second book? How can we find out more about your book? And where can we buy it?
Yes! Maggie and the Mountain of Light is the first book in the series. I’m writing the second book now. You can check out my website www.wayfindergirls.org, or my Goodreads page. And it is available worldwide on Amazon, and Barnes and Noble. For Aotearoa New Zealand, you can get a copy from the Allergy NZ online shop, and you can ask for it at your local bookstore.
Awesome. Thanks Mark. All the very best for your book and thanks to you and your family for continuing to advocate for kids and families living with food allergies.
Allergy Today, 05 May 2023