AUTHOR LINDA B. DAVIS: FOOD FIGHT
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Author Linda B. Davis discusses her engaging and empowering new middle grade novel, “Food Fight,” on finding self-esteem with a little-known eating disorder. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the podcast on Acast.
In Linda B. Davis’ debut novel “Food Fight,” a three-day class trip becomes a survival mission for a picky-eating student with ARFID (Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). Inspired by one of her relatives, “Food Fight” showcases the challenges of living with a lesser known and misunderstood eating disorder, while emphasizing the importance of fitting in by being yourself.
Ben Snyder is ready to start middle school. He’s smart, athletic, and has two best friends. But his super picky eating, which has never been a problem before, is about to get in his way. Suddenly everybody’s on his case about what he’s eating and what he’s not—his old friends, new friends, weird lab partner, a girl he’s crushing on, and a bully—and he finds himself in a social free fall, sliding toward the bottom of the middle school food chain. Even worse, an upcoming three-day field trip sounds too awesome to miss but has a horrifying menu. As he prepares for the trip, Ben learns there might be more to his picky eating than he ever realized. Armed with new information, he plans to avoid the bully along with every single meal. But when everything starts to go wrong and epic hunger threatens to push him over the edge, Ben must decide how far he will go to fit in—and if he has what it takes to stand out.
Linda holds a master’s degree in developmental psychology from Vanderbilt University and a master’s in clinical social work from University of South Florida. Her past work experiences include research investigating how the sense of smell facilitates mother-infant bonding, clinical work with people newly infected with HIV, and psychoeducational support for adults and children living with mental illness.
Ultimately, her career training prepared her to be curious about why we do the things we do. This has come in handy as a mother and a writer. She is passionate about the need for accessible and accurate information about mental health, especially in children’s books. Her novel, “Food Fight,” was inspired by a young relative’s experience living with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a little-known eating disorder often characterized as “extreme picky eating.” Much of her research on the topic has focused on the impact of picky eating on families.
Linda is a member of SCBWI and active in the Chicago writing community. When she’s not writing, she enjoys buying more books than she can possibly read, maintaining her Little Free Library, and traveling with her husband and daughters. To learn more about her life and work, visit: www.lindabdavisauthor.com
Linda’s novel “Food Fight” will be out through Fitzroy Books/Regal House on June 27, 2023.
More: https://www.lindabdavisauthor.com/
